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Interface Connectors for Garmin
Handheld GPS Receivers
http://www.pfranc.com/projects/g45contr/g45_idx.htm
Garmin 12, 12xl, 38, 40, 45, 48, 76,
89, 90, 92, 176, 295, GPS II, II+, II, III+, V and Street
Pilots will use the pPlug - available through pfranc
distributors world wide for about $8 each.
If you have a eTrex / eMap Series
GPS you will be needing the ePlug, which is also available
from pfranc
distributors for about the same price. If you do
not have one of the above GPS Receivers, it may be more
difficult to find parts necessary to build your own cable.
However, I have found that most manufacturers of GPS Receivers
make a GPS to DB9 cable (serial) - which you can modify
to work with your Pocket PC.
What you need to know about GPS
Latitude - are imaginary horizontal
lines that run in parallel with each other. North / South
hemispheres are defined at the equator.
Longitude - are imaginary verticle
lines that converge on the North and South poles. East /
West hemispheres are defined by the Prime Meridian (Greenwich,
England) and the International Date Line.
The result is a grid system that facilitates
navigation. Given a proper latitude / longitude, anyone
can find any point on the Earth's surface.
Lets take a break, and read the Trimble
Tutorial on GPS at http://www.trimble.com/gps/index.html.
When you are done... download the sample Pocket PC application,
connect your GPS and take a look at what messages those
sattelites are sending you.
NOTE: This article is
not intendent to be a complete treatment on GPS applications;
it is intended as an introduction only. For further reading:
Understanding
GPS: Principles and Applications
Elliott D. Kaplan (Editor)
ISBN: 0890067937
GPS
for Everyone: How the Global Positioning System Can Work
for You
L. Casey Larijani
ISBN: 0965966755
GPS:
Theory and Practice REVISED
Bernhard, Hofman-Wellenhof, Herbert Lichtenegger, B. Hofmann-Wellenhof,
and James Collins
ISBN: 3211835342
Interesting Links:
This is the first in the series of
five articles to jump start you in GPS/GIS application development.
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