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From: chrisp@mdsroc.com (Christopher Piggott)
Newsgroups: sci.geo.satellite-nav,comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.networks,rec.radio.amateur.packet
Subject: AutoMap software and GPS - some answers, some questions
Date: 15 Feb 1996 17:23:02 GMT
Organization: Microwave Data Systems
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This note is somewhat oddly cross-posted, in part because so many are 
interested in GPS (including amateur packet radio).  This article 
pertains to you if you're interested in hooking a GPS up to inexpensive 
moving map software that does NOT require you to have a portable CD-ROM 
for your laptop.


Someone posted a question asking about GPS interfacing to AutoMap 
software.  I was interested a while back in developing software to 
interface to the Motorola GPS module.

In the AutoMap owner's manual, there is the following note:

	1.3 Automap Pro DDE interface

		Automap Pro includes a DDE interface which is
		particularly suitable for use in conjunction
		with Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment.
		Please contact Automap, Inc. for further
		information concerning the Automap Pro
		Developer's Kit

I made several attemps to locate "Automap, Inc" without luck.  The 
owner's manual is published by Microsoft and refers to two companies in 
various places: "Automap, Inc." and "NextBase".  Neither company appears 
to exist any longer.  Since them, the product was purchased by Microsoft.

Despite the reference in the owner's manual (which Microsoft published), 
the Microsoft help line (apparently dedicated exclusively to the Automap 
products) claims that, contrary to the above excerpt, they do not offer 
this product.  The person I talked to seemed to be vaguely aware of its 
previous existence.  (Sidebar: this is apparently why they put the 
remarks: "Contents of this manual are subject to change" in the manual).

Needless to say, I am extremely disappointed, because I purchased this 
program specifically so that I could write GPS software.


Now, on to the hopeful part.  I think it's possible for us to figure out 
how to write our own software interface, even though this developer's kit 
is not available.  I took a look inside the file NBDDE100.DLL, which is 
the DDE/DLL interface library.  Near as I can tell, this single library 
supports both the DDE and the DLL interfaces to AutoMap.  Either one 
would work fine.

The example GPS interface program (which is available from 
ftp.microsoft.com) uses the DLL interface.  This is unfortunate; if it 
used the DDE interface I would probably be able to monitor the messages 
and duplicate them with my own program.  It is probably still possible to 
do this with the DLL interface and a schnazzy windows debugger or soft 
ICE.  If anybody has these tools and knows how to use them, please help 
us!!!  Send e-mail and I'll explain the details.

Meanwhile, if anybody on the net can get me a contact in Automap, 
NextBase, or knows the author of the example GPS interface program to 
Automap Pro (Tomasz Kasperkiewicz of Nextbase Ltd.) please write me or 
call me on the telephone.  I'm desparate for this information.

By the way, if you happen to have a ROckwell, Sony, or Marconi-based GPS 
receiver, you may be able to juse download the program from microsoft and 
have it work.  However, I should warn you that the program is somewhat of 
a pain; it seems to be meant to be an example of what you can do rather 
than an end-user application.  I imagine it was intended to be 
distributed with source, which is what I had hoped, but somebody changed 
the plan.  (Thanks again, Bill.)

 
--------------------------------
Christopher Piggott, WZ2B
Advanced Development Group
Microwave Data Systems
(a California Microwave company)
e-mail: wz2b@mdsroc.com