Com port in Win 10 and Connections not the same!?

[armand.seguin]

Hi,

Win 10 shows Com ports 3, 4, and 5...and all operating properly. Com 5 goes to the autopilot, which also is input for the Compass.

However, in O V 5.2, the NMEA data shows data from Com 3...on Com 5. How can this be?

NMEA Data on Com 4, shows only streams from 3 and 5. It is my Vesper XB 8000 that also sends GPS signals.

Thankfully, data on Com 3 only shows info for Com 3. Com 3 is from a Garmin GPS and Depth Finder, that I use for Depth, but understand that it also carries GPS signals.

The oddest thing is that I've been struggling to get a Route to the Navico/Simrad autopilot, and after one more check, it sent NAV data to the autopilot (just a "move boat here").

Not looking for trouble, but one reason I was struggling is that the NMEA data window has not been matching the com port connections that I thought they were.

I have a Garmin question I will ask separately.

Thanks,

Armand

[Hakan]

Armand..
It's Windows that give names/numbers to each COM port. OCPN is just using what Windows serves. Win10 tries as much as possible to reuse the COM number to a single device based on its own designation when reconnected to any USB port. It's mostly successful.
You can find out which COM number that's assigned to certain device by studying the "Device manager" while you disconnect and connect a single USB. See my shot.


To output nav-data to an Auto pilot you need to limit the output sentences by a filter. If you just select "Output to this port" all incoming messages from all connections will be sent out and thus choke the COM port. You have to check "Transmit sentences" and, using the "three dotted square" to the right and assign a filter like this: https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...o_an_autopilot
The result would look like next shot

[rgleason]

To augment Hakan's Help: Label all your usb devices so that they remain plugged into the same port as before! Switching ports between use requires additional configuration.

I have labeled all devices (GPS puck, dAISy, Instruments -Seatalk Converter) on my powered USB/Ethernet Hub and Opencpn on a MS SurfacePro 3 starts up reliably with no com issues.


Here is a utility that may help Windows users
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_log_view.html

[Hakan]

Rick..
For old Windows I agree. Generally will Windows 10 remember the COM port number allocation after the first installation or if you change it in the serial port's properties. After that used USB port shall be independent of the COM number allocation. For my Win10 that works fine up to say 98%. For example serial adapters using the same descriptions can conflict exceptionally.

[armand.seguin]

Hakan (Sweden) and Rick (Boston),
Tack to you both.
I'm familiar with Device Manager and have labelled each USB connector. I realize I was supposed to filter, but not easy to figure out all the NMEA data streams. And, it baffled me that Connections screen can show multiple Com ports, and differences with Device Manager (must have drove developers nuts). And, I see now that while my files were named for Com ports, that doesn't show on the uploads of screen pix.

With your help (links, app) and finally getting a signal to my autopilot, I'm hoping I can guide those sentences correctly!

As an aside, I'm in the San Francisco Bay area and all the fires have made the air readings so bad for days and days that I can barely spend any time at the boat for troubleshooting. But the air is coming onshore now and we plan to get underway tomorrow.

Thanks again,

Armand

[rgleason]

Hakan wrote:

"Generally Windows 10 will remember the COM port number allocation after the first installation, or if you change it in the serial port's properties. After that USB port used shall be independent of the COM number allocation. For my Win10 that works fine up to say 98%."


Thank you Hakan, old habits die slowly. I have not tried that after upgrades to Win10! Nice to know. I recall that I used to clean out the USB connection list in Win7 sometimes because it got too big and all messed up.


@armand
I hope you get some good air, enough rain to put the fires out and not cause mud slides, and some good sailing and gentle winds. Stay healthy and let us know how your program works out.