GPS error code 5

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09-07-2010 10:03 AM
JeffTimm
Occasional Contributor
If the GPS is disconnected or the GPS connection is dropped during an ArcPad session I receive the following errors: 1)"An error has occurred connecting to the receiver (error code 5)..." and 2) "Failed to connect to the GPS receiver because the COM port is in use by another application."

Sometimes if I restart the trimble unit it will work again and sometimes it won't. Does anyone have any ideas??

GPS/GIS software and hardware: ArcPad 8.0 sp4 with GPScorrect 3.02 on a Trimble GeoXH 2008 Series.
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18 Replies
NormWray
New Contributor II

I do have a question on the priority script though.  The script allows you to change the priority for two things; the draw priority and the GPS priority.  Could you leave the draw priority at above normal (to keep the drawing speed relatively high) and simply set the to the GPS to the "highest" priority?


If anyone is interested, I tried to leave the draw priority at "above normal" (the default) and set the GPS priority to "highest" to try to keep the drawing spped high; unfortunately, I still got the error code 5 message when trying that.  Looks like you have to set the draw priority to "normal" in order to get rid of the error.

Norm.
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JeremyNicoletti
New Contributor
Service pack 4 has moved me from being unable to recognize the GPS to not being able to receive data from the GPS.

I no longer receive error 5, and I can get my GPS to function with my GPS Controller software.

I have experienced no difference using the priority script. 

On my desktop I experienced Error code 5 while running Microsoft ActiveSync background processes, and disabling those along with all other sync and GPS related processes allowed me to get data to transfer. 

I still have problems, but at least I am no longer receiving error code 5.
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YukunXing
New Contributor III
I have a NOMAD 900 G series and has been playing with ArcPad 8.0 for a while and haven't had any issue with the GPS receiver.

Today after I installed and activated GPScorrect 3.10 on it, neither ArcPad nor GPScorrect can connect to the GPS receiver.

If I use what seem to be the standard settings in ArcPad's GPS preference:
Protocol: Trimble GPScorrect
Port: COM3 (this doesn't say Trimble TIPS or whatever, just COM3)
Baud: 9600

Then whenever I try activating GPS I got error code 5.

So frustrated I decided to uninstall GPScorrect and see what happens. The uninstallation was smooth, however, once I fired up ArcPad, within a minute everything froze. Even holding down the power button won't do anything. Had to take the battery out and let tbe power drain to get the unit working again.

After that I reinstalled GPScorrect. COM3 was still no go. But if I set the port to COM2 (the hardware port), both ArcPad and GPScorrect seem to be working fine with the GPS receiver. I was able to collect some data, and do post-processing.

However, since wherever I look, everyone is setting the port to COM3, I have to wonder, is it completely wrong to use COM2, though things "seem" to be working?

Thanks for any insight you may provide.
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AlexMahrou
Occasional Contributor
I have a NOMAD 900 G series and has been playing with ArcPad 8.0 for a while and haven't had any issue with the GPS receiver.

Today after I installed and activated GPScorrect 3.10 on it, neither ArcPad nor GPScorrect can connect to the GPS receiver.

If I use what seem to be the standard settings in ArcPad's GPS preference:
Protocol: Trimble GPScorrect
Port: COM3 (this doesn't say Trimble TIPS or whatever, just COM3)
Baud: 9600

Then whenever I try activating GPS I got error code 5.

So frustrated I decided to uninstall GPScorrect and see what happens. The uninstallation was smooth, however, once I fired up ArcPad, within a minute everything froze. Even holding down the power button won't do anything. Had to take the battery out and let tbe power drain to get the unit working again.

After that I reinstalled GPScorrect. COM3 was still no go. But if I set the port to COM2 (the hardware port), both ArcPad and GPScorrect seem to be working fine with the GPS receiver. I was able to collect some data, and do post-processing.

However, since wherever I look, everyone is setting the port to COM3, I have to wonder, is it completely wrong to use COM2, though things "seem" to be working?

Thanks for any insight you may provide.


The GPS Port on the Nomad is COM2.  COM3 will always get you nowhere on a Nomad.  The assignment to COM3 in the above posts that you read are specific to a GeoExplorer.  Roll with the following settings on the Nomad and you should be fine...;)

Protocol: Trimble GPScorrect
Port: COM2
Baud: 9600
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YukunXing
New Contributor III
Thank you very much for your response Alex. This is certainly encouraging.

I know that the hardware (GPS receiver) is connected to COM2. And interestingly, I remember before installing GPScorrect, my ArcPad was configured to listen to COM3 for GPS signals and it had always worked. Has the installation of GPScorrect changed the game?

The GPS Port on the Nomad is COM2.  COM3 will always get you nowhere on a Nomad.  The assignment to COM3 in the above posts that you read are specific to a GeoExplorer.  Roll with the following settings on the Nomad and you should be fine...;)

Protocol: Trimble GPScorrect
Port: COM2
Baud: 9600
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AlexMahrou
Occasional Contributor
I cannot confirm that I've ever seen a Nomad connecting to COM3 for GPS data with default settings.  However, I can confirm that the COM2 is the way to go.
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YukunXing
New Contributor III
I cannot confirm that I've ever seen a Nomad connecting to COM3 for GPS data with default settings.  However, I can confirm that the COM2 is the way to go.


I'm just wondering since I don't have much experience with these devices. When I first got the NOMAD and before I installed GPScorrect, the GPS on the unit was not working. I was trying to figure it out and bumped into the GPS settings under windows mobile, where the default settings for hardware port was COM2, and program port was COM3. The "allows Windows to automatically assign port" options was unchecked. I went ahead and checked it, opened up ArcPad and in its GPS Preference menu, set the port to COM3, and voila! GPS worked.

That's why when I was troubleshooting error code 5 and saw everyone use COM3 as their GPS port for ArcPad I thought I used the correct setting.

Thanks for your response Alex.
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AlexMahrou
Occasional Contributor
I'm just wondering since I don't have much experience with these devices. When I first got the NOMAD and before I installed GPScorrect, the GPS on the unit was not working. I was trying to figure it out and bumped into the GPS settings under windows mobile, where the default settings for hardware port was COM2, and program port was COM3. The "allows Windows to automatically assign port" options was unchecked. I went ahead and checked it, opened up ArcPad and in its GPS Preference menu, set the port to COM3, and voila! GPS worked.

That's why when I was troubleshooting error code 5 and saw everyone use COM3 as their GPS port for ArcPad I thought I used the correct setting.

Thanks for your response Alex.


Yukun,

I stand corrected.  You are correct.  In the instance you describe above, the Nomad is emulating the NMEA sentences from COM2 to COM3 in Windows Mobile.  I completely forgot about this WM GPS Emulation feature.
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YukunXing
New Contributor III
Yukun,

I stand corrected.  You are correct.  In the instance you describe above, the Nomad is emulating the NMEA sentences from COM2 to COM3 in Windows Mobile.  I completely forgot about this WM GPS Emulation feature.


It is one of the things that got me confused, setting 2 ports related to GPS. But I guess for now I can feel safe to use the NOMAD, with the settings I previously reported (Trimble GPScorrect, COM2, 9600). When I troubleshooting alone I somehow decided to uncheck "manage GPS automatically". Since the thing is working, I'm going to leave it that way.

Thanks again for your help Alex!
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