Co-existence of bluetooth and internal GPS on Windows Mobile

[kiwi38]

If you have an external bluetooth GPS and would like to use it alongside the internal GPS that comes with your Windows Mobile phone, I have found a temporary solution: I typically use the external bluetooth GPS for my "main" GPS program--iGuidance, and the internal GPS for day-to-day activities on google maps. This is because, as I'm sure you've heard, the HTC Touch Pro/Diamond has a notorious GPS lag bug that has yet to be fixed...

We can do this coexistence configuration, because MSFT introduced the intermediate driver for GPS operations on Windows Mobile (read more on the distinction between program port and hardware port here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...(printer).aspx)



Setting up bluetooth gps for iGuidance:
- turn on bluetooth radio
- go to: settings -> connections -> bluetooth -> devices tab
- add bluetooth gps device and enter passkey as prompted
- after it connects, do not click "done" yet, but go to "advanced" instead
- check "serial port" and save
- go to: COM ports tab
- click "new outgoing port", select "COM1" (or any ports other than "COM4") and
uncheck "secure connection"
- go to iGuidance, do not use "automatic detection" or "let windows manage this"
- instead, select "COM1" as the port and select a baud rate >= 38400

Setting up internal gps for google maps:
- go to: settings -> system -> external GPS -> programs tab
- select COM4 as program port
- go to: hardware tab
- select (none) as hardware port and 4800 as baud rate
- go to: access tab
- check "manage gps automatically"
- go to google map, check "let windows manage" gps settings

I have a cooked build 21018 rom with Bored's Verizon GPS fix applied, and obviously have not tested this in other environments. I hope this gives you some ideas on how to approach your own settings, even though it may not resolve your specific situation as is.

---------
Kudos to:
Scott Crosler's kitchen rev c2
DigitalAttic's build 21018 upload
FormerPalmOS's 21018 XIP
lllboredlll's GPS fix for Verizon

[DarkLord]

seems like a lot of setup for this. i'm using tomtom 7 and igo8 on mine and the lag that everyone keeps taking about is negligable. i've used it just to find my kids friend's houses that they want to go visit and i've used it to go on vacation in other states and i really haven't had any major problems.

[kiwi38]

Originally Posted by rwcj63

seems like a lot of setup for this. i'm using tomtom 7 and igo8 on mine and the lag that everyone keeps taking about is negligable. i've used it just to find my kids friend's houses that they want to go visit and i've used it to go on vacation in other states and i really haven't had any major problems.

It does vary by experience. I was on the bus the other day, and the arrow did not move for 3 blocks then caught on and it kept doing that in iGuidance. When I switched to Google Maps, it inched forward but was still 1 block behind the actual position. This never happened when I used the external bluetooth GPS.

There's this big thread on XDA-developers on this issue, and HTC has acknowledged the problem...

[CozBoogie]

Moved to the general Touch Pro Forum.

late,
Coz