GPSy was designed to work with any NMEA-0183 compatible GPS unit and a non-compatible device has yet to be found. The following units have been tested successfully with GPSy, but should not be considered a comprehensive or restrictive list. If you don't see yours below; but find that it works, please let me know and I'll add it to the list:
Apelco GPS-15
Ashtec SCA-12/12S
DeLorme Tripmate*
Eagle Accunav Sport
Eagle Explorer
Garmin GPX 12XL
Garmin GPS 20
Garmin GPS 35
Garmin GPS 38
Garmin GPS 40
Garmin GPS 45
Garmin GPS 45XL
Garmin GPS 50
Garmin GPS 55
Garmin GPS 90
Garmin GPS 120
Garmin GPS 175
Garmin GPS II
Garmin GPSMap 195
Garmin TracPak
Lowrance GlobalNav 200
Lowrance SeeNav
Magellan GPS3000/3000XL w/ power/data module
Magellan GPS4000/4000XL w/ power/data module
Magellan Meridian XL
Magellan Pro Mark-X (NMEA output)
Magellan Trailblazer XL
Motorola PVT-6
Novatel NavCard†
Panasonic KX-G93; KX-G5700
Trimble 4000SSi
Trimble GPS PC-Card (in a PB5300)
Trimble Scoutmaster
Trimble FlightPro
* DeLorme Tripmate support is provided under license from DeLorme Mapping, Inc.
† Requires configuration of GPS host unit for NMEA output.
Starting with version 2.2, GPSy offers NMEA-0182 support. However, compliance has only been verified by using the Garmin 12-XL in NMEA-0182 mode. If you have a NMEA-0182 device and can test GPSy with it, I'd love to have your results. <karen@gpsy.com>
Tested Macintosh Systems
GPSy is a “fat” binary and is PowerPC accelerated. The minimum system is one that can run System 7.0. The following Macintoshes have been tested with GPSy successfully, but is by no means meant to be comprehensive or restrictive:
PowerBook 145B
PowerBook 180
PowerBook Duo 210
PowerBook Duo 230
PowerBook Duo 250
PowerBook 520
PowerBook 540
PowerBook 1400C
PowerBook Duo 2300C
PowerBook 3400C
PowerBook 5300
Mac LC (w/68030 accelerator)
Mac IIcx
Mac SE/30
Performa 630 Quadra 630
Performa 640CD
Centris 650
PowerMac 6100/60
Performa 6300
PowerMac 7100/66
PowerMac 8100
Power Computing Model 100
GPSy has also been used with:
PortShare -- an ethernet/appletalk port-sharing package
If your machine is missing, please e-mail <karen@gpsy.com> to add it.
NMEA Compatibility
GPSy™ is compatible with any NMEA-0183 compatible talker that produces proper NMEA sentences. GPSy recognizes major NMEA sentences produced by GPS, Loran-C, and other navigational units. Currently recognized and supported sentence types are:
AAM - Waypoint arrival alarm
APA - Autopilot format A
APB - Autopilot format B
BOD - Bearing, origin to destination
BWC - Bearing and distance to waypoint, great circle
BWR - Bearing and distance to waypoint, rhumb line (overridden by BWC if available)
DBT - Depth below transducer
GGA - Global Positioning System Fix Data
GSA - GPS DOP and active satellites
GSV - Satellites in view
GLL - Geographic position, latitude and longitude (and time)
HDM - Heading, magnetic north
HDT - Heading, true north
HSC - Steer to heading
MTW - Mean water temperature
RMB - Recommended minimum navigation info when dest. waypoint is active
RMC - Recommended minimum specific GPS/Transit data
VTG - Track made good and ground speed
WCV - Waypoint closure velocity
XTE - Cross-track error
XTR - Cross-track error, dead reckoning (overriden by XTE if available)
Recognized and supported proprietary sentences are:
PGRME - Garmin Proprietary Position Error Sentence
PGRMM - Garmin Proprietary Map Datum Sentence
PGRMZ - Garmin Proprietary Altitude Information
PRWIZCH - Rockwell Proprietary Zodiac Channel Information
Recognized but not supported sentence types are seen by GPSy and catalogued as NMEA sentences but are not parsed. Note that most of these are not used by the majority of GPS units, nor is there any mission-critical information that is not provided in the sentences above:
ALM - GPS Almanac Data
ASD - Autopilot system data
BEC - Bearing and distance to waypoint
BER - Bearing and distance to waypoint, dead reckoning
BPI - ?? Autohelm Seatalk Sentence??
BWW - Bearing, waypoint to waypoint
DCN - Decca Position
DPT - Depth
FSI - Frequency set information
GLC - Geographic position, Loran-C
GXA - TRANSIT Position
HCS - ?? Autohelm Seatalk Sentence??
HDG - Heading, deviation & variation
LCD - Loran-C Signal Data
MWV - Wind speed and angle
OLN - Omega Lane Numbers
OSD - Own Ship Data
R00 - List of waypoint ID's currently in active route (proprietary Garmin)
RMA - Recommended minimum specific Loran-C Data
ROT - Rate of Turn
RPM - Revolutions
RSA - Rudder Sensor Angle
RSD - RADAR System Data
RTE - Waypoints in active route
SFI - Scanning Frequency Information
STN - Multiple Data ID
TRF - TRANSIT Fix Data
TTM - Tracked Target Message
VHW - Water speed and heading
VBW - Dual Ground/Water speed
VDR - Set and Drift
VHW - Water speed and heading
VLW - Distance travelled through the water
VPW - Speed, measured parallel to wind
VWR - Relative wind direction and speed
WDC - Distance to waypoint
WDR - Distance to waypoint, rhumbline
WNC - Distance, waypoint to waypoint
WPL - Waypoint location
ZDA - Time and Date
ZFO - UTC & Time from origin waypoint
PSLIB - Starlink Differential GPS control data
NMEA standard bps settings are 4800 bps; 8 data bits; 1 stop bit; no parity. You can use a telecomunication program at these settings to test whether your Mac is receiving the GPS NMEA sentences correctly or not. If your NMEA device produces sentences that are currently not supported, please send a log (produced by GPSy or your telecom program) and I'll add those sentences for you.
GPSy supports standard serial ports as well as any CommunicationToolbox (CTB) compatible serial port. This includes virtual serial ports such as PortShare, PortJuggler, PC Card GPS units, NuBus/PCI serial ports, and so forth.
GPSy can be set to a bps speed setting of 150, 300, 1200, 2400, 4800 (standard NMEA-1083), 9600, 19200, 38400, and 57600.
Version 2.0 of GPSy introduced support for Garmin proprietary upload/download protocols. Eagle, Magellan, Rockwell, and Trimble proprietary protocols are also being investigated. If I can find a published API for them and support is feasible,I will include them in future releases.
