MacWorld 1997 August

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Text File | 1997-06-17 | 14KB | 237 lines

GPSy 2.2.2 was released on May 16, 1997. GPSy is Rapidly Updated Software (RUS — not to be confused with Rodents of Unusual Size) and a new release is produced every month or so. You can always download the latest version from: http://www.gpsy.com/ FAQ information, bug fixes, and other information is also provided on the WWW site. Technical support is available to registered users via e-mail: mailto:support@gpsy.com Release 2.2.2 -- May 16, 1997 • Added custom commands for Garmin GPS 20 SL: $GPALM, $PGRMI, $PGRMIE, $PGRMC, $PGRMO (thanks Dave Martindale) • Fixed improper checksum calculation in Send NMEA Commands (thanks DM) • Fixed missing carriage return in log file for Send NMEA Commands (again, DM) • Fixed "track" problem with HDM/HDT sentences • Fixed "bearing" problem caused by incomplete Eagle Accunav NMEA data (thanks to Loren Hudson) • Fixed minor start/stop demo display glitch (caught by Rick Oerndorf, thanks!) Release 2.2.1 -- April 23, 1997 • Added "Major Features" option to StreetAtlas features menu • Fixed problems relating to PGRMM real-time datum translation w/ Garmin units • Fixed minor problems in StreetAtlas features menu Release 2.2 -- April 11, 1997 • Added Garmin 12XL features: Configuration Data and All User Data • Added NMEA-0182 support • Added 150 bps; 1200 8/odd/1; and 57600 bps options • Added secondary display datum (now you can compare and contrast differences between datums!) • Added All Features/No Features to StreetAtlas map feature menu. Stopped menu from redrawing each time a feature setting was selected. • Greatly improved support for B&W; 2 bit; and 4 bit grey-scale/color displays. • Adjusted NMEA Sentence Data window slightly to be more general • Disabled logging on NMEA-0182 (since it's a non-printable byte stream) • Changed keyboard commands: Was Now Text-to-speech 1 - 4 Shift-1 to Shift-4 GPSy Zoom Level N/A 1 - 0 GPSy Zoom In/Out Command-[] Either Command-[] or [] by themselves • Improved parsing of Garmin PGRMM datum sentences 100-fold. Now datum should almost always be correctly read. • Increased serial buffer size yet again to 16K • Fixed bug where PGRME (Garmin Proprietary EPE) was conflicting with GPSy's new EPE estimate. • Fixed Satellite display on B&W monitors (will draw thin black lines instead of attempting grey) • Improved Satellite display on color monitors (will draw strength on range from Red/Yellow/Green/Blue) • Nota bena: Color detection is done at startup time and is the depth of the main screen • If GPS does not provide declination info and user requests a display pref that requires declination calculation; GPSy will display the info as received from GPS unit and flag the display with a red/italicized marker indicating display does not match preference. In all cases, displayed data will be correct with correct tag. • Additional Device Data now notes when Declination info is not provided (rather than omitting it). • Garmin datum display is now based on what GPSy thinks it is, rather than what the unit says it is. • EPE/HPE/VPE is now calculated from DOP if not supplied by GPS unit -- the formula used is: EPE = UERE * DOP * 2 where, UERE = User Estimated Range Error (by SPS definition == 32 meters) DOP = Dilution -o- Precision 2 = 2DRMS or 95% precision multiplication factor • Garmin units that supply their EPE estimate will display their (grossly optimistic) version of EPE • GPSy calculated EPE has (95%) trailing it. • Added ! tag in Garmin files for comment data and programmatic data • Relabelled route waypoints with lower-case 'w' (but built-in backward compatibility) • Fixed display glitch in data transfer "thermometer" Release 2.1 -- March 17, 1997 • Added ability to recognize and upload MacGPS-style Proximity waypoint files. • Send GPS/NMEA command added for Ashtec SCA-12/12S support and other computer- controllable GPS units. • NMEA data window extended to last 11 sentences w/ snazzy scrolling window. (Needed to view SCA-12 response to commands) • Fixed RMC/SOG/3D/2D bugs that cropped up when decoding invalid NMEA sentences from a lost GPS unit. • Fixed bug in About box that caused Sound Manager to meander. Release 2.0.3 -- Febuary 23, 1997 • CommCloser functionality built-into GPSy -- hold down Option key while selecting "Reset GPSy" to close and reset internal serial ports. • Found MDEF problem that was causing pop-up disfunctionality (aka bombs) on System 7.1/68000 • Lots of Garmin data upload tweaks (none fatal or data damaging): • On occasion, uploading data would cause UTC offset to be trashed. • On occasion, uploading data would cause Datum ID to change from "No Translation" to "WGS-84" • Files were not closed on upload properly. • Fixed several problems with proximity waypoint uploads not working. • Download format (DMS/DMM/DDD) was not always same as in Display Prefs. • Fixed missing tab in proximity waypoint downloads. • Various shorts were causing problems due to alignment changes in PowerPC. Changed to regular ints. • When downloading and "replacing" a file; would write over the file instead of creating temp copy. • Some better error messages used when serial problems occur. • Thank you Dave and Joe for beta testing! -karen Release 2.0.2-- February 17, 1997 • With DD's help, fixed problems that affected Garmin GPS 50 support: • Crashing problem due to PGRMM bug. • DTG/XTE/RMC flickering problem due to Garmin NMEA strangeness. Release 2.0.1-- February 11, 1997 • Fixed problem with text-to-speech introduced by 2.0 (thanks MJK!). • Fixed problem with Garmin data files not closed until GPSy quits (thanks DM). • Fixed problem with time zone corrections in Garmin waypoint/track files (DM). • Added Garmin protocol proximity waypoints. • Restricted Garmin data upload/downloads to registered users. • Tweaked APB sentence so that XTE/landmark wouldn't flicker. • Tweaked navigation panel so that arrival circle data won't run off the screen. • Added download date/time to Garmin data file header. • Tweaked serial buffer space a bit more. PREVIOUS RELEASES Release 2.0 -- February 3, 1996 • Added Garmin protocol uploads/downloads for almanac, waypoints, routes, track • Added 104 different geodetic datums and translations • Added more complete UTM zone info; British National Grid info • Added UTM 10,000 km spacing and also UTM-normal spacing (per DM's suggestion) • Added full DeLorme Tripmate® support • Added recognition and display of Rockwell Zodiac channel information (PRWIZCH) sentence • Added workaround for Eagle Accunavs that don't clear waypoint info properly • Added option to turn-off NMEA-0183 checksums • Serial port buffers doubled. Serial port routines revised. There should not be any buffer overruns now. File playbacks no longer cause memory overrun. • Fixed Eagle AccuNav Sport waypoint problem by improving NMEA-01383 support. • NMEA checksums now implemented. Option to require them. • AppleEvents are now area of Garmin data files; so drag and drop and double-clicks should work (for GPSy native files). • Improved DeLorme Tripmate support. • Renamed and changed some Preferences to standardize panels • Uses temp file for data downloads so original is not deleted if problem occurs. • Fixed problem with satellite PRN strength display if SIV < full sentence. • Made more foreground and background friendly by restricting screen updates to every 20 ticks (0.33 sec.) in the foreground, every 60 ticks (1 sec) in background. • Recompiled with CodeWarrior 11 (they come out with new versions even faster than GPSy!) • Almanac upload capability added back. Proximity waypoints removed. • Garmin Data downloads have an extended header with more info including GPS firmware version • Fixed bug w/ StreetAtlas not working with 2.0b1 • Improved guessing timezones (per DM's suggestion, again) • Removed WPL sentence parsing since it doesn't provide any useful info • Fixed bug computing UTM in southern hemisphere Release 1.7 -- December 30, 1996 • Time Synchronization -- adjust your Macintosh system clock to GPS/atomic time • Added support for PGRME sentence; fixed bugs in other Garmin proprietary sentences • Moved NMEA sentence data to its own panel • Added geodetic datum and geoidal separation to display • Various tweaks in the user interface • Eliminated problem requiring SpeechLib on PowerPC (dang weak imports! :) • Fixed bugs in satellite strength display. Added est. position error (EPE) display. Eliminated flickering. Release 1.6.5 -- December 22, 1996 • Keyboard Commands display panel (future versions will allow editing) • Hit <return> while recording log file to enter comment • Auto-filename entry for log files (defaults to date and time) • Changed command-key for recording log files to Command-K (K for 'kapture'?) • Recompiled with CodeWarrior 10. PPC version uses full optimization (level 4; PPC603 optimized) • Crashing problem with log playback squashed. • Misc. bugs fixed Release 1.6.2 -- December 18, 1996 (Internal/Beta Release) • Log files now playback more smoothly • Two new log file tags: $PGPSyC == Comments, $GPSyP = pause time in ticks/secs between playback lines Release 1.6.1 -- December 16, 1996 • Double-click and drag-n-drop of NMEA data log (TEXT) files • Off-screen graphics worlds used to reduce "flicker" on displays • Fat binary release • Serial port error messages improved • Fixed bug in PowerPC preferences reading caused by 'big-endian/little-endian' problem • New icon for preferences file (and new filetype as well, 'pref') Release 1.6 -- December 15, 1996 • Data logging and playback • Improved (Communications Toolbox) serial support for non-standard PowerBook serial ports • Separate PowerPC version included for first time. • Moved "Demo mode" to File menu (remove in future version?) • Non-license time-out reduced to 15 minutes • Preferences from old versions invalidated automatically Release 1.5.1 -- November 17, 1996 • If drag manager not installed, would crash, fixed. Release 1.5 -- November 13, 1996 • GPSy Link to DeLorme's Street Atlas® 3.0 added (separate $10 license key required) • If GPSy doesn't receive NMEA signals for 30 seconds, will invalidate data (safety feature) • WCV and ZTC added Release 1.2.1 -- November 7, 1996 • Static Position Calculation Mode preferences added / DOP weighting • License Key entry separated from rest of preferences • DOP mean data displayed (actually, bug below fixed) • Static Position DOP sd was really the average DOP, fixed. Release 1.2 -- November 4, 1996 • Space-key will read through all of the current data through text-to-speech • Option to display/speak altitude or not. • Satellite location display (azimuth, elevation, strength, PRN) added • Maritime and Aviation window panes added • Demo mode added (modify STR 6000 to change NMEA strings) • MGRS display currently disabled. Until I can accurately calculate MGRS, I'll leave this option out. • NMEA misc. data separated from GPS satellite data • Static Positioning will reset everytime you open the window. Previously, even if the window was closed, SP calculations would occur in the background. Opening the window will reset SP calculations to zero. • Preferences format changed, delete old preferences before using • Added NMEA sentences: AAM, DBT, DPT, GSA, GSV, MTW, XTR and others • Selecting a display window twice through the menu created two windows • Cancelling a preferences dialog left GPSy in an unknown state, fixed. • Static Position altitude calculated improperly, fixed. • Water temperature calculated improperly, fixed • Strange graying of preference popups fixed. • Preferences options were sized wrongly on macines not using Aaron™, removed Aaron from my development system. Release 1.1 -- October 28, 1996 • Option for primary and secondary coordinate systems (only DDMMSS/DDMM.MM & UTM currently supported) • DDMM.MMM positioning added • Static Position now reports the age of data sample being used. • Static Position also averages the Dilution of Precision (usually HDOP) of the data sample, so you know how good your readings are. • Recognizes some more NMEA sentences. • Added limited maritime support • Added ability to reset GPSy • Added ability to speech synthesize information. • Serial Port preferences now in their own preferences panel • Static Positioning resets if the current position drifts move than 0.05 degrees off of the averaged position. Since SA is defined as +/- 100 meters and 0.05 degrees is much more than that, this should be a safe figure (previously "moving" was defined as COG/VMG of over twenty units per hour (kph or mph)). In any case, Static Position should be deliberately reset before you use it. • "Update" bug fixed -- now all windows update properly • Occasional display glitches due to leading zeros fixed • Static Position lat/lon standard deviations were calculated incorrectly (averages were right, though) Release 1.0 -- October 23, 1996 • First release as shareware.