GPSID utility question

[packers17-0]

Hello everyone,

I'm a little confused about this GPSID utility I've been reading about in a bunch of posts. Here's what I've gathered from what I've read... GPSID program that gives a UI to configure the GPS chip inside my phone (I'm using a ATT Q9h, unlocked and on the Rogers network in Canada) so that programs such as Garmin Mobile XT, TomTom, Route 66, etc. can easily find the built in GPS chip. Am I right so far???

The part that has me confused, assuming that the above is correct, is that I installed Garmin Mobile XT pretty much as soon as I got my phone and before I ever read any posts about GPSID and I didnt have ANY issues with the program not finding the built in GPS... I pretty much installed it, launched it, and I was good to go after about 2 min of it searching for satellites. Do I even need to have the GPSID utility on my phone? I also experimented with the modaco com5 port cab but it absolutely destroyed my extended battery in less than 1 full day. I had GPStest but removed it b/c I didnt really see a big advantage to it, I was still waiting the same amount of time for gpstest to find the satellites and lock on as I was if I just launched GarminXT and waited for IT to find the sats....

Can anyone shed a bit of light into my confusion??

[ninjaap]

I never understood that either. I'm able to use google maps and live search without any hack.

[kareljack]

Well, for me the utility alloed me to set the gps chip to use com3 at a high baud rate. Afterwards, google maps found the satellites quicker and windows live was finally able to find the satellites. I was even able to start locking on from inside my house.

[packers17-0]

Originally Posted by kareljack

Well, for me the utility alloed me to set the gps chip to use com3 at a high baud rate. Afterwards, google maps found the satellites quicker and windows live was finally able to find the satellites. I was even able to start locking on from inside my house.

Well as far as I understand it Windows Live and Google Search both use the wireless network to aid in finding your location in relation to satellites as well as downloading the maps... So is it fair to say that the gpsid utility only helps for users not using stand alone gps software??

Has anyone used this with GarminXT or Tom Tom and found that it actually helped? I'm just trying to understand what it actually does...

[U-2]

Here is the explanation
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb202086.aspx
To access the parced GPS data (new interface, introduced in WM5) there no need in mapping SW com port. Software that can utilize the new interface, can work witout GPSID utility. Old software can use raw GPS data via virtual COM port (which has to be configured via GPSID utility)
It has nothing to do with the wireless network.

[packers17-0]

Originally Posted by U-2

Here is the explanation
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb202086.aspx
To access the parced GPS data (new interface, introduced in WM5) there no need in mapping SW com port. Software that can utilize the new interface, can work witout GPSID utility. Old software can use raw GPS data via virtual COM port (which has to be configured via GPSID utility)
It has nothing to do with the wireless network.

Thanks for the link it actually does make a lot more sense now! Its pretty much only needed for certain sorftware not configured to use the intermidiate driver built in so that the software can communicate with the hardware... Also I was not referring to the use of the wireless network as being a part of the gpsid, I was only mentioning it b/c when you use google search or windows live they require a network data connection for the mapping.

[mexiken]

Originally Posted by packers17-0

Well as far as I understand it Windows Live and Google Search both use the wireless network to aid in finding your location in relation to satellites as well as downloading the maps... So is it fair to say that the gpsid utility only helps for users not using stand alone gps software??

Has anyone used this with GarminXT or Tom Tom and found that it actually helped? I'm just trying to understand what it actually does...

Thats incorrect. The Q9h chip is completely autonomous. It will not accept program or user input to assist in finding satellites. At least not in its default state.