Using GNSS Compass Manager

GNSS Compass Manager is a software tool provided by Advanced Navigation for logging, testing, display and configuration of GNSS Compass. It is designed to be simple and easy to use. It should run on most Windows, MacOS and Linux computers.

Note: Java 11 is required to run GNSS Compass Manager. Adoptium JRE 11 is the recommended Java installer to be used on all platforms. Install the latest version of Java 11 from Adoptium, selecting the correct operating system and architecture for your computer.

GNSS Compass Manager contains almost identical functionality to the web UI. This section will only include the areas that are different or absent from the web UI. Refer to the documentation for Using the Web User Interface as required.

Screenshot of GNSS Compass Manager

GNSS Compass Manager Software Changelog

Version Date Changes
6.0 29 October 2021

Major update to support v2.0 hardware and v2.0+ firmware

GNSS Compass Manager Software Changelog

System Requirements

GNSS Compass Manager is only available for systems with x64 and ARM architectures.

GNSS Compass Manager includes a 3D mapping display which requires an internet connection. If your machine does not meet the graphics requirements the mapping view will only show space without a globe.

Note, when GNSS Compass is running at very high output rates e.g. 1000 Hz, GNSS Compass Manager can consume significant system resources handling such large quantity of data.

Installation and Starting

The latest version of GNSS Compass Manager can be downloaded from the GNSS Compass product page of the Advanced Navigation website. Installation notes are as follows:

  • Java 11 is required to run GNSS Compass Manager.
    Adoptium JRE 11 is the recommended Java installer to be used on all platforms. Install the latest version of Java 11 from Adoptium, selecting the correct operating system and architecture for your computer.

  • No installation process required for the GNSS Compass Manager application on a Windows system — it can be run from any directory by simply double clicking on it. To open the program on some systems it may be necessary to right click and select open with → Java Runtime Environment.

  • On MacOS systems it may be necessary to run the application from a terminal window:
     java –jar -XstartOnFirstThread GNSS CompassManager.jar

  • On Linux systems it may be necessary to run the application from a terminal window:
    java –jar GNSS CompassManager.jar

The GNSS Compass Evaluation Kit includes an FTDI USB to adaptor cable. The drivers are normally installed automatically, but if not they are available for download from www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm.

Troubleshooting

If the application will not start, the most common reason is that you have 32-bit Java installed on a 64-bit operating system. Uninstall Java and reinstall the 64-bit version.

If the globe does not appear in the 3D map area, this indicates that either your graphics card is not powerful enough, your graphics card driver is out of date, or you have no internet connection.

  • Ensure the RS232 / RS422 switch is in the correct mode. The GNSS Compass factory default mode is RS422.
  • Ensure you select the correct COM port. This can be easily identified by unplugging and re-plugging in the USB connector.
  • Ensure you have the correct baud rate selected in GNSS Compass Manager. The factory default value for the baud rate is 115200 bps for the Primary and Auxiliary ports.

Contact technical support support@advancednavigation.com if you have any questions or require further assistance.

Windows

There is a well known problem with USB serial devices under Windows known as “crazy mouse”. The problem occurs when the system mistakenly installs the USB serial device as a mouse. If you experience this problem, often a restart will resolve it. Otherwise there is a tool that can fix this issue available at
http://www.stentec.com/anonftp/pub/wingps/pnpblockersetup.exe.

If the serial port does not show up when you plug in the FTDI USB to RS232/RS422 adaptor cable, you may need to install the drivers from www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm.

When operating GNSS Compass on Windows at a high data rate, data can be lost due to the latency of the FTDI driver. To resolve this problem the latency of the driver should be reduced to 1 ms:

  1. Start the Windows Device Manager (1) and find the Ports section (2).
  2. Identify the specific COM port being used (3) by dis-connecting and re-connecting the USB to RS232 / RS422 adaptor cable.
  3. Right click on the identified COM port and select Properties. Select the Port Settings tab (4) and select Advanced (5).
  4. Change the Latency Timer value (6) to 1 msec then press OK (7), and OK again for the previous window. 

Setting the Windows Port Latency Value - 1

Setting the Windows Port Latency Value - 2

Setting the Windows Port Latency Value - 3

Linux

If serial ports do not show up, the typical reason is a lack of permissions. The user should add themselves to the dialout group with the command:

sudo adduser username dialout

Compiz causes issues with the 3D mapping. If you are experiencing problems it is recommended to turn off Compiz.

Modemmanager can also sometimes cause problems on Linux installations. If you are not using a modem, it is recommended to remove modemmanager with the command:

sudo apt-get remove modemmanager