Re: [Gpsbabel-misc] globalsat 580P support

[Gerhard O. <ger...@gm...>]

Hello

The Globalsat 580P has a protocol similar to other GsSport devices like the
625B, 625XT but a quite different protocol compared to the DG-200.
The protocol specification is "confidential" and available on request (but
you have to make guesses yourself) but I have done an open source
implementation for SportTracks:
https://code.google.com/p/globalsat-sporttracks-plugin/source/checkout

There are a lot of peculiarities in the protocol. There were (as usual)
some effort to go from working to working well.

I had some thoughts of adding GsSport support to GPSBabel at one point, but
the effort is quite high, at least if you want all extra "sports" data, not
natively supported in GPSBabel. Going from C# -> C++ requires a lot more
rewrite than the other way around.
The device HW is quite good, but the SW is bad. Off device there are SW
alternatives, but not for the firmware, that not improve and no new devices
so I gave up.

So do not have too high hopes of 580P support.

/Gerhard


2015-02-09 22:33 GMT+01:00 Robert Lipe <rob...@gp...>:

> Hi, and welcome.
>
> On Sun, Feb 8, 2015 at 8:40 AM, Emmanuel <man...@gm...> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I see that gpsbabel supports two globalsat device. For cycling the GB
>> 580P is a very good GPS. I have a few questions:
>>
>> 1) Are there any user of GB-580P on the mailing list?
>>
>
> This message seems to be the first in this group mentioning this model.
>
>
>
>> 2) Is there a possibility to make it works using gpsbabel know, maybe
>> using -i dg-200 ou
>> -i dg-100 or some other options?
>>
>
> It's worth a try, though I'd have low expectations.  Neither are fitness
> devices..
>
>
>> 3) Can we ask to add support for this on the gpsbabel-code mailing-list?
>>
>
> Very first question at http://www.gpsbabel.org/FAQ.html explains how to
> scope the amount of work required to add it.
>
> Just half-heartedly Googling around, I can't tell if this thing speaks
> some kind of protocol or actually shows up like a disk drive writing files.
>   Getting Globalsat documentation on how to "speak" to the device would be
> most helpful.
>
> From http://usglobalsat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4209.0 I can't tell if
> the device writes this or their (probably Windows-only) app.
> http://usglobalsat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4209.30 gives some hope for
> Fit, which we do support, but that conversation seems to have also died.
>
>
>> 4) Is it possible to make bounties for the inclusion of a feature like
>> that?
>>
>
> Sure.  If you want it badly enough, getting a few hundred others that
> share the interest to either find one in your community or motivate (hire)
> someone willing to do the work and get it included in GPSBabel is a lovely
> way to get it done. We've had many devices and formats added that way.
>
> For me personally, I don't even give estimates on the amount of work
> required for anything that's not human-readable unless I have access to a
> manufacturer's specification. The reverse-engineering of protocols and file
> formats and the ongoing support costs are just too much for me to add to
> the pile.
>
> RJL
>
>
>
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