Configuring The Rs-232 Port - NorthStar 972 Installation Manual

SECTION SIX: Interfacing the 972 system
from to
NUMBER NAME
six-character waypoint names.
Choosing the checksum setting
Some older devices may not accept sentences containing the NMEA 0183 checksum that's output by
the 972. In such cases, the device may not work properly or at all. If you have problems interfacing to
older equipment, you can turn off the NMEA 0183 checksum: At the
screen, press the cursor pad to highlight the
cursor pad to change the setting from On to Off, then press ENTER.
Selecting an independent NMEA output-port datum
You can adjust the geodetic datum for NMEA 0183 ports 1 and 2, separately from the datum you
choose for position display. At the
then press EDIT. Scroll through the choices to make your selection. To apply this chosen datum to
the lat/lon coordinates in the NMEA 0183 output sentences, press ENTER. The standard GPS datum
is WGS-84.

Configuring the RS-232 port

The RS-232 port on the NMEA connector is used to interface to a PC for downloading waypoints or
for uploading 972 software updates. The following sections describe the RS-232 port's settings"
To configure the RS-232 port:
1. Press STAR to display the
2. Press the cursor pad to select the RS-232 Port Setup line. The choices for
configuration are: PORT OFF, D/B XFER, NMEA IN, COPY PORT1, or COPY
PORT2.
3. Press EDIT.
4. Press the cursor pad to choose the desired function, and then press ENTER.
Using "COPY PORT 1" and "COPY PORT 2"
The settings let you interface the 972 to most PC's without using an RS422-to-RS232
copy port
converter. This function copies the 0183 output of port 1 or port 2 to the 972's RS-232 port for direct
Page 28
, and press ENTER when done. If capable, the listening device will now display
NOTE: Be sure to determine whether the listening device can accept
waypoint names before you change the nmea waypt ID as option.
Many older devices won't understand this identifier, and using it may
cause problems with displaying waypoint information or when
following routes.
There is no standard for identifying how numbers should be
assigned when converting waypoints from names to numbers. When
you export waypoint information as numbers to a peripheral device,
be aware that numbers aren't sequentially defined and may be
re-used on a random basis.
Port 1 Setup
Options/Service Info
option, then press EDIT. Press the
NMEA 0183 checksums
or screen, highlight the
Port 2 Setup
screen, then press Port setup options.
or
Port 1 Setup Port 2 Setup
Output datum
972 Installation Manual, Rev. B
option,