9-pin Serial Connections for GPS

[GISPDA]

My history is Newton130>Newton200>Compaq1520 and I have always had accessories for connecting to 9-pins until this snafu with Dell came up. Dell says there are no accessories for that, so use a CF card but I have found only one card and it is $140 minimum. Does anyone know of a way to connect to a 9-pin (GPS) connector other than a $140 CF card?

Brad

[fyiguy]

Sven of had posted a how to make your own at PocketPCPassion (http://www.pocketpcpassion.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26585)

Dell will be coming out with one, the question is when some have already preordered some. Just call Dell and order the cable (part# 310-3474) or the cradle (part# 310-3475).

[Sven Johannsen]

The stuff I posted over there was heavily geared toward working with the RS GPS unit. The reality is the first thing that is needed is a Dell Serial Sync cable. Availability of those is still a bit fuzzy. They do exist, apearantly, and there are even third party vendors that have aftermarket ones. Honestly haven't heard of anyone actually getting one in their hands yet though. Soon, I expect.

Once one of those cables happens; to hook to anything that normally hooks to a PC serial port (such as a serial GPS), you need a null modem, and whatever adapter you need to make the pins and holes work out right. Generally that will be a gender changer with male pins.

The pins on the 9 pin end you are concerned with are 2, 3 and 5. 5 is ground. On a PC 9 pin serial connector, pin 3 is data that comes out of the PC (Transmit data, TX) and 2 is data into the PC (receive data, RX). It follows then that pin 2 on the PPC cable must be data coming out of the PPC (in to the PC) and Pin 3 must be data going in to the PPC (out of the PC). Keep that in mind when you are wiring your own. Truthfully, ground is ground, and you can't hurt anything if you don't get 2 and 3 right the first time. Try it both ways and hopefully one will work.