GiPSy-5 Micro GPS datalogger for tracking free-moving animals Operating manual (Version 1.3, May 2017)

Transcription

1 GiPSy-5 Micro GPS datalogger for tracking free-moving animals Operating manual (Version 1.3, May 2017)

2 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 2

3 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 3 CONTENTS GIPSY-5 1 CONTENTS 3 1. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION BATTERIES ANTENNAS 5 2. SCHEDULE WORKING MODES TIME SCHEDULE ACQUISITION SETTINGS 7 3. DATALOGGING AND DATA FORMAT 8 4. HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH GIPSY GIPSY-4 UTILITY LAUNCHING THE SOFTWARE DOWNLOADING AND CONVERTING DATA ERASING THE MEMORY 12 6 PROGRAMMING THE SCHEDULE SETTING TIME INTERVALS AND WORKING MODES SETTING START DELAY AND ACQUISITION OPTIONS ADVANCED SETTINGS LOADING THE SCHEDULE TO THE UNIT OPENING AND SAVING SCHEDULES RE-CHARGING THE BATTERIES USING THE AC CHARGER UPLOADING A NEW FIRMWARE WHERE CAN I FIND A NEW FIRMWARE? UPLOADING A NEW FIRMWARE 18

4 GiPSy-5 operating manual p SYSTEM DESCRIPTION GiPSy-5 is a small (23 x 12.5 x 5 mm), light-weight (1.5 g), complete GPS receiver with integrated antenna and data-logger (suitable for recording up to positions), especially designed for tracking birds and small mammals (Fig. 1.1). Data related to position (longitude, latitude, and altitude), speed, date, and time (millisec) are computed and recorded in any place of the Earth, providing that GiPSy-5 is operated in an outdoor environment. Due to its high sensitivity it performs well not only under clear view of the sky, but also under moderate coverage such as wooded or urban areas. GiPSy-5 communicates with pc by mean of a USB cable that should be inserted in the same direction as the gipsy-5, so the cable should continue behind the GPS, and not cover it. Fig. 1.1: GiPSy-5 with whip antenna, top view 1.1 Batteries GiPSy-5 can be mounted on rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries, depending on weight and size requirements of the end-user. Rechargeable batteries allow the unit to be employed several times with the same battery, while non-rechargeable batteries ensure longer duration, but must be replaced when discharged. If using a chip antenna it is necessary that the battery is placed below the module (Fig. 1.2), towards the connector, keeping free the space below the antenna for its better performance.

5 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 5 Fig. 1.2: GiPSy-4 mounted on a rechargeable battery 1.2 Antennas GiPSy-5 can be equipped either with a patch antenna (Fig 1.1), with a ceramic or with a whip Antenna (see also The first one is preferred when weight and size is a matter being very small and light, the ceramic weighs about 3g more (5g in total) and is suggested for use with birds flying close to sea surface (e.g. shearwaters and albatrosses). The wire antenna has very high signal reception and is more suitable in situations of poor GPS signal (e.g. in forests or under dense foliage). 1.3 Switching on/off the logger In order to turn ON the unit, move the magnet included in the parcel over the magnetic switch near the connector area. A white light indicator (LED) will start blinking twice per second, and after 30 seconds once per second. After the fix has been recorded, the unit is still working but the LED is no longer flashing. At any time you can pass the magnet again and a fast blinking (2 blinks/1 sec) will notice that the logger is turning OFF. NOTE: From version to switch off the GPS you need a different procedure; you need to hold the magnet close to the switch until the led switches off. Immediately after the led switches off, remove the magnet, and after one second the logger will switch off (signalized by a fast blinking). This is necessary everytime after the first 30 seconds, when you still switch off the gps by passing the magnet only once. You can try several times to pass the magnet in order to turn ON and then OFF the unit until you get familiar with it. Note: sometimes if the GPS is connected to a datacable and you switch it off the logger, this might turn on automatically after a few seconds. To switch it off definitely, disconnect it from the cable and switch it off with the magnet. 2. SCHEDULE GiPSy-5 is fully programmable by mean of dedicated software (GiPSy-5 utility). Parameters such as time interval between positions, remote download, sleep periods and other features can be set by the user and modified at any time, providing the module is connected to a pc. The schedule window is accessed by clicking to the Schedule button in the main Gipsy-5 Utility window. In the schedule window you can configure not only the scheduled number of fix but also a start delay and several other options, by accessing to the three different tabs (Every day, Settings and Advanced Settings). 2.1 Working modes There are six working modes characterized by different power consumption, accuracy, and recording intervals. Specifically:

6 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 6 1) CONTINUOUS: this mode provides the most accurate locations; positions are recorded at 1 fix/sec. However, this is also the most power-draining mode: consumption is about 20 ma. 2) OFF: when the module is turned-off it enters into a sleep condition in which its consumption is dramatically reduced to near zero (27 µa). No positions are stored; however, the unit is ready to enter into another mode, following the schedule programmed. 3) Short periods: this mode is suitable for intervals between 1 fix/sec and 1 fix/5 seconds. Positions are computed in a shorter time than in continuous mode, allowing energy to be saved but causing lower accuracy. Battery consumption is not constant, and depends on satellite visibility. In areas with lower satellite visibility these modes might switch to continuous mode automatically and thus increase consumption. Fix rate is not constant, as if the gps needs to go to continuous because of bad reception, the data will be saved at 1Hz frequency. If set to 1 fix/sec (200 mms ON) the module will store data like in continuous mode but power consumption and precision are lower (9 ma). 4) Long periods: this mode allows for intervals ranging between 10 seconds and 20 minutes between fixes when low power consumption is required. The module remains in a sleep condition (OFF) until a programmed acquisition occurs. The acquisition usually requires between 1 to 10 seconds according to time interval and satellite visibility and power consumption is 4-14 ma depending on the interval between fixes. 5) Very long periods: this mode is similar to the previous one but has longer intervals, ranging between 30 min and 12 h and is ideal for applications requiring very low power consumption. 6) MultiFix: this mode has been especially designed for applications that require very accurate positions. It takes 5, 10 or 15 fixes instead of 1 and by this increases considerably the accuracy of the fix. While taking 1 fix every 10 minutes provides an accuracy of around 30 meters, for example, collecting 15 fixes every 10 minutes and averaging the last 5 fixes of the bout can provide an accuracy of only 2m in ideal conditions. This mode has a higher power consumption compared to the single fix relatives. 7) Subsecond: this mode allows for high frequency recording of GPS position. You can record from 2 to 5 times per second (10Hz not implemented yet). This mode has high accuracy but also high power consumption, similar to the continuous mode.

7 GiPSy-5 operating manual p Time schedule GiPSy-5 can be programmed to switch between different working modes during the day, at defined hours and for adjustable recording periods. There are five recording periods available during the day. For example, it is possible to set the unit to collect data in continuous from 00:00 to 10:00, to stay OFF till noon, then to store 1 fix/ h from 12:00 to 18:00, and to enter OFF again from 18:00 to 24:00. Important: the GPS works in GMT 0 time, not local time, so check your time zone before setting the schedule! Moreover, it is possible to program the unit also on a weekly basis, to perform a different task on specific days of the week and to repeat the task the week after. If only a daily schedule is desired, is it possible to set the unit to execute only one schedule, the same for every day (see 6.1). 2.3 Acquisition settings GiPSy-5 is switched-on by passing a magnet close to it (and similarly is switched off). A long blink of the white led indicates that the unit is active. Soon after the led will blink with short double pulses once a second, indicating that the unit is ready to connect to the Gipsy-5 Utility. The Gipsy-5 is different from its predecessors, because you can only connect to it these first 30 seconds. After you connect, however, you can take you time to work with the gps, as the timeout is 60 seconds, and is refreshed by any action (send-read schedule, set name, erase memory and so on). After these first 30 seconds, the gps will start to blink once per second with single blinks. This means that the unit is searching for satellites (ON Time Acquisition). This acquisition phase has been set, as default, to be no longer than 300 sec (5 min). In general, only 40 sec are needed for acquiring the signal and computing a first position. If a fix is not obtained within the Acquisition ON Time, the module ends the search for satellites and enters a very low power state, the OFF Time Acquisition, which lasts by default 1800 sec (30 min), before trying again the acquisition of the signal. During the first OFF Time Acquisition, the led blinks with 2 sec intervals. ON Time and OFF Time Acquisition are both configurable by the user (see 6.2). In some cases, if signal is low or the sky is obstructed, the gps might recognize very quickly that it will not take a position and will go to sleep after 20 seconds, to save battery.therefore, in case of no sky visibility the GPS will not consider the ON Time Acquisition but will go to sleep after 20 seconds. When a good position is finally computed, GiPSy-5 starts the execution of the programmed schedule and will continue with it, unless the satellites signal is lost; on that case a new acquisition cycle is performed. Note 1: the white led blinks only for the first acquisition cycle after the module is initially turned ON, thus confirming that the unit is working properly. When the satellites signal is finally acquired, the led is switched-off to reduce power consumption and will not blink if a new Acquisition cycle is performed. Note 2: It is very important for animals dwelling in burrows or being underwater frequently (penguins, cormorants etc.) to set up a proper OFF Time Acquisition. A too short period will cause a high battery consumption because of repeated tries to obtain the fix. However, a

8 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 8 too long off period will cause the GPS to go to sleep most of the time if the animal is frequently underground (or under water) producing very limited fixes. 2.4 Delayed start It is possible to delay the activation of the unit up to 45 days after having turned it ON. This time is referred to as the Start Delay, and is user-configurable. During this time the unit remains in a low power consumption mode (OFF mode, 27 µa). When you switch on the unit with a start delay (pre fix mode, see below), it will blink only once and then switch to off until the configured delay is reached. Only after this it will start to take the fixes and to blink for the initial acquisition. 3. DATALOGGING AND DATA FORMAT GiPSy-5 has an on-board memory of 32 MB which allows to store up to locations. Data can be downloaded using the GiPSy-5 utility and saved in three main formats: -binary (.dat), -text (.txt), -kml (.kml) Binary is the more compressed format containing all GPS data. Data in Binary format are not to be viewed or edited with other softwares, as it is a proprietary format, but is very useful for store data on computers given its reduced size. Binary files can be converted with the GiPSy-5 utility into one of the other formats according to the parameters selected in the converting option panel (see 3.1). Text files are tab delimited files, suitable for editing the GPS data with Excel, Word, and importing in common GIS software. Txt files have two main options, with or without events; While collecting positions, GiPSy-5 stores information related to the tasks performed (the Event Logger). The events (for example position obtained, switching to Continuous, Turning On Remote Downloading, and so on) are recorded in the text at the time they occur. They are useful to understand exactly what is happening to the gps, the battery level, and if the GPS was properly working. However, they should be turned off when analyzing the data. Text files have also several other options, regarding the format of date and coordinates. The degree option allows you to select either of degrees, decimal degrees or degrees_minutes, decimal minutes format. Date and time option are self explaining. The checkbox Same field for date and time allows you to have one single column with data and time, rather than two separated columns. This format is preferred for analyses with GIS softwares.

9 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 9 Fig. 3.1: The GiPSy-5 utility converting option panel KML is the format that can be directly viewed and edited by Google Earth. Fixes are shown as single points on the map (markers) or connected with a line to show the trajectory, depending on the option chosen in the converting option window (see 5.2). They are colored from red to blue, according with increasing speed, and bear information about altitude and time. A typical text file with events logged is shown below: EVENT: 01/01/ :00:00 Power on EVENT: 01/01/ :01:25 Start searching for satellites EVENT: 20/06/ :44:34 Signal obtained, starting schedule EVENT: 20/06/ :44:34 Switch to Long Periods mode: 1 fix / 5 minutes D 20/06/ :44: In simple text files the EVENTS are not shown. Position data are organized in 10 columns. Specifically, from left to right the columns indicate:

10 GiPSy-5 operating manual p /06/ :44: ) date (dd/mm/yyyy) 2) time (hh:mm:ss) 3) Latitude (degree + minutes --decimal) 4) Longitude (degree + minutes --decimal) 5) Altitude (meters above Mean Sea Level) 6) Instant speed ground (km/h) 7) Number of satellites 8) HDOP (Horizontal Dilution of Precision, a value which describes the geometric strength of satellite configuration on GPS accuracy; lower values indicate higher accuracy). 9) GSV Value: the value of satellite reception power, the highest the value the best was satellite reception. 10) This column is only for debug infos and you can safely ignore it. 4. HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH GiPSy-5 GiPSy-5 communicates with a pc by mean of an USB cable and dedicated software, the GiPSy-5 utility. The USB cable is a USB to serial converter and in the last versions is completely plug&play, although it might be necessary for you to have your computer connected to internet for installing it properly. If you encounter any problem in this, do not hesitate to contact us. Drivers are contained into the CD received with the units or can be downloaded from the support section of the company website ( login with user ID: download, and password: download). 5. GiPSy-5 utility The GiPSy-5 utility can be used for -1 downloading the data and erasing the memory, -2 converting the recorded data from binary to the other formats, -3 programming the recording schedule of the module, -4 configuring several features such as unit name, start delay, etc., -5 detecting remote devices and download data remotely from them. The GiPSy-5 utility is provided with the CD or can be downloaded from the section support of To install the software on your pc launch the installer.

11 GiPSy-5 operating manual p Launching the software Before launching the software, plug the USB-Data cable to your PC and check into device manager which COM port has been associated to it. Go to Start->Programs->Technosmart- >GiPSy-5 utility and launch GiPSy-5 utility. The main window will look as in Fig 5.1: Fig. 5.1: The GiPSy-5 utility main window Once the software is running, choose the COM Port number associated to the USB Data Cable in the PORT LIST box. If the correct number is not listed, please disconnect and connect the data cable again, then press the Refresh ports list button. Connect a GPS unit to the data cable, turn-on the unit, then press the Connect button. As soon as the unit is connected, its name will appear in the Unit Name box, as well as the unit firmware version. By default, new units come with the name No Name, but this can be easily changed by typing the new name into the Unit Name box (low right on the window, 10 character maximum) and pressing the Set button (or pressing Enter). When operations are finished, disconnect the GPS unit by pressing the Disconnect button, and then a new unit can be connected to the cable. When handling several units, pressing Connect and Disconnect several times can be annoying; therefore, it is possible to connect the first unit, to work with it and to detach it from the cable and to connect a new unit without pressing Disconnect: the software automatically will recognize that a new unit has been connected. If you do not switch off the unit it will start to execute the schedule just like if you switched it on normally. If you

12 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 12 disconnect a unit with magnetic switch, on the other side, you will automatically switch it off. 5.2 Downloading and converting data To download logged data from a connected unit, press the Download button: a new window will appear, asking where data should be saved on your pc. A file name can be typed in; however, a unit name is suggested too. Once downloaded, data are saved on the PC as file name.dat. The.dat files can be converted in two formats. This can be done immediately after the downloading or later on. At the end of the download, the user is asked if a conversion is desired immediately. Converted data are saved in the same folder chosen for the.dat file. If immediate conversion is not required, it will be possible to do it later, when there will be no units connected. The Convert data button is always available and furthermore the open surface with the Technosmart symbol is a drag & drop surface that converts every dat dropped on it. Thus, to convert the data click the button, chose the file (or files) to be converted and press Save, or more easily, just drag & drop the file (or more files) to the surface of the main window to. Converted files will be saved in the same folder of the.dat file/s. 5.3 Erasing the memory Data in memory can be erased by clicking the Erase button. A confirmation box will appear before the beginning of the erasing process. The user will be noticed when the memory has been cleaned. The procedure is very fast, as data are not physically deleted until the unit begins to collect new data. Note: if memory is erroneously erased, data can still be retrieved; turn-off immediately the unit and contact support@technosmart.eu. 6 PROGRAMMING THE SCHEDULE As explained in chapter 2, the unit can be programmed to execute daily or weekly schedules. To access the programming options click the Schedule button: the following window will show up

13 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 13 Fig. 6.1: The main Schedule window 6.1 Setting time intervals and working modes You can select the Daily or the Weekly option by checking the appropriate button (by default, the weekly setting is proposed). If daily is selected, only the Day 1 table will be available, and will be called Every Day. Each day can be divided in up to five time periods by selecting the number of intervals in the appropriate box. The start and end time of each period can be assigned by scrolling the boxes with the 24 hours. Time increments are in steps of 1 h and periods are automatically set to be consecutive. A different Working mode (see 2.1) can be assigned to each of these periods and properties of the working modes can be assigned in the boxes appearing on the right side of the modes. Note that the GPS works at GMT 0 time, not local time! The remote download boxes allow selecting two daily periods in which remote download can be activated. This option is needed for units with remote download capabilities. If only one interval is desired, set the interval 1 with the desired values and assign 24 to the start and stop time of interval 2. If the start and stop time are the same (like in fig 6.1), the unit will switch on the remote downloading. If only one interval is needed, and this interval crosses the midnight (at GMT 0!), both interval 1 and 2 must be used with the Interval 1 s upper bound set to 00:00 and Interval 2 s lower bound set to 24:00. For example, to create an interval from 23:00 to 03:00, it will be necessary to set the interval 1 from 00:00 to 03:00 and the interval 2 from 23:00 to 24:00, resulting in one interval only.

14 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 14 If the weekly schedule is selected, seven tables, one for each day, are proposed. To manage the settings of a particular day, select the table relative to that day and perform the changes. Settings can be copied on the following day to facilitate the programming. Remote download intervals can be set to be different from one day to the other in the Weekly schedule. 6.2 Setting Start Delay and Acquisition options By clicking the tab Settings, it is possible to set the start delay and to change the Acquisition options (Fig 6.2). Figure 6.2 shows the Schedule window when Settings tab is selected: Fig. 6.2: The Settings table of the Schedule window If a start delay is needed, the start delay box must first be activated by checking the appropriate box, then the desired time delay can be entered (in minutes). By default, there is no start delay set. The maximum delay is minutes, equivalent to something more than 45 days. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The Start delay used to be in seconds, but from firmware version 1.3 it is in MINUTES! Even if you use a older software and it s written seconds the start delay is in minutes. You have two Start Delay options: Pre Fix and Post Fix. In the pre fix option, the logger will go to sleep mode (start delay) immediately after the first 30 seconds of blinking. Therefore

15 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 15 you will see only 30 double blinking and nothing more. It will then take the position after the delay. In the Post Fix, on the other side, the logger will first take the position, and then will go to sleep. In this case, it s suggested to turn on the logger outside, to allow it to take the position. As for the Acquisition options, desired values can be entered into the Acquisition box. By default, the logger is programmed to search for satellites for 5 minutes and, if fix is not computed, to remain in a sleep mode (OFF) for 30 min before trying again (see 2.4). You can change these settings as you wish, making the GPS sleeping longer or shorter. Consider however that the Acquisition on time must be higher than 60 seconds, otherwise the gps will never get a fix. 6.3 Advanced settings By clicking the tab Advanced Settings, it is possible to set the battery thresholds, the remote downloading options and the GSV thresholds (Fig 6.3). Figure 6.23 shows the Schedule window when Settings tab is selected: Fig. 6.3: The Advanced Settings table of the Schedule window Battery thresholds The GPS datalogger operates until a low battery threshold is reached. This value is called General low battery. Below this value the GPS will switch off. When the GPS unit has solar panels the battery is kept charged within an optimal interval (isteresis) and the GPS operates only within this interval. The lower value of this interval is set using the General low battery (by default to 3.7 V). The higher value is called Good battery (is set by default to 3.9 V). The reason for not charging

16 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 16 the battery up to its max voltage (4.2 V) is to make the gps start again as soon as possible, when the battery is already fairly charged. When the units is connected to the solar panel and has the transmitter for the remote download, the transmitting part of the units can still operate below the threshold of the General low battery until it reaches the threshold called Remote low battery (by default 3.4 V). This has been thought to ensure data transmission even if the GPS is not working. The default values of these thresholds are shown in the table below. datalogger_only +solar +remote +solar+remote General low b Remote low b Good battery Although it is recommended to use these values, user can change them for specific applications. In general, if you have solar panels, do not set value for Good battery too close to that of General low battery because the GPS might switch ON and OFF continuously due to small voltage fluctuations. Also, it is recommended not to set Remote low battery lower than 3.4 V because the transmitter requires high voltage for operating. Note: Please remember always to check the values of the battery threshold, when preparing a schedule! GSV Thresholds The Gipsy-5 uses a particular characteristics of GPS satellites, called GSV, in order to reduce power consumption in cases of animals that are often in dens or burrows. However, if the animals live in a relatively covered place, such as a forest, the default values might be too high and the GPS might not get the fix. Thus if the animals you are studying is living in a relatively open environment leave the values as by default. If however you find that with the default values your gps are too often in sleep or lose too often satellite reception lower the 4 values of GSV. Try first to lower the satellite number to 2 and the other three values to 60, 30 and 60 respectively. If you are unsure, contact us and we are happy to help you!

17 GiPSy-5 operating manual p Loading the schedule to the unit Once the schedule has been completed, by clicking the Send settings button, it can be sent to the GPS unit. If the new settings are correctly acquired a confirmation message will appear. It is possible to retrieve the settings loaded into the module by pressing the Read settings button: these will be shown in the Schedule window. Please note that only if a GiPSy-5 unit is connected, the Read settings and Send settings buttons will be available. 6.5 Opening and saving schedules If no unit is connected to the software, the Schedule window remains available. It is possible to create a schedule and save it to the disk, as well as to open a previously-saved schedule. Open schedule and Save schedule are located in the File menu of the Schedule window. 7. RE-CHARGING THE BATTERIES Batteries can be recharged either using a AC Charger or with a USB cable. The AC Charger can only recharge larger batteries, starting from 250mah, while smaller batteries should be recharged with the datacable. IMPORTANT: Only LiPo batteries can be recharged. If you use a Thionyl battery (those rounded like a AA battery) with a recharging cable, even if only for communicating, the battery MIGHT EXPLODE, causing severe hazards!!!! BE VERY CAREFULL! If we gave you a cable that has a charger and you wish to use your GPS with thionyl batteries let us know and we will provide you a new not charging cable! 7.1 Using the AC charger Turn-OFF your module and connect it to the AC charger, then plug the charger to the electrical power. A red light indicates that the charging process is ongoing. The light turns green when the battery is charged. Pay attention to the right orientation of the cable, by keeping up the side with the mark. Leds should be on the same side on both unit and cable. 8. UPLOADING A NEW FIRMWARE 8.1 Where can I find a new firmware? Usually the latest available firmware is provided inside GPS or can be downloaded from our website -> firmware section. Usually it has a name similar to the one shown below: GIPSY5_X_X.hex (with version numbers instead of the Xs) Please, visit periodically the Software page, in order to know if a new version of it has been released. Inside the archive, the Gipsy Utility software is available, too. We strongly recommend to install this one together with a firmware updating, as often a new firmware needs a new software to work without errors. If a new firmware is available, while the software version is still the same, it is possible to download the firmware separately, inside the Firmware section, but please first check your current version of the software and compare it with the one indicated on the download page at the Software section.

18 GiPSy-5 operating manual p Uploading a new firmware In all versions of Gipsy-5 firmwares and Gipsy Utility we included the possibility to upload a new firmware directly from the Gipsy Utility. If you want to update the firmware in your gps please on the main window of Gipsy 4 utility click on Settings and then Upload a new firmware. The program will open a new window asking you for the file to be uploaded. Select the new firmware and click upload. Do not interrupt for any reason the uploading, otherwise the GPS will not work anymore. After having uploaded the new firmware set the new schedule and you are ready to work with the GPS. 9. INSTALLING THE DATACABLE 9.1 New FTDI Datacables All Gipsy-5 datacables include a new FTDI Chip that should be completely Plug&Play with all Microsoft systems starting from Windows 7. It is recommended, however, to plug the cable for the first time having the computer online, to allow the operative system to download newer drivers, if needed. 9.2 What to do if the datacable doesn t show up in the com list? In some cases, the datacable is recognized properly, but Windows does not allow it to work properly as plug&play. This problems seems to be related to some version of the operative system, but is very easy to solve. First of all, with the datacable properly inserted in the USB port, you should open Device Manager by clicking with the right mouse button on the My Computer icon on the desktop, and then clicking on properties. If the cable has been recognised, at least partially, you should see under USB-serial controller a "USB serial converter" (Fig. 9.1). This should be the cable, so if you unplug the cable, it should disappear. At the same time you should not see any COM port displayed in the root, unless you have other COM port active on your computer.

19 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 19 Fig. 9.1: The device manager window with highlighted the USB Serial Converter If you find this USB serial converter please double-click on it to open a new window with the properties of that usb serial converter. On this new window, click on the "advanced" tab (the second from left) and you should have a checkbox called "VCP...". If you have this unchecked, the cable is not recognised. So make it active by clicking on it, unplug the cable, replug the cable and you should now have not only the usb serial converter but also a new device in the COM port, called "USB serial port" (Fig. 9.2). Now the cable should work properly.

20 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 20 Fig. 9.2: The property window of the USB Serial Converter, with the advanced tab open. The VCP Load checkbox should be checked as in this figure. Note, that in some cases, especially with older operative systems, the cable might not be recognized at all. In this cases, you should see unknown peripheric with an esclamation mark in the root of the Device Manager. In this case, please contact us for further help.

21 GiPSy-5 operating manual p. 21 GiPSy-5 GPS data-logger Operating Manual TECHNOSMART EUROPE s.r.l. Via Montenero 57/ Guidonia Montecelio, ITALY Phone: Fax: , VAT: Web: info@technosmart.eu