GPS SYnc and another firmware upgrade.

Intrigued by the GPS syc as well I am making the attempt. I have found that my Garmin GPS can be configuered for different ouput streams. This was found on the Main Menu under Setup/Interface. I selected TEXT and was allowed to select a baud rate of 9600. Tested this with hyperterminal and saw the string with YYMMDDHHMMSS refresh every second. Connections from the GPS serial plug are DB9 pin 2 (data out from GPS, in for PC) pin 3 (data into GPS, out from PC) and pin 5 ground. I have tried to make the connection but no GPS Window appears as is claimed in the upgrade notes. This was tried with TIMY in Backup program. I have tried all other transmission selections from the GPS and could only select 9600 baud with a text out choice. Most others defaulted to 4800 baud. The string from my GPS looks like this
@050827174009__________________________________________
Give yours a try Mike.

Well I went round and round with ALGE re their claim of GPS syncing and through several emails I discovered the following. You need a GPS that has a sync line output and from my limited research I have not found any consumer gps that has this feature. ALGE ia using and OEM GPS sensor that has features not regularily needed by the normal GPS user. Even Garmin does not have many OEM sensors that have thisa feature.
If you were to buy this Garmin sensor you can't even use it with Garmin software but regular GPS software. I am considering it to work with a Palm Tungsten C and if I can get it to work with Tom Tom navigator or Mapsource I might consider this sensor and also apply it to the Timy sync.

BTW I have also heard a Rumour that Timy software might become free in the fall. I'd love to have all the capabilities of the timy available to me since I do so little timing and so much playing. The text below is the replies I got from ALGE re GPS SYNC and even though a very useful feature I don't think is it as easy to utilize as I had hoped.
BTW GPS city in Nevada sells this sensor for around $175 USD
I have forgotten that you need another line:

The gps-device has a line: 1 impulse per second. You have to connect this line to the pin 2 (= channel 0 )of the 25 dsub.



1.) you can work with 2400, 4800 or 9600 Baud, that's not the problem.


2.) But you have to go sure, that the gps-device sends the correct data-string.
In order to do that, you have to configure the gps-device first, with a pc.
Then the gps-device should send each second the data-string.
E.g. my gps-device (Garmin GPS-35) stores its settings, and these settings remains even after powering off and on again.

3.) Garmin GPS-35: procedure to configure and protocol (NMEA 0183 Version 2.0 ) :

procedure to configure:
a.) build up a correct rs323 communication
b.) set the correct baudrate of your terminal program at your pc
(now you can send an receive datas form the gps-device)
c.) command: "$PGRMO,,2<cr><lf>" The double quotes are not part of the command, they are just the beginning and the end of the command
<cr> is only one character: carriage return <cr>
<lf> is only one character: line feed.
Each command has to be finished with <cr><lf>
d.) command: "$PGRMO,GPRMC,1<cr><lf>"
e.) command: "$PGRMC,,,,,,,,,,,,2,,<cr><lf>" 12 times a comma and 2 times a comma
f.) command: "$PGRMC,,,,,,,,,,4,,,,<rc><lf>" 10 times a comma and 4 times a comma. This command sets the baudrate to 9600 Baud
If you want to have 4800 baud, write a "3" instead of the "4".
g.) power off and on the gps-device.(Now the settings are stored in the gps-device)
we use the device from Garmin: "GPS 35-HVS",

http://www.garmin.com/products/gps35/
http://www.garmin.com/products/gps35/spec.html

On the lower page, you will find, that it has PPS/ PUlse per second) output, that's provides for an exactly time sync.

Save yourself the keyboard command crap and use this for your configuring pleasure. The file is called gpscfg.exe. I found it through google. I used it for configuring a bunch of the 35's for GPS sych on the AMB activ systems. Cable it, add power and presto! Good luck. If you want it emailed let me know.

I found that software last night when I was looking for the GPS 18 LVS. ALGE used a 35 that is more expensive and does not work with Garmin software. This one is $80 at GPS city and works both with Garmin and second party GPS software. I am going down to Frisco for the Barclay's race on Sunday and then off the the Grand Canyon through Vegas and up through Utah, Idaho and Washington back to home. I am not surprised that the AlGE guy uses a serial program to set parameters as they work that stuff all the time.

More info on the gps sync. Don't do this with external power as there is a power override thing that goes on in a few programs like backup. I did get the GPS screen to come up using the serial cables for the timy and my gps through a null modem serial adaptor (does the crossover for me) which does not have the 1 second signal to go to channel 0. I was able to set to my time zone and await the sync signal from the gps which of course won't come until after i buy the garmin gps 18 lvc and make a db 25 connector and add a 5 volt power supply for the GPS (CAUTION this is not a 12 volt gps)

I will update after the 20th when I get back from holidays. I do live my gadgets.

It worked! I bought a paln Tungsten C cable that came with a 5 volt adaptor and a 18 LVC Gps OEM sensor that requires max 5 volts and made a cable that both works for the tungsten for navigation and a Sync cable for the Timy, ( sorry I know most of this is irrelevent so far)
So I power up the gps sensor after configuring it with the garmin software and plug it into the timy. I turn the timy on and Voila the GPS screen. I adjust for the offset from GMT and the little bugger synced up on HH:MM:58. I then unplugged the gps cable and off to the races.
I used a db25 cable direct to the timy. Pin 10, 11, 12(GND), and 2. Pin 2 is channel 0 for the sync signal. Pins 10 and 11 are tx and rx. You also need +5V for the GPS. I don't know if the Timy can support the 65ma current requirement for the GPS so I used a 12 volt cigarette lighter adaptor.
Once I was sure of the tx and rx connections it still required a couple of tries to get the timy to play. BTW do all the sync on batteries as the power supply on the timy can interfere with the recognition of the gps.
Have fun.

I spoke with ALGE and depending on the sensor that you are using, the timy can feed it with adaquate power. I built a few sensors up and was very pleased with configuration and operation. With one connection to the TIMY via the DB25 port, a sync could be performed via GPS in a matter of seconds. When a second TIMY was sync'ed after the first, I performed comparisons by jumping the two together and giving them a common impulse. The time stamps were exactly the same down to the 10,000. It looks like we will be using the sensor to start our clocks from now on. If you only have one timy you can sync it to the gps and then use the sync output of the TIMY to throw a impulse at the top of the minute for your other devices.


TIMY conected to the GPS sensor, time zone adjusted to MDT (UTC -6.0) and waiting for the OK to sync


Sync completed at 10:16:16. The correct date was also set by the GPS. TIMY now asks for the GPS to be removed. Unplug, press OK and go about your business.

One other thing that Albert from ALGE mentioned was that the programmer for the TIMY has been sick and this is why there has been no firmware upgrades for a while. He said that they would be working on the upgrades "intense" so we should see some new stuff soon.

John
How would you sync say an s4 from a Timy or a second timy from the first? I have never had much luck at this. even when syncing without the gps signal i used a thumb switch to do it and never an automatic sync.

If you connect your other devices' start impulse channel (S4, second TIMY, Start horn etc) to the TIMY Channel 0, the TIMY will produce an impulse at the top of the minute IF you press and hold the two OK buttons during the top of the minutes passage.

For an S4 or TIMY
Connect the C0 from the timy to the C0 on the S4 or TIMY or both
Program the S4/TIMY sync time for an upcoming minute
Press and hold the two OK buttons during the top of the minute that you want the sync to occur

Your devices are now in sync.

You can always check the accuracy of the sync by leaving the connections in place and giving all devices a common impulse (from a button push or other) and checking the time stamps. All should be the same. Naturally there will be some drift between the clocks the longer that you wait until this test is performed.

Thanks John for syncing process. I keep promising that I will edit the translations from Austrian to English. U bought the same GPS I use but I also added a regular 9 pin serial port and get my power from a 5 volt output cigarette lighter adaptor (USB TYPE) this way I can use the sensor with my laptop or the TIMY. It is a very slick and easy method to get the correct time. I usually have to plug the gps in to power a few minutes ahead for it to aquire satelites on the first day.

Instead of a pigtail with all of the excess connections hanging off of it I built a jumper cable that connects to the DB25 to a standard serial DB9. Power is introduced in this cable for use without the TIMY. I wanted to keep the sensor clean for use in the field and use the jumper for laptop connection when programing or other GPS usage.


DB25 to DB9 adapter with power supply

Hi Mike,

have you suceed to connect your Garmin GPS 60C to the TIMY with the 4 pins connector on the back ?

I have the GPS 60Cx at home and want to try to sync my time with it.

The 60c will not work to sync a Timy. The sensor must output a PPS (pulse per second) signal on a dedicated line along with the standard data stream to accomplish a sync. If you are interested I have several units of the sensor shown above, in stock and ready to ship. These come pre-programed and are truly plug and play devices. Recent updates to firmware ensure that a fast and accurate sync will occur every time.

I had one of my sensors die recently and got around to building a new one. It appears that the last order for sensors got me a 18x LVC instead of the older 18 LVC puck I was replacing. The newer model offers a MUCH FASTER locate and connect time for really fast syncs. Also works with a much smaller view of the sky like indoors, near a window, very nice!!

I have connected my GPS 18x LVC and Timy3 (see. attached diagram):



GPS SYNC-TIME but do not work (only standard SYNC-TIME). Interface Timy is set to 9600 baud.
What am I doing wrong?
GARMIN GPS 18x LVC is not the problem, connected to a PC (via RS232) works (Garmin Sensor configuration software ver.3.20).

Were you able to figure it out?

Did you verify the baud rate on the Garmin? According to the current manual, the default baud rate is 4800.

Has anyone the correct pin assignment between ALGE TIMY (1) and GARMIN GPS 18x LVC?

Update:
Maybe is the pin assignment from Pepik correct.
But ALGE says, they manipulate the program from GARMIN GPS.
Point for ALGE.

Pepik diagram is correct. This is not difficult as the TIMY pin assignment is available from Timy manual and the Wire color code comes from the Garmin data sheet. What can be difficult is programming the sensor to work as intended for the TIMY.

Has anyone succeeded in running Garmin GPS 18x LVC and Timy3 using the the diagram from member Pepik?