[fvisagie]

Hi All,

Some download sites claim that ExtGPS supports Symbian^3, but I'm having trouble getting it to work on N8 Symbian Anna.

It seems to run OK, acquire satellite fix etc. on the phone, but the computer doesn't detect the Serial port (SPP) 'Symarctic ExtGPS' service on the N8. The same computer works perfectly in combination with ExtGPS on an E52.

If you have ExtGPS working correctly on a Symbian Anna N8, please drop me a note?

Many thanks,

Francois

[aspergerguy]

@fvisagie

I don't know whether use of GPSGate on PC which can stabilise GPS connection might be one avenue to explore:http://gpsgate.com/products/gpsgate_client

[cataholic]

Yes, it works no problem at for me on an XP computer and N8 with Anna.

But as you describe the COM port does not work for me on a Win 7 64 bit machine which I suspect is due to the bluetooth services driver the application installs on the PC being incompable with Win 7 64 bit (haven't any 32 bit machines here to try it on).

As it seems to have been developed as a beta some years ago with no development since then I suspect if it is an app problem then it will never be fixed.

[aspergerguy]

@fvisagie

Just to confirm no issues with N8 on Anna using Google Earth with Mac:

[fvisagie]

@aspergerguy

Thanks, GPSGate also doesn't pick up the N8's GPS service...

So between you and cataholic you confirm that ExtGPS works with Anna on the N8, against various different computers.

I also know that my Windows 7 Professional 32-bit machine "works", at least against ExtGPS on the E52.

But I can't get the combination of this machine + N8 working, while each individually works in other combinations!?

Do you have PC/Ovi suite installed? Running at the time of using ExtGPS or not? Any specific Bluetooth-related configurations on your machine or N8 you think might play a role? Any other suggestions?

[aspergerguy]

@fvisagie

Have now tried Xp SP3 Ovi Suite & PC Suite both installed and GPSGate with N8 Anna:

[fvisagie]

@aspergerguy

Thanks for your trouble.

It seems I can't rule out driver issues either. Since installing PC & Ovi Suites but before I installed ExtGPS, Windows has been showing an Unknown Service in the phone's properties.

From the same time Action Centre has reported:

===

Download and install the driver for your Bluetooth device
Your Bluetooth device is missing a driver.

Description
Windows detected a new device attached to your computer, but could not find the driver software it needs to make the device usable. Each device manufacturer typically includes driver software of a CD that comes with the device, or as a download from its website. The hardware ID of your device is BTHENUM\{00005557-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001}_VID&00010001_PID&00ef.

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: PnPDriverNotFound
Architecture: x86
Hardware Id: BTHENUM\{00005557-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001}_VID&00010001_PID&00ef
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
Locale ID: 7177

Extra information about the problem
Bucket ID: 1136185797

===

The "solution" for this according to Windows was the latest version of Ovi Suite, which didn't help.

From the same time Action Centre has also been reporting:

===

Compatibility issue between a Bluetooth service and Windows

A service associated with a Bluetooth enabled device isn't compatible with this version of Windows.

Description

Windows detected a new device attached to your computer, but could not find the driver software it needs to make the device usable. Each device manufacturer typically includes driver software of a CD that comes with the device, or as a download from its website. The hardware ID of your device is BTHENUM\{00005557-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001}_VID&00010001_PID&0095.

Problem signature

Problem Event Name: PnPDriverNotFound

Architecture: x86

Hardware Id: BTHENUM\{00005557-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001}_VID&00010001_PID&0095

OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48

Locale ID: 7177

Extra information about the problem

Bucket ID: 513772579

===

The solution to this is to contact your device manufacturer.

The next step seems to be uninstalling PC Suite & Ovi Suite, followed by PC Cleaner. If that doesn't work, is there a safe way of removing and reinstalling PC Suite & Ovi Suite support on the phone, other than a factory reset? Can one simply uninstall applications with names that correspond to the services listed computer-side?

<edit>

Any chance you could repeat the XP test with Ovi Suite & PC Suite on Win7 Professional 32-bit?

</edit>

[aspergerguy]

---

fvisagie wrote:

Any chance you could repeat the XP test with Ovi Suite & PC Suite on Win7 Professional 32-bit?

---

Unfortunately not as primarily a Mac user and only available Windows netbook remains on Xp SP3, as still remains OS of choice for a variety of mobile phone software applications.

You haven't mentioned what make of PC you are using but similar issues with driver not found for Windows 7 here:/t5/Hardware-Codes-and-Operator/Bluetooth-driver-Windows-7-N8/m-p/977535/message-uid/977535/highligh...

[fvisagie]

@aspergerguy,

kudo for going out of your way

Last night I tried the N8 with my XP SP3 netbook that has been working with E52, ExtGPS, GPSGate. The netbook only recognised the DUN service.

I then paired the N8 and computer which made no difference.

So on the XP SP3 netbook the E52 works but not the N8, as on the Win7 Pro 32-bit machine. The N8 hasn't been connected to PC Suite yet on the netbook.

So the question is, what does that mean? To what extent does the PC/Ovi suite connection & driver installation influence the ability of the computer to see other 3rd party services on the Nokia phone?

[aspergerguy]

---

fvisagie wrote:

The N8 hasn't been connected to PC Suite yet on the netbook.

---

Can't answer your specific query but please note that you do need to use a previous version of PC Suite to establish connectivity with N8:/t5/Nseries-and-Symbian-Smartphones/How-to-use-Nokia-N8-with-PC-Suite-7-1-30-9-apparently-compatible...

Not being experienced with Windows I notice that if I open Bluetooth in Control Panel it won't find any Bluetooth devices, I have to open separate "Bluetooth devices" icon upon desktop, which I don't know whether BlueSoleil or Franson GpsGate applications created at some time in the past or not.

[fvisagie]

@aspergerguy,

Thanks, as luck would have it I've been using PC Suite 7.1.62.1 which is the version with Symbian^3 support: /t5/Nokia-Ovi-Suite/pc-suite-and-N8/m-p/1075111#M11903.

It also perfectly co-existed with Ovi Suite 3.1.1.90 (apart from the fact that between Windows, Ovi/PC Suite and the N8 they prevent ExtGPS from working).

To answer your earlier question, my Windows 7 machine is a Dell Latitude E5520. It was supposedly on the latest Bluetooth driver software, but now I'm in the cycle of uninstalling and reinstalling Bluetooth updates, Ovi/PC Suite, testing after every step etc.

If worse comes to the worst and as a last resort I manually uninstall Ovi/PC Suite and Bluetooth device support from the phone also, can I reinstall that with Ovi/PC Suite?

[fvisagie]

---

aspergerguy wrote:

which I don't know whether BlueSoleil or Franson GpsGate applications created

---

Still no luck on my side. Do I understand you correctly that your XP SP3 machine is running the BlueSoleil Bluetooth stack? My Dell machine is using the Microsoft stack.

@cataholic,

What Bluetooth stack is in use on your machine?

[aspergerguy]

@fvisagie

Had a look now and have My Bluetooth Places 5.5.0.3200 and WIDCOMM Bluetooth Software 5.5.0.3200 installed if that helps at all.

[cataholic]

---

fvisagie wrote:

@cataholic,

What Bluetooth stack is in use on your machine?

---

On the 2 machines I have tried with ExtGPS the XP 32 bit machine has the Broadcomm stack as in use (and MS stack active) and the Win 7 64 bit machine has the Microsoft stack.

On the XP 32 bit machine ExtGPS worked, on the Windows 7 64 bit machine it did not.

On the Win 7 machine ExtGPS bluetooth service does not appear on it in the list of N8 device bluetooth services. On that machine I have also tried with all the device bluetooth services provisioned that are identifiable without any luck (using Asus drivers). I have also tried it in XP Mode under  Virtual PC without success (not unexpected as special ports remain a problem in XP mode). I have not tried any more than that as I have just written it off as the app being Win 7 64 bit incompatible as a port issue. Also because it is not too important for me as for some other legacy application reasons (again Win 7 not supporting special ports used for legacy dongles) all my navigation applications are on an XP computer.

[fvisagie]

---

cataholic wrote:

the XP 32 bit machine has the Broadcomm stack as in use (and MS stack active)

---

Thanks for the information. Where can I read up on the concept of stack in use vs stack active?

I was under the impression that my Dell machine was using the Microsoft stack because GPSGate reported using that while scanning. But after aspergerguy's post (thanks for your information too) I discovered that the machine is installed with WIDCOMM Bluetooth Software 6.3.0.7900.

I haven't been able to figure out what role is played by which Bluetooth software on the Dell Windows 7 machine, but it doesn't matter too much. My navigation applications are also on the XP machine, an Asus 4G netbook.

That's the essential one to get working. I was hoping to use the N8 for NMEA input as I did before with the E52 but now I'm completely stuck. I've also tried connecting to all services visible without any luck.

The fact that the N8 works on your XP machines is encouraging, but I need to find out what makes the difference! Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated. In case it makes any difference I hope to report on my XP machine's Bluetooth software tonight.

[fvisagie]

Hi again!

An update and some further questions.

More things I've tried without success on the Windows 7 machine:

• With and without the WIDCOMM Bluetooth software (it defaults to Microsoft drivers without it)
• With and without Ovi & PC Suite
• All combinations of those I could think of
• With the N8 at factory reset and again on the latest Symbian Anna service pack

The XP machine is using the default Microsoft Bluetooth software. Soon I hope to try with the BlueSoleil the Bluetooth adapter came with.

The interesting thing is that on the Windows 7 machine no access is allowed to the N8 until it and the Windows machine have been paired. This doesn't happen with the E52. I can happily discover and connect to its ExtGPS with it unpaired. I've turned off all N8 and Windows 7 Bluetooth security I could find, but they always insist on pairing first before any access.

So a few memory tests :

• Is your N8 paired with the machine that can successfully access ExtGPS?
• When this pairing was created, on what Symbian version was your phone?
• What version Ovi Suite/PC Suite/Nokia PC Connectivity Solution was installed at the time?

[cataholic]

---

fvisagie wrote:

....

So a few memory tests :

• Is your N8 paired with the machine that can successfully access ExtGPS?
• When this pairing was created, on what Symbian version was your phone?
• What version Ovi Suite/PC Suite/Nokia PC Connectivity Solution was installed at the time?

---

Hi fvisagie, good to see that you are still working on this .

In answer to your questions, keeping in mind that I have only been able to get it working on an XP machine, not a Win 7 one -

- In my case I have my N8 pairing automatically with my own computers so it is already paired when I have used ExtGPS

- Certainly Symbian versions 1.2 and Anna, and most likely 1.1 too (can't remember back that far but ExtGPS Has always worked for me on XP machine)

- All versions of Ovi Suite (now Nokia Suite), including betas, and accompanying connectivity solutions since sometime early this year.

Thanks for reporting your progress, it is appreciated.

[fvisagie · Accepted solution]

At last, some good news to report

There's still some work ahead, but after swapping around Bluetooth stacks and adapters I eventually got to the point where GPSGate connects to ExtGPS via a virtual COM port. It's exactly the configuration @aspergerguy illustrated above at /t5/Maps-Navigation-and-GPS/Anyone-got-ExtGPS-working-on-Symbian-Anna-N8/m-p/1157043#M36753.

In my case it's also with Broadcom 5.5.something (I don't recall the exact version) and the Broadcom-based Belkin F8T017 adapter. Which I bought for USD 39 specially for this testing, but at least it's helped so far! The previous combination which didn't work was XP's built-in MS Bluetooth stack with an XGR adapter.

Ideally I'd like GPSGate to take its input directly from the ExtGPS service on the phone as I had with the E52. That would cut out one more intermediary, being the virtual COM port in this case. On GPSGate it's configured like this:

Unfortunately with the Broadcom stack GPSGate's interpretation of the N8's service discovery is even worse than with the MS one. It reports fewer services by name and many more Unknowns, none of which work.

Have any of you got this Bluetooth GPS input working on XP yet?

I hope to compare with the most recent Broadcom software from http://www.broadcom.com/support/bluetooth/update.php, but I haven't yet gotten past device validation where the installer always hangs so far. I suspect I might have left the MS stack in an enabled state at some point.

I also hope to eventually compare results with different stacks and adapters on Windows 7.

A couple of interesting/useful things I've come across:

• How to disable the XP MS Bluetooth stack without physically removing it: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/889814. I hope to see if this approach works on Windows 7 also sometime.
• How to remove configuration data stored by the XP MS Bluetooth stack: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811805 steps 4 and 5
• Bluetooth Network Scanner is very cool http://www.medieval.it/bluescan-pc/menu-id-72.html
• It seems the version GPSGate I have comes installed with an x64 serial port driver, bizVSerialNT.sys, although I haven't tried it yet.
• On my Windows 7 32-bit machine the Dell-supplied WIDCOMM/Broadcom 6.3.0.7900 seems to "coinstall" with the MS Bluetooth stack. Bluetooth utilities report using the MS stack, Device Manager reports drivers from both manufacturers in use, and the File description of btwcoins.dll in particular says:

After hopefully disabling the Windows 7 MS Bluetooth as above I'd like to see if WIDCOMM then does an independent install and how that behaves. And, getting MS Bluetooth disabled will also hopefully enable me to try the latest Broadcom-supplied software, which so far has failed to detect the built-in adapter.

If all else fails in getting GPSGate to connect directly to the phone's service... before giving up... is it possible to add an item to a device's Windows Bluetooth service list manually? I.e. Bluetooth Network Scanner also can't see ExtGPS on the N8:

but it can see it on the E52:

Is it possible to add a Symarctic ExtGPS SPP entry to the N8's Windows Bluetooth service list from that information? How?

@cataholic,

Have you tested your Windows 7 64-bit machine with an E52 yet? That should tell you immediately whether your machine is OK. If not, you could check that GPSGate is using the correct 64-bit serial port driver, reinstall it (helped me in one instance) or look for a later version. And/or you could try other stacks, although that machine doesn't sound that important!

[cataholic]

---

fvisagie wrote: @cataholic,

Have you tested your Windows 7 64-bit machine with an E52 yet? That should tell you immediately whether your machine is OK. If not, you could check that GPSGate is using the correct 64-bit serial port driver, reinstall it (helped me in one instance) or look for a later version. And/or you could try other stacks, although that machine doesn't sound that important!

---

No, I didn't try the E52 on a Win 7 64 bit machine with ExtGPS and cannot now as I do not have my E52 anymore.

I don't use GPSGate and the nav applications I do use all look for a COM port with NMEA sentences on it, not a bluetooth GPS.

[fvisagie]

Another update to this:

ExtGPS is now available as a Symbian app with added USB serial port support:

http://store.ovi.com/content/214223