Data Hacking

Building GPS
Data Cables and
Power Cords
AGPS receiver is designed as a standalone, mobile piece of equipment
you can take with you in a car or on foot into the wilderness. It
wouldn’t be very useful if it needed a hard-wired connection — how
often would you want to know the precise coordinates of your desktop PC?
However, most GPS units can be hooked up via cables to other devices that
enhance their functionality and add features that are not available on “out of
the box” units.
Without cables, you can do a lot with your GPS unit; but with the right
cables, you can do so much more. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to combine
power cords and data cables to reduce the clutter in your outdoor kit.
You’ll discover how to connect multiple GPS units to the same PDA. You’ll
even find out how to make your own cables, if you can’t buy one that suits
your needs.
Cables Demystified
Cables are available in numerous styles. Their differences reflect the different
ways in which they are used. Typically, three types of cables are associated
with GPS receivers:
Data cables
Power cords
Combo cables
Although most GPS units have an interface for a cable connection,
bear in mind that not all do. This is especially true of some
of the less expensive units. When in doubt, consult the manual.
In addition, when buying a new GPS receiver, it is generally
uneconomical to choose one that does not have a cable interface,
as the savings will be small, whereas the return from having
an interface will be huge.
chapter
in this chapter
˛ The right cable for
the right application
˛ Combining multiple
cables
˛ Making your own
cables
˛ Connecting to
a PDA