[aprssig] Garmin NUVI & messaging?

[Stephen H. Smith]

On 2/12/2011 4:01 PM, Clay Melhorn wrote:
> Since this came up please allow me one more question about this combo.
> I have the Nuvi 350 and FMI cable from Argent.
> I have seen video I think it was on utube that shows that you can 
> send messages from the Nuvi350 and not the D700 keypad.
> Is there a firmware version different from my unit possibly for say a fleet 
> on trucks to communicate with the home office?
>

1)   This has nothing to do with the clumsy messaging interface in the D700 
(which uses a touch-tone decoder in the radio chassis to decode DTMF sent from 
the touchtone mic).

2)   The nuvis have a touch-screen keyboard in their firmware, used for 
entering addresses for GPS navigation.  The same virtual on-screen keyboard is 
used by the FMI interface for messaging.

3)    "FMI" is "Fleet Management Interface" .    FMI was specifically designed 
for commercial AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) and fleet messaging.   However 
FMI is a proprietary interface, leaving the user to develop custom software for 
the intended application.

The Argent G-Trans FMI cable is an application-specific device to bridge 
between Garmin's proprietary format and the APRS world.     In principle, the 
same hardware with different firmware could interface with other types of 
systems, but someone would have to develop the code to do it.

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Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
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