May 24, 2009
Application Note Page 1 of 6
Running HyperTerminal to Record Data to a File
1 Overview
This document explains how to set up a HyperTerminal connection to a NovAtel OEMV receiver. It
describes the connection settings as well as program configuration recommendations for ease of use. This
document also describes how to set up HyperTerminal to record data from a receiver to a text file in
ASCII format.
2 How to Run HyperTerminal to Record ASCII Data
This section contains instructions on how to run HyperTerminal to record raw ASCII data to a file on your
hard disk. The examples in this bulletin are for Millennium (OEM3) cards but they can be adapted for use
with OEM2 cards.
1. Connect your antenna to the RF input of the enclosure using an interconnecting coaxial cable.
2. Connect a null-modem serial cable from your GPS receiver COM1 port to your PC COM port of
choice.
3. Connect a power supply to your receiver.
4. Run HyperTerminal on your PC. The figure below shows the HyperTerminal program icon but
you may see the program Hyperterminal.exe or a folder that you have to open to select the
HyperTerminal program.
5. Click on the HyperTerminal program or its icon to create a new configuration.
Alternatively, select an icon representing a previously set up configuration for your receiver. You
may have different configurations than in the example below or none at all.
NovAtel Inc.
1120 – 68th Avenue N.E. Calgary, AB, Canada T2E 8S5
Tel: (403) 295-4500
Fax: (403) 295-4501 Internet: http://www.novatel.com Email:
gps@novatel.com
NovAtel Application Note
The Connection Description dialog box appears.
6. Give your new configuration a name in the Name field and select an icon to represent your
receiver from the Icon field. You can use the Icon scroll bar, or the arrows to see the selection of
icons.
7. Click OK. The Connect To dialog box appears. Your default may be a modem but you are
connecting to a receiver and the only field you must enter is the Connect Using field. Use the
down arrow and select COM1.
8. Click OK . The COM Properties dialog box appears.
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NovAtel Application Note
9. Select a rate of 115200 in the Bits Per Second field to ensure you can use the logs described later
in this document. If you know that the receiver COM port is set to something different, then
connect at that baud rate and use the COM command to change the port baud rate. If you are not
sure what rate the port is at, start with 9600, as this is the receiver default.
10. Click OK. The main HyperTerminal window appears.
11. Select File | Properties in the main HyperTerminal window, from the main menu (to see what
you are typing) or click the
icon.
12. Select the Settings tab in the Properties dialog box.
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NovAtel Application Note
13. Click ASCII Setup…. The ASCII Setup dialog box appears.
14. Check the Echo Typed Character Locally and the Wrap Lines That Exceed Terminal Width boxes.
15. Click OK to return to the Properties dialog box and then click OK again to return to the main
HyperTerminal window.
NOTE: The Echo checkbox may not work with some installations of Windows 98. In this case, you will
not be able to see what you type. You will see the data that results if you entered the command
correctly.
16. Select Transfer | Capture Text… from the main menu to save your data to a file. The Capture
Text dialog box appears.
You may accept the default name of CAPTURE.TXT or enter a name that has more meaning for
your current project. You can search for a location for your file using the Browse… button.
17. Click Start when you have entered a file name and location for your captured data. Your data is
sent to this file until you select Transfer | Capture Text
X | Stop from the main menu.
18. Type the following command in the main HyperTerminal window and press Enter:
log version
19. Type these logs in the main HyperTerminal window and press Enter after each one:
log rxstatus
log bestpos ontime 1
log rangecmp ontime 5
log rawephem onchanged
log trackstat ontime 30
20. Watch the window to ensure the output is being logged. If the data is being logged, go to step 40
to stop data logging. If it is blank or interaction is not possible then you may not have set the
correct baud rate so continue with the next steps.
21. Select Call | Disconnect from the main menu or click on the
icon.
22. Select File | Properties from the menu or click on the
icon.
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NovAtel Application Note
23. Select the Connect To tab in the Properties dialog box.
24. Click Configure… and the COM Properties dialog box appears.
25. Reconnect at the card’s current baud rate.
NOTE: The difficulty may be in the COM port selected. Try COM2 and check again.
The default receiver setting is 9600 but your receiver may be set to another Baud rate so trial and
error is your best way of finding the current BPS setting.
26. Click OK to return to the Properties dialog box.
27. Click OK again to return to the main HyperTerminal window.
28. Select Call | Connect from the main menu or click on the
icon.
29. Type in the following command:
com1 115200 n 8 1 n on
30. Press Enter.
31. Select Call | Disconnect from the main menu or click on the
icon.
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NovAtel Application Note
32. Select File | Properties in the main menu or click on the icon.
33. Click Configure… in the Properties dialog, box.
34. Select 115200 in the Bits Per Second field.
35. Click OK in the COM properties dialog box button.
36. Click OK to return to the terminal window.
37. Select Call | Connect from the main menu or click on the
icon:
38. Repeat steps 16 to 18. The data should now be logging.
39. Continue to record data for at least 30 minutes.
40. Select Transfer | Capture TextX | Stop from the main menu to stop data logging.
41. Select Call | Disconnect from the main menu or click on the
icon to end the session.
42. Select File | Exit from the main menu. You are asked if you want to save this session as the name
and icon you chose in step 6.
The data is now available in the file you specified in the Capture Text dialog box in step 16.
3 Final Points
If you require any further information regarding the topics covered within this application, please contact:
NovAtel Customer Service
1120 – 68 Ave. N.E.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2E 8S5
Phone: 1-800-NOVATEL (in Canada or the U.S.) or +1-403-295-4500
Fax: 403-295-4501
E-mail: support@novatel.ca
Website: www.novatel.com
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