First time connections missing Com 3

[armand.seguin]

Hi,

Moving from Coastal Explorer to OpenCPN, and also on a new HP 360 laptop.

Have FTDI chipsets in order to use Virtual Com ports in a USB hub and connector. They are showing as NEMA 0183 connections, though I could not find anything in the manual that looks like my screen.

I am partially connected. Can see the boat and AIS targets on raster charts.

Trying to make connections on Com 3, 4, and 5.

Connections are GPS, AIS (Vesper), Depth, and Autopilot. Somehow, the 4 input/output are working fine in Coastal Explorer with 3 com ports.

Admission, i had the USB connectors at the hub labeled, but the sun has washed them off. I'll have to retrace them to find out which is which. But, they are all working fine with Coastal Explorer.

I took screen shots but don't have an easy place to park them so a URL could find them. Also, the priority seems to be set be default for "1" for each com port.

Sentences do not show any Com 3 messages. But,

Com 4 $GRPMC and next time Com 4 !AIVDM

Com 5 $GRVTG

The Color coded screen shows 2 as filtered and dropped, one is Message Received, one is OUTPUt, and a RED square shows Information Message or Message with Errors.

I poked around, but so far have not managed to get any farther.

Thanks alot for any help.

Armand

[armand.seguin]

Hi,
Think I can add some screen shots to above message.

[transmitterdan]

You have COM5 set for output. Is that what you want?

[armand.seguin]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

You have COM5 set for output. Is that what you want?

Transmitterdan,

Thanks, but I really don't know. I'm showing In/Out on 5 and OpenCPN somehow set that itself, while making the others only Input. While I assume I could change it, the only setting it required changing was Baud Rate, which I think was 0 for all.

Since I have GPS, Depth, AIS, and Autopilot, the only OUT that I can think of would be Autopilot. But, I'm not positive on the others. However, I don't believe that changing 5 would enable Com 3 to start showing up.

I have changed the baud rate on Com 3 between 4800 to 38k and back with no results.

Thanks again,

Armand

[transmitterdan]

Armand,

I recommend you disable output on all ports until you get it sorted out.

[armand.seguin]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

Armand,

I recommend you disable output on all ports until you get it sorted out.

Transmitterdan,

Will do!

I probably should have mentioned in my initial post that I am using version 5.0.

Very likely, this is why my Connections info looks different than what has been shown in examples. And, also why Opencpn "found" the Com ports and forced settings.

Thanks,

Armand

[armand.seguin]

Addenda: I have version 5.0. Which may account for why my Communications screen is different than anything found in the manual, and possibly why the program "found and provided most settings (except baud rate) for the 3 Virtual Com ports.
Armand