Loading Drivers for Globalsat BU-353-N on Macbook Pro

[waynekoide]

Howdy


I'm brand new to this forum and brand new to Open CPN so I apologize if the answer to my question is already posted somewhere.


I'm running Open CPN 5.6.2 on my mid-2012 macbook pro (w retina) and OS 10.15.7 (Catalina). Recently I purchased a Globalsat BU-353-N (GPS hockey puck) from Amazon. I actually ordered a BU-353-S4 but they delivered the N model - when I called GPS city (provider for Amazon) today, they told me that the "N" model was the new and improved version and that the -S4 was no longer being produced. Not sure what to think about this because all the literature I read pointed to the -S4 model for my laptop.



In any event, I have spent the entire afternoon downloading drivers from both the Gloabalsat and Prolific websites loaded them on my laptop and the gps unit NEVER APPEARS in the serial dataport dropdown menu.


The gps unit is flashing red indicating that it is working but the Open CPN app is not seeing it - very frustrating. Questions:


Is the BU-353-N the correct unit for my laptop(s)? BTW I also have a brand new macbook pro running OS Ventura and OPen CPN. Tried to load the appropriate drivers to this laptop with equally negative results.


Can someone point me to the DEFINITIVE link for download for the appropriate drivers?


After another round of negative results, should I just get a refund for this device and find other means to get a gps signal from my boat (currently in Mexico) to Open CPN? I'm running B&G Zeus3 and Vesper XB800 AIS both of which have wireless networks available.


I hear great things about Open CPN but if I can't get a GPS signal to the app, what's the use? It was not going to be my PRIMARY means of navigation but a backup to my other systems.


Suggestions?


Aloha,


Wayne Koide
s/v Flyer
Nuevo Vallarta, MX

[sbfreddie]

Wayne:
Try this trick:
Using the Finder, open the Applications folder and then the Utilities folder, find the app called Terminal. It will open up a window and should present a prompt like this: freddie@Eds-MacBook-Pro ~ % , only yours will say whatever your user name is and the name of your Mac.
First unplug the BU353 from your USB port then in the terminal where the blinking cursor is located type this: ls /dev/cu.* and note what the terminal shows, now plug in the BU353 and type ls /dev/cu.* again and see what it shows. Note what the terminal found after you typed ls /dev/cu.* there should be another device listed, copy that device into the window in openCPN where it says DataPort and it should start working.
I have not used this in a while but it has worked for me before every time with the no name USB GPS pucks from China.

Regards,
Ed

[nohal]

The driver probably is at https://www.globalsat.com.tw/en/a4-11222/BU-353N.html
And you should of course prefer connecting to the boat data via the wireless connection your systems provide. Use the puck as a backup if everything else fails, but there is no reason to make it your primary solution.

[waynekoide]

Thanks Ed


I did as you instructed and it didn't add the GPS unit to the list of devices already indicated after typing in ls /dev/cu.* Could it be that the BU 353 N model is incompatible with the Mac? As I mentioned, all the literature points to the BU 353 4S as the one to get but I'm told it's been discontinued.


Wayne

[nohal]

Then you probably need to install the driver, refer to the post above

[waynekoide]

I downloaded that driver and still no go...bummer

[nohal]

Did you install it, allow it in the Security preferences and reboot your machine as well?

[waynekoide]

Installed it yes. how do you "allow it" in the security preferences? Yes to the reboot!

[nohal]

System Preferences -> Security & Privacy, Lock icon in the lower corner, enter password, Click the Allow button next to the PL2303Serial.app in the lower part of the window. If you did not do that, the driver was not actually installed during the reboot.

[waynekoide]

I'm not seeing the "PL2303Serial.app in the lower part of the window." See attached photo

[nohal]

OK, start the Terminal and run the following command:

systemextensionsctl list

You should get this:

1 extension(s)
--- com.apple.system_extension.driver_extension
enabled	active	teamID	bundleID (version)	name	[state]
*	*	2MP849R8J5	com.prolific.cdc.PLCdcFSDriver (1.0/6)	com.prolific.cdc.PLCdcFSDriver	[activated enabled]

If you do, check the device is actually seen by the system when plugged in (Apple icon in the menu bar, About this Mac, System Report... button, select USB from the list on the left).
If you see the Prolific PL2303 device there, check /dev/cu.usbserial device got created (ls -la /dev/cu.usbserial).
If it was, use it in OpenCPN.
If it was not, I am probably out of ideas.

[waynekoide]

Nohal


Thanks for this info. Unfortunately, nothing shows up on the extensions list. I looked at the Systems Report and found the PL 2303 driver downloads in the "Disabled Software" menu and the reason was "No user consent."



How would I go about manually providing my consent to download this software? From my perspective the download goes through every time but somehow it is not registering on the extensions list. See attached screenshot.

[nohal]

You may try to uninstall the PL2303Serial.app application and install it again. It then might appear in the Security preferences again and allow you to click that "Allow" button.
Of course do it before the reboot.

[waynekoide]

No GO. This has been interesting but futile. I'm returning the hockey puck and will establish a wireless feed for the GPS signal. So much for my idea about a totally independent system using Open CPN. Thanks for your help!

[nohal]

You may also try this to force the consent prompt:

sudo kextload /Applications/PL2303Serial.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/com.prolific.cdc.PLCdcFSDriver.dext

but that really is the last thing I can think of besides some extensive fiddling in macOS recovery mode.