G7ToWin, G7ToCE & G7To(W)
Garmin, Magellan, Lowrance/Eagle GPS Interface Software for the PC, IGC Stuff
by Ron Henderson (email)

G7ToWin also runs on Linux using Wine

Supported GPS Devices

Using G7ToWin with Windows Vista

Why 'g7to'?

Donations

Interface Cable questions?

General GPS Information (Joe & Jack's site)

G7ToWin
Whats New?   Latest:

NOTE:  It is my intention to drop official support of the Windows 9X operating systems and to also drop support of the Lowrance/Eagle GPS units in my next update.  As long as I have the ability to compile for Win9X I will do so and I will not remove or modify the LEI code.  However, I will not have the means available to test on LEI units nor will I have the ability to test on Win9X systems so any code corrections/additions affecting either Win9X or LEI units will be totally untested.  If I receive enough feedback requesting I leave support for either Win9X or LEI units I may reconsider.  NOTE: During the time this notice has been posted (several weeks) I have received exactly one such request.

  • Added a warning check box which, if checked, will display a warning if a download of waypoints from a GPS or a file read operation results in duplicate waypoints.
  • Speeded up the read process for .gpx files.

Earlier:

  • Added a cut/paste operation for the Waypoint list.  Waypoints can be copied from one instance of G7ToWin to another.
  • Fixed a problem reading track point times from .gpl files. 
  • Selected waypoints in the waypoints list can be used to create a track.
  • Added ability to increase the number of routes supported and to prepend the route number to waypoints within that route.
  • Added ability to send lowercase data in selected Garmin waypoint records.
    NOTE: If you execute G7ToWin on a PC w/o USB you may receive an error about a missing module or the program may refuse to execute (i.e. Win95). To solve this problem see 'missing module'
 
G7ToWin Version A.00.200f(with helpfile ~ 1.4Mb) - last updated May 30, 2008. See Vista Exception 2
G7ToWin Version A.00.200f(without helpfile ~ 400kb) - last updated May 30, 2008
G7ToWinHelp Version A.00.109h   - last updated Oct 18, 2007		 First 50 lines of the 'changes' file
First 500 lines of the 'changes' file

Synopsis

G7ToWin  is compatible with versions of Windows from Windows 98 and later.  G7ToWin is designed to transfer data between Garmin, Magellan, or Lowrance/Eagle GPS units and a PC.   Supported Lowrance/Eagle units include those which communicate via Lowrance Protocol version 1 or 2.  This includes most units up to and including the GlobalMap 100.  It specifically excludes most of the later LEI units including the iFinder which does not use either protocol.

G7ToWin  supports download (transfer from the GPS to the PC) of waypoints, track logs, routes, events (Lowrance/Eagle units only), and for those units which support it, downloading a copy of the current display as a Windows bitmap.  

G7ToWin supports upload (transfer from the PC to the GPS)  all of the above except for the display, display bitmaps cannot be sent to the GPS.

Waypoints, routes, events, and track logs can be edited by G7ToWin and stored to various file types.  Downloaded display bitmaps cannot be edited, however, they can  be rotated.  Display bitmaps may also be saved in a standard Windows .bmp file.

NOTE: G7ToWin requires version 5.8 or later of comctl32.dll, the common controls dll. If your system does not have this version or a newer version installed then some of the controls will not work correctly.  If you have Internet Explorer 5 or later installed you already have a proper dll.

To use the context sensitive help functions available starting with version A.00.163 you must have version 5.8 or later of comctl32.dll. A suitable version of this dll is provided with all versions of Internet Explorer 5.0 and above. For Windows 95/98/Me you must have the Microsoft Layer for Unicode installed on your machine. This can be obtained from Microsoft.

IGC Track File Support

G7ToWin and G7ToCE can create IGC track files with and without a 'G' validation record. See the G7ToWin help file for more information.

The ability to validate the data in an IGC track file requires a properly formed 'G' security record be inserted into the file.  The format and contents of this record is largely left up to the creator.  The creator must also provide a means to validate the accuracy of the file based upon the contents of the 'G' security record.  Two methods are mandated, one for use in a standard DOS environment and one in a Windows environment.  Both versions are provided.

The following two programs are for use with IGC track files created using G7ToWin version A.00.186 November 15, 2004 and later or for those created by G7ToCE version 1.10 and later.
MSDOS Version
Windows Console Version

Pre MD5 Version -- if your G record is less than 9 characters long, including the G, it was written with a version of G7ToWin prior to A.00.186 or a version of G7ToCE prior to 1.10 and must be validated with an older version of the validation program. The older version is not as secure as the later version and use of the older version should be discouraged.

G7ToWin DLL for IGCShell program
The freeware program IGCShell, available elsewhere--a Google search will find it--will perform validation on several igc files at one time if a DLL is provided by the manufacturer.  I have made available such a DLL for G7ToWin.  This DLL has not been tested thoroughly by me but others have said it works 'OK' whatever that may mean.  Use it with IGCShell at your own risk. The DLL can be downloaded here. The only item in the .zip file is the DLL.  See the IGCShell documentation for directions on how to use the DLL.

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G7ToCE
For the Pocket PC, H/PC 2000, H/PC 2.11 and greater.
 Code last updated April 23, 2007
Version 1.21f changes_ce.txt
What's New?
  • Added support for record D304 for Garmin units.
  • Modified the way Categories are handled.
  • Added a Waypoint Name Length parameter for use in name comparisons.
  • Added Category edit for Garmin Waypoint Category values.
  • Modified .gpx output to support Garmin Extensions.
  • Supports input datum in Ozi files.
  • Added track color to .gpx routines--needs further debugging.
  • Output file selection for Ozi/Fugawi/PCX was inverted. Fixed.
  • Added 64 Custom waypoint symbols to MapSource symbol set.
  • Changed Ozi .wpt, .plt, and .rte routines to support the 0xD1 (209) character as a comma replacement for Ozi files.Added symbol name to waypoint list under symbol column. The name is the one that would be saved to a .gpx file.
  • Added 'Save Selected Route to a Track' item to 'right click popup' for route lists.
  • Changed the 'set waypoint time from nearest track point time' by adding the ability to ignore the minimum distance
  • Added the ability to show the VP value in track lists in Knots, Miles/hour, kilometers/hour, feet/second, or
    meters/second.
  • Added the 221 symbols from MapSource to the allowable symbol set. Named the new Icon 'family' MapSource.
  • Changed the way waypoints created from track points are numbered. Previously they were sequential up to 9999 where they started over. Now the number in the waypoint name is the number of the track point within the track buffer.This value is now displayed in the track list.
  • Added reading/writing of Waypoints, Tracks, and Routes from/to MapSource .gdb files. See the G7ToWin helpfile under the index 'GDB files'.
  • Added ability to edit proximity waypoints. Any waypoint in the regular waypoint list that has a Proximity Distance value is deemed to be a proximity waypoint.
Pocket PC
G7ToCE (SH3)
G7ToCE (ARM)
G7ToCE (MIPS) 		The ARM version of this code has been tested on the HP Jornada 568 which utilizes the StrongARM processor.  I do not have access to a Pocket PC utilizing the SH3 or MIPS processors therefore I have not personally tested the SH3 and MIPS versions of the code beyond the development kit's emulator.  Use at your own risk.
H/PC 2.11
 G7ToCE (SH3)  
G7ToCE (SH4)
G7ToCE (ARM)
G7ToCE (MIPS) 		SH3 code has been tested on the HP Jornada 680. I do not have access to any other Handheld PC therefore I have not personally tested other H/PC versions of the code beyond the development kit's emulator.  Use at your own risk.
H/PC 2000
G7ToCE (ARM)
G7ToCE (MIPS) 		I do not have access to a WinCE 2000 H/PC unit and an emulator has not been provided, therefore I have not personally tested either of these two executables.  Use at your own risk.
Pocket PC 2002
 G7ToCE (ARM)		 Tested on the Hewlett Packard Jornada 568 which utilizes the StrongARM processor and executes Pocket PC 2002.
Pocket PC 2003
 G7ToCE (ARMV4) 		Tested on the Hewlett Packard iPAQ 2215 which utilizes the ARMV4 processor and executes Pocket PC 2003. Compiled with eMbedded Tools 4.0 SP3. This version is also for the Intel XScale processor.
G7ToCE is a port of G7ToWin with the Pocket PC, HP/C 2000 or H/PC Pro 2.11 as the target platform.  Currently G7ToCE supports most of the same items as G7ToWin with a few exceptions.  For instance, USB** only GPS units (e.g. the Garmin SP2610) and Street Atlas files are not supported; most other functions are supported. 

**USB support requires host mode and appropriate drivers for the WinCE device.  Neither is readily available for the WinCE units currently on the market.  If both items become available it may be possible to add support for Garmin USB-Only GPS units.

The Pocket PC code has been tested by the author with the HP Jornada 568 which uses the StrongARM processor. Both the internal serial port (COM1) and a Sockets CF+ Serial I/O card as COM2 have been tested. The H/PC 2.11 code has been tested on the HP Jornada 680 which uses the SH3 processor using only the internal serial port. The code has been tested by users on other Pocket PC's utilizing the SH3 and MIPS processors and according to reports it is functional with these units.
 
Palm PC 2.11 This operating system is a precursor of the Pocket PC OS and does not contain all of the C runtime library and therefore it is not supported by G7ToCE.
Asyncinit 1 Error 55 Comm error This error is often the result of a keyboard driver or modem driver conflict.    Try removing the offending driver.  This problem has been reported to me by users of both iPAQ and Toshiba units.  For the iPAQ units an offending keyboard driver can be disabled by accessing Start->Settings->System tab->iPAQ Keyboard and unchecking the option. There may be a similar option for the Toshiba.

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G7To & G7ToW
NOTE: Version A.04.32 represents the last routine update I will perform on g7to/g7tow.  These command line based programs are similar in concept to G7ToWin, but the code has diverged to the point where updates are beginning to be a very time consuming task.   I am releasing the source code to g7to/g7tow.  Feel free to modify it as you see fit.
G7To is a DOS program written in a combination of Borland C++ 3.1 and Borland Turbo Assembler Version 3.1.  The assembler is used for the Serial Port interrupt routines.  G7To is designed to execute on a MS-DOS PC, however, the program will execute properly in a Windows Command Prompt under Windows 9X or Windows NT 4.0 or greater.  If operation under MSDOS is not intended then G7ToW is recommended for use under Win 9X and Win NT/2k. G7ToW is a Windows Console version of G7To written entirely in C and compiled using Microsoft Visual C++ version 6.0. 
G7ToW is functionally identical to G7To with one minor exception: data comm statistics are not supported. G7ToW is not usable on a MSDOS only platform, it requires Windows 9x or Windows NT/2k to operate and is intended to be executed from a MSDOS command Window.
NOTE:  G7TO and G7TOW do not support Garmin units which appeared after the GPS III+.  This includes, but is not limited to, the eSeries and the GPS 162.
Files:

G7To (g7to.exe, datum file)
G7To(W) (g7tow.exe, datum file)
G7To(W) Docs (g7tow.pdf, change history)

 last updated 8/22/2000
G7To  Sources  Source code for latest version of G7To/G7ToW. 
Last updated 8/22/2000. Includes all files necessary to build the .exe files.
Tutorial: Jack Yeazel's tutorial for G7To when used with Garmin receivers and Lowrance/Eagle receivers

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Why the name 'g7to'
Just where did the name G7To come from?  When I first started using a Garmin GPS, the GPS-45, several years ago, the only free software that I could find for communicating with the unit was Gardown version 7. 

The output format of Gardown7 was fixed and I wanted to be able to transfer data from programs other than Gardown7, so I wrote a filter program that would take data from a Gardown 7 file and translate it to several other program formats.  At the time, the ones I supported were Garmin64, PROJ and NAD.  

The first G7TO program translated from Gardown7 (G7) 'to' other programs so...G7To.   I later added the ability to upload/download data from the Garmin units and the 'filter' aspect was less useful, but so many people were using the software that I was stuck with the name.

When I later ported the software to a Windows Console program I simply added the 'W' for G7ToW.   After adding a Graphical User Interface G7ToWin was born.

The moral of this story is simple:  Be careful what name you give to software--the uglier it is, the more likely you are to be stuck with it!

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Missing Module Error--G7ToWin startup

If running on a Win95 or Win98 PC which does not support  USB you may receive the following error message at startup:
The G7TOWIN.EXE file is linked to missing export SETUPAPI.DLL:SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetailA
You may ignore this message for the function will not be used unless you attempt to access a Garmin unit via USB. Do not set the COM port to USB in the File-Configuration-General tab.

If your OS will not allow a program with a missing export to continue (i.e. Windows 95) you can download the current version of G7ToWin compiled without USB support here

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Using G7ToWin on Windows Vista
I have now tested G7ToWin with Vista Ultimate 64 so Vista, at least the Ultimate version, is officially supported.  The only major issue I have discovered is that one should run G7ToWin as Administrator (using an administrator account is not sufficient, one must 'Run As Administrator') or there may be some difficulty saving a file to some locations.  This is due to the way User Account Control (UAC) is implemented on Vista.  If one turns off UAC (not recommended for most users) or runs as administrator then G7ToWin runs exactly the same way on Vista Ultimate 64 as it does on prior Windows versions with the following exceptions:

Exception 1: Windows Vista does not come with WinHelp so the helpfile used by G7ToWin cannot be accessed.  The solution to this problem is to install the WinHelp subsystem from Microsoft's web site: WinHlp32.exe.  If Microsoft should happen to move the link a simple Google search for 'winhelp vista' will take you there.
Exception 2: There is a bug in Vista that can cause a system Beep each time the selected item in a ListView is changed if a program uses a classic ListView which is the case for G7ToWin versions with a compile date prior to May 25, 2008.   If this Beep happens and is annoying (as it was to me) then there are two solutions for this problem.  One involves editing the registry and can be found in a Microsoft Knowledge Base article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/944150/en-us.   I found that renaming the key was sufficient.

NOTE: The 2nd solution is on hold.  A problem developed using the new control library and I need time to research it

The 2nd and best method is to update to the latest version of G7ToWin which uses the newer Themed control.  Use of this control may cause problems in Windows systems prior to XP SP2.  I don't have any way to test those earlier versions of Windows.

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Supported GPS Devices

G7ToWin supports the following classes of GPS devices:

Garmin:  Only those Garmin units which communicate via the RS-232 port or the USB port and which also communicate via the Garmin Interface Specification.  Several of the more recent Garmin units provide a 'disk drive' when connected to the PC.   Communicate with these units is accomplished by the PC reading/writing a file on the unit.  G7ToWin does not support those units.

Magellan:  Those units which communicate via the Thales Interface Specification 2.6 using the RS-232 port are supported.  The Magellan units which use USB are not supported.

Lowrance/Eagle:  Support is provided for the older LEI  units which communicate using the LEI Protocol 1 or Protocol 2 specification via the RS-232 port.  The iFinder series is not supported. If/when LEI releases a unit which communicates via the USB port said unit will not be supported.

G7ToCE

G7ToCE supports the same units that are supported by G7ToWin with one exception: Garmin USB units are not supported.  All communications must be performed via the RS-232 port.

If a GPS device is not in one of the above supported classes it is not supported and support for it is not anticipated.

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eMail

NOTE: I answer all email I receive concerning G7ToWin or general GPS subjects--I don't always have the answer someone is looking for, but I will still answer the email.  If you emailed me and did not receive an answer then please check your return email address/mailbox for problems.  It doesn't happen often, but to date I've had about two dozen emails that I've replied to permanently bounce.  The reasons have ranged from destination mailbox full to unknown destination name and there is nothing I can do to solve an email problem which originates on the receiving end.

In an effort designed keep my email address from being harvested by spammers I no longer have a 'mailto' defined on this page
I've placed my eMail/mailing address in a zip file.

If you have JavaScript enabled you can also click to send email.

 

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Donations

Many times in the past I have been asked if I accept donations for my work on G7ToWin and G7ToCE.  Up until now I have always had to decline because of agreements with my employer. 
After 25 years with the same company my job has been sent offshore and I no longer am employed.  Therefore, I can now accept donations. 

This in no way means anyone must or even should feel any obligation to send a donation, but if you are so inclined feel free to do so.
My email address zip file above also contains my current mailing address.  You may also donate through PayPal by clicking on the button below.