Android emulator On Win 10 running Nextgen

**QFieldUser** · 13th May 2020, 10:37 AM

Thanks for your answer! Actually I will not use QField for navigation. It is for monitoring Field work in a GIS environment with GPS tracking. So an alternative PC software does not work. It must be the android app QField.
Also, I have done a lot of research about almost all other android emulators. I could not find a single one which would allow me to connect a real GPS antenna (Trimble R2) and read the location inside the android environment. MEMU, Bluestacks, NOX, Genymotion allow spoof location, but I did not manage to receive a signal via com port, via WIN10 location or via bluetooth connection. Only other solution was VirtualMachine + Androidx86 but this method of emulation is too slow and does not well support multi-touch on a WIN10 tablet.

So unfortunately, I stick to my original questions because my problem remains. I would be happy to hear of Morco's experiences. @Boki_Srb If however you know how to really connect a bluetooth gps antenna inside another emulator I would be happy to hear this solution as well.

**Boki** · 13th May 2020, 11:51 AM

The problem is in the interpretation of the signal from windows to the emulator. I think you must use real Android environment (tablet).
Or write the driver and protocols yourself

**QFieldUser** · 13th May 2020, 12:39 PM

Yes that is probably true. Thanks for your tips.
But in any case, it seems like morco had it working and was doing exactly what I'm trying to do. So I hope he can help me to do the same.

**morco** · 13th May 2020, 04:04 PM

Hello QfieldUser,

In post #4 I briefly mention that I now use the 'GPS over BT' app.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I found a version of your qfield app (qfield-v1.5.3-x86.apk) that would install on Amiduos.
As you can see from the images attached all appears to be working ok with the gps working.

Spoiler: Qfield on Amiduos

Spoiler: Blue dot indicating location

It does still suffer from the problem that I mentioned in post #3.

Just incase you haven't done this -

1/Use some software like 'GPS - Logger' on your win10 to make sure GPS is connecting properly

2/Make sure your bluetooth connection is made before you start amiduos

3/ test on Amiduos with a gps logger app to see if gps is getting through.

I didn't use any intermediate software, I just had the hardware gps setting checked and set on automatic in the configuration (within Amiduos)

I believe that Amiduos does not pass through the whole Nmea data stream, I think it gets stripped of every thing apart from the 2 location coordinates.

unfortunately I don't have an experience with a dedicated bluetooth GPS reciever

Update
---------
I've just checked out your Trimble 2 receiver, that's a serious bit of kit.

Amiduos is pretty much 'toy' software I don't think that you are likely to get satisfactory stability or the accuracy that you will probably need even if you do get it to work.

Regards morco

**QFieldUser** · 14th May 2020, 03:20 PM

Hello Morco,

first of all, thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly and for your detailed answer. Great to see that in theory the setup I'm aiming for should be working.
In the meantime I have contacted QField's developers and tried to work on a pure-Windows solution with QField's experimental native windows builds. However, the Android version being a lot more versatile, I want to continue trying to get it running on AMIDuOS.

Due to the Covid-restrictions, I do not yet have access to our field equipment. So at the moment I'm simulating the situation using my Lenovo Flex14 Touchscreen Laptop instead of the Tablet. I'm simulating the TrimbleR2 NMEA data stream to a bluetooth COM port with your proposed setup, Android device + "GPS over BT" app.

Everything works except that within AMIDuOS, my position is never visible, also not by any gps logger like ([Only registered and activated users can see links. ]) or ([Only registered and activated users can see links. ]).

What works well:
- "GPS over BT" app is connected to the Win10 and sends NMEA to COM5

Approach 1 (using external hardware GPS)
In theory, using the external hardware GPS option in DuOS Devices Settings should work because
- I can connect to the COM5 and receive NMEA phrases via TeraTerm ([Only registered and activated users can see links. ])
- When, before launching AMIDuOS (1) I activate "Hardware GPS" (2) establish the Bluetooth Connection and (3) turn off TeraTerm to free the com port, then, when I launch AMIDuOS
the "GPS over BT" app switches to "connected to computer" and when trying to connect Tera Term, it says "Cannot open COM5. Access denied". --> Which means AMIDuOS is actually occupying and reading the com port.
BUT it doesn't work: It does not make the location available within the android environment. I tried all types of location settings and switched between manual and automatic hardware gps configuration.

Spoiler: pic1

(the coordinates were somehow not printed to the screenshot, even though they were showing correctly the whole time.)

Spoiler: picset

Approach 2 (using the Windows location)
My Laptop has no internal GPS sensor. Hence, again I used "GPS over BT" app to send NMEA phrases to COM5, then I used GPSDirect driver ([Only registered and activated users can see links. ]) to map the GPS location to the Windows location. It works perfectly, because my actual position can be shown in the Windows App "Maps".
So here I deactivated the "External Hardware GPS" option, expecting that AMIDuOS would just take the Windows location, just as you described in Post#3.
But still no position within AMIDuOS, not in QField, not within a GPS logger app.

Spoiler: large pic

I am a bit lost with regard to what else I can try. I can't see what I'm doing differently and why it's working for you and not here. Do you have any other idea what might be the problem, why AMIDuOS cannot pass on the position information to the apps installed within? I am already contemplating to just wait until I have access to the actual field tablet and antenna and stop simulation on my computer, because maybe the computer is the problem.
My specifications: AMIDuOS 2 Pro 2.0.8.8511 Full Version

Spoiler: large pic

Just wondering:
-To solve the problem from Post #3, have you tried to assign the com port and adjust/lower the Baudrate manually?
-Do the gps logger Apps I mentioned above correctly show your position inside AMIDuOS?
-What have you selected for location setting mode? High accuracy or device only?
-What Computer/Tablet are you running it on?
-Which Windows version?
-Which AMIDuOS version?

Best, Robin

**morco** · 14th May 2020, 05:40 PM

Thanks for your detailed reply,

Quite a lot to digest here so I will have to get back to you later.

thoughts off the top of my head are

It's possible that I could be running a later version of Amiduos , if this is the case, I might be able to get you the later version.

It might be worth, for now, uninstalling tera term. Its virtual port for gps sharing may be causing problems.

I will post later, a step by step account of my settings, my connection process & software I use so you can hopefully repeat the process exactly

regards

morco

**morco** · 15th May 2020, 06:33 PM

***Description continues in the post below***

1/
Prepare Amiduos on laptop -

Spoiler: Pic 1

Spoiler: Pic 2

Spoiler: Pic 3

( leave serial port unchecked)

Install 'GPS test' or similar app for checking Gps input

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

2/ prepare laptop -

for now, set location to off in main settings for laptop

Install VisualGPSView

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

3/ setting up bluetooth

Using the 'GPS over BT app', pair phone to laptop bluetooth

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

give it a little time for the bluetooth components to install

because of this type of communication, pairing & connection isn't always obvious, the bluetooth on the laptop might still read 'not connected' also the indicator on the 'GPS over BT app' might still show 'BT discoverable' though it should show 'BT working'

Spoiler: Pic 4

either way all should be OK if you have these components in windows Device manager

Spoiler: Pic 5

purple - is required

Green - is my phone, yours should be similar

**morco** · 15th May 2020, 06:44 PM

***Description starts in the post above***

4/ checking GPS stream via bluetooth

when the 'GPS over BT app' on phone has a GPS fix and is showing location launch the 'VisualGPSView' program on laptop.

go in to settings on program and chose com port, (mine works with com port 3)

Spoiler: pic 1

Spoiler: Pic 2

Once the gps data start to flow you should see on 'GPS over BT app' Indicator on the left change to 'connected to ....'

Spoiler: Pic 3

When you close the 'VisualGPSView' program the 'GPS over BT app' Indicator on the left will change back to 'BT discoverable' or 'BT working'

Wait a short while then launch Amiduos, while Amiduos is loading you should see the 'GPS over BT app' Indicator on the left change to 'connected to ....'

This is a good sign that all is well

once Amiduos is loaded run 'GPS test' app to see if location is being received ( press world map button for coordinates)

Spoiler: Pic 4

************************************************************************************

Thanks to -passerby- of 4pda, he has provided a link to the Amiduos version I use (Amiduos_2.0.9.10342) scroll down to the correct version for you

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

**QFieldUser** · 16th May 2020, 08:36 AM

EDIT: VisualGPSView works perfectly fine when I'm using the other App "ShareGPS" instead of "GPS over BT" --> I'm continuing with AMIDuOS now, I'll see how it goes

Thank you for this great step by step guide morco!

I have tried to follow along and found out that my problem maybe starts already before AMIDuOS.
The bluetooth connection works as you described, I am receiving the NMEA phrases in VisualGPSView, but the program is unable to extract the location data from the phrases.

This is what my VisualGPSView looks like:

Spoiler: NMEA phrases are being received

Spoiler: VisealGPSView is not being able to extract the location

I noticed that there are very vew lines of $GPGLL received from time to time. Not sure it this should impact position identification
Here are some example files that I registered with VisualGPSView: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
When you play back this data in your VisualGPSView program, does it show the location?
Whishing you a nice weekend!

**morco** · 16th May 2020, 02:11 PM

Hi,

I have tried your nmea data stream & it does not show location for me either.

On the end of each string is a checksum, here in this example it is 76

Code:

Please Login or Register to see the links

save this as text & load in to VisualGPS & you will see the location. If you change the checksum, it will not show

Checking here [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

( enter string data between the $ and the * )

For some reason on your $GPGGA strings & others when the checksum is a single digit it displays for example 5 instead of 05 (zero 5).

So when I change the checksum of one of your $GPGGA string from 5 to 05 it now displays correctly.

Possible things to try
---------------------
1/

I noticed on your nmea $GPZDA string, the date 30 sept 2000

Code:

Please Login or Register to see the links

Try finding out what is causing this, Phone maybe, and set the correct date.

2/ try a different app to Gps over bt

3/ try an app that will pass GPS via a usb connection