Pin outs novatel

[Pheasant Surprise]

Once you know what your comms port settings are from the 700 screen, you will need to match them on the NovAtel receiver.

Not sure what you previously had the NovAtel receiver connected to, but to otherwise check and/or set the serial port speeds etc you’ll need to physically connect the NovAtel to a laptop (have you got a comms/power cable and USB to serial adapter for the laptop like the picture) and use something like the NovAtel Connect GUI software to check and change the port settings. See section 3.2 in the User Manual. You could use a bog standard terminal program on the laptop to connect to the receiver too and issue text direct commands from the terminal program rather than the GUI program.

If you’ve never done this before, the first time connection maybe a little tricky unless again you know what comms speed the receiver port is set to to talk to the USB-serial adapter on the laptop. But usually you just keep changing the port speed on the serial adaptor on the laptop until it connects. Chicken and egg eh!

The only other way is if the NovAtel has Bluetooth built in and you connect it to your laptop that way instead of via cable.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Of course the other way of doing this is changing the comms settings on the 700 screen. If you’re quite sure the wiring is right just keep changing the baud rate on the 700 until you get a connection. This of course presupposes that the existing baud rate on the NovAtel and the 700 screen overlap at some point - they may not so this technique is a bit random, but sometimes worth a quick shot. Just write down the original settings so you can get the 372 receiver working with the screen again in future.

 

[GPS_Support_2014]

The baud rate for the AFS display is 38400bps and cannot be changed.

Your cable from the Novatel needs to be connected to DB9 connector (RS232-B) or to the 26 pin connector (RS232-A) on the rear of the display.

If you have a fairly recent software version on the display then you can select AFS AccuStar from the Toolbox > GPS screen otherwise select “Custom”.
Once this is done then select RS232-A or RS232-B on the Toolbox > GPS > Connection Type pick list depending on which connector you connected to on the rear of the display

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

The baud rate for the AFS display is 38400bps and cannot be changed.

Your cable from the Novatel needs to be connected to DB9 connector (RS232-B) or to the 26 pin connector (RS232-A) on the rear of the display.

If you have a fairly recent software version on the display then you can select AFS AccuStar from the Toolbox > GPS screen otherwise select “Custom”.
Once this is done then select RS232-A or RS232-B on the Toolbox > GPS > Connection Type pick list depending on which connector you connected to on the rear of the display

Thanks for the update. So it’s basically down to baud rate setting on the NovAtel, which will be more fiddly. Oh well.

The OP won’t need to bother changing the COM port as he’s repurposing the existing loom at the point it connected into the 372 receiver.

 

[Matt77]

Thanks for the update. So it’s basically down to baud rate setting on the NovAtel, which will be more fiddly. Oh well.

The OP won’t need to bother changing the COM port as he’s repurposing the existing loom at the point it connected into the 372 receiver.

Bugger, so that's changing stuff on the novatel not the tractor now? I've another hour of livestock work to do then I'll get on it.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Bugger, so that's changing stuff on the novatel not the tractor now? I've another hour of livestock work to do then I'll get on it.

It would appear so, yes. Sorry. Ballache

Unfortunately this is the downside of swapping receivers etc about machines.

It’s actually not that hard to do, once you’ve done it, just getting yourself setup to do it will be time consuming.

 

[Matt77]

It would appear so, yes. Sorry. Ballache

Unfortunately this is the downside of swapping receivers etc about machines.

It’s actually not that hard to do, once you’ve done it, just getting yourself setup to do it will be time consuming.

I guess the first thing I should do is plug it back in to the sprayer and see what Arag delta 80 box tells me, never used it but I think that has Bluetooth or Wi-Fi so wonder if that's any help changing baud rates?

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Yes if it’s got Bluetooth then you should be able to link it to your laptop and check/set the baud rates for COM1.

 

[Matt77]

Yes if it’s got Bluetooth then you should be able to link it to your laptop and check/set the baud rates for COM1.

Shame, no Bluetooth, it has 2 usb ports and a 3g sim card port, not sure if I can make any use of them?

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Shame, no Bluetooth, it has 2 usb ports and a 3g sim card port, not sure if I can make any use of them?

No sorry, you’d need Bluetooth on the NovAtel receiver in order to connect to the laptop (over Bluetooth - emulated serial connection) to make the settings changes.

What’s the receiver baud rate setting for the NovAtel on the Arag box?

 

[Matt77]

No sorry, you’d need Bluetooth on the NovAtel receiver in order to connect to the laptop (over Bluetooth - emulated serial connection) to make the settings changes.

What’s the receiver baud rate setting for the NovAtel on the Arag box?

I've been through the screen and the book twice and I can't find/see it. Had a play in tractor too just because and no luck there too. Every time I unplug the 372 and plug in the novatel you lose any options on the GPS drop downs and you also can't access the RDI screen. Put the 372 back in and all of those options come back.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

I've been through the screen and the book twice and I can't find/see it. Had a play in tractor too just because and no luck there too. Every time I unplug the 372 and plug in the novatel you lose any options on the GPS drop downs and you also can't access the RDI screen. Put the 372 back in and all of those options come back.

You can’t set the baud rate for the NovAtel anywhere other than by being directly connected to it using a laptop either serial/RS232 cable connection or via Bluetooth (if your receiver has it).

Once you are successfully connected using the laptop you use either NovAtel Connect software or a terminal program to interogate the receiver and change its port settings.

You need to change the baud rate to 38,400 as noted above by GPS_Support_2014 to work with the 700 screen.

[If in future you wanted to move the NovAtel back to the Arag box, then to make your life that bit easier, you’d need to change the baud rate on the Arag box to match the 38,400 baud rate - rather than what it is now]

 

[Matt77]

When I started all this a while back my neighbour showed great interest and I said to him jokingly “how hard can it be” turns out..........

 

[Matt77]

You can’t set the baud rate for the NovAtel anywhere other than by being directly connected to it using a laptop either serial/RS232 cable connection or via Bluetooth (if your receiver has it).

Once you are successfully connected using the laptop you use either NovAtel Connect software or a terminal program to interogate the receiver and change its port settings.

You need to change the baud rate to 38,400 as noted above by GPS_Support_2014 to work with the 700 screen.

[If in future you wanted to move the NovAtel back to the Arag box, then to make your life that bit easier, you’d need to change the baud rate on the Arag box to match the 38,400 baud rate - rather than what it is now]

I don’t have the cables to do that and fear it maybe past my skill set! But maybe if I was to get that done that would be a solution.
After @GPS_Support_2014 post I’ve tried another direction this afternoon.
I’ve a second pro 700 installed in the sprayer awaiting the steering motor, this is a second hand screen and the other weekend I took it to my dealer to check the software was up to date enough to handle this, we’ve put the latest on it. I’ve taken that screen back out of the sprayer and put in the tractor. With the NovAtel on the roof I now am able to pick the accustar option but after that there is no Can option so as he said I’d need to use the DB9 connection as the only options are RS232 A or B, can’t use A as the main plug is in there.
I’m wondering if I can use the deutsch plug in the tractor fuse box or is the RS232 the only option.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

When I started all this a while back my neighbour showed great interest and I said to him jokingly “how hard can it be” turns out..........

Is actually not too bad.

This is an example of the USB to RS232 adapter cable and breakout adaptor that you need into your laptop. I’ve chosen the ones from Amazon Prime, so you could get it all delivered free from Amazon to your mailbox by tomorrow for around £20 (or just get it from Maplin).

Take the Tx, Rx and signal ground raw ends out of the Deutsch connector and temporarily hook the wires up to the breakout terminals for the same. Leave power +ve and -ve connected to the loom and keep screen and tractor powered up.

Download the software from NovATel I linked to and you should be able to set it all correctly.

 

[Robt]

When making looms..... normal room of thumb is to ensure rx on the screen goes to tx on the receiver.... however this isn’t always the case just about 8 times out of 10! Could save you a few minutes

 

[GPS_Support_2014]

I’m wondering if I can use the deutsch plug in the tractor fuse box or is the RS232 the only option.

No, this goes to the NAV controller and not the display.

 

[GPS_Support_2014]

With the NovAtel on the roof I now am able to pick the accustar option but after that there is no Can option so as he said I’d need to use the DB9 connection as the only options are RS232 A or B, can’t use A as the main plug is in.

That’s correct, the AFS display doesn’t show the CAN option because the AccuStar option in the list is only designed to work with the serial port on the AccuStar Receiver. Although there is a CAN port on the receiver it is not used by the AFS cabling.

By the way, although the connector A is occupied, you can use pins 9 (Tx), 10 (Rx), and 26 (Gnd) on the main connector to make connection to RS232-A.
Pin CNH part number: 87410950

I know you’re trying to do this in an economical way but just for reference, here are the CNH part numbers to make the connection you are trying to do:

48042635
47754176

These two cables will allow you to connect the Novatel to the DB9 RS232 connector on the AFS display.

If the motor steering system you mentioned will be arriving soon is the AFS ElectriSteer system then you will probably get them two cables anyway so that might help fill in the blanks you need to make your own basic cable [emoji6]

 

[Matt77]

That’s correct, the AFS display doesn’t show the CAN option because the AccuStar option in the list is only designed to work with the serial port on the AccuStar Receiver. Although there is a CAN port on the receiver it is not used by the AFS cabling.

By the way, although the connector A is occupied, you can use pins 9 (Tx), 10 (Rx), and 26 (Gnd) on the main connector to make connection to RS232-A.
Pin CNH part number: 87410950

I know you’re trying to do this in an economical way but just for reference, here are the CNH part numbers to make the connection you are trying to do:

48042635
47754176

These two cables will allow you to connect the Novatel to the DB9 RS232 connector on the AFS display.

If the motor steering system you mentioned will be arriving soon is the AFS ElectriSteer system then you will probably get them two cables anyway so that might help fill in the blanks you need to make your own basic cable [emoji6]

Yes it’s the electristeer

 

[muzza]

As robt suggested have you simply tried swapping round the Rx & Tx wires on RS232 plug?

I think this is what I’ve done:
Taken from the pinout pics you sent me
Deutsch plug this side - NovAtel this side:
signal ground - signal ground
V+ in - power positive
V- in - power negative
Rs232 Tx out - com1 TxD
Rs232 Rx in - com1 RxD
Can A high - Can +
Can A low - Can -
PPS out - PPS output
I hope that makes sense

This shows the transmitting port (Tx) from the deutsch plug connected to the transmitting port (Tx) on the NovAtel, when usually the transmitting port (Tx) is connected to the receiving port (Rx) and vice versa

Rs232 Tx (out)- com1 RxD (in)
Rs232 Rx (in) - com1 TxD (out)