Making work tablet integrate GNSS (GPS) on Windows 8 with QGIS?

I have tablet - Dell latitude 10, running Windows 8, with integrated Broadcom GNSS Receiver BCM47511 (GPS,Glonass...). Because it is integrated GPS and Windows 8, there is the "new" way of providing GPS data called Windows Location Provider. This "new" way means it doesn't work properly or at all in almost any navigation/localisation software at this moment - because this software expect GPS data coming from COM port. Including QGIS - at this moment it is on the road map - http://hub.qgis.org/issues/7878

Anyway after extensive search I found software which can bypass MS localisation platform. It is called Centrafuse Localizer. This software can simulate COM port and send through it GPS data so some software is able to read it.

Unfortunately not QGIS. QGIS can see the port (just to test it I changed COM 1 to 5 and 7) and it changes Serial device list in QGIS but after hitting Connect it always fails.

If you are thinking about tablet with integrated GPS think twice! From my point of view it is just too early - probably also no proper drivers yet as what I have read from Broadcom Readme file. Even when GPS "works" the refresh rate and precision is terrible comparing to my phone. And all software must be changed to work with this new interface...

Is there other way I could try to make work tablet integrated GNSS (GPS) on Windows 8 with QGIS?

Answer

At the end I decided to try newer driver from other company.

Broadcom GNSS Geolocation Driver for Windows 8.1 (32-bit), 8 (32-bit) - ThinkPad Tablet 2 19.14.8401.4 24 Nov 2012

With this driver and Centrafuse Localizer the GPS finally works in QGIS (and also in some way in Google Earth). Hooray!

You need at this moment these things:

1. Centrafuse Localizer (which is unfortunately not freeware) to bypass Windows Location Provider which is useless


2. Install driver from Lenovo (which makes Broadcom GNSS work properly)


3. QGIS (tested with version 2.0.1) - GPS is under View / Panels / GPS information
   
   
   
   
   • I decided to set connection to Serial device to see if COM port is available
   
   
   
   

Shame on you Microsoft to totally cut out backward compatibility!

Shame on you DELL to not provide proper functional driver!

Make sure you see sensor working in the localizer:

My saved test track in QGIS:

Good Luck!