Setting up Bluetooth hardware
These days, most GNSS receivers, and even some echo sounders, have the ability to transfer data over Bluetooth. This manual page explains how to pair, connect and configure a Bluetooth connected device to be used with Hydromagic running on Windows 11. For instructions on how to set up Bluetooth hardware under Windows 7, please refer to the "Configuring Bluetooth hardware (Windows 7)" page. For instructions on how to setup Bluetooth hardware under Windows 10, please refer to the "Configuring Bluetooth hardware (Windows 10)" page.
In order to connect a Bluetooth device to your computer, it needs to have a built-in Bluetooth radio. When it is not built-in, you can go to a computer store to buy a Bluetooth radio which can be plugged into a free USB socket.
Pairing the device
In order to use a Bluetooth device on your computer, it needs to be 'paired' first. During this process the device is discovered and connected to the computer. In some cases a PIN or pairing code is needed as an authentication method.
To start the pairing process, locate the Bluetooth icon in the Windows System Tray. The Windows System Tray is located at the bottom right of your screen (when your taskbar is at the bottom of the screen). Click the Bluetooth icon, and from the popup menu that appears, select the 'Add a Bluetooth Device' option.
The Bluetooth icon in the system tray.
Searching for the device
In Windows 11, clicking the 'Add a Bluetooth Device' option will open the 'Bluetooth and Devices' settings screen. From this screen you can add a new Bluetooth device. Before starting to search for devices, locate the "Bluetooth devices Discovery" setting and set it to "Advanced". When you skip this step, Windows will only search for common hardware like keyboard, mouse or printer and your GNSS device or echo sounder will most likely not show up in the list of discovered hardware.
Set the "Bluetooth devices discovery" mode setting to "Advanced" first.
After setting the discovery mode to advanced, we can start adding the GNSS or echo sounder device by clicking the 'Add Device' button near the top of the window.
Click the "Add Device" button in the Bluetooth and devices settings
Next, we have to select which type of device we are going to add, so we select the 'Bluetooth' option here. Make sure that the device has been switched on. Some devices require to be set in 'Discoverable' mode. Please refer to the user manual for instructions on how this is done. It might take up to a minute for the device to show up in the list of discovered devices. When it appears, just click it to connect and proceed to the next step.
Select the device you wish to pair from the list and click "Connect".
Entering the PIN code
When pairing, sometimes a PIN or pairing code is requested when connecting to the device for the first time. Most devices use '0000' or '1234'. If this does not work, please refer to the user manual or contact your dealer. When asked, enter the PIN code and click the 'Connect' button to proceed to the next step.
Completing the installation of the device
When a successful connection has been made, it may take some time to install the device drivers required to use the device. Please wait for a minute or so, and click the 'Done' button when the device is ready for use.
Click the 'Done' button when the device is ready for use.
Configuring Hydromagic
In order to use the device in Hydromagic, it has to be added in the Hydromagic device list. In Hydromagic, devices can be connected through an Ethernet connection, WiFi, or a serial port.
When using Bluetooth, one or more virtual serial ports will be created on your computer. You have to select one of these ports when configuring the device. To do so, you need the serial port number. To get a list of all serial ports exposed by the device, select the 'More Bluetooth Options' option at the right side of the window.
When you already closed the 'Bluetooth and other Devices' settings window, just click the Bluetooth icon in the Windows System Tray.
More Bluetooth options.
Selecting the correct serial port
After selecting the 'More Bluetooth Options' option, a new dialog should appear containing three tabs. Select the 'COM Ports' tab. Please note that a device, like for instance our Trimble R8 receiver, can have more then one serial port.
Use the port assigned to the incoming direction
The data from the GNSS receiver or echo sounder is always transferred over an 'Incoming Port'. For instance, when we use the first Bluetooth serial port on our R8, we have to use 'COM7'. Just remember the serial port number and proceed to one of the following steps to finish the configuration: