The GPS NMEA component is a software library that decodes GPS NMEA 183 sentences from the RS232 serial port in Visual Basic and VB.NET. It calculates great circle distances and bearings and runs as a background thread unattended.

One of the primary benefits of this toolkit is its compatibility with both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. It utilizes the Windows API for serial port input, eliminating the need for any special Windows driver. Additionally, it runs as a background thread unattended, making it fully thread safe.
The MarshallSoft GPS Component provides up-to-date GPS data on demand, making it always available whenever the user needs it. It includes support functions such as mgcGreatCircle, facilitates easy reading of any GPS NMEA 183 sentence, and can graphically display latitude and longitude. It also has capabilities to compute distances and bears, as well as convert units.
This toolkit is versatile, providing Bluetooth serial support and seamless usage with USB ports through a "USB to Serial Port" converter cable. It can be operated in GUI mode or console mode programs.
The MarshallSoft GPS Component Visual Basic and .NET Toolkit supports Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/2003/XP/Vista/7 and can be implemented as a standard Windows DLL that is fully functional with all versions of Windows. It supports 32-bit and 64-bit Visual Basic, Visual Studio, and VBA (Microsoft Office, Excel, Access, etc). Moreover, it can be called from any program that is capable of calling the Windows API.
The license can be used with all supported computer programming languages, and the DLLs can be purchased with or without source code. The documentation is available online as well as in printable format, and there is free technical support and updates for one year. Royalty-free distribution for your compiled application is provided.
In summary, the MarshallSoft GPS Component Visual Basic and .NET Toolkit is an excellent solution for developers seeking a reliable, versatile, and efficient program for reading and decoding industry-standard GPS NMEA 183 navigation sentences from the RS232 serial port while also computing great circle distances and bearings, that is easy to use and customizable. Moreover, evaluation versions are fully functional, allowing users to try the product before purchasing it.
Version 2.2: Added support for 64-bits (Win64); Added $GPGSA sentence type; Fixed problem with leaking thread handle.