[time-nuts] Is there any way to recover if one messes up serial port on settings on HP GPS receivers?

[Tom Van Baak]

Hi Dave,

 > My HP 58503A is using the default 9600 8N1 for serial communication. It
 > would be nice to run the connection faster

Sure, but running faster is usually a red flag. What is the actual 
problem? Is it merely latency and timing or something else.

 > and there are commands to change the serial port speed,
 > as well as reset the serial port settings to the defaults.

Yes, from 1200 to 19200.

 > What concerns me is that if I try to run the serial port faster,
 > but have problems communicating with the receiver for whatever reason,

What do you mean by "problems", or "whatever reason"? The SCPI protocol 
is well designed. You send a command and you wait for the response. As a 
talker you stay synchronized with the responses. Are you writing your 
own code? Post a sample.

 > then there will be no way to reset the receiver - I could not run the 
command to reset it.

I'm not following. There is a reset at power up. You can also simulate a 
reset with *rst. Under what conditions are you unable to send commands 
to the receiver? Is it locked up? Did it crash? Are you using 
flow-control? Is it your PC or the 58503 that's not responding?

 > There's not an easily accessible "reset to factory defaults" button 
on the receiver like there is on many devices.

Pull the AC or DC power cord. I'm curious why you ask. What state is 
your 58503A that you have to resort to this?

/tvb