Quark-elec Manual
10 of 21
2019
V1.0
5. Connecting via USB port
The A033 is supplied with a type B USB connector. The connector can be linked directly to a USB port
on the PC.
5.1. Will a driver needed to connect via USB?
To enable the USB data connection of A033 to other devices, related hardware drivers may be
needed dependent on your system requirements.
Windows 7,8,10
the driver can be found on the CD in the packing box or be downloaded from
The A033 registers itself to the computer as a virtual serial com port.
The drivers usually install automatically to your device if it is running an original Windows 10 version.
A new COM port will automatically show up in the device manager after plug in.
Mac:
No driver required.
For Mac OS X, the A033 will be recognized and shown as a USB modem. The ID can be checked
with the following steps:
1. Plug the A033 into a USB port and launch Terminal.app.
2. Type: less /dev/*sub*
3. The Mac system will return a list of USB devices. A033 will display as - “/dev/tty.usbmodemXYZ”
where XYZ is a number. Nothing further needs to be done if it is listed.
Linux:
No driver required. When plugged into the computer, A033 will show up as a USB CDC device
on /dev/ttyACM0.
5.2. Bi-directional USB
The USB connector provides data output as standard (multiplexed information from all input
instruments will be sent to this connection). Like WiFi connection, this USB port is bi-directional, so
the chart software can send cross track and waypoint information to an autopilot to steer a
programmed course through this USB port.
The host port is also used to configure the multiplexer and to update its firmware.
5.3. Checking the USB connection (Windows)
After the driver is installed, run the Device Manager and
check the
COM number
(this is the number associated
with the USB port you are using. The port number is the
number that Windows assigns as an input device. These
can be generated randomly by your computer). Your chart
software may require your COM number in order to access
the data.
The port number for the A033 can be found in Windows
‘Control Panel->System->Device Manager’ under ‘Ports
(COM & LPT)’. Find the A033 in the list for the USB variant.
To change this number, double click the A033 and select
the ‘Port Settings’ tab. Click the ‘Advanced’ button and
change the port number to the one required.
