<para>
  This format is the serial download protocol for the MTK chips.
  Mediatek's MT3301/3179 (MTKv1) and MT3318 (MTKv2) chips are used
  in a large number of products sold under different names.
</para>
<para>
  Many GPS products, especially of the data logger variety, expose
  the Mediatek protocol to the user via USB.  Some modify Mediatek's
  protocol in minor ways, but the core protocol is very commonly
  seen in loggers.
</para>
<para>
  The <link linkend="fmt_m241">Holux M-241 and GPSport 245</link>
  are examples of a device using an incompatible variation of the MTK
  protocol.
</para>
<para>
The following products are known or are expected to work with this module.
As the products are typically very low cost, they tend to have a short
product life cycle and are often imported to different areas under
different names.  Keeping
track of the list is difficult.   Often the "same" GPS is sold in different
plastic or with different Windows software or different options such as
compass or motion sensors or charging cables with different model numbers.
If you can confirm success with others, please share with us.
</para>

<table id="mtk_devices">
<title>Devices supported by MTK module</title>
<tgroup cols="3">
<thead>
<row>
 <entry>Product</entry>
 <entry>Confirmed to work</entry>
 <entry>Notes</entry>
</row>
</thead>
<tbody>
<row>
 <entry>iBlue 821</entry>
 <entry>Yes</entry>
 <entry>Available from <ulink url="http://www.semsons.com/i821ulblgpsr.html">Semsons</ulink></entry>
</row>
<row>
 <entry>iBlue 747, 747A+</entry>
 <entry>Yes</entry>
 <entry>Available from <ulink url="http://www.semsons.com/i74blgpsdalo.html">Semsons</ulink></entry>
</row>
<row>
 <entry>QStarz BT-1000, BT-Q1000X, BT-1000eX</entry>
 <entry>Yes</entry>
 <entry></entry>
</row>
<row>
 <entry>iTrek Z1</entry>
 <entry></entry>
 <entry></entry>
</row>
</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>

<para>
  The Mediatek chip offers a native serial port.   Data logger designers
  frequently pair this with commodity USB/Serial converter internally.  So
  these devices typically look like Prolific, FTDI, or Silab usb/serial
  devices to the host OS.  You'll need drivers for that whatever chip
  your product uses for your operating system.  For the "A+ GPS Recorder",
  the <ulink url="http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/pages/usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers.aspx">Silicon Labs CP210x chip</ulink> is used.  On OS/X, you'll get
  awesome device names like /dev/cu.usbmodem1d13410 - fortunately, our GUI
  makes that multiple choice so you don't have to guess.
</para>
<para>
  Downloaded data will be stored in data.bin file in the current
  directory together with the chosen output format.  This is a rather
  uncommon feature in GPSBabel's formats and is likely to change in future
  versions.
</para>


<para>See <link linkend="fmt_mtk-bin">mtk-bin</link> on how trackpoints/waypoints are handled</para>
<example id="mtk-on-linux">
  <title>Command showing MTK download track and waypoints and erase on Linux</title>
  <para><userinput>gpsbabel -t -w -i mtk,erase -f /dev/ttyUSB0 -o gpx -F out.gpx</userinput></para>
</example>

<para>
  For more info and tweaks on MTK based loggers:
   <ulink url="http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=81990">MTK Tips and Tweaks</ulink> and
   <ulink url="http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=81315">iBlue 747 Logger</ulink>
 For info about the used log format, see
  <ulink url="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pyCLH-0TdNe-5N-5tBokuOA&amp;gid=5">MTK binary format</ulink>
</para>
<para>
Most of the loggers cannot receive bluetooth commands; they can only send
  data. Since GPSBabel needs to send commands to the GPS device it won't
  work. Download the data using the USB cable instead.
</para>
