PDA driver hack for CF card?

[The late XV105]

For GPS, as some here know I use an iPAQ 2210 PDA with SysOnChip CF card antenna.

Knowing that such PDAs are totally reliant on continuous power, even when "switched off", I loaded the TomTom application, UK map, and UK speed camera overlay on to the spare 256MB of storage that the CF card antenna has. All other Western Europe maps were then placed on a 2GB SD card. Knowing the driver that the GPS antenna needs in order to function, I also copied this to the spare storage of the CF card on the basis that because the TomTom application is also on it, and the antenna is needed in order for GPS to work, I will always have it with me.

So, I'm currently on holiday in Eastern Europe a long way from home and have let both the primary and backup battery on the iPAQ 2210 I use for GPS go flat. (I suspect that a task reminder switched the device on whilst it was shut in a cupboard out of sight for a couple of days)

"No problem", thought I confidentally, because I'm prepared; apply power to PDA, switch on, go through 30 second setup process, copy GPS driver from CF card to correct location, and bingo, job done.

Err, well, there is a problem actually.

I have found out the hard way that the CF card won't work - even as a storage device - without the driver being installed...and my backup copy of the driver is on the CF card.

Bummer.

Yes, I have good old paper maps that I can use for the long journey home and as an orienteer hope I know how to read them, but if there is a hack to get my CF card storage recognised it would be great to learn it.

Note that I do *NOT* have any method of connecting the PDA to the internet to download the driver; the docking station is back at home, as is the more portable USB cable and connector, and the WiFi card. If the solution is to locally buy any of these to allow download, I will read a map (or four ;-)

Cheers,
XV105

[IO540]

The storage within the CF card is visible as a logical drive to the pocket/pc O/S only when a special driver is loaded.

I have a Sysonchip GPS here and found this too when I tried to transfer files to the flash memory in it using a normal CF writer :)

I don't think there is anything you can do. I could email you my driver if you email me your email address, perhaps. But then you could get the driver from the mfg's website more quickly, load it onto a normal CF or SD card (in an internet cafe) and install it that way.

[Parapunter]

Best you make sure you don't turn left or right around the fold unless you're really sure.

[The late XV105]

Thanks, IO540!
You have given me an idea...

The Canon camera in my possession uses CF cards, and whilst a quick test shows that I can't unfortunately write to it via USB (even though it appears as a Windows drive) the local PC shop is usually helpful (i.e.may lend me a CF reader for 30 seconds) and in any case to buy a CF reader costs peanuts.

Please will you therefore tell me the name of your SysOnChip GPS driver and for completeless, confirm which folder on the PDA it lives in.

I will then search for it on the web and download it to my laptop, transfer it to "photographic" CF card, and from there to PDA.

Having done this I will also copy it to the SD card that carries the maps of Western Europe since I know that this conventional card will always be "seen" on restart after total power loss.

Cheers.

[Bushfiva]

The manual says: "You can find Windows CE device auto installer Microsoft Cabinet File (CAB file) in the memory of SysOn CF Memory GPS.
In case that the driver file is deleted from your PDA main memory, you can
simply install the device driver file with this CAB file without connection to a
computer.
Just please copy ‘SysOnCFMemoryGPS.ARM.CAB file’ to the appropriate main
memory of your PDA and you will see the driver file for Memory GPS."

"After copying it to the PDA main memory, it will easily enable the
driver installation in one click. Just click
SysOnCFMemoryGPS.ARM.CAB file and you will see the driver
installed."

The text seems to think you can access the card's memory, without any driver being installed. Anyway:

The file is http://www.sysonchip.co.kr/down/GPS/[SysOn]GPS_CFmemory_drv.zip (http://www.sysonchip.co.kr/down/GPS/%5BSysOn%5DGPS_CFmemory_drv.zip). It contains CABs for all variants.

I'm assuming this is the original GPS CF card, not its successors which are plug'n'play.

Hmmm, maybe you can't unzip it... if no-one else can help, I can extract the CABs and PM you a link to them, but I can't do it for a few hours.

[The late XV105]

Thanks, Bushfiva, especially for the driver link :-)

It was exactly the text you quote that prompted me to place a backup copy of the driver on the CF card in addition to the backup one theoretically already there as implied by the text. i.e. I thought (but didn't test; big mistake) that I could access the CF card directly after a hard boot. Plug and play like the newer ones (i.e properly CF compatible I would say), it ain't! Ho hum!

Unzipping is no problem, but thanks for the kind offer.

Stay tuned...

XV105

[The late XV105]

Stepping back from the detail for a moment, it dawned on me that the SD card installed in the iPAQ with maps on it has more than enough spare capacity to hold the .CAB file that installs the driver. I also have a bunch of CF cards with me to use with my two Canon cameras.

Unfortunately, I have no SD or CF card reader with me.

It then dawned on me that maybe I could use either of the cameras as a card reader since I have a USB cable to connect them with and I know they both display their contents in Windows Explorer.

Bummer.
I can't.
Yes I can read files and transfer them from the camera, but I can't find any way of assigning a drive letter and writing them back. :-(

Never mind; when I go to the PC shop tomorrow to get prices for another issue (See Win98 post) I will take my laptop with me and ask to borrow a card reader to transfer the files. I might even buy one to leave here for future use!

Fingers crossed after all this that when the SySonChip CF antenna is then "visible to the iPAQ" again, I find that the TomTom application installed on it redisplays on the Today screen and I can actually run it... Remember that I am recovering from a total power failure, so everything held in flash memory has been zonked.

[The late XV105]

Sorted! :-))

A virtual round of beers to say thank you.

After spending the equivalent of nine quid for a multi format USB card reader, I copied the required .CAB file to the SD card that carries the maps, popped it in to the PDA, double clicked the file, and bingo, installed.

Inserting the SysOnChip CF antenna brought a reassuring alert sound and a future seconds later, a flashing signal LED. It also now appears correctly as a Mounted Volume.

I will leave the .CAB file on the SD card for future usage!

Many thanks for the help, especially the drivers link, Bushfiva, without which I was screwed.