CF-30 GPS internal connection protocol/type?

Okay odd question here for the hardware hackers...

What protocol does the CF-30, and or the CF-19 to connect internally to the main PCB? UART, USB, RS232, etc??? I am most interested in the CF-30, but I suspect that the CF-19 internal ribbon connection is the same...

Is this a standard connector, or Panasonic proprietary?

If proprietary, anyone have the wiring information?

Why do I ask these questions? Well I need more than the standard refresh rate, I want 10Hz or better. There are PLENTY of options on ebay for such that are MUCH cheaper than the Panasonic specific. Google didn't give me anything, not suprising it is a difficult thing to even find the right phrase for this one. I know somebody has figured it out. Custom-Toughbooks.com offers a bunch of kits and there is a CF-30/CF-19 kit that is the same part.

After some looking and digging around, I am going to grab a stock GPS kit for the antenna bump and parts. But I will need a better module. I "can" use the WWAN slot and a pci ublox card, but am limited in options and refresh rate. Besides, I don't have the WWAN sled in here... Cheap enough, but parts will quickly start to add up.

Also, any links to good data on available internal connections for the CF-30? Gonna keep digging for that cause I am sure I have seen something before. ToughWiki is lacking for CF-30 info...

 

What connector on the motherboard? There are several...Connector number? number of pins? location?

Did you search this forum?. The info you request has been posted many times before.

I tried a pci ublox in a wwan slot and did not have a lot of success. From what I found out the pci ublox(originally in a Toshiba) had issues from the start. Even in the laptops that they were designed for.
Currently I have a Ublox 7M connected to the same slot as the stock GPS was. I use a 10mm high gain powered antenna that fits under the WLAN antenna cover..NO bumpout at all.

Full model numbers for the units you need wiring info?

 

I am mostly interested in the stock GPS connection. I had "planned" on grabbing a stock setup to get cables, bumpout, and module and online immediately, then upgrade the module.

I searched Google, and was directed back to many threads on here, but what I am after is not present, or buried. I am interested in the connection protocol used on the OE GPS plug/flat cable. IE is it internal USB, TTL, UART, etc etc.

This I am VERY interested in. It seems you posted up some information in the thread Teo started. I still do not find the protocol. Everything else seems to be in there though. http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/adding-aftermarket-internal-gps-to-the-cf-30.648936/

Yeah just finished reading through that whole thread again. Everything EXCEPT that little tidbit. Now I recognize the u-blox module used, and could probably reverse engineer it from there though...

Model Number : CF-30K3PAXAM
Description: WinXP (Vista COA), Intel Core 2 Duo SL9300 1.60GHz (Centrino2), vPro, 13.3" XGA Non Touch, 160GB, 2GB, Intel WiFi a/b/g/n, TPM1.2, Bluetooth, Single Pass (WWAN), Wireless Ready,No Drive

Model Number : CF-19C6GAXVM

 

The tentative plan:

CF-19:
1) Okay so I have played with several options on the CF-19, none have worked well enough to be happy with. ALL the Seirra wireless cards were a flop. I want to try out the Adafruit Ultimate GPS. Several connection schemes, and has fix LED output too. I can connect this via my PCI usb adapter card that is proven. This card will give meet my minimum 10Hz need.
2) Conflicting reports on the u-blox pci, have seen several say the b39 works great. At only $10ish, might be worth fooling with.

CF-30:
1) Start with a complete OEM setup. At $54 on ebay right now, I can't beat that for install speed and simplicity.
2) I really still need to upgrade the GPS engine though... To do this, I am still after the connection protocol used. Who knows, I may go in the same way as the CF-19 via the WWAN slot, but I need a sled for that....

 

Odd Google search does not find the correct thread...It used to.. really odd
general google search ...........
https://www.google.com/search?q=cf-...h=617&ei=gfxCVa24MMuyoQSf24GYAQ&start=20&sa=N

this yields good results.... http://forum.notebookreview.com/search/806555/?q=cf+30+ublox&o=relevance&c[node]=1012

this search will help...... http://forum.notebookreview.com/search/806573/?q=cf+30+gps+connector&o=relevance

here's another search with good results....... http://forum.notebookreview.com/search/806587/?q=gps+pinout&o=relevance

This is the thread you want...... http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/adding-aftermarket-internal-gps-to-the-cf-30.648936/

 

Te pinout is the same as a CF19 except it's in reverse....
That info is in the Aftermarket GPS thread along with a diagram........ http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...l-gps-to-the-cf-30.648936/page-3#post-9443228

and here is the link to the diagram.... http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...l-gps-to-the-cf-30.648936/page-3#post-9442944

12=1
11=2
10=3
9=4
8=5
7=6
6=7
5=8
4=9
3=10
2=11
1=12
etc....

The ublox has the same enable/disable...tx ..... rx......ground and VCC as the em408....

http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/cf19gps-01-jpg.104604/

another helpful thread as long as you remember the CF19 and CF30 GPS connector is reversed.. http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/adding-aftermarket-gps-to-a-cf-19-mk2.742568/

 

this.

CF30 GPS by Shawn posted May 1, 2015 at 1:19 AM

http://forum.notebookreview.com/media/cf30-gps.853/

 

Ever since NBR upgraded the forum software Google search doesn't work like it did.

 

Good news is that the internal search works better now.

 

Thanks guys! Digging through all this and the ONLY thing not directly answered is, what protocol???

I am sure if I knew exactly what I was looking for, the wiring diagrams would tell me. So reverse engineering, I look up the datasheet for the EM408

Okay I won't swear to this, but I "think" most of the generic ublox setups are also TTL. TTL, this is the tidbit I was hunting so hard for without success!!! This would lead me to believe, this is the protocol that is being used directly by the mainboard.

So if using the supplied wiring diagrams, and an Adafruit Ultimate GPS, TTL will get me what I need to connect the two bits together. Am I on the right track?

Sorry I am a bit slow on some of this stuff. But holy cow can I solder and I am NOT afraid to read wiring diagrams!!! I have done a fair share of PCB level repairs and mods on these Toughbooks too. Soldering to that falt cable will be a challenge... But I am sure I can pull it off.

And laziness... I have a full GPS pull on the way, and a Ublox B39 PCI card. A couple extra 15*15mm antennas sorced for $22 shipped but haven't pulled that trigger yet. I will need antenna for the CF-19. Once that is working in both machines, I am going to upgrade one (likely the CF-30 here) to the adafruit setup.

Again if somebody can verify that TTL is where I am at for protocol, then I think I am on the right track here!

EDIT for search suckage: Yeah Google not working well here anymore. Used to work killer, and the internal search was garbage. I will give that one another shot.

 

You are over thinking it....
the protocol really does not matter if you follow our instructions..

The ublox is a direct replacement for the em408..That is stated in several of the aftermarket GPS threads.

Buy a uBlox 6m or 7m...
On the 12pin flat cable coming from the motherboard for the original GPS...
connect TX to RX
connect RX to TX
connect ground to ground
connect VCC to positive voltage
short the enable pins.
close it up and install the drivers.....The gps will work and work extremely well....

We have done this on CF19's and CF30's..I am working on doing it on a CF52...
The instructions are all here.....
The ublox 6m is cheap...spend the $20 for a Taoglas active antenna and the gps setup will be hard to beat.....and cost a total of under $30.00

I have done this exact setup on 3 CF19's and 2 CF30's..I have sold several more of these setups as far away as the UK.
If you follow our instructions, it works well. Solder the wires where we said to solder them and it will work..As it has for many others..
What else do you really need to know?
I am not trying to be a smart alec, but if it is this difficult you may want to just buy a techtuff ublox gps kit and be done...
In my testing the ublox 5 pci was a waste of time..Your results may be different....

 

I didn't mean to offend. It was relevant, if I put in a module that isn't a ublox. Again I have a few choices I am looking at to get the refresh rate I need, and a few other wants. But I think I have gleaned enough from this thread, and the other threads linked, to pick the right setup. I have a small pile of parts on the way to fix both these laptops up, and experiment with. All I am short on is some spare flat cables to solder too...

Whatever doesn't work as well as hoped, can get moved into another laptop. On the way, I have the stock setup for the CF-30, that likely useless ublox b39 car, and some other bits that need replacing. I found the issue with my CF-19, so it will be back online with some new bits (video inverter died). I also have the CF-T7 I could toss something into...

Round two will most likely be the 7m, it meets most of my requirements and wants. The Adafruit card is my favorite choice. I suspect it will not be as user friendly though... There were some other choices, one with 18Hz refresh! But these come with higher pricetags, and less information to go with.

I will update the respective build threads with pictures and info as I go along!

Thanks TONS for all the help and assistance guys!

 

You did not offend..
It just seemed to me like you were trying to reinvent the wheel....
Anyway...
If you have a hot air solder setup, I recommend these...This is a random seller..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-FFC-FP...612?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27ebc94c74


http://www.ebay.com/itm/5x-FFC-FPC-...01?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_71&hash=item259d4766a9

 

Ok! I will answer your question. Its TTL. Even the U-blox 6 that we use is also a TTL. Be carefull on the 7m that they release some of them can't be adjusted permanently into your desired buadrate. Everytime you've booted up the machine it goes to default and you need to manually adjust again.


ohlip

 

I do not, I just have a lazer fine ESD station. But hey, those are wicked cool and a VERY good reason to grab a hot air setup!!! As good as my soldering skills are, I don't think I could solder those with an iron...

I suspected that would be a big problem.... On the 7m while all I have seen have a little micro battery, only some say eprom. I was a little leary of grabbing one that didn't say eprom...

The 7m on my list, has memory. http://www.ebay.com/itm/251635190442?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

The Adafruit one I keep mentioning. What I like about this most, is I can have LED out for fix and the like. Modding GPS bump with lightpipes and LEDs and things get real fun!!! http://www.ebay.com/itm/161407411914?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

This one is 18Hz with some really cool extras built in, and more likely to go into the CF-19 since USB is a simple option on that machine, IE already modded for internal USB. http://www.ebay.com/itm/181566850426?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Yes, for my application I actually want as much refresh as possible in one of these. The CF-19 is the better choice since the GPS will be used for datalogging and tracking on roadcourses.

There are a couple more choices, but most are just getting pricier and I think $50 is my cutoff for the module...