New CF-28 user w/ GPS problems

I just purchased a CF-28 with internal GPS system. The drivers were not installed and I've been reading through other posts on the forum, but I'm not sure what the best solution is. My system is W2000. I can't get the laptop to recognize the GPS at all. I downloaded and installed the GPS driver per 'Toughbooks' post on 8/18/07, but that did not solve anything. It seems all you guys are having a lot of trouble with the internal gps. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

Sadly enough, it's probably best to wait it out until we figure out a way to get another engine board working, or if you've got some electronics experience, get in on the action!

I've delayed further progress until after the 25th of this month though, because I'm leaving for Van Nuys, CA on the 16th (From near Detroit, MI), then flying up to Portland, OR on the 22nd. This whole week will be getting everything ready that I need done, and getting the truck we're driving fully modded for the trip. (My brother and I spent a few hours of welding today...)

But if you want a head start, I'm gonna use a module available from Sparkfun.com (But not 100% sure if I'll get it from there because of pricing), the EM-408 is my current best bet... I'll route the ground to a screw, and the RX, TX and +3.3v to the connector next to the GPS connector on the board.

 

Modly, sounds rather involved. I fooled around a little more and I can get winFast to work but the reception is terrible. I get an occasional purple bar graph, but no lock and just a bunch of date in the development data view window. I can't imagine that this is a technology issue, as many gpss 5-6 years old still work well. Has anyone contacted panasonic about this? I suspect it is more driver/software related.

 

Somebody did contact Panasonic, and they said to send it in. I'd be wary of the costs to fixing something like that honestly...

There are no real drivers for GPS, just filters (Took many many hours of late night reading to find out why that is exactly, but it doesn't need to connect as a device like other things do), so all it's doing is reading output data, and filtering what needs to be filtered. Perhaps we all have the wrong filter, but we've scoured around and can't find anything different.

 

Got pics of the ride?

 

Try letting it sit out on your deck or front porch for about 30 minutes... Then sneak up on it quickly and bring it out of the screensaver and see what you get. I'm convinced there is some type of conflict with the video/display driver that keeps mine down. When the screen saver kicks in it starts to pick up satellites.

 

Mine seems to be working better since I installed Street atlas USA software.

 

well i tend to get a maxium of 4 fixes at a time, nothing more or less.........
i sent toughbook pics to show,

 

Sure. This is the truck we're driving to Cali , and since I'm sure you're curious... This is my car that I'm driving to Oregon in November.

They may look ugly, but mechanically they are both pretty rock solid.

However, until all of my GPS issues with the built-in are resolved, I removed it (For weight and battery life) and will use the USB one I just bought (Mag mount, rather than my permanent mount). There is a hole I'm routing the antenna through, and will mount it on the hood of the truck probably, unless the LED in it drives me too nuts while driving at night.

 

nice hurst

 

How come there's no back door handles on the hearse? or is the only entrance thru the rear hatch? ha ha

 

I am firmly convinced that the GOS issued stem from a video conflict. A driver or IRQ setting. I just sat out back and watched Win Nav with no satellite connections... I timed it so I could watch the screen saver kick on. Then as soon as the screen saver kicked in... I gave it about 10 seconds and then used the touchpad to get rid of the screensaver and BOOM... 3 satellites... Then one by one they dropped off. Someone has to figure it out!

 

Toughbook; You may have something there. I've never tried running the GPS without video drivers installed, so it could be an incompatibility. I'll re-install my GPS module and try it out a bit.

Lazorus; the rear doors open suicide, but the handles it had were dummies on the outside (front door must be open to open the rear), and people kept jarring my door funny trying to open it, so I shaved them off (removed the handle, welded the screw holes up, and welded a panel in place of the big hole).

 

Have you tried reading your GPS using hyperterminal? You can see what the output of the GPS is, if it is working, as it scrolls up the screen regardless of how many sats it can see. Once you can get the data through hyperterminal then you will know how to get any GPS application software connected.

On the 29's I work with the GPS is on com 3, 4800 baud, 8 bit, stopbit 1. I am not sure if your machine is the same but you should be able hunt for the right combination. No drivers are necessary except for having comm 3 installed (or whatever port it is actually on). It is really difficult to get information from Panasonic on it.

Matt

 

Yup... I've looked at the data via hyperterminal. It flashes by with no problem as it does with Win Nav... I just can't get a lock on any satellites unless the monitor is off.

(Same settings as you by the way.)

 

Where is the antenna?

 

In the stock location... Modly bought an better antenna but got the same results... I think the engine is just old technology and in pretty bad shape.

 

hhhmmm.... strange

 

Well... I just got another new CF-28 in... This one was in pretty bad shape but had GPS installed. After rewiring a lot of the inside and putting it all back together, I installed a caddy with hard drive that I bought off of ebay. The auction said that it had an "Emergency OS" installed on it. Whatever that means. The person I bought it from had the dip switches in the wrong places... So I thought. I put them the way it was on the one I just sold. (Yes I sold the one I had with GPS) The BIOS read it as a wireless modem! Hmmm... I tried a few different settings and finally got the BIOS to read it as GPS. I loaded Win Nav and let it go... It sat on ly deck for 30 minutes and couldn't get a fix. I went back into the BIOS and switched the GPS from auto to manual and rebooted. I let it sit again for 20 minutes. When I went out to check (had to bring it out of screensaver) it had 5 bars!!!!! I turned off Win NAV and turned it back on... 4 solid green bars. I turned it off and on several times and always got a good strong signal... Sometimes with 3 bars... sometimes with 5 bars. But always in the green! Maybe some of the GPS engines are whack in these things... Maybe I didn't play around with the dip switches enough on the other one. I'm a happy camper now though... So far...

I'll play around with it more tonight and report back.