Z21 / Gobi 3000 WWAN location sensor in Windows 7?

Hi all,

I've been reading a lot of threads here the last months before and after buying my new VPC-Z21. A lot has come clear already but there's one thing still not fully working here

The optional Gobi 3000 has GPS according to the tech sheets I found, but somehow Windows cannot find or install the sensor

in 'Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Location and Other Sensors' it says 'no sensors are installed'

Am I missing something here? I assume it should have been found by Windows and can be put to use, right?

Greetings from The Netherlands,

Jebba

 

Windows is not seeing this as a "Sensor". That term has a specific meaning in the Windows ecosystem that Sony is not using.

Use the Vaio Smart Network app to work with this.

 

Thanks for your clear reply

Is there by any chance a way to use the Gobi card in a more standard way in Windows, non-Sony drivers or something?

...or a way to have access to GPS within Smart Network of another Sony utility?

I already had to re-install smart network in order to use 3g. The card wasn't installed anymore on my system after removal of SN.
On my older Vaio's I used to remove SN, since I preferred the normal Windows interface for wifi.

Cheers!

 

Again, don't let the "sensor" thing fool you. The GPS will talk to apps via a phantom serial port and apps will hunt for it by running through the available ports.

In short, apps should work with it even if it's not a "sensor". I have used Microsoft MapPoint with it. There's also a little feature in Vaio Smart Network to show you your location in Microsoft Bing Maps online. Just click the down arrow next to the Location Services entry in VSN and then click on the button that's uncovered.

 

You have actice GPS on EM680 module in Sony VAIO Z2? I've been trying to make it work, but I am stuck on Gobi images, which are being loaded to the card - in C:\Program Files (x86)\Huawei\Gobi\Images\3000\Generic I have only Images which say - "no GPS". Bud the drivers, which are supplied gets the GPS, which should appear as this : HS-USB NMEA port COM5

But I don't get this device, also I don't have this option in Vaio smart network.. is there some other driver or something?

Sensor is small problem - Welcome to GPSDirect GPS NMEA Windows 7 Sensor Driver - is a special driver, which take NMEA output and feeds it directly to windows sensor api.

update:Well, it appears, i blasted my EM680 somehow, i used obscure way to ty to enable the GPS, which has worked, for a while. But then it went straight down, and now I'm stuck wih radio off message in OneClickInternet, but I lost the gobi images, I tried to downlaod Sony Location Utility, SOny WWAN drivers and Sony Connection Manager - oneclick internet, but neither loaded GobiQDLservice, nor installed images :-(

uPDATE:I turned it on thanks to AT&T communication manager

 

Well, it appears, i blasted my EM680 somehow, i used obscure way to ty to enable the GPS, which has worked, for a while. But then it went straight down, and now I'm stuck wih radio off message in OneClickInternet, but I lost the gobi images, I tried to downlaod Sony Location Utility, SOny WWAN drivers and Sony Connection Manager - oneclick internet, but neither loaded GobiQDLservice, nor installed images :-(

uPDATE:I turned it on thanks to AT&T communication manager

 

Thanks Palda, I see the GPS in my Location and Sensor menu now

Cannot find any good use for it for now. I was hoping Google maps and similar services would use it whenever it can come in handy.

 

May I ask you, do you have EM680 in Z2? Which drivers do you use? Which carrier image you are using now?

I'm trying to find, what are the differences between mine and yours Z, so I can activate the GPS on mine Z too

 

I don't see EM680 anywhere on my computer

I bought a CTO VPC-Z21C5E with i7 2620M, 8GB ram, 128 GB gen3 SSD, 1080p etc.

In Device Manager the WWAN card is installed as:

Huawei Gobi 3000 HS-USB Mobile Broadband Device.

Driver Provider: Qualcomm Incorporated
Driver Date: 29-11-2010
Driver Version: 1.0.0.7
Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher

Driver File: C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\gobi3kmbb.sys

My carrier is a prepaid reseller for KPN in the Netherlands: AH Mobiel. I just bought a cheap SIM to test the service and use it in case of emergency. I have virtually everywhere I work access to Wifi, even in the trains here its for free When I update my Vodafone subscription, I'll probably take a double sim for both phone and laptop. for the time being I don't need it.

 

That is EM680
May I ask you to look at "C:\Program Files (x86)\Huawei\Gobi\Images\3000\Generi" if thera are folders with "nogps" suffix, or not?

I would really apreiciate it

 

All folders have that suffix, indeed.

 

Well then, how the hell is the GPS active

I hope to start over with my computer on weekend, so I can give it a harder try and ctivate it on my Z2 too

Thanks a lot

 

I can only think.. did you changed the carrier firmware from generic one?

 

Well, I'm not sure it's active. It's just that Windows recognizes it as a sensor now. I don't have any program or service that uses the GPS data, so it may not be working at all

 

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://mod-book.ru/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D1558%26page%3D4&usg=ALkJrhiJ87bIDo39gAYHNQY0pXlRqVY51g http://mod-book.ru/forum/showthread.php?t=1558&page=4

And fot the GPS :
s02.download.sony.com/US/pc/QCFOTH-00249071-0042.EXE
extract thru Uniextract 1.61
TEMPEXEFOLDER\Gobi_Firmware_Setup.exe

Copy universal firmware to folder 6 and it should work.

 

thx buddy. will try that on my z21 tomorrow

 

So, I have finally get on this, and it appeasts that something is wrong with the antennas of the gobi, I can somehow pick like three or four satellites, but the SNR is never higher then 35-4..

 

Never mind. I can report Ultimate succes, as I got GPS fix on internal Huawei EM680 / Gobi 3000 card.

Likely on monday, I will post detailed steps to make it work. I dont take any responsibilities for any damages etc. It worked for me, but it may damage yours. I lost ability to switch firmwares thu OneClickInternet, but I can change them using gobiAllPowerswitcher.



I have europe unlocked Z21, so maybe results and steps may vary a little.
I use Vodafone czech republik SIM, and used General fimrware for 3G, in my implementation I swithed to Tele/O2/Vodafone firmwares and all worked good for 3G, all gave me also COM4 NMEA port.

Quick resume :

In order to obtain NMEA COM4 - this can be skipped, if you already have COM 4 visible in Device manager.
1. download GPS enabled firmwares : http://s02.download.sony.com/US/pc/QCFOTH-00249071-0042.EXE
2. use uniextract 1.61 to extract.
3. use uniextract 1.61 to extract firmware files from TEMPEXEFOLDER\Gobi_Firmware_Setup.exe
4. In C:\Program Files (x86)\Huawei\Gobi\Images\3000\Generic are firmware folders.
5. I changed uqcn_nogps.mbn on my computer for uqcn.mbn in extracted firmwares. From general to general etc. I renamed original uqcn_nogps.mbm to .backup as to create backup and the gps enabled to copied twice, with _nogps and without suffix.
6. I switched firmware from general to Voda and I got NMEA port.

Start here, if you already have NMEA COM 4 port.
7. Get GobiAllpowerSwitcher from ???? ??? 3G-?????? Gobi 3000 - Mod-book.ru - ???????, ??? ????? ?????!
8. I extracted everything to C:\GPS - I then use bash scripts to enable everything.
9. copy GobiConnectionMgmt.dll from C:\Program Files (x86)\Gobi3000 to C:\GPS
10. GobiAllPowerSwitcher is cmd tool, it comes with integrated help, just use cmd and /help switch.
11. Start gobi with VAIO Smart Network
12. I created simpel bat file with following content :
"
C:\GPS\GobiAllPowerSwitcher on
C:\GPS\GobiAllPowerSwitcher gps on

start C:\GPS\gps7s64
"
14. use whaever you like for the NMEA results, I use VisualGPS for verificationa and the third line of my .bat script is for starting GPS Location driver : Welcome to GPSDirect GPS NMEA Windows 7 Sensor Driver
15. let it sit under sky and after a minute or three, profit

 

Sounds clear! Might try it next week