USB GPS, Universal and USB Hub - is the following possible? - JASJAR, XDA Exec, MDA Pro General

Hi,
I have a USB GPS receiver that is powered via the USB cable wired into my car which I occasionally use with my laptop.
I would like to connect this to my universal, but am worried about it draining the battery.
I have a small Belkin USB hub that has external power (which I can provide from a transformer in the Cig lighter socket) that has one mini USB socket which is usually used to connect to the PC and then 4 standard USB ports.
If I connect the GPS to one of the USB ports and then Universal to another they should both be powered, but will the Universal be able to 'see' the GPS?
I know I could go and just try it, however it would be useful to know before hand incase it doesn't work when it is supposed to due to some driver issues or something similar.
Any thoughts appreciated.

To My understanding this is not possible, the mini usb port on the uni is not capable....there is a word to describe it but cant remember at the moment. The port can onl charge and sync.

it won't work
Sadly this won't work as the uni does not support usb host - it can charge and sync but thats all as far as i'm aware.

that was it "usb host" :lol:

THanks. That's a shame, I'll have to get a BT one now.

Or look for a cradle that will act as the host for both devices. Sadly when I searched on google, most of the returned results are blocked by my work firewall, so I can't see for sure that one exists for recievers with usb plugs.
edit* Although thinking about it, the price of a cradle could well equal a new bluetooth receiver, and bluetooth would be vastly more practical use of your cash.

Thanks, already trying to track down a BT receiver.

Why not?
What makes me wonder is that when my MDA Pro is connected via activesync with my PC, I can browse with my MDA over my PC-Internet connection into the Internet. Why should it not be possible to use the usb connection of the MDA with other hardware? :roll: Isn't it just a driver problem?
Any ideas???

hm
My thought on that would be that your MDA is acting as the slave device when attatched to your PC, not the host.

Hey, here's a market opportunity for you USB GPS manufacturers - add USB Host capability and TCP/IP protocol to your USB GPS device... What? Can't hear you. Ah, Too expensive?. Ah, ok :-(

Related

USING IT AS A WIRELESS MODEM OVER IR?!

What could one do to connect the laptop (XP) to GPRS via Qtek 2020 infrared port instead of the usb cable ? Is there any appropriate driver? Appreciate your feedback!
I HATE IR
WHY?
The usb cable is much more reliable.
and faster
That's truth, USB is faster and more reliable. But you have forgotten that you must have cradle with you, all the time. Do you know the way to connect these two devices by IR to use GPRS? I'd be very grateful for such information.
well you can use a bluetooth dongle and use it that way
IRDA Connection
Hi Slaven,
you have to install a 3rd party tool to create a virtual com on your PC.
Try with this one:
IrCOMM2k at http://www.ircomm2k.de
Hope can help.
Thank's Apemax,
your advice was very useful !
USB will not be faster as a wireless modem connection, don't worry about it. That serial driver is what you need, and it works quite well. Unfortunately, you have to keep the IR ports aligned, which can be quite a pain. Just that was worth the price of upgrading and having Bluetooth.

Magician USB OTG Evidence? (USB Host)

Ok,
I was reading a post over at the PSP Linux forum about suspicions that the PSP has USB On-The-Go abilities. USB On-The-Go basically means a device can be a USB Host or a USB Client, and is usually restricted to a a certain class of USB devices - eg you might want a USB OTG camera to only act as a host with Storage Devices.
Now to quote this page http://www.beyondlogic.org/usb/otghost.htm ...
As a device can be either a host (A-device) or peripheral (B-device) and that the USB specification calls for different types of connectors for upstream and downstream ports, the OTG spec introduced two additional connectors. One such connector is a mini A/B connector allowing a mini A or mini B connector to plug into the one recepticle. A dual-role device is required to be able to detect whether a Mini-A or Mini-B plug is inserted by determining if the ID pin (an extra pin introduced by OTG) is connected to ground.
This basically says that tradictional USB uses A connectors for Hosts and B connectors for Clients. Because they needed to allow OTG devices to be used as both a Host and a Client, they designed a port that could accept both mini A and mini B connectors. Unsuprisingly, this is called a mini AB connector
So, for small USB Client devices, a mini B connector is used. They look like this:
http://www.cypressindustries.com/products/images/ccmusbb-32005-201.gif
For small USB OTG devices, the new miniAB port is used. They look like this:
http://www.cypressindustries.com/products/images/ccmusbab-32005-700.gif
so go look on the bottom of the Magician. Low and behold, a mini AB connector! In fact you'll see the cable they gave you with your magician is a mini B but it still fits into the mini AB connector on the jam, even though it's a slightly different shape.
Now, it could be USB Host was planned or the port was added to allow backwards compatability with the Magician2 or whatever, but all the same it's a pretty interesting feature, given that a company can probably source mini B connectors for cheaper than mini AB, (as not many companies are making them yet).
So... does the Jam have USB host functionality or not???
If so, here's some drivers to take advantage of this function. Use at your own risk.
http://www.deje.gmxhome.de/
http://www.anypakusa.com/PPC/
Maybe one could connect the jam to a hard drive???
I've did some research, and if the Magician supports USB On The Go (why else would there be a MiniAB connector on the bottom of the device in stead of a normal MiniB (4p) connector) it should be able to play USB Host.
I'm ordering a MiniA to A Female connector and I'm hoping it will work out so I can connect a USB Flashdrive, GPS reciever etc.etc.
Why do people need USB host on their Magician? I can only imagine using an USB keyboard, but everything else I can do with bluetooth and my 4 GB MMC card.
And for using my Magician as "USB-Brick" I use this here:
http://www.softick.com/pocket-pc/cardexport2/
Well... I don't like wireless That's the most important reason.
I want to use a wired GPS-reciever in my car.
I want to be able to connect a USB mass storage driver.
And I'm a geek who just wants to explore every possible option
So why shouldn't I give it a try
esackbauer said:
Why do people need USB host on their Magician? I can only imagine using an USB keyboard, but everything else I can do with bluetooth and my 4 GB MMC card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I think most of the people are interested on the fact that you can actually use an ext hdd, e.g. you have 80GB+ of videos, mp3s that you play on your unit (although I doubt it is able to power the 2.5" type). You can print documents from your unit to a printer, get your pictures off your dig camera, use a USB ext wifi, etc.
hanmin said:
Well, I think most of the people are interested on the fact that you can actually use an ext hdd, e.g. you have 80GB+ of videos, mp3s that you play on your unit (although I doubt it is able to power the 2.5" type). You can print documents from your unit to a printer, get your pictures off your dig camera, use a USB ext wifi, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excuse me for being a pain, but all these options are nonsense IMO, because Magician is the ultra portable device.
What is the sense of attaching a bulky 80GB hdd and cables to the Magician? To have its batteries empty in only 15 minutes?
Printing can be done wireless via infrared (HP printers) or WLAN, digicam pictures I can load by directly inserting its card in Magician. USB Wifi is also a joke as it drains the battery immediately.
If you want all these options, do it right and buy a Subnotebook and a 3G UMTS PC-Card.
esackbauer said:
Excuse me for being a pain, but all these options are nonsense IMO, because Magician is the ultra portable device.
What is the sense of attaching a bulky 80GB hdd and cables to the Magician? To have its batteries empty in only 15 minutes?
Printing can be done wireless via infrared (HP printers) or WLAN, digicam pictures I can load by directly inserting its card in Magician. USB Wifi is also a joke as it drains the battery immediately.
If you want all these options, do it right and buy a Subnotebook and a 3G UMTS PC-Card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ditto
I really doubt it supports USB Host. The board definately supports it, but HTC don't implement it. I think this will yield no results....
Hope you prove me wrong
And dude...... 1.8" Hard Disk Drives are TINY!!! so just quit being a spoil sport
Of course I wouldn't be connecting an periperal eventhough how small it is while walking around, but while at home or in the car sounds ok.
Well USB OTG would be great as I could dump all of my pictures on my digital camera (1GB card) onto my Charmers 4GB SD card. On holiday and stuff this would be really handy so I don't run out of space.
to be honest its not about what you can do with it, its partly bragging rights, hey look i can do so and so on my phone.... etc..
I, for one, would like to see a USB host hack.
Yes, there are SDIO wifis.
Yes, there are SDIO cards that allow wall projector connection.
But these require that I give up my memory card, where I store my stuff, making these things have only limited use.*
I could use Bluetooth, but:
- A standalone BT <-> Wifi bridge that isn't a PC or doesn't connect to a PC does not yet exist. There is a Bluetooth portable GPS receiver, but that's it.
- Projectors with BT enabled are FREAKING EXPENSIVE. Not to mention they aren't common. I've always wondered what that stray miniusb port on the more common small business models are for...
So why not buy a laptop, you ask?
Well, I already have a PC.
If you're suggesting I buy one, either you have never carried one around before, or you're so rich you can buy the lightest, least bulky ones without burning a hole in your pocket.
*That Sandisk 256/Wifi can't quite contain everything I'd want on my 1gig, leaving my only recourse to be (hopefully) the Eye-Film which is currently only in prototype stage. Sandisk already EOL'd that product anyway.
There are only 2 possibilities to get USB Host:
1. Wait for the WM2005 ROM for Magician, maybe HTC implemented the USB Host driver with it ;-)
2. Wait for HTC Trinity, maybe it has USB Host.
However, both options are not very realistic, because a WLAN USB Stick pulls 500 mA from the battery, so you get about 30 minutes battery life...
An USB Host has to provide power to the connected devices, and this is the reason why we probably won't ever see it on a mass market device.
You think you connect any USB device on that Host and it works? Like printers, scanners etc? Sorry, but you're dreaming. You need drivers for this and they just don't exist. There are no USB GPS mice that work with Pocket PCs and there are no Wifi sticks that work with Pocket PCs, period.
The only thing you could do is connect some mass storage device and use this. Besides that I'm 100% sure that the Magician doesn't support USB Host functionality, period.
So get a new PPC with Wifi and use Wifi disks etc. USB host would be nice but no Phone Edition device that I know of has it.
It would be SOOOOOO nice to connect a harddisk to my magician. A 4GB SD Card cannot store all my MP3s. And I want them all in my Car.
Dandie said:
So get a new PPC with Wifi and use Wifi disks etc. USB host would be nice but no Phone Edition device that I know of has it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, Eten M500 supports it.
You need drivers for this and they just don't exist
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Certain drivers do exist; like the JetCet unofficial ones. You'd also need to load drivers for SD-IO cards as well (IIRC the Sandisk Wifi/Mem combo needed a driver), so drivers are actually a non-issue. What matters is that it can be done.
jackleung said:
Actually, Eten M500 supports it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Magician also supports USB host, because
your BT is attached there. So what? It is the 500mA
current source and the electrical connection to
the USB socket that counts.
Currents not a problem i should think. All USB devices are standard 0.5A supply.. and all USB devices use the same supply.

GPS Feed via the Min USB?

Anyone reckon this is achievable?
Coudl be possible to get USB to RS232 conversion for the mini USB socket?
Surely there must be some software that does such thing!
I don't think it's that easy - usb is slave, not host, so it limits what you can connect it to.
Why would you not use bluetooth? Irda would even be an option. But USB, I don't think it's going to happen (easily).
V
I know there use to be serial GPS receivers for the old iPaqs, before they had bluetooth. They connected through the devices USB port (HP proprietary plug) which acted as serial (not USB host).
However, I never heard of one with min USB connection.
Thanks for the reply guys.
I do remember finding a company that had software that turned the mini usb into a usable RS232 interface with the help of some software installed on the PDA but I can't find it anymore!
vijay555 said:
I don't think it's that easy - usb is slave, not host, so it limits what you can connect it to.
Why would you not use bluetooth? Irda would even be an option. But USB, I don't think it's going to happen (easily).
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh What I wanted to do is integrate a hardwired GPS solution in with a in-car cradle so people can just place their PDA in the cradle and away they go!
With Bluetooth it is much more difficult because for each user that uses that vehicle they will need to keep pairing devices up!
did you have any luck with this? I was looking to make up mini usb connector for Holux cr 100 - sounds as though it won't work though.
Has anyone managed to get a GPS feed from a SGS to their laptop, via the USB?
I have Marine Navigation software on my laptop, but not a GPS dongle. If I can use the SGS to supply the laptop with a GPS feed it would be very handy.
Any ideas anyone?

Mini USB to Serial Cable?

Hey guys!
I've searched and searched for something to allow me to transfer data via a serial cable from my phone to device.
Let me try to explain this.
HTC Wizard
Windows Mobile 6 (Explore 1.1)
I have style tap (palm os emulator)
Software for palm os for a stand alone fuel managment system (msefi.com)
So on my car, I use a serial cable to program and get realtime data.
Now I know they make bluetooth to serial adapters for around 70, but I was wondering if they make a mini usb to serial cable for the Mobile OS.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks
Chris
Well, you could theoretically get a USB to serial adapter that has a cable. Then cut the USB connector that goes to the PC off the cable and just splice the miniusb plug onto the end. I don't know about device support though I'm going to guess you would have to at least come up with a driver and the device might not support that type of functionality at all anyways.
Since the Wizard doesn't have a USB Host (aka USB OTG) the short answer is no. Even more importantly, the wizard won't power the serial adapter so the device is a dud to begin with.
The odds that the BT to RS232 connector method will work are far greater than the USB method.

TomTom 6 and wired GPS

I could use some help or an answer to my problem. I have 8125 with tomtom 6 on it. I also have a wired GPS that I was using on my lap top. The gps has a usb connector so it could't be hook to the usb mini that is on the wizard.
So I got an idea of using a USB hub to give both power and connect together through the hub... Well no joy... I have tested all setting I can.. I turned off Beam, I tried changing all ports in exturnal GPS (even none) and it will not see the GPS. I tried all settings in tomtom also
So I guess the question is can you use the sync/charge usb mini/usb cable to connect to a hub that is connected to a usb GPS?
If no how do you use a wired GPS....
Thank you for any help....
no help in the house?
Guess nobody so far has a any info on how to help me with this problem...
You'll need to use a Bluetooth GPS.

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