[pRoToTyPe] iGPS-M Pro USB to Serial

As I wanted an better GPS Mouse for the pRoToTyPe, I did buy an iGPS M Pro USB Mouse ( http://www.transystem.com.tw/products/index_detail.php?mcat_no=2&cat_no=32&pno=10&ver=en ). I was certain that I could resolder it to Serial and use it on the Fonera Router. And thats how I did it: I did open up the Case, which was very easy, just unsnap it. You will find an socket were 4 wires do run out: Black (GND), Red (5V+), White (USB Data) and Green (USB Data) - I did cut these Wires and soldered them to an 8 Wire Cable. From the other 4 left Wires I did use only two: Under the Metal Shielding of the Mouse you will find an TX and an RX Solder Point - these are RS232 Connection Points. I did just pry open a bit of the shielding to run two wires into it, soldered it onto the points and did close the casing again. On the other end of the cable, I did solder on an RS232 Connector, Female. I did use the pRoToTyPe scheme with Phantom Power for that. Additionally, I did wire up Power and Ground a second Time to an USB Connector as well as the USB Datalines. So I have one RS232 Socket and one USB Connector and can use the Mouse for both occasions.

Hint: Do check first the Datalines of the USB Connector and the Socket so that you're sure you will resolder the USB Data Lines again in correct order.

Unbrick Royaltek RGM 2000 "Bluemouse" GPS Mouse

Hi there, I was working on an Serial GPS Mouse, Type Royaltek RGM 2000, also called "Blue Mouse", which became famous for beeing deployed with an Medion GPS Kit Years ago. Its an really cool looking Mouse (Serial/Usb depending on the properitary Connector you attach), powered by an Y-Cable with 5 Pins, powered by an quite old SiRF 2 Chipset. I did solder my own Data and Poweradaptor, which worked great. But as I wanted to be "up-to-date", I searched the Web for some more recent Firmware, stumbled upon some, flashed - and killed the Mouse ~.~''... (wrong Firmware for wrong Mouse... Couldn't set it anymore to SiRF to Flash it or ANYTHING! )...

Well... horrible thing, I browsed the Web, knowing not much about GPS Mouses and stuff, but at some point I came up with the knowledge about an 2 Staged Bootloader - an Internal and an External Flash: While the external contains the GPS Software, the internal Flash only consits of the "Bios" and provided the Recovery Mode - and thats what I wanted. Basic idea is following: You grab the VCC (5V+ in that Case), get some 10k - 15k Resistor before that and Short Circuit the "Boot Sel" Pin on the SiRF Chipset, get some Power on your Mouse... and voilá: Boot Mode! Well, sounds easy, doesn't it? Believe me, its horrible! ^^' Couldn't find any useful Datasheets and Google couldn't help me at all. Sadly. But well, hey, that thing is dead already, so lets have some fun and discover - maybe we find out! And what shall I say? I made it! I could recover flash the Mouse and now its supplying data again, running NMEA or SiRF Data - what I wanted and choose!

Good Stuff, so as there is no stuff in the net, I will hook you up with some little Instructions to get your RGM 2000 working again. So, lets go!

Needed Stuff:

- Terraterm

- Royaltek RGM 2000 Firmware ( http://www.mikrocontroller.net/topic/104240#1509333 )
- Royaltek Flash (contained in "RBT-3000 PCv1.3".zip in the AP Download, Discont. Archiv of www.royaltek.com)
OR Complete Package: Firmware + Flash Tool ( http://www.mikrocontroller.net/topic/104240#1509564 )

- SiRF Demo & SiRF Flash 3.1 ( http://www.falcom.de/support/software-tools/sirf/ )

1. Remove the two labels at the Buttom of the Mouse, you'll see two screws - open it up!

2. The big thing on top of the Mouse is the Antenna - you need to remove it by desoldering it - and one of the two metal shieldings - the one which is closer to the cmos akku / battery (not the one from which the antenna cable comes out!)

3. Get some cable, connect it to the red connector cable of the Mouse (5V), connect an 10k - 15k Resistor to it and connect it manually with the Bootsel Point (First Picture Red marked Point).

rgm2000-memoryrgm2000-bootsel

4. Set your Terraterm to 4800 Baud, Connect the GPS Mouse and power up the Device while you hold the Resistor to the Bootsel Point. You should see following in Terraterm

unbrick_rgm2000_1

You need to hold the Point about 2 Seconds. It should not give anything else but this "Symbol". If thats done, you have succesfully booted it into Recovery Mode. You can let go of the Bootpoint. Close Terraterm and load the RoyalTekFlash.exe

5. Set RoyalTekFlash to the following settings (correct to your Com Port!) and press Start, it should come up and flash the Device. If not, you maybe got the wrong Com Port, your Mouse did not correctly boot into the Boot mode or you still got any Programm running that uses the Com Port. The Programm will start erasing the Memory and then flashing with the new Firmware.

unbrick_rgm2000_2

unbrick_rgm2000_3

6. At 99% an Communication Error will occur. Most certainly. No problems, just accept it, its ok.

7. You're done! Reset your Mouse and connect with the SiRF Demo - (Nmea, 4800 Baud) - you'll see the Data again. You can now set the Mouse to SiRF Mode and 38400 Baud and reflash it with the same Firmware again with the SiRFFlash 3.1 Tool (38400 Baud, External Bootmode, Erase whole chip, choose the File and click Execute) - and after that load Factory Settings in SiRF Demo. Just to be sure that everything has been flashed correctly.

8. Resolder and Reassemble the GPS Mouse

Congrats, and thanks very much to Peter Bandhauer of  the http://www.mikrocontroller.net/ Forums which supplied me with the Firmware Dump (231.000.000) - without you I would never got that thing working again! Thank you!!!

rgm2000-sirf(Bottom View, just to complete the Documentation)