Hi Anders, taking your notes I have modified the GPS POD and added three external contacts without wires to be able to use the Suunto interface cable. It works wonderfully.
Here's some pics of my modification...
1- This is the outside...I used the metal pin from DIL IC sockets.
The pin-out as seen in the pic are:
TX to POD, GND, RX from POD
2- Note the cut out needed (for connection pins) on the plastic part that holds the PCB in place 
3- Details of the Suunto I/F cable connected to the POD and the laptop
It work also on t6/t6c. Great idea.
ReplyDeleteHi Anders, thanks for this great job.
ReplyDeleteCould you give the routing, which USB (using the T6 usb cable) pin correspond to GND, TX and RX. It would very helpful for me, I'm OK with software but totally rubbish with electronic
Thanks
Seb
Please see one of the earlier post. It has all the details about the connections.
ReplyDeleteI wish to do this... need to know more because I'm zero with electronics too. How the heck did the guy build the "port" on the gps i wonder... did he use a drill?
ReplyDeleteI could say I'm in the same situation of the other anonimous poster. Would u be so kind as to make an article to describe the procedure? :-)
If I understand documentation correctly, the logging settings are stored in flash memory, thus you can setup the device while GPS-pod is apart, then disconnect auxillary power, assemble GPS-pod, start it, and the GPS-chip should 'remember' to start logging. Correct?
ReplyDeleteAnswering myself: yes, that's how it works - tested xD
ReplyDeleteSome findings of mine: there are 3 chips on PCB: the IT03-S GPS chip, 2401AG WiFi chip (ANT transmission) and M430F microcontroller chip. Conclusion: Suunto is using generic Fastrax firmware with their firmware running on mc chip. So it should be possible to upgrade fastrax firmware to newest version (it's on their site) without braking comm with watch. Can someone confirm / prove me wrong?
ReplyDeleteI have tried to upgrade the firmware, but it seems like it cannot be done by the (otherwise unused) serial port on GPS chip. The other serial port seems to be connected to the M430F chip, and needs to be disconnected, I have not tried using that serial port.
ReplyDeleteYou can connect with the first serial port to the gps and get detailed info of the GPS at work updating 4-5 times/sec. See the itrax site for download of that program. It can also be used to reconfigure the settings of the internal parameters of the GPS.
Doc's on IT03 says it can be upgraded in two ways, using two serials. But serials are set to use two diff proto by default 0-NMEA and 1-iTalk.
DeleteAnother issue figured from docs: 8.4 Memory full
iTrax logging system automatically stops logging shortly before the flash memory gets totally full. It's thus quite normal that logging may stop although there'd seem to be flash space for several dozen more log items still available.
This early logging stopping is implemented to prevent problems with saving logging settings and book-keeping information due to lack of available memory.
I also agree that it is my belief that Suunto is using generic firmware, that could be upgraded. If you listen to the other port you can see the NMEA messages to/from the M430F, for example it resets ODO-meter, so apparantly it uses the built in ODO-meter to keep track of the distance.
ReplyDeleteWow, I thought workbench was only for informations, yet I was wrong :) I played a little bit with settings, I will will be going shortly to test if they affected accuracy. I will try to track if PORT0 has outputs on PCB. In the worst-case scenario I will have to plug-in directly to chip outputs. Suunto should burn in hell, seriously. I have no idea why didn't they allow users to use the logging feature out-of-the-box. And why can't we view coords on watch, for geocaching ex.
ReplyDeleteI will post if I manage to upgrade firmware / tune accuracy. Cheers.
And here is connection i'm using:
ReplyDeletehttp://picasaweb.google.pl/stawicki/GPSPodSolderFreeConnection#
Don't laugh, it's a prototype and it works. I just used few cables, needles and SD-card box. Final connector will use so called 'testing connectors', ie. pins with springs (https://www1.elfa.se/data1/wwwroot/webroot/Z_P_LARGE/c103c4f0-78ac-11dc-bb36-0019bbdf5d02.jpg);
MiSt,
ReplyDeletethe picassaweb.google.pl photo has gone missing.
could you repost?
hey mist, is possible to view how you have connected the 3 wire to usb suunto cable??
ReplyDeleteAnyone know how to make/get a cheap sunto usb datasnake for a t6 as have bought one without a cable off ebay.. could I use a t6 serial pc interface (much cheaper cable) and cut it and then wire this using a spare usb camera cable? are only the data wires used or also power and ground in the croc clip?
ReplyDeleteI was able to make datasnake using two different manufacturer.
ReplyDeleteGet connected and everything fine, export log from file to my Movescount route log. Used chip PL2303 usb-ttl from ebay w/3.3v out. But have some question to you guys:
ReplyDelete0x173 mask how to calculate and what is it means?
used Fastrax suite 5 to connect to IT03-S and can't see NMEA output, only some characteristics running out, by default this gps port from pod should out NMEA. Should I dump some command to it?
Ok, logging data level mask. This is a hexadecimal number that specifies what information is stored with each log point. The mask value is formed as a logical OR combination of values shown in "Data level mask bits". 0x173=1or2or10or20or40or100
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Anders,
ReplyDeleteI was not able to find the old post where you explained the mapping from Suunto snake pins to USB connectors, could you be so kind and repost them?
I want to build such a USB cable myself, but am afraid to burn the watch with simple trial and error...
thanks a lot!
Hecke
PC Pod was improved, internal antenna was removed ant external was installed thus range was boosted for size of a hockey field.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean that you installed an external antenna on the PCM-pod, looks more like the team-pod then?
DeletePC pod AKA Movestick but less capable in quantity. But it's ok and cheap.
DeleteThe new GPS pod from Suunto has rechargeable battery and Suunto ambit cable to charge and download data log points.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.suunto.com/global/en/products/pods/suunto-gps-track-pod
how can i get the data into a file, from such a device? i can provide pictures of the PCB.
ReplyDeleteto be mentioned that trough movescount is buggy, is something wrong with it. It recorda data but it appears like a ambit move. the gps info is recorded tough.
ReplyDelete