Related
ok i may have this completely wrong as i have not tested it yet but i noticed on the back of my tg01 i had 2 round black stickers, one top left, one middle left.
After peeling this stickers off i have 2 little ports which look remarkably like the ports used on internal wifi chips (laptops, nintendo ds) which the areial plugs into for the wifi signal
We can now enhance the tg01's wifi reception with a little careful wire placement
i hope his helps someone with the wifi reception & maybe better battery life as its not having to try so hard for a signal
comments?
Are you sure one of those are not for a external GSM antenna? Like for using in a car
no, i did think this but they are to small. only 2-3mm across. i know what im talking about when it comes to hardware, they are definitely wifi ant. ports.
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...internal+wifi+connector&um=1&hl=en&tbs=isch:1
this site has loads of pics and prices for the relevant hardware
its called an ipx connector, the pigtails they sell can be used to act as the antennae.
i think this could be a good thing
that connector u linked in is a standard connector used with laptop wifi card , they have a little pin in the middle , the connector on the tg01 has no pin in the middle , the ring around it is the shading
kk here is what i know so far.....
most (if not all) builtin wifi chips have an antenae port out, i know this through research with the nintendo ds, and internal laptop chip on various laptops ranging from toshiba to sony.
they commonly have two of the ipx ports for the loop with the wifi flylead.
it may be possible qualcomm have used a proprietary ipx adapter for extra sales through the hardware of there chipset or toshiba have gotten the grubby little hands on it and done it that way
we need people who want to run an experiment on this and find out if they are what i think they are or if im completely wrong
volunteers????
i happen to have a connector ur looking for , but , it doesnt have a pin in the middle and its 90' angled so it wont fit unless i get the back cover off ... with that said , i dont have a 3angled srewdriver thats needed
... ill make some pics later
could it be possible the snapdragon chipset has done away with the pin for a design point? they may be purely there as a dud bit of hardware as qualcomm have directly etched the wifi ant onto pcb and not allowing the flylead?
or...
they may be semi usable with the core (the bit with the pin) etched onto the pcb and the earth allowed to be enhanced by just using the outer rim of these ipx ports?
or...
im totally wrong and as well as the usb host function you could attach a couple of jump leads to the beast via these ports and jump start that big ol v8 what keeps stalling?
Perhaps they could be test points, do you think you can show us a photograph?
i will upload pics tomorrow, they wont be great quality as i have to use my wifes blackberry for em and it dont take great up close pics.
test points are a possibility, tbh it did cross my mind but usually there just dotson the pcb, not ports, but it is a more advanced piece of hardware.
just out of interest but if you were to hook it up with the ports via usb, there would be a chance you could damage it because of the power usb ports output. if it turns out to be wifi then your gonna blow the chip or worse.
but if you want to try it then by all means psot results
hope this help
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/5106/p1210021g.jpg
nice one!
looks like it connects two aerials for better wifi/radio
compare the connector with this
i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss28/linyedongwyl/Intel-5300-half.jpg
thats the connector for the ipx that has been linked earlier , this is a little different , it would be nice to see what the connectors look like on the tg's wires?
alrite , lets compare this baby to the xperia x1
www.phonewreck.com/wiki/images/b/b2/Xperia_x1_pcb_1.jpg
u can clearly see it also has two unused connectors of the same kind wich appear to be unused /but on tg the two upper ones were connected on the pcb!!!/
as for the interconnection of unknown function on the backplate they used the battery cover to pass it thru(the cover's back is unpainted on thoose specific points to give conduction) if it were to just hold the cover in place the would of left the paint on
see the four pins on the phone around the battery
www.ubergizmo.com/photos/2009/3/xperia-x1-battery.jpg
so i was right, we can get better wifi signal with these ports.
and then
better signal + less energy needed = better battery life
and the SE using the conductor pins for the back cover they have used that on the old w series of phones to. no real idea of what it does though
thanks to those who uploaded pics, helped out a lot with explaining what they are and the circuit detail.
so who' gonna be the first to install this on there phone and so testing for battery life and signal improvement?
Did you get anywhere with this? Very interested!
This sort of thing would surely work:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/800-900-1...099221?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item4ced70add5
IPX antenna.
Alternatively.. what would almost 100% work is a replacement antenna cable for the tg01
Although I could be wrong... if you look at this review of the LG P990 (Optimus 2X) you will notice the two different types of connector: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4144/...gra-2-review-the-first-dual-core-smartphone/9
External aerial points for testing the phones at the factory? Can they be used/abused to get an external or bigger aerial setup? What connector is that without the pin????????
Update.. is it an MMCX connector ? (or even MMCX-KC). I am tempted to buy one from ebay (although my TG01 is bricked LMAO, at least I'd know if it fit!) Pretty certain now it's an MMCX connector. Now trouble is... you can get that connector for GSM and GPS... so what are the connectors for I wonder.
For example.. I have terrible reception in the office so having a bigger external aerial on the phone may help, but I'd be interested in a better GPS cable as well Let's have some fun!
EDIT: OR.. I just had a look at my Moto V3i external connection and that is almost identical to the connectors on the TG01.. and it looks like you can get an aerial/antenna kit for the v3/v3i Might give it ago but it's pricey at about £20 :-(
LMAO @ this link: http://www.ehow.com/how_7580234_increase-reception-v3i.html Fancy testing a paperclip guys?
Well... I just ordered a 3G/UMTS antenna from china (so will be a while) with a MMCX connector. I will let you guys know if it fits AND works
Another edit LOL: I also just ordered another external antenna. This time for the V3i RAZR, as it looks like it has the same connector type as the TG01, so will give that a go. Only cost £8.05 for the adaptor and the antenna, so not 'too' bad for something that should fit.
Ok, i know theres a sticky for the GPS dongle but this isnt one of those "Wheres my dongle" or how to sign up threads so i thought it diserved its own thread. If you have questions about how to acquire a GPS dongle or want to say you got yours or whatever this is NOT the place to do it. See the sticky. kthxbie.
Still with me? Awesome! In having multiple primes i have recieved multiple GPS dongles. Since i rarely use one as it is, let alone them all at once i was wondering what sort of tweaks / hacks / mods have people tried (or wanted to try but were too afraid of screwing up their only dongle) that i might do on my extra one?
I already plan on doing a full teardown, taking highres macro pictures of the connector as well as unsoldering the shielding on the PCB and seeing whats underneath. Anything else you guys can think of?
Im not too worried about ruining the device if it means i can try something cool! Lets hear those ideas!
UPDATE: isolated the dock connector. Thus far with my tester these pins are grounded: (back view)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ G _ G
G _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ G
I know theres an official dock connector thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1630300 but im not sure which pins according to that thread match what i have here.
UPDATE 2: removed dock connector, looks like only the bottom row goes to the dongle, not sure yet if any of the top row go anywhere inside the dongle or if it terminates at the connector. Will continue to test.
UPDATE 3: Ok, uploaded my work for tonight, traced a few of the connections just to see where everything is going. There WERE a couple that were coming out the top row, the two resisters on top, that MIGHT be the trigger to tell the prime its connected to an external device? who knows. anyways, its very late here, i will continue to test as i have time and as people show interest.
UDATE 5/5/2012
Ok, been doing some research and testing and whatnot, i have some very bad news. In order to attach any kind of connector to charge the tablet with the dongle attached it would mean soldering a wire to four of the pins on the connector on the TABLET SIDE of the pcb, UNDERNEATH the connector (the really fine pitch pins). Maybe i will have to take a picture to show what is needed.
Suffice to say chances of a mod that can be completed by most people out there is very low. I will continue to try to find a solution.
The red square shows which pins would need to solder the 15v+, the ground could be soldered to any of the grount points. (+5v to each of the three pins or +15v to all three)
Additionally, i have been doing some work on the pinout, trying to clean up the information we currently have. No offence to bjonston115 but his thread is confusing since every source has pins labled differently and there is info scattered everywhere. Bear with me as i try to sort the mess out and make something we can all use
You are so lucky. Wish I had a spare. My main hope is to determine who makes the connectors (if possible), and what pins are used inside that connector, along with how it's mounted.
My desire, is to procure a connector, to add to the dongle shell, and the wiring, so I can permit the tablet to be charged while the dongle is in use.
When I drive 14 hrs to FL, my battery will run out, mid trip. So far, my only solution is to carry an external GPS to use while the TP charges.
Looking forward to your teardown.
Bob
Images. Took as many pics as i could as i was removing bits n pieces. If you want a picture of a specific part let me know. Pictures uploading, give me a minute or two...
I think a power mod should be straightforward. The dongle shell looks "thick" enough to accomodate a USB female Type A connector, mounted orthogonally. You'd want one with right-angle contacts similar to the one below, so you can let it "bottom out" against far side of the dongle shell. For aesthetics, I'd dremel the opening at the back side of the dongle rather than front, but this depends on your car mount.
The next step is to solder jumper wires from USB's power and ground pins to appropriate pins on 40-pin connector. Since USB adapter for TF101 is same for Prime/300, we can assume pin-out for USB functions is still same. Somebody already posted partial pin-out in another thread.
Soldering to the USB contact isn't a big deal, but to the finer-pitch 40-pin connector would take a bit of finesse.
Note: TF101/201/300 can charge with [email protected]
@pileot: Suggest taking a caliper and measure inner and outer thickness of dongle (ie w/ and w/o the shell thickness).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-USB-sh...ale-socket-Connector-PCB-Socket-/260991770971
unfortunately i dont have access to calipers, far as i can measure outside thickness is about 3/4 maybe slightly less, inside thickness is about 1/8 inches. sorry i cant be more accurate.
im assuming you want to throw a USB on the PCB? im not exactly sure how you want to connect that usb female connector, or what the purpose would be to do so.... Mind explaining just a little more?
Mount: Use dremel to create a rectangular hole (12.5mm x 5.2mm) at the back (or front) of the dongle. Use a short-body USB connector w/ right-angle contact like the previous, and mount it orthogonally, eg perpendicular to dongle facing. I think the short-body one has a length of about 0.5" so it should flush-mount. But if not, having it sticking out a bit isn't a big deal.
Purpose: To charge tablet w/ either [email protected] or [email protected] I would go with the second, since USB car chargers for it are widely available (that's what the iPad uses).
e.mote said:
Note: TF101/201/300 can charge with [email protected]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that the PC USB charge @~500ma takes forever and the TP has to be shut off, but what would the deal be with [email protected]
Would I be able to continue to use it as it charged, or would it need to be shut down too.
I'd probably use a USB 3 connector in place of the pictured USB 2
Thanks for the idea...I never thought of that....now all I got to do is to wait till I get my dongle.
Bob
ahh! makes sense.... sure would be nice if we had a full connector port. Maybe i could make a trip to an electronic component store and pick up some USB connectors.
If you just want to use it for power then dont we just need any sort of connection to the charging ports and the outside of the dongle? It doesnt have to be USB it could be anything as long as you have a male and female connection
pileot said:
unfortunately i dont have access to calipers, far as i can measure outside thickness is about 3/4 maybe slightly less, inside thickness is about 1/8 inches. sorry i cant be more accurate.
im assuming you want to throw a USB on the PCB? im not exactly sure how you want to connect that usb female connector, or what the purpose would be to do so.... Mind explaining just a little more?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a neat tool in Google Play called Smart Tools. Possibly you could get better measurements of the items you want to measure by using the tool, and laying the item right on the screen. I have it installed, and think it was a well done app.
Bob
>I know that the PC USB charge @~500ma takes forever and the TP has to be shut off, but what would the deal be with [email protected]
No idea. That's something you can find out afterward. Having the mod in place won't hurt anything.
My guess is that it should be good enough to at least maintain battery level while on, which would be all that's needed in a car.
>It doesnt have to be USB it could be anything as long as you have a male and female connection.
You can use barrel power connector. But you'd have to make your own power cable, as opposed to using a standard USB cable to connect to the charger. Edit: On second thought, you can use a [email protected] car charger, then get a mating barrel connector.
http://google.com/search?q=12v+1.5a+car+adapter
from what i understand if you have the tablet on and try to charge with 5v it wont even maintain the current battery level. The tablet charges with 15v or something... having a barrel connector would ensure you dont accidentally plug a prime charger into another USB device frying it.
At that point if we could just get the barrel plug right to the power pins, fitting it in should be too hard....I am really interested iin this because I have 2 dongles coming tomorrow annd planned on hacking one....(I got two because one was RMA and they sent me a new one back 2 serials=2 Dongles)
BSMan1011 said:
At that point if we could just get the barrel plug right to the power pins, fitting it in should be too hard....I am really interested iin this because I have 2 dongles coming tomorrow annd planned on hacking one....(I got two because one was RMA and they sent me a new one back 2 serials=2 Dongles)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See edited first post. Because the top row does not go to the back of the PCB and i believe thats where the power is, it would be hard to throw a charging circut in there. I am still working on locating where all the pins in this thing go but it is very tiny, even with my finest nodes to test these circuts its very delicate work.
In the mean time, i will upload what i do have before i go to sleep tonight (maybe in another hour or so) so stay tuned!
Okay I will try and keep updated... if we could get a charging circiut in maybe a true car mount might be a project... at least for me, I already have a tablet window mount and with some changes I could affix a modified dongle at the bottom and just slide prime in for GPS + charging (again if we can get it to work)... I get mine today and disassembly will soon follow so I will post anything else I can to help progress
pileot said:
UDATE 5/5/2012
Ok, been doing some research and testing and whatnot, i have some very bad news. In order to attach any kind of connector to charge the tablet with the dongle attached it would mean soldering a wire to four of the pins on the connector on the TABLET SIDE of the pcb, UNDERNEATH the connector (the really fine pitch pins). Maybe i will have to take a picture to show what is needed.
Suffice to say chances of a mod that can be completed by most people out there is very low. I will continue to try to find a solution.
The red square shows which pins would need to solder the 15v+, the ground could be soldered to any of the grount points. (+5v to each of the three pins or +15v to all three)
)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay first off...have we all decided to stay low until we progress, i don't want this thread to die so soon...secondly...though I am sure you have done you research I still must ask, Are you sure? if we can provide any charge to the prime it will at least help a bit...also does anyone one else have other ideas other than charging?...
one idea I literally just thought of so it is not very thought out is, what if we remove the dongle case( as we have done) and integrate it into case.... we will need one of the 40-pin cables to wire onto it but maybe it could fit into some cases.
I will continue to try to think of more uses and mods and will update, meanwhile I hope that we can get some more input
Hmm, you've made quite a bit of progress there. I really wish I wasn't lazy haha, I need to learn to really work with electrical stuff.
So, then the dongle uses some of the pins that would be used for power from the dock? If the dock can pass power without changing the Prime, I should think the dongle could somehow. I mean, only certain pins are used for data right, so the dock and dongle should use the same ones?
Ok, firstly. Yes, im sure. Im sure of the pin placement and based on the best available information scattered around the internet, i know which pins the charger uses and i know where they are located on the dongle. I also know there is very little access to them (as seen in the pictures in OP)
as to integrating the dongle INSIDE the prime casing you would, essentially, be succoming to the same problem the internal antennas have: Metal blocking the signal. Sure its a more powerfull antenna however its encased in PLASTIC not metal, the signal it recieves is a lot stronger and there is less EMI caused by the metalic back plate. Short: Yes you can, no you dont want to.
Finally, the pins the prime uses to draw power are different than the pins the charger uses to supply power. Think one lane dirt road vs a 6 lane highway. On the highway you have dedicated lanes for traffic going in different directions. this is similar to how the prime dock connector works, the prime can turn off power to different connections depending if there is something plugged in reducing the chance of a short, spark, or power drain.
Hopefully this addressed your concerns, maybe when i have apropriate tools handy and a bit of time i may try soldering a connection to the dock connector and see how it functions but as you can see its REALLY tight. I will do my best, no promises.
I also plan, in the near future, to locate more of the data pins, see whats going on, maybe we can make a USB adapter for the dongle and use it in other devices as well! who knows, im thinking it just uses a standard USB interface but it will take more digging.
Subscribed as I see no need for the dongle unless you have enough power.
Though I was pretty sure you were sure I just wanted to ask.... but you did misinterpret my idea, I do not mean the Prime's casing but rather integrating the gps into a case which holds the prime...This is not to say that the gps is big or in the way but just an idea i had to help people with cases and a use for the gps, but since the usb uses different pins that looks unlikely as well i guess...well I will stay updated and if I learn anything I will post.
I would be more interested in adding a power jack of some sort to the dongle. So you can charge while using navigation. I already can not use my dock while plugged into the dongle. We need power!
I've torn apart my Prime in hopes of fixing the lack of GPS and horrible wifi. My issue is absolutely and unfortunately a hardware one and I am looking for ways to resolve it. Upon tearing it apart, I noticed that there were two mini ufl type connectors that I traced back to the horrible pogo pins. Im thinking of adding a separate internal antennae to the connectors to see if it helps my issues any ( attached pic is of the GPS/swan/Alan antennae I will order ). The thing is, I cant find this particular type of connector anywhere online to order the proper plug for the socket. Ive already found a thin antennae that I want to use ( and I may even mod it to the exterior of the case ). Can anyone with working radio knowledge take a look at the attached pic and let me know what type of socket this is ? Its much like a regular internal wifi socket but just a hair smaller. Thanks!
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
I took a couple more photos with the plastic covering removed. It looks like it should be relatively easy to add another antennae if I can find the proper cable to solder to it. You can easily trace the bulk of the IC for the antennae wires
I removed the left pogo in hopes to solder the connection to the pad but couldnt get it to stick.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
Ok, another quick update. The Pogo pins are the antennas center pin. The ground is actually a body ground to the back casing via that little copper pad making contact to the silver foam pad stuck on the case which is shown below in the case just above the pogo pins. I greatly increased my wifi signal by soldering a small lead to the copper pad on the antenna and grounding it to a case screw next to the camera. I also cleaned the silver plate on the antenna to ensure the pogo pin makes contact. I still have had no luck getting GPS up and running.
Side Note,
There is a bridge that looks like maybe a HFL socket on either end on the left side of the mainboard near the single pogo pin. Im going to order a short bridge because when i carefully removed it, the end fell right off leading me to believe the end wasnt crimped on properly. So far 2 design flaws Asus........Great job! The other odd little connector seems to be a testing point. Apparently it breaks the lead to the antenna when the tester probes into it. Im wondering if the internal mechanism in the testing socket is broken and is causing the lack of connectivity to the regular antenna for the gps? im going to solder the ground wire and a main wire to the GPS antenna when I get a chance , fixing the ground to the mainboards grounding plate, and carefully test the other side of the resistor leading to the test socket. This should let me know for sure if the sockets center pin is breaking contact for the pogo pin.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
pyraxiate said:
Ok, another quick update. The Pogo pins are the antennas center pin. The ground is actually a body ground to the back casing via that little copper pad making contact to the silver foam pad stuck on the case which is shown below in the case just above the pogo pins. I greatly increased my wifi signal by soldering a small lead to the copper pad on the antenna and grounding it to a case screw next to the camera. I also cleaned the silver plate on the antenna to ensure the pogo pin makes contact. I still have had no luck getting GPS up and running.
Side Note,
There is a bridge that looks like maybe a HFL socket on either end on the left side of the mainboard near the single pogo pin. Im going to order a short bridge because when i carefully removed it, the end fell right off leading me to believe the end wasnt crimped on properly. So far 2 design flaws Asus........Great job! The other odd little connector seems to be a testing point. Apparently it breaks the lead to the antenna when the tester probes into it. Im wondering if the internal mechanism in the testing socket is broken and is causing the lack of connectivity to the regular antenna for the gps? im going to solder the ground wire and a main wire to the GPS antenna when I get a chance , fixing the ground to the mainboards grounding plate, and carefully test the other side of the resistor leading to the test socket. This should let me know for sure if the sockets center pin is breaking contact for the pogo pin.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep up the good work ... you never know what you might find...
Impressive work. Looking forward to the end result. Keep us posted.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Thanks for the kind words guys. It might be a few days before I can take more time to work on this little project. If this pans out, Im also thinking of adding a 3.5mm jack to the top right side so we can plug in a straight external antenna ( Just above the headphones jack ). Im a mandatory city employee and we are still dealing with this hurricane here on the east coast, so my time is short for the time being ( damn 12 hr shifts lol ).
Here is the antenna in thinking about modding the case to fit :
Item: 3.5mm 12dbi AV TV FM Radio GPS Antenna For Cellphone Nokia 5230 5800 N8 N9 N97
URL: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=390411077664
Here is the internal part for it. Id just solder the leads to where the gps pins have an active connection. It looks like there is enough space in the case in the top right corner to fit the internal component. Id likely just drill a clean hole and hot glue it to the case to keep it from moving around. From there its a simple solder to the leads to make the jack active for an external GPS
Item: 2 pcs 3.5mm 4 Pole Female Repair headphone earphone Jack Plug Audio Soldering
URL: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=251173492012
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
pyraxiate said:
Thanks for the kind words guys. It might be a few days before I can take more time to work on this little project. If this pans out, Im also thinking of adding a 3.5mm jack to the top right side so we can plug in a straight external antenna ( Just above the headphones jack ). Im a mandatory city employee and we are still dealing with this hurricane here on the east coast, so my time is short for the time being ( damn 12 hr shifts lol ).
Here is the antenna in thinking about modding the case to fit :
Item: 3.5mm 12dbi AV TV FM Radio GPS Antenna For Cellphone Nokia 5230 5800 N8 N9 N97
URL: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=390411077664
Here is the internal part for it. Id just solder the leads to where the gps pins have an active connection. It looks like there is enough space in the case in the top right corner to fit the internal component. Id likely just drill a clean hole and hot glue it to the case to keep it from moving around. From there its a simple solder to the leads to make the jack active for an external GPS
Item: 2 pcs 3.5mm 4 Pole Female Repair headphone earphone Jack Plug Audio Soldering
URL: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=251173492012
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much to hack mine if it works....
pooblej said:
How much to hack mine if it works....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but Im not touching anyone elses tab. If it works, ill provide detailed instructions on what I did along with pictures. The risk to your device is in your own hands. I personally dont mind tinkering with mine
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
pyraxiate said:
Thanks for the kind words guys. It might be a few days before I can take more time to work on this little project. If this pans out, Im also thinking of adding a 3.5mm jack to the top right side so we can plug in a straight external antenna ( Just above the headphones jack ). Im a mandatory city employee and we are still dealing with this hurricane here on the east coast, so my time is short for the time being ( damn 12 hr shifts lol ).
Here is the antenna in thinking about modding the case to fit :
Item: 3.5mm 12dbi AV TV FM Radio GPS Antenna For Cellphone Nokia 5230 5800 N8 N9 N97
URL: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=390411077664
Here is the internal part for it. Id just solder the leads to where the gps pins have an active connection. It looks like there is enough space in the case in the top right corner to fit the internal component. Id likely just drill a clean hole and hot glue it to the case to keep it from moving around. From there its a simple solder to the leads to make the jack active for an external GPS
Item: 2 pcs 3.5mm 4 Pole Female Repair headphone earphone Jack Plug Audio Soldering
URL: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=251173492012
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep safe through the Hurricane man. I would like to suggest a child post for this forum on Hurricane Sandy just a let us know each member is safe and sound.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Pyraxiate - did you try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1509794 ???
I just remembered it and added some foil as per image on post #1 and hide it inside my case.
Looks like it makes a massive difference! Have try and report back!
pyraxiate said:
Ok, another quick update. The Pogo pins are the antennas center pin. The ground is actually a body ground to the back casing via that little copper pad making contact to the silver foam pad stuck on the case which is shown below in the case just above the pogo pins. I greatly increased my wifi signal by soldering a small lead to the copper pad on the antenna and grounding it to a case screw next to the camera. I also cleaned the silver plate on the antenna to ensure the pogo pin makes contact. I still have had no luck getting GPS up and running.
Side Note,
There is a bridge that looks like maybe a HFL socket on either end on the left side of the mainboard near the single pogo pin. Im going to order a short bridge because when i carefully removed it, the end fell right off leading me to believe the end wasnt crimped on properly. So far 2 design flaws Asus........Great job! The other odd little connector seems to be a testing point. Apparently it breaks the lead to the antenna when the tester probes into it. Im wondering if the internal mechanism in the testing socket is broken and is causing the lack of connectivity to the regular antenna for the gps? im going to solder the ground wire and a main wire to the GPS antenna when I get a chance , fixing the ground to the mainboards grounding plate, and carefully test the other side of the resistor leading to the test socket. This should let me know for sure if the sockets center pin is breaking contact for the pogo pin.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you unlocked running a custom rom?
whycali said:
Are you unlocked running a custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes unlocked. Daily rom is CM10 ( Craigs Build ). I flash back and forth between Stock JB ( The de-odexed flashable zip ) and Cm10. Thats part of the reason i cant test things on a whim. CM10 suits me better and I need time + computer to flash back to stock when I test hardware mods.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
pooblej said:
Pyraxiate - did you try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1509794 ???
I just remembered it and added some foil as per image on post #1 and hide it inside my case.
Looks like it makes a massive difference! Have try and report back!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This kind of makes the gps completely null. Im trying to get it actually working LOL.
I should have time to flash / tear down tomorrow to determine if the connection to the testing socket is causing the break to my antenna. Apparently when the probe pushes into the sockets internal pin, it intentionally causes the external antenna to detatch and im thinking when the probe was removed, something got stuck causing the test socket to stay active. This is all according to the very little bit of information ive seen available on the test socket. My GPS does not function at all what-so-ever even if I remove the metal back case and run a wire to the pads on the antenna ..... My issue is purely a hardware one. There is a physical disconnect somewhere in the antenna circuit which is why im trying to build a permanent fix. If I can make some kind of contact to the gps module, ill likely solder / drill / mod the case to fit a nice looking external antenna. Im even thinking of something similar to how the IBM laptops have their modules set up on the exterior.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
pyraxiate said:
Yes unlocked. Daily rom is CM10 ( Craigs Build ). I flash back and forth between Stock JB ( The de-odexed flashable zip ) and Cm10. Thats part of the reason i cant test things on a whim. CM10 suits me better and I need time + computer to flash back to stock when I test hardware mods.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason I ask is because after I did this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29327186&postcount=1071
then this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29685066&postcount=1085
I discovered this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29505303&postcount=1083
The cm10 builds dont all support onboard gps even if you get it properly grounded.
Even the little bit of whining I did about my linksys rounter was helped by turning off access to 802.11a at my router.
p.s. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31300743&postcount=1449
Update :
I removed all of the pogo pins on the upper pcb and attached a lead wire to the GPS and WIFI antennas. I was actually able to get 2 or 3 satellites leaving the antenna outside of the case. It may well have been a bad connection on the pogo pin causing my hardware issue. Ive gone ahead and ordered the 4 pole 3.5mm jack and nokia n97 3.5mm gps antenna. Something tells me ill have me a nice mod on my hands I just hope the 3.5mm barrel jack isnt too large to fit where im hoping to put it.
The waiting game from China begins lol
If that doesnt work, Im planning on carefully drilling a hole and permanently affixing a thin external gps to the back of the tablet similar to this one :
Item: EMTAC GPS External Antenna GPA-03A New
URL: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=390103227129
Alt URL: http://www.ebay.com/itm/EMTAC-GPS-External-Antenna-GPA-03A-New-/390103227129
If that does work, Ill attach a laptop wifi antenna inside of the GPS antenna case and solder it the upper pcb. Since they work on two different frequencies, I dont think they should interfere with each others operations.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
hi, i had an xt910 with bad mobo that didnt charge.
i swapped it with some usa variant either xt908 or xt912 not sure yet, as i can flash both roms on it.
anyway, everything works fine except gps is not getting a fix.
i read this phone has a wifi/gps combo chip, so the chip is fine as the wifi works.
i tried all the software solutions and different roms, this is not the issue i think.
what i do think happened is during the replacement of the motherboard i damaged the gps antenna connectors.
i noticed there are many small copper pins around the frame, and where i think the antenna is, the copper was dent, i tried to restore it, but i broke a piece of the pin.
and even after i "restored" to what seem a good position for the pin, i couldn't get a fix.
i looked at all the teardowns and there is no mention of gps antenna, all i could find is where the chip is, so i circled what might be the pins of the antenna.
so my last hope is try to add a copper tape/wire to the antenna so i could get a fix, but i need to know the exact location of it.
i circled in red what i think is the antenna.
im waiting for the copper tabe to fix, so in the meanwhile i would appreciate anyone that can point me to the antena direction
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2974155&stc=1&d=1413533985
So I ordered an external antenna for a USB modem that I use in my home, and I got curious. I attached the adapter to BOTH of the connectors individually to see how my service would improve, and I think it was a mistake.
I get no service whatsoever now. I actually have to put my phone up to the signal booster I have in my phone to get any service at all.
Luckily, I had another S4 and I changed out the motherboards so I didn't have to go without a phone.
I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to restore the functionality of the other motherboard's radio. Even if it means DIYing a solution.
Below is an image of the connectors that I attached the external antenna to. Can anyone help?
It doesn't look good:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s2/general/external-antenna-socket-warning-t1273292
You have damaged the connectors inside the antenna socket (very easy to do, as I found out). This has switched off the internal antenna and you have four basic options:
1. If under warranty, return it and hopefully they won't notice you messed it up and replace the motherboard.
2. Rig up a permanent external antenna using copper (or other) wire.
3. Fill the socket with solder to rejoin the connectors and re-enable the internal antenna.
4. If 3. fails, replace or completely remove the antenna socket and solder the transmitter/receiver to the internal antenna on the board (how's your micro-soldering?)
I messed up my 3G antenna, which is in the same position as R1 on your board, but on mine it is labelled L1 and I only have one socket. Your other one is for 4G, I think, so if you have messed up both it's double trouble.
Well, I suppose I've got nothing to lose by trying this out and failing. The only reason I want the other board is for the older baseband version, and the fact that I have safestrap installed on it.