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Overview Unlike
most other Pocket PC, Toshiba e740 (and the coming e330/335) does not seem to
have any provision of RS-232 serial connection possibility in its hardware. That
makes the use of external GPS impossible (of course you can use CF, SD, IR or
Bluetooth options, but we are talking about direct cable connection to external
GPS, which many prefer for various reasons). However, it has USB host capability
and Toshiba produce an expansion pack incorporating
a USB host port as well as a VGA port. But that costs around US$100. In our survey,
most people who bought the expansion pack
use it for the USB port only (and the majority are for use of connecting to a
GPS) and do not have any use for the VGA port. Therefore we have come up with
a low cost solution for users who need just a USB port for connecting to a GPS
or other serial devices.
FAQ:
Is PTU1
compatible with original Toshiba expansion pack? We do not guarantee that it is 100% compatible. Which means that some USB
device may work with Toshiba expansion pack
but not with PTU1, or vice
versa ! Our primary goal with PTU1
was to connect to a USB>Serial Converter for connecting
a GPS so it was designed as such. Therefore this combination is guaranteed. However,
there are really not many USB devices (with necessary drivers) available for use
with e740 so we cannot test the compatibility. The only devices we have tested
other than the USB>Serial Converter are USB
keyboard and USB mouse (for PC), which work with PTU1
and Toshiba expansion pack without the need
of any driver.
What USB devices can be used with
PTU1? As stated above, USB>Serial Converter (with necessary driver), USB
keyboard and USB mouse all work. In theory, any USB devices with
necessary drivers for use with such PPC should work. USB devices designed for
PC could also be used if there is necessary drivers. But there is a big WARNING:
All USB devices require power to work. Almost all USB devices
take power from the USB port. PC USB port delivers current around 500mA typically.
But e740 can only deliver a fraction of that (around 100mA depending on the device
attached) through the USB host port. If the USB device draws current more than
e740 can deliver, it can drain the battery very quickly and even damage the PPC.
Therefore, it is not advisable even to try, as by just attaching the device, the
USB device may start to draw current from the port even if the device does not
work. Even some USB keyboards draw more current than e740 can handle..
Bottom line : only devices designed for the PPC should
be used. USB>Serial Converter generally
needs very little current (relatively) so it works happily through e740 USB host
port. Even so, it still drains e740 battery and you should be ready to connect
external power to the PPC any time.
Is driver needed
to use USB mouse? No. But you need an application such as MPointer
(please search the internet for it) Be prepared to soft reset
your PDA often though , after you run such application. (frequent crashes, but
this may be due to e740 itself)
Can both mouse
and keyboard be connected and used TOGETHER? The answer is
YES, but only SOMETIMES, or most of the time, depending on the hub you use and
the way you connect them. Is it time you bin your laptop? Adding a
hub into the host port sometimes plays havoc to the PDA. Most hubs we tested do
not work most times. Ones that work do not work consistently. Tip:
Do not use a 4-port hub, it will not work because there is not enough power from
the PDA. Use only a very tiny 2-port hub (without too many LEDs), which is very
difficult to find but it has better chance of working than 4-port hub. We
would advise against using a powered hub until the uncertainty of power issue
is cleared. See below. With a suitable 2-port hub, do this and it works most
of the time: 1. Reboot (soft reset) with or without PTU1
connected 2. Connect PTU1 to
e740 3. Connect the hub to PTU1 4. Connect mouse to hub, run MPointer, once
you have run MPointer, you should not use
stylus again or something might crash. 5. Connect USB keyboard.
I
have a USB mouse GPS, can I use it with PTU1? If you have the necessary driver, yes. So ask your GPS supplier for such driver.
If your GPS supplier can come up with a driver, it should work. Once again,
there is the question of power supply. USB mouse GPS is designed for PC use and
takes power from USB port. Your USB mouse GPS is likely to need more power (more
than 100mA) than e740 can deliver and there is no possibility of powering USB
GPS externally.
If I connect external power to
e740 and use USB Mouse GPS, is power still the issue? It helps
but not much. PTU1 has external power
input so that you can connect external power to use it continuously. But this
only supplies power to the PDA. External power does not (and should not) supply
the USB port directly. The USB port is always powered from the PDA and the current
is always the same whether it is connected to external power or not. Some
may be tempted to modify/make cable so that USB device can be externally powered.
We strongly advise against it if you are to usePTU1 or Toshiba expansion
pack as it quite likely will damage the PDA. (see below)
If
I use a powered hub, is power supply to the device still the issue? We may be over cautious, this is what
we are afraid of (this is an issue of difference between PPC and PC).
Because the current from the powered hub (designed for PC) will be much higher
than the one coming out of the PDA, so there is a possibility that current flows
back to the PDA thus damaging it. Normally, the PDA should have such safety
mechanism built in to prevent such current back flow. But we do not know for sure
whether this is the case in e740 until Toshiba can confirm it. PTU1
and Toshiba Expansion pack, as far as we can
see, do not have circuit to prevent such back flow. Therefore, until there
is enough report over a period that using powered hub is OK, we would advise against
using it. May be you could enquire from Toshiba to see whether a powered hub
can be used with the Expansion Pack and see what their answer is. Of course
if Toshiba can confirm that current (power) cannot flow back into the PDA through
the USB power line, then it makes things a lot easier and a lot more USB devices
can be used. (this answer was last edited on October 18)
October 19 update
- We have tested a no-brand powered 4-port hub and found that it does not provide
power to the host power line so the chance of power back flow may be excluded.
We connected the mouse and keyboard to the hub for 2 hours and the PDA seemed
to run normally with its own power meter decreasing. But there are hundreds of
brands of hubs on the market and everyone is designed differently so this may
not apply to other makes. Based on our own assumption (or caution - as above mentioned
theory) we would still advise against using a powered hub until it is proved that
all powered hubs are designed this way. Anyway the powered 4-port hub does
not work most of the time (with mouse and keyboard together), while a non-powered
4-port hub does not work all the time. We recommend using a no-frill (no light)
2-port hub for this purpose.
We try to publish all possible
problems/solutions here. If you hve question/problem relating to a specific hardware
other than those mentioned we probably cannot anwser you because we do not have
one to test. So you may have better idea testing/trying yourself or let us have
your findings/solutions so that we can publish here.
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If you have questions
about the above products please write to: pcm-info @ pc-mobile.net
