MOD-GPS firmware update?

[iNeard]

Hello dear olimex-team,

I was searching now for while, to find a solution, to update the firmware of the mod-gps.
But I have found no solution or tool that has worked.

The actual firmware is 1.0 and I would like to update it to 1.6, because the actual one has some bugs.

The following flashtools I have tested, but nothing worked  :
-MTK FlashTool G4.0
-GTop FlashTool Version 1.0
-GTop FlashTool Version 1.2.2

I have also read a lot of the material to solve this problem, but I have found nothing that helped me.
I also break up the case of the mod-gps, to look if there is a reset-pin. But there wasn't one or I didn't find it.
The reset-pin can be used, to hold the mt3329-ic in programming mode.
I also looked to find a programming-example (C/C++- or script-code), to update the firmware, but there wasn't any.

The connection to the mod-gps was made with a USB2UART connector.
The most web-pages describe, to take a FTDI cable connector to make the update. But there are also a few who has made it with a UART connector.
I can't see the difference.

Before I buy a FTDI cable connector, to prove it, I would know from you, if there is another way to update the firmware over the UEXT connector or with a USB2UART connector.

[LubOlimex]

Hey iNeard,

We haven't used neither of the methods so I can't say one thing or another. Would be interesting to share your experience if you succeed in programming it.

Two seemingly reliable threads I found (probably you stumbled on them also):

http://www.diydrones.com/forum/topics/mediatek-gps-up-to-date
http://www.diydrones.com/forum/topics/help-mediatek-problems?id=705844:Topic:270317&page=2#comments

Best regards,
Lub/OLIMEX

[iNeard]

Hello Hero Member LubOlimex, 

Yes I know the most of them, diydrones.com, arducopter, ardupirates, ardudrone, ardupilot, i2c-gps-nav, flyduino and MulitWii. There are maybe many others, it's a big jungle!
Also I know the usable manufacturer ore deliverer form global top, mediatek, us-robotic, locosys to f-tech.

And yes, I have done it, but it was very tricky.   

And yes there is a difference between USB2UART and a FTDI connector. 
The flashing width the FDTI connector worked at the first time without any extra configuration.
But there was a big problem after that. The mod-gps operated than only in 5 V modus, and at the beginning I can't get it to work on the OLinuXino A13.

Because there was no way to save the flash-image of the actual firmware (tools I listed above), I overwrite it and then began the troubleshooting.

My opinion was to have a firmware that puts NMEA-Data out and worked on the uext-connector of the A13.

I have got to test any firmware I find in the web, to find one, which worked.
After a view hours of updating with the flash-tool (GTop FlashTool Version 1.0), testing it on the PC (Mediatek Mini GPS Version 1.7.1) and testing it on the UART1-connetcion with 3.3 V or 5 V configuration.
That was a sick and silly orgy. 

I found only an image that worked for me. 

The firmware:
AXN1.30_2278_3329_384.1151100.1.bin

After that, the red-LED don't work. 
But the quality of the mod-gps is now better. 

In the next step will buy a FTDI-3.3 V connector to prove, if I can update a newer firmware (AXN1.50 or AXN1.51) to get it to work at 3.3 V. Because when I update it with the FTDI-5 V connector, the mod-gps worked only in 5 V mode and many times I could not put the data out on the A13, neither width 5 V nor 3.3 V.

ISTRUCTION NOTE!
I will not recommend it, to update it this way.  I disclaim any responsibility of any damage that will be causes by this instruction. In this instruction was used the FTDI-5V connector, that's why it is so complicated to do the update. I don't know if and how it will work with a FTDI-3.3V connector!


ISTRUCTION:
To make it to work I have got to connect the MOD-GPS width the FTDI-5V and the PC as follow:
MOD-GPS Pin  1 <-> UEXT Pin 1 (A13)
MOD-GPS Pin  2 <-> UEXT Pin 2 (A13)
MOD-GPS Pin  3 <-> FTDI orange
MOD-GPS Pin  4 <-> FTDI yellow
GND (A13) <-> FTDI black
miniUSB (A13) <-USB-MINI-CABLE -> USB (PC)

The USB-MINI-CABLE I connected with the A13 and the PC, to have the same GND on the A13-Board, the PC and the FTDI-Connector.

Before I began to update the firmware, I have got to look, that the FTDI-5V was correctly recognized by the PC. Sometimes it recognizes it as a Mouse and the pc began to work very strange. The mouse jumped around and Windows began to acting very mad. Then I have got to unplug the FTDI-5V cable and to remove the mouse driver and to plug it in. Sometimes I have got to restart windows because, it could not work well.
The firmware I updated, without pressing the connect-Button on "GTop FlashTool Version 1.0".
After that it worked with NMEA and in 3.3V-mode.


Now here is another question, I want to know from you.
Can you ask the deliverer of your MOD-GPS chip, if he can provide the new correct firmware-version and the original version, because the way I update it was very risky and also mad. 
The versions AXN1.50 and AXN1.51 are even bender the one (AXN1.30) I have updated and the one (AXN1.10) that was actually on my mod-gps.

If you can put it on the website, that will be unbelievable cool! 

Link to MTK-firmware-tools with the only usable firmware AXN1.30_2278_3329_384.1151100.1.bin (Attention! see INSTRUCTION NOTE and INSTRUCTION):
http://code.google.com/p/i2c-gps-nav/downloads/detail?name=MTK-firmware-tools-for-2.1.zip&can=2&q=

Best regards,
iNeard