timmahh

Soo.. I may be wrong here; but our nav system takes its sweet time loading.. because it's reading of a disc, right?

Here is my idea

Copy navi dvd to compact flash memory
Insert compact flash memory into PCMCIA CF reader
Insert PCMCIA CF reader into nav system

.. bam? Faster nav system?


Has anyone tried this? Does anyone know for certain that this would NOT work?

timmahh

*off a disc

datmrman

I think the navi DVD is on a dual layer disk , so if you have an 8 GB memory card and a PCMCIA reader you can give it a try.

I have a feeling it won't work since you might have to trigger the system (somehow) to boot to PCMCIA instead of DVD-Rom.

Anyone out there have experience with the PCMCIA slot? I think theres some old threads on here about it.

edit:
Found them.
According to those two threads, the slot has no other use other than to write diagnostic logs to a memory card.

timmahh

^ In the nav diag screens you can load software from the pc card; if you re-load your nav disc from the pc card maybe it will attempt to read the same location for map data ?

I might swing by Fry's and test it out if this isn't too expensive.. today the car is going in the shop though! Definately need an 8GB card since the 3.60 software is 6.x GB

TRK9

I noticed the "load from card" button too and was wondering about this...
Hope it works and speeds up the load time.

TrashCan

maybe someone could write a wince program and try to load it from the card to see if it will work...like an mp3 program which can load mp3 files off the pc card would be nice.

timmahh

It looks to be integrated already.. when you goto the nav diag screen and hit load from card it gives an error because there is no card connected; I think i'm going to get the stuff and try it in the next few days

Desert_TL

I'd be willing to bet a paycheck that you can only load the firmware from the PCMCIA card, but that the actual road data is going to be read from the disc and there's no way to overload that.

Besides, isn't the firmware loaded from the disk into NVRAM on the nav system anyway? Isn't the existing procedure like this?

1. Insert DVD disc into drive
2. Tell navigation system to load firmware from disc.
3. Navigation system copies firmware from disc into electronic NVRAM in the nav system.
4. When car turns on, nav system loads firmware from NVRAM and doesn't access the disc until it needs road information.

So I don't think what you're trying to do will make any difference. To test my theory, eject the DVD disc from the drive, then turn the car off and back on. If the system still boots, it means that it's not reading the firmware from the disc every time.

HiTEC

I think the OP is thinking that if he can get the road data onto flash memory that it will be faster than reading it from the DVD (which I would probably agree with). Now will it work... I don't have a clue, but it's worth trying I guess.

timmahh

Desert_TL

Correct.. it asks you to insert the disc but I believe the OS loads; I mentioned loading off the PC card because it might be trying to find the map data in the same location the software was installed from.

Kind of like software on a PC; you install from CD - and it runs - but when it requires data or changes it looks to the source of installation..

So i'm hoping one of these conditions is true:

- You reinstall via the DVD; the system loads and checks to see if the required files are located in the PC Card slot or in the DVD drive

- You reinstall via the PC Card; the system saves the install location and looks at the same location to load map data / POIs / etc.

If the above is true, then this might work.. My car should be back from the dealer tomorrow.. I'll try to goto Fry's at lunch and buy a card / reader..

(Also, if this does work - certainly makes navi mods easier - no more burning dvds!)

TrashCan

One important note. Made sure the memory card you are getting is not SDHC type sinice our navi system is few years old and I don't think it will support SDHC memory type.

timmahh

I'll probably go with compact flash - I believe a "type II" CF card can go up to 8GB; as long as the PCMCIA adapter is allowing direct read/write access without any funny business I think <if it works> it will be ok

Desert_TL

I think that 90% of the boot-up time is the nav system loading programming from the NVRAM. The other 10% of the boot-up time is the system loading street data from the disc. Therefore, I doubt you'd save much load-up time if it was loading the street data from the memory card compared to the disc. Once you're already driving, scrolling through streets would probably be quicker, without any pauses.

That's all assuming, of course, that the navi system is capable of loading street data from the memory card at all.

timmahh

^^ calculating routes as well as finding POIs should see a performance increase as well.. again.. if this works!

Desert_TL

Any progress on this? We want to know what happens!

timmahh

I went to Fry's.. rather disappointing..

They have the 8GB CF card, but they do not have a PCMCIA card that can read one that big, so I tried.. Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, Staples, and Office Depot. nada for PCMCIA CF Readers

I bought one off ebay for $9 on Saturday, hopefully it will be here soon.. then I will get the CF card and go from there

jonathan.chance

I'm interested to see how this turns out as well. Don't think that it's something I'd try but a cool idea none-the-less.

psheu

is there a way to flash our firmware to the newer 07/08 DVD navi drive? so the drive can read the newer navi DVD discs... If it is possible, it'll save a lot of $$$ on the HU upgrades....

timmahh

psheu.. if that were possible that would be friggin fantastic; but if that were the case I would think they would still be on Orange DVDs in the 3.x version family.. So unless Acura is saying they aren't compatible to get people to buy new TLs there's probably a hardware difference of some sort

psheu

But the whole reason to flash upgrade the drive is so we can use the newer 4.xx disc... instead of changing out the entire drive (which cost an arm and a leg), if we can just flash the chip that tells what bin files to load from the disc, maybe we don't have to get the new drive and we can use the 4.xx... anyone know what kinda things we can flash into the navi drive? I mean seriously, all the difference on the drive is what bin to load from the disc right? also the camera input i guess

timmahh

if it's as simple as the bin then you might be able to rename the 4x bin to the 3x bin and load it.. I do not have a 4x disc to test though.. I do like the 4x setup better; I had a deal setup for someone @ work and she bought an 07 w/ NAV.. I was showing her a few things and the interface is nicer, map looks nicer too

psheu

Agree on the looking nicer part... is there a way to dissect the hardware/software of the newer navi drive and the older navi drive? I know Alpine wants to make money and all, but that's just absurd the price they're asking for with the navi drive.... just imagine drive like this will cost them no more than $30 to make and they turn around and charge us in the thousands (~$2k) just for the drive.... that's a complete horse shit .... and it's not like we're upgrading our navi drive to a HD or BlueRay drive.... hardwarewise, it should be a firmware upgrade to make it read the 4.xx disc... I was hoping someone can shade some light on this and make all the 3.xx version into the 4.xx version drive

zax123

I think the screen hardware is different on the newer TL as well. Looks to be higher resolution, but I could be wrong.

This could be tried by maybe getting a PCMCIA->IDE (or USB2.0) adapter and booting from an external harddrive. Just to see if it'll work I mean.

psheu

The screen have the same resolution.... the only difference is one plug in the back that have different connector with same set of wires.... I have taken apart/dissected the entire HU and navi screen in my other thread so I know for sure this is the case.... right now i'm just waiting for the new navi drive to pop up.... but if we can by pass the newer navi drive and use the newer navi disc (4.xx) that'll be wonderful

in my car right now I have both set of wires one that works with 07 HU and one set that works with 04-06 HU.....

timmahh

My PCMCIA card has shipped.. when it arrives i'll run to Fry's and pickup the 8GB CF and try to copy the navi dvd to it..

zax123

psheu,

You've ordered the new Navi drive to see if it'll work with the old navi hardware? That's cool! Please let us know if it works!

psheu

actually, I'm waiting for unfortunate 07/08 type S to part with their navi drive.... I already have one perfect condition 07 Type S HU, that's why I have 2 sets of wires in my car.... I mean, I won't mind paying $300 (still too much) from them.... but paying the full price of >$2K..... that's just ridiculous..... I was waiting on a 06 MDX navi drive b4..... but now that think about it, that drive might load different bin even tho they use the same disc and both of them have the zaget and the rearview camera..... freaking navi drive and the firmware in those drive

timmahh

Update.. Bought an 8GB CF Card today; copied navi v 3.60 to it.. waiting for my PCMCIA CF reader to arrive - hopefully tomorrow..!

timmahh

Well.. it's not plug and play that's for sure

when I try to load from PC Card it says "ATA CARD READ ERROR" - which is the same thing it says when there is no card at all.. maybe the PCMCIA adapter I bought needs drivers which would el-sucko =/

I wonder if there is a way to modify the location the system looks @ bootup =/