Garmin GPS - 60csx and nuvi350 cable compatibility

Author

60csx and nuvi350 cable compatibility

Bob Bailey

2007-12-29, 10:33 pm

Are the cables for these two units electrically identical? I know I had
to point it to new drivers for the 60csx.

tia... Bob

Jack Erbes

2007-12-30, 10:33 am

Bob Bailey wrote:
> Are the cables for these two units electrically identical? I know I had
> to point it to new drivers for the 60csx.
>
> tia... Bob

Apparently not. According to this the nuvi cables would have a resistor
of a different value than is standard in the mini-USB connector:

http://pinouts.ru/GPS/ garmin_nuvi_...r /> nout.shtml

"Standard 5 pin mini-USB connector has pin X connect to ground through a
200K ohm resistor. To place Nuvi into charging mode, the 200K ohm
resistor must be changed to 17.3K ohm. (also successful with 22K ohm
resistor from Radio Shack)".

That is a not uncommon "trick" to give cell phone chargers and similar
devices a personality so that only the OEM charger can be used with
them. I'm never sure whether it all based on simple greed/enhanced
revenues or some level of intelligent design.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

Bob Bailey

2007-12-30, 10:33 pm

Jack Erbes wrote:
> Bob Bailey wrote:
>
> Apparently not. According to this the nuvi cables would have a resistor
> of a different value than is standard in the mini-USB connector:
>
> http://pinouts.ru/GPS/ garmin_nuvi_...r /> nout.shtml
>
> "Standard 5 pin mini-USB connector has pin X connect to ground through a
> 200K ohm resistor. To place Nuvi into charging mode, the 200K ohm
> resistor must be changed to 17.3K ohm. (also successful with 22K ohm
> resistor from Radio Shack)".
>
> That is a not uncommon "trick" to give cell phone chargers and similar
> devices a personality so that only the OEM charger can be used with
> them. I'm never sure whether it all based on simple greed/enhanced
> revenues or some level of intelligent design.
>
> Jack
>

Actually, it appears that they might be the same. This page:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=1345
is a "replacement" cable and, surprise, both the 60csx and the nuvi 350
are listed.

The 60 does require a different driver but that should not matter to the
cable.

....Bob

Jack Erbes

2007-12-31, 10:33 am

Bob Bailey wrote:
<snip>
> Actually, it appears that they might be the same. This page:
> https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=1345
> is a "replacement" cable and, surprise, both the 60csx and the nuvi 350
> are listed.
>
> The 60 does require a different driver but that should not matter to the
> cable.

It may be that all the Garmins can use the same mini-USB cable but those
cables differ from a mini-USB standard cable in the value of that
resistor. And that may have something to do with the value of the
resistor being the signal that puts the nuvis into the computer
connected mode.

I guess if all Garmin mini-USB to USB cables will put a nuvi into the
connected mode, and other non-Garmin cables will not, it might answer
the question.

I glanced through some of the stuff here:

http://www.usb.org/developers/docs/

and see some chatter about pull-up and pull-down resistors, variations
in the values of the resistors, tolerances for the values of the
resistors, etc. It was all too technical for me, I went away confused...

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at roadrunner dot com)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

GeorgeB

2007-12-31, 10:33 am

Bad me, but top posting seems appropriate this time ... it has been my
observation that the _computer to garmin_ cable is a standard usb
cable. The charger cable is unique in having a resistor. Are we
perhaps confusing the 2?

ASIDE ... nuvi 650 will charge with a standard usb cable _IF_ the nuvi
is turned off before going into "connected mode" after being plugged
in. If you are slow, depressing the reset on the back, under the
antenna, gives you another chance ... and as far as I have seen, loses
nothing.

On Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:27:22 -0500, Jack Erbes <jacker@midmaine.com>
wrote:

>Bob Bailey wrote:
><snip>
>
>It may be that all the Garmins can use the same mini-USB cable but those
>cables differ from a mini-USB standard cable in the value of that
>resistor. And that may have something to do with the value of the
>resistor being the signal that puts the nuvis into the computer
>connected mode.
>
>I guess if all Garmin mini-USB to USB cables will put a nuvi into the
>connected mode, and other non-Garmin cables will not, it might answer
>the question.
>
>
>I glanced through some of the stuff here:
>
>http://www.usb.org/developers/docs/
>
>and see some chatter about pull-up and pull-down resistors, variations
>in the values of the resistors, tolerances for the values of the
>resistors, etc. It was all too technical for me, I went away confused...
>
>Jack

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