hacking an old GPS?

[Kiltmadoc]

Anyone try this? I have a gpsmap 162 and I was hoping to find someone who has tried to add memory rather than get a whole new GPS.

The 162, although B&W, has all the features of the new fancy ones, so I saw no reason to trash it after I got new software and maps loaded on for $20 (thank you ebay classifieds!). But, I didnt realize how much the 2.5 MB memory would cramp my style.

Anyone out there with some knowledge of how to do this?

[XPatriot]

Is it internal memory or a card?

I've seen software updates that increase card capacity. If it is card based, you might want to update the software (through Garmin) and see if you can add a bigger card.

[Kiltmadoc]

It's internal memory of 2.5 MB. I am looking to see if anyone has ever tried tearing it apart and adding memory....and doing it successfully.

[CapnBilll]

Originally Posted by Kiltmadoc

It's internal memory of 2.5 MB. I am looking to see if anyone has ever tried tearing it apart and adding memory....and doing it successfully.

That's something that should only be done by a trained professional. I have hacked several pc's to add ram back in the days, I soldered the new ram chips piggy back on top of each other, and cut the trace to the high bit address line and added a multiplexer circuit tied to 0xFFFFh with an octal and gate to allow me to write to that byte to switch ram banks. I wouldn't try to subject it to any shock loads after doing this, (I.E marine enviroment)

[DrB]

Disclaimer:

I am not an EE, do not know a lot about computer software/hardware, and haven't done what I am suggesting:

You could try to locate the internal RAM chip and remove it an put in another chip of higher RAM. I think others are saying the same thing.

If you remove the chip totally out of the circuit and put in the new chip of the same configuration but with higher capacity, exactly in the same manners as the old chip, ie pin location, assignments, etc. It MAY work and not need to be reworked/addressed.

If the old memeroy is hardwired/soldered directly to the board as opposed to being a plug-in, I would advise thinking twice about doing this.

The last option, aside from buying a newer unit, is to call Garmin directly and ask them if they have ideas. You may get someone on the line that can walk you through a process for achieving what you want to do.

DrB

[hellosailor]

kilt, you're shooting craps. There's no telling if the garmin's programming will function with more memory, even if you match the memory chip for bit depth, parity, speed, power consumption, etc.

I'd suggest selling it, post it on eBay or your local dock bulletin board, and buy a new unit. Too easy to trash it while playing neurosurgeon.

AND, most of the Garmin units have welded cases. You'd literally have to crack it open, and destroy the water sealing, then glue it closed again, unless you've got one of the units that has a gasket seal. (I don't know that model.)

[tap]

The memory you want to expand isn't RAM, it's flash. Probably NOR flash. It might well be possible to take the chip off and put a larger one in it's place. Often times the board is designed to take different flash chips. So the same board can be used in different models. Or simply because at the time the board is designed it hasn't be determined how much flash the device will ship with. And often the software will detect how much flash there is and work with it. Makes it easier to use the same software for multiple products and hardware revisions.

But you're really depending on the board layout and software working with a higher capacity chip. And it's a pretty old unit so you might have trouble sourcing the chip.

But all that is really irrelevant, as the flash chip will almost certainly be a very small surface mount package and getting it off and another one on will require specialized soldering equipment, a microscope, and a fair amount of soldering skill.