Option Globetrotter GPRS card with S7?

[netBookBabe]

This subject cropped up a few days ago during the discussion of a different topic, so I'm starting a new thread.

Does anyone have any experience of using an Option Globetrotter GPRS PCMCIA card with a Series 7, 7Book or standard netBook? I, for one, had believed that this required the new (rev 10) version of the netBook motherboard before even thinking about it.

daredevil posted to the effect that it should be possible with our existing machines, and there is an article about this at Portal-PDA:

http://www.portal-pda.com/main.php3

Any thoughts, anyone?

Julie

[_JJ_]

I've seen two different sets of specifications for the Option Globetrotter card - one lists the max power consumption as 350mA, the other at 550mA. The Series 7 won't have a problem supplying 350mA, this is the same as the Linksys WPC11 wireless card which is fine in my 7Book. Unfortunately I can't find a definite specification of the S7's PCMCIA slot, and if there was one it would probably differ between S7 hardware revisions. The closest I've found is the compatibility list on Psion Teklogix's website, where 450mA cards work, but 650mA ones don't (but they do in the netBook).

In terms of software compatibility, a GPRS PC card should present itself in the same way as a PC card [analog] modem (serial port emulation), which we know is supported in EPOC. The AT commands used by the Option Globetrotter card are the standard GSM 07.05 and GSM 07.07 commands, i.e. no different to connecting using a normal GPRS phone.


Cheers,

JJ

[_JJ_]

Just checked the RS catalogue, and their data sheet for the Option Globetrotter card shows the maximum power consumption as 350mA. Maybe there were two releases of the card, and the latest version has the lower power consumption?

The RS part number is 438-9329, the on-line catalogue is at http://rswww.com


JJ

[soniapr]

Hi,
Has anyone tried setting up a gprs card suppled by vodafone with the psion 7? I've plugged it in, but am getting no lights at all - almost as if the system has not recognised the card. Not sure if it is a power issue via the motherboard or what. I made some changes to the internet and modem settings but still get no response at all. Even an error message would be good - to show that the system recognises a card.

Thanks anyone.

[RichardQvS]

AFAIK gprs only works if the right card is used in combination with a relative newer version of netBook (EPOC)motherboard. Production 2002 / week 35 !

Regards,

Richard

[fladda]

Hi,
Has anyone tried setting up a gprs card suppled by vodafone with the psion 7? I've plugged it in, but am getting no lights at all - almost as if the system has not recognised the card. Not sure if it is a power issue via the motherboard or what. I made some changes to the internet and modem settings but still get no response at all. Even an error message would be good - to show that the system recognises a card.

Thanks anyone.

Is your card 16-bit or 32-bit. Remember that 32-bit PCCards (Cardbus) will NOT work on the S7 or Netbook. Only the older 16-bit PCMCIA cards are supported.

Also you've linked this into an old thread from 2003 just to confuse people !?

Ralph

[soniapr]

Hi everyone
Thanks for the response. The vodafone card is a pcmcia one, and is very new so I assume it to be 32bit. It comes with a CD installer which is obviously windows based and I have set it up on my windows xp laptop and it works fine. I really would like it to work on my epoc netbook and I know it is a shot in the dark, but thought I would give it a go. The age of my psion is well .. I think 2000 as it says software version 1.05(450) in the machine information. I would be happy to buy a different card if that would work. If anyone has managed to get gprs on any card let me know and I will do likewise. All my colleagues tell me to give up on the psion, but I have not found anything on the market that yet fills that gap of screen size, keyboard and instant-on feature. If anyone has, let me know and I will re-consider.

Thanks all.

Er, which thread should I be using then, this one seemed to be talking about connectivity so I just carried on it it ...

Sonia