tried everything:(help me please

[basemmeraikib]

I tried everything to sync my 505 with the new cradle still nothing, i checked every answer of yours old and new,and i followed each step and i tried this on my friends computer still nothing, can anyone help me please, i can sync with serial but not USB cable, which i can't understand, moreover, i downloaded the new desktop, still no sync. what shall i do now?

[JohnKes]

You may have SUDS (SUddenly Doesn't Sync). I think the cure is to completely drain the battery or disconnect the battery, then fully charge it.

DrMud had a post that had a link to more specific instructions for curing SUDS.

[DrMud]

Here is a SUDS perspective from biglig in London. If you try the proceedure for draining the battery using the DOT command and DOt 3 fails use the same command ending with 1.
Doc

SUDS stands for Sudden USB Death Syndrome and refers to a problem with M500 series handhelds where USB synchronisation stops working. It is usually found on the M505 model, althought there are some rare reports of it happening with M500 or M515 models. Serial and Infrafred communications are not affected.

It is caused by static electricity entering the Palm through the universal connector while it is being placed in the cradle and confusing the USB circuitry onboard the Palm. The circuitry needs to be reset by cutting power to it to fix the problem. A hard reset does not do this – the circuitry has to have all power removed.

To repair SUDS, the best and official method, if it is under warranty, is to return it to Palm for repair and replacement. You should not pay any advance shipping fee for a SUDS replacement.

Some unsupported home-grown repair methods have also been developed.

Firstly, by using the “dot-three” shortcut you can disable the palms auto-power off, and then leave it on until the battery is completely discharged. This will cut the power and reset the USB circuit. This may or may not invalidate your warranty (we have conflicting reports). Since the lifetime of the battery in an M500 series Palm is determinded by the number of complete power cycles, a deep discharge will slightly shorten the battery life of the handheld.

To activate a “dot-three” shortcut write a cursive L (the shortcut symbol mentioned in the user manual) then a dot, then the number three. A soft reset is needed to undo this. To see a picture of the shortcut symbol, go to MemoPad, open a new memo, and tap Menu > Edit > Graffiti Help. Scroll down once, and the Shortcut symbol is the last symbol on the display.

Secondly, it is possible with the right tools (a Torq T5 is needed) to open the casing of the handheld and disconnect the battery from the motherboard for a few moments. This definitely does void the warranty.

Lastly, a few extremely confident/brave/foolhardy electrical engineers have wired the reset pin on the PDIUSB12 USB Controller chip to the reset button of the Palm, so that a soft reset also resets the USB controller. This definitely does void the warranty, and might make your handheld explode.

Apart from repairs, Palm also has a means of helping prevent SUDS in the first place. The Enhanced cradle has some extra wiring in it to reduce the chances of static entering the Palm. It can be identified by an “E” or “H” marked on the base. All recent palms have shipped with this cradle, including all M515 models. Palm will replace non-enhanced cradles in the US and Canada, and plans programs in other countries. Details are at http://www.palm.com/support/m50XUSBcradle.html.

You can also follow standard anti-static procedures; for example touching a metal part of your computer before syncing to ground yourself.

srich2699 suggests another protective method is to cover the edge connector when not in use, for example with electrical insulating tape or by using a case that covers the connector.

Note that you should not immediately leap to the conclusion that your Palm has SUDS because it has stopped syncing; you should check for other things first, such as a mis-configuration in Palm Desktop.
From "biglig" as posted originally on Brighthand 5-01-2002.

[JohnKes]

Explode?!! Cool!

[ingebjorn]

Hi,

read DrMud's reply with the "dot-three" method.
this did not work for me.
a method that worked for me is described here:
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=2785
I quote some if it (having given the source above):

"To begin Mr. Omahen's fix, press and hold the Power button and, while holding it, press the Reset button on the back of the device. Hold it for another few seconds as the Palm logo appears and then release it. When you are prompted with "Erase all data?" dialog, press the Up button.

Open the Memo Pad, switch on the backlight (for extra battery drain), write the shortcut sign, and then write .1 The shortcut sign is made by drawing what looks like a cursive L.

At this point the handheld should be unresponsive, the backlight should stay on, and a line appears on the bottom. If you change your mind, do a Soft Reset to restore normal operation.

Leave it out of the cradle for as much as 24 hours until all power is totally drained. Don't be impatient. The idea is to be sure that battery is totally empty. On the other hand, one person has said they left it on for only an hour after the screen automatically shut off and the fix still worked.

After you are certain the battery is flat, put the Palm back in the cradle to recharge. After a reasonable recharge period it should be fully operational, including HotSyncing via USB."

I suggest that we refer to this as the "dot one method", and it has worked for me two times so far.

I use one 500 and one 505 and use the card for backups with JKware's software. this also does away with the identity problem if you have two palms, as, if you do a full restore, will get your identity back!

rgds
/inge-björn

[DreamWisdom]

I seem to have another 515 with SUDS. I just talked to tech support and they told me I had to do a battery drain to get it to sync again - no surprise there - but the instructions were completely different. Here is what I was told to do:

Press and hold the "down scroll" button and at the same time press and release the reset button - keep holding the "down scroll" button until the screen goes blank. Then set the Palm aside (not in the cradle) for 24 hours. At the end of that time, press and release the reset button. (Oddly, the tech person said the Palm would wake up. How it does that after a battery drain, I don't know.) Next you put the Palm in the cradle and do a sync. Presumably, you also have to leave it in the cradle a while to recharge.

I haven't tried this yet.

Paul

[DrMud]

Palm,
There have been reports on this board that Palm has recently been offering and SD card that will backup your data, then lock up the Palm in Battery drain mode. After a recharge the sd card reinstalls your software. Wonder why this was not offered to you.
Let us know how your fix works.
Doc

[DreamWisdom]

DrMud,

Maybe they didn't offer that because I mentioned that I had my files backed up on a card. If I hadn't done that the battery drain thing could be a big risk - if the hotsync didn't work I'd be dead in the water.

I'm kinda leery about trying this battery drain thing. I was already having trouble with Grafitti on this Palm. I've got two other Palms that have much better Grafitti recognition. When I try to make a normal letter (ie: one stroke) I often get a character that requires two strokes , or I get a dash when I try to make a space, etc. Soooo... since I've only had this one abt 2.5 months and it has never seemed "right," what I really want is a new Palm.

Paul

[DrMud]

It sounds like a new Palm is the best solution.
I am not a big fan of draining the battery. It does do some damage to the battery and I have heard from people that resolved the USB issue by draining the battery that the battery was never the same.
Doc

[DreamWisdom]

Thanks, Doc. Having that information will help me stand firm if they want me to drain the battery again. I'll post the results when I know the resolution.

BTW, have you (or anyone else) heard of a Palm with erratic Grafitti recognition - sometimes producing a dash or period when you make a "space" stroke? I get a lot of punctuation marks when I'm trying for a simple letter. The cedia (sp?) "Ç" shows up a lot in my writing and I don't even _know_ French. It _is_ French, isn't it? Other times the Grafitti recognition seems pretty good - it really comes and goes. It sounds kinda crazy and I'm not sure they will believe me.

Paul

[DrMud]

Palm support is getting better and in most cases the results are satisfactory. It is a matter of talking to another human being and hoping that they accept your problem as if it were their own. A combination of good selling skills on your end and empathy or theirs!
Doc

[DreamWisdom]

I just talked to Palm Support again. They offered "Return and Repair" with a turn-around time of 7-14 days once they receive the Palm from me. Ouch! I can't get by without my Palm for that long. The tech said "Advance Exchange" isn't available because they don't have units available to send out. Hmmm... I don't know what that means, since they show units in stock available for purchase.

From Palm's online Customer Support Policy:

"U.S. Repair Service Options - Policy Change
Effective May 22 , 2002, Palm's standard repair service option will be Repair and Return instead of Exchange for all Palm handhelds. There will be no charge for the Repair & Return option if your Palm handheld is under warranty. Customers will continue to have the option of an Advance Exchange (when available) for an additional fee. Click here for more information on the Advance Exchange fee for your device."

At another page you can discover that the additonal fee for Advance Exchange is $39.99!

I'm liking this less and less all the time.

Paul

[DrMud]

I do know that Palm is strapped for 515s. I bought one from them about 28 days ago and they said it was the last new unit they had. And they hadn't had any refurbs in a while. The sad truth is that the TT has not taken off as expected and the 515 at a discounted price with a $50 mail in rebate was a real deal. They dropped the rebate in three weeks. My mail in has been at their Miami office for two weeks and is not entered into the system yet. Think they got more takers than expected?
Doc

[RichardsDB]

What screen do you need to be in to activate the dot 3 method.
Since few screens allow you to write text I did this from the memo pad. The graffit changed to "[No Auto-Off]" Do I just let the power drain overnigh and then charge it back up and resync it???

[DrMud]

Your on the right road. Let is drain the battery completely. Then recharge and give it a try.
Doc
PS the full charge takes about 4 hours.

[RichardsDB]

I ran the dot 3 shortcut and left my palm on and it stayed on for a long time with the backlight on.

Now that the battery is low it is shuting itself out and turning off the backlight. I can turn it back on but it shuts off in a few seconds.

I am concerned this will prevent the battery from fully draining.
Is this suppose to happen???

[irked]

I had this very problem (SUDS) with my m515. I called Palm support, but since the PDA was over a year old they wouldn't help me unless I paid some exhorbitant tech support fee. They did offer the helpful suggestion that I email them, which is free.

The email reply gave a bunch of options, all involving changes on my desktop PC-- as if nothing could possibly be wrong with the PDA. They didn't even suggest a hard-reset.

I was worried it was the cradle problem, but I have one of those allegedly ESD safe cradles (it has an E on the bottom)

Later I found out about the dot-one method and it worked. It's just about the most counter-intuitive solution to a problem I've ever seen. "If your palm stops working, force it to lock up until it dies, then recharge it." Oh of course! Why didn't I think of that? (Because it's ****ing dumb, that's why not)

I'll never buy another Palm PDA. HP or Sony from now on-- I'll even buy a Windows based desktop to sync it with.

[DrMud]

I recognize your frustration with the idea of draining your Palm into oblivion only to resurrect it; but that does seem to work many times.
Recently I left my 505 connected to the Palm Wire Modem and the phone line connected. We had a thunder storm and after the storm the Palm would only work in the cradle. It died the minute you took away the cradle and would reset each time it was returned to the cradle.
Clearly some of the circuitry was damaged by the Electro Static Discharge.
I now have one less palm.
Doc

PS IRKED: I answer post on three web sites related to Palms and I can assure you that SONY's service and tech are less capable than Palm's and the SONY units are just as susceptible to ESD.

[JohnKes]

Doc,
Sounds like there is a disconnect between your battery and the rest of the m505. The battery probably still puts out decent voltage. Could be the charge control circuit. I think it is built into the motherboard, so my guess is that your m505 is down for the count. :(

Perhaps swap the battery if you come across another m505 battery just to be sure.

In a Prism, the charge control circuit is attached to the battery. That ensures that the battery is neither overcharged or over-discharged no matter what the user connects to the battery connector.

[DreamWisdom]

Follow-up on SUDS problem:

I drained my battery useing the method the tech support suggested (reset while holding down the "UP" button - see pevious post in this thread) and my Plam's battery died, as intended. To be honest, I didn't give it the full 24 hours, however. I had used it heavily all day so the battery was low before I started. Once the screen turned off by itself I gave it four or five more hours and then recharged it. That fixed the SUDS problem.

Unfortunately, the battery doesn't seem to hold a charge as well as before. I know that DrMud said that several others have had this experience, too. I use a lot of alarms and use my Palm frequently so I never did get the kind of battery life Palm advertises. I dont' think I ever got two days from one charge. But now I've had several low battery warnings before the day was over. If draining the battery is a fix, it's not one I like. Fortunately for me, I still have the weird/inconsistent Grafitti problem. Since it's still under warranty I bit the bullet and opted for the $40 Advance Exchange. I should have a new or reconditioned Palm by tomorrow. If it's reconditioned I hope it's not one with a crippled battery.

Thanks, DrMud for sharing that Sony's service isnt' any better than Palm's. Otherwise, I'd be tempted to jump ship, too.

Paul