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Mini USB >>> USB cable


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I use my Vista cx as a receiver for Streets and Trips and want to keep an extra cable for that purpose, the other one used to transfer maps, etc. However, I am not sure a generic cable will work. The connection to the Vista is smaller than the one I use for my camera or my Rio. Am I faced with only being able to get one from Garmin? Anyone else have a non-Garmin cable for a similar purpose or replaced the original?

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I use my Vista cx as a receiver for Streets and Trips and want to keep an extra cable for that purpose, the other one used to transfer maps, etc. However, I am not sure a generic cable will work. The connection to the Vista is smaller than the one I use for my camera or my Rio. Am I faced with only being able to get one from Garmin? Anyone else have a non-Garmin cable for a similar purpose or replaced the original?

 

 

I'm not familiar with the Vista, but the connection on my Quest and 60 CSx is a standard mini usb. I use the same cable for my GPSr's as I do for my camera or mp3 player.

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I use my Vista cx as a receiver for Streets and Trips and want to keep an extra cable for that purpose, the other one used to transfer maps, etc. However, I am not sure a generic cable will work. The connection to the Vista is smaller than the one I use for my camera or my Rio. Am I faced with only being able to get one from Garmin? Anyone else have a non-Garmin cable for a similar purpose or replaced the original?

 

 

I'm not familiar with the Vista, but the connection on my Quest and 60 CSx is a standard mini usb. I use the same cable for my GPSr's as I do for my camera or mp3 player.

 

Well, you are probably correct. My son has a cable that fits HIS camera and my Vista. I'll look further for the USB A to mini-usb. Thanks for your reply.

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Yes, a cable is a cable. The 'can' is supposed to cut electromagnetic interference, but isn't necessary in most cases. It's easy to remove, or to put on another cable, provided the diameters are the same or very close. If you already have a cable, you can use it on anything that has the proper connectors.

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Not to highjack.. but if a mini USB will fist several devices, ie: Palm, Camera, GPS, card reader. Is it safe to use the same cable on all devices?

Some USB cables have a "can" like thingie near the end. Are they safer to use.. what is it?

Thanks..

Nick

The "can" is a ferro-magnetic bead or ferrite. It is a filter or "sponge" that absorbs EFI or RFI (electromagnetic/radio frequency interference) traveling along the cable that can get into your device or computer. They are good to have and you will see them on quality cables. You can add your own with clip on type. I add these to every cable entering or exiting my computer because I can hear the interference in my sensitive radios.

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The "can" is a ferro-magnetic bead or ferrite. It is a filter or "sponge" that absorbs EFI or RFI (electromagnetic/radio frequency interference) traveling along the cable that can get into your device or computer. They are good to have and you will see them on quality cables. You can add your own with clip on type. I add these to every cable entering or exiting my computer because I can hear the interference in my sensitive radios.

Did you mean EMI? The ferrite bead blocks high frequency currents. Don't you need high frequencies for USB 2.0? I think they block the electric field E component with shielding and the bead may be harmful to the data.
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The "can" is a ferro-magnetic bead or ferrite. It is a filter or "sponge" that absorbs EFI or RFI (electromagnetic/radio frequency interference) traveling along the cable that can get into your device or computer. They are good to have and you will see them on quality cables. You can add your own with clip on type. I add these to every cable entering or exiting my computer because I can hear the interference in my sensitive radios.

Did you mean EMI? The ferrite bead blocks high frequency currents. Don't you need high frequencies for USB 2.0? I think they block the electric field E component with shielding and the bead may be harmful to the data.

Modern electronics are causing a lot of EMI/RFI polution. Your electronic devices can radiate this from the wires attached to them. This is in addition to the things in you house that actually produce radio waves as an intended function. In my house I have a wireless alarm system, WIFI, wireless temp sensor, wireless phone, cell phone, wireless motion sensor. All of this can be picked up by other wires that act as antennas, and the RFI can travel into the electronics and cause problems. As an extreme example, I have transmitted on my radios (not a lot of power) and had my computer mouse and desk phone freeze--they would not work for many minutes. Putting ferrites on the cords stopped this.

 

The ferrite beads will not interfere with with the data on your cables because the data is not traveling as radio waves. The only way it will hurt your data is if you place the beads on your WIFI antenna.

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I use my Vista cx as a receiver for Streets and Trips and want to keep an extra cable for that purpose, the other one used to transfer maps, etc. However, I am not sure a generic cable will work. The connection to the Vista is smaller than the one I use for my camera or my Rio. Am I faced with only being able to get one from Garmin? Anyone else have a non-Garmin cable for a similar purpose or replaced the original?

 

I have a Vista CX and Microsoft Streets and Trips. I have a few different cables I use for the Vista, (12v power, data transfer, 110v power, etc) and they are the mini USB. My wife's Razr cellphone uses the same mini usb plug also.

 

How do you use the Vista CX as a reciever for Streets & Trips? I have the GPS antenna that came with the S&T software but if I could use my Vista CX also that would be extremely helpful.

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I use my Vista cx as a receiver for Streets and Trips and want to keep an extra cable for that purpose, the other one used to transfer maps, etc. However, I am not sure a generic cable will work. The connection to the Vista is smaller than the one I use for my camera or my Rio. Am I faced with only being able to get one from Garmin? Anyone else have a non-Garmin cable for a similar purpose or replaced the original?

 

I have a Vista CX and Microsoft Streets and Trips. I have a few different cables I use for the Vista, (12v power, data transfer, 110v power, etc) and they are the mini USB. My wife's Razr cellphone uses the same mini usb plug also.

 

How do you use the Vista CX as a reciever for Streets & Trips? I have the GPS antenna that came with the S&T software but if I could use my Vista CX also that would be extremely helpful.

 

I purchased a utility called 'gpsgate' (search for it on google). It allowed S&T to recognize my Vista cx as a receiver. In fact I was able to test it in my basement with the vista near a window. Today is the last day for a discount on the software (Only $7.96...20% off 9.95). It works fine in the car also. How do you like S&T for navigation? Except for the voice prompts I would much rather use the Vista cx.

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Set the Vista to NMEA interface instead of Garmin, connect it to your PC, and S&T should find it. You don't need any other software.

 

Nightpilot,

 

I can't find a way to set the interface. In the 'Setup' menu there is an icon for interface but no way to change it. On the top of the Interface Setup screen, it says USB (Garmin Data Format) then below that it has Not Connected and on the bottom (highlighted in yellow) "USB Mass Storage" If I select it, the next screen shows a device connected to a computer. I then have to turn it off to get out of that mode. How do you set it to NMEA?

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I purchased a utility called 'gpsgate' (search for it on google). It allowed S&T to recognize my Vista cx as a receiver. In fact I was able to test it in my basement with the vista near a window. Today is the last day for a discount on the software (Only $7.96...20% off 9.95). It works fine in the car also. How do you like S&T for navigation? Except for the voice prompts I would much rather use the Vista cx.

 

I prefer S&T for in car navigation over the Vista by far. 14 in. Laptop screen verses the Vista 2x3 in screen = no comparison.

I usually have the voice prompts turned off, (can't hear 'em very good in my vehicles anyway.)

 

Of course I use the Vista for "on foot" navigation.

 

The antenna that came with S&T seems to recieve better than the Vista also. I have far less "signal losses" with S&T when useing the 2 side by side. This could be due to the position of the antenna's though. (I have to have the Vista tilted so I can see the screen.)

 

Set the Vista to NMEA interface instead of Garmin, connect it to your PC, and S&T should find it. You don't need any other software.

 

Cool info NightPilot! I'll try it...uhh...as soon as you...ummm...How do I do that? :lol:

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I purchased a utility called 'gpsgate' (search for it on google). It allowed S&T to recognize my Vista cx as a receiver. In fact I was able to test it in my basement with the vista near a window. Today is the last day for a discount on the software (Only $7.96...20% off 9.95). It works fine in the car also. How do you like S&T for navigation? Except for the voice prompts I would much rather use the Vista cx.

 

I prefer S&T for in car navigation over the Vista by far. 14 in. Laptop screen verses the Vista 2x3 in screen = no comparison.

I usually have the voice prompts turned off, (can't hear 'em very good in my vehicles anyway.)

 

Of course I use the Vista for "on foot" navigation.

 

The antenna that came with S&T seems to recieve better than the Vista also. I have far less "signal losses" with S&T when useing the 2 side by side. This could be due to the position of the antenna's though. (I have to have the Vista tilted so I can see the screen.)

 

Set the Vista to NMEA interface instead of Garmin, connect it to your PC, and S&T should find it. You don't need any other software.

 

Cool info NightPilot! I'll try it...uhh...as soon as you...ummm...How do I do that? :lol:

 

I think S&T for navigation would be fine if I had a passenger to watch it (15.4") but when I am alone, it is a pain setting on my passenger seat. The voice prompts aren't that great but with earphones it is much better. During the day, the sun obscures the screen when driving in certain directions. I placed a 'sticky pad' on my dash left of my wheel and wedge my Vista between it and the windshield. I can see it perfectly without taking my eyes from the road and rely on the audible alerts for turns. I really haven't been on anything but short local trips so can't make a proper comparison. I like S&T for mapping routes and figuring distances.

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A look at the manual shows that I was wrong about the interface on this one. All it has is Garmin Proprietary. Either the USB drivers do the conversion, or you're out of luck. I'm sure someone who has tried this can tell you for sure, but the quick way is to connect the GPS to a USB port and see if S&T finds it.

 

Different people have different ways of doing things. Some like laptops, some like just a mapping GPS like this, some like a PDA, some like something like the Nuvi. You pays your money and takes your choice. Whatever gets you to the church on time.

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A look at the manual shows that I was wrong about the interface on this one. All it has is Garmin Proprietary. Either the USB drivers do the conversion, or you're out of luck. I'm sure someone who has tried this can tell you for sure, but the quick way is to connect the GPS to a USB port and see if S&T finds it.

S&T listens only for NMEA. The Garmin USB implementation speaks only Garmin PVT. You need one of the two tools mentioned in http://www.gpsfaqs.org/faqs/garmin/xseries...Usage.html#nmea to bridge that gap.

 

The units with serial ports can speak NMEA on those ports. Obviously, for the etrex USB models that's not an option as they don't have serial ports.

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The "can" is a ferro-magnetic bead or ferrite. It is a filter or "sponge" that absorbs EFI or RFI (electromagnetic/radio frequency interference) traveling along the cable that can get into your device or computer. They are good to have and you will see them on quality cables. You can add your own with clip on type. I add these to every cable entering or exiting my computer because I can hear the interference in my sensitive radios.

 

Let me extend on what EScout wrote. There is a lot of mythology around this topic, and some of the answers on this forum highlight the most common misconceptions.

 

What is the "can" for? In short, it is helping the cable behave less like a radio transmitter. It is trying to stop your computer and/or GPS from becoming a radio tower, and isn't doing anything to help your computer function, or to improve USB communication between the GPS and the computer (quite the opposite, in fact).

 

Here is a bit of background: the USB cable uses differential mode signaling, which means that a USB transmitter sends the same data out on two cables, with inverted polarity (one cable will always reach max voltage when the other reaches min). The advantage of differential signaling is that it is very tolerant to noise, because any incoming noise will offset the voltage in both cables by the same amount in the same "direction", leaving the difference between the two voltages unchanged. The receiver will start by subtracting one voltage from the other by some (typically analog) means, which produces a value that is almost independent of the noise that may have been added along the way. (Assuming x is the noise voltage, imagine that one cable is showing "+1+x", the other "-1+x", so subtracting the two yields 1+x-(-1+x)=1+x+1-x=2 -- notice that x conveniently disappeared from the result.)

 

The differential signal is also less prone to "escaping" or radiating out from the cable, as the two data cables will emit RF signals that cancel each other out almost perfectly.

 

Unfortunately USB devices are prone to adding a noise signal to the USB signal, which is the same on both data cables. This noise is called a "common mode" signal (as it is common on both cables). The common mode signal can easily escape from the USB cable, which isn't shielded too heavily and behaves like a nice antenna, and the escaping RF signal can cause interference in other devices.

 

So this is where the "can" (ferrite bead, or in EE parlance "common mode choke") comes in. When the cable is looped around a ferrite donut, the common-mode signal will induce a magnetic field in the ferrite that attenuates the common mode signal (typically equivalent to around 100 ohms of impedance). The ferrite will have much less of an effect on the differential signal, because the two induced fields from the two cables will cancel each other out. So in short, any signal that is in phase on the two cables will be greatly reduced, while the differential signal will pass through mostly unharmed. Most PCs will have a choke in the USB signal path right before the USB connectors to fulfill the regulatory requirements on how much RF noise they can emit. But in handheld devices it may be more cost effective to skip the internal choke and just bundle a cable that has a choke just "outside" the usb connector.

 

Based on Intel's USB platform design guidelines document, a choke will actually degrade the USB signal a little bit. This means that the fancy cables may actually result in a poorer data signal. It should be noted though that the USB signaling is very robust, and any approved cable will have a low distortion that approved USB devices can easily tolerate.

 

Should I clip magnets on my cables? The short answer is "no". The longer answer is "only if you know precisely what you're doing".

 

First of all, clipping something on the cable will do nothing. If the cable just passes through the center of a ferrite ring you will see no effect. You have to loop the cable around a ferrite ring (either inside or outside of the "can") to get noticeable results. (see this PDF, which is the data sheet of the "can" that is used on the first USB cable that I came across on my desk).

 

Secondly, if you use the wrong type/size of ferrite, it can interfere significantly with the signal you are trying to feed through the cable, especially if that signal isn't actually differential. In this case, the ferrite will behave as if you just cut your cable and soldered a bunch of 100..1000 ohm resistors into the signal path.

 

In conclusion, unless you are experiencing interference issues in your home, you can safely ignore the presence or absence of ferrite beads on your cable and live happily ever after...

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The "can" is a ferro-magnetic bead or ferrite. It is a filter or "sponge" that absorbs EFI or RFI (electromagnetic/radio frequency interference) traveling along the cable that can get into your device or computer. They are good to have and you will see them on quality cables. You can add your own with clip on type. I add these to every cable entering or exiting my computer because I can hear the interference in my sensitive radios.

 

Let me extend on what EScout wrote. There is a lot of mythology around this topic, and some of the answers on this forum highlight the most common misconceptions.

 

Thanks for the very good info. I view EMI suppression as an art not a science. I remember spending a very long night trying to get a computer FCC certified. The bead doesn't necessarily need a loop. It is the total current through the bead. A single loop simply doubles the current and doubles the effect. If I remember right we split the wires on a cable and put a bead on the shield only. Putting a bead on all of the wires had no effect. I'm guessing all of the current leaving came back on the return wires(twisted pair and not differential). Our problem on the shield was caused by a separate ground path(ground loop?) I was told by the EMI engineer.
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I have a Vista CX and Microsoft Streets and Trips. I have a few different cables I use for the Vista, (12v power, data transfer, 110v power, etc) and they are the mini USB. My wife's Razr cellphone uses the same mini usb plug also.

 

 

I've been trying to find out if I can use the 12v car charger from my cellphone (HTC/QTek) to power my Vista CX. Obviously the plug fits, but I can't find any input/output voltage info either for the Vista, the Garmin car charging cable or the charging cable that works my phone. I'm a bit worried about "frying" the insides of my gps.

 

Does your wifes Razr charger work ok?

 

Graham

Edited by Cam, Beck, Mum & Dad
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Thanks for the very good info. I view EMI suppression as an art not a science. I remember spending a very long night trying to get a computer FCC certified. The bead doesn't necessarily need a loop. It is the total current through the bead. A single loop simply doubles the current and doubles the effect. If I remember right we split the wires on a cable and put a bead on the shield only. Putting a bead on all of the wires had no effect. I'm guessing all of the current leaving came back on the return wires(twisted pair and not differential). Our problem on the shield was caused by a separate ground path(ground loop?) I was told by the EMI engineer.

 

You are right, I didn't really think it through. The ferrite bead should work even without a loop. Now I googled the topic and it turns out that multiple turns will in fact increase the likelihood of amusing resonance effects that may end up increasing overall EMI. Which just reinforces my original conclusion: if you try to mess with the EMI, the EMI will mess with you right back :(

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I have a Vista CX and Microsoft Streets and Trips. I have a few different cables I use for the Vista, (12v power, data transfer, 110v power, etc) and they are the mini USB. My wife's Razr cellphone uses the same mini usb plug also.

 

 

I've been trying to find out if I can use the 12v car charger from my cellphone (HTC/QTek) to power my Vista CX. Obviously the plug fits, but I can't find any input/output voltage info either for the Vista, the Garmin car charging cable or the charging cable that works my phone. I'm a bit worried about "frying" the insides of my gps.

 

Does your wifes Razr charger work ok?

 

Graham

 

I haven't used my wife's charger but I did buy a charger for my Vista CX off of Ebay. When I recieved the charger it says Razr V3 right on it! It works fine.

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I emailed Garmin tech support just to be sure and got this answer:

 

Problem:

> What is the voltage range for powering the GPS through the mini-b USB

> connection? The reason I ask is I have a cell phone charger in my car that

> uses the same mini-b USB plug, and I'm wondering if the voltage is

> compatible.

>

> Thanks,

> Larry

>

>

> Larry,

> Thank you for contacting Garmin International! I would be more than happy

> to help you with this today.

> Yes, the voltage should be same, the 12v system runs off a very low amperage

> so the possibility of frying the unit is extremely low. I don't see there

> being a problem with using that cable.

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You can buy the retractable Mini-B USB cables from the Dollar Tree for $1. I use them they work fine. Because they are only a buck I even use them as trade swag. Here are the closest Dollar Trees to your home. Or If you want one for free come to Louisiana and find one in a cache.

 

DelTon Plaza

Dollar Tree Tonawanda, NY

4236 Delaware Avenue

Tonawanda, NY 14150

 

Tops PlazaTonawanda

Dollar Tree Tonawanda, NY

88 Niagara Street

Tonawanda, NY 14150

 

Midcity Plaza

Dollar Tree N Tonawanda, NY

981 Payne Avenue

N Tonawanda, NY 14120

4 Miles Tops Plaza

 

Grand Island, NY

2174 Grand Island Blvd

Grand Island, NY 14072

 

Tops PlazaAmherst

Dollar Tree Amherst, NY

3035 Niagra Falls Blvd

Amherst, NY 14228

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