GlobalSat SD501 SDIO GPS Receiver review

MikeB · Last edited by MikeB on Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:49 am; edited 2 times in total

GlobalSat SD501 GPS Reveiver Review
A lot of PDAs have had a SD memory slot, and now most SD slots are SDIO. In other words you can put I/O devices into them rather than just memory. GlobalSat showed us the world's first SDIO GPS receiver back in March at the CeBIT exhibition in Hannover. This has completed its testing and has been on the market for a short while now.

The receiver was provided for review by the UK GlobalSat distributors Easy Devices. The price (at time of writing) is £85.00.

The SD501 GPS has been tested by us in both an XDA2 and an iPAQ 2210, both of which have SDIO capabilities.

My first impression was that it is very sensitive. This was borne out by the fact that I managed to get a 7 satellite fix in the centre of my house.

It was later discovered that the GPS was an SiRF Xtrac device. There is a little confusion over which version of Xtrac the GPS is running 1 or 2. According to Easy Devices the UK distributor some of new GlobalSat GPS receivers are now shipping with Xtrac and there is an option of Xtrac or non Xtrac.

Click here for the rest of the review.
_________________
Mike Barrett

EasyD2 · Regular Visitor Joined: Aug 13, 2004 Posts: 137

Just to clarify, the Globalsat SD-501 has an Sirf XTrac 2 chipset.

So far the device has been tested and works with the following PDAs

Acer n30
Dell Axim X3 Pocket PC
HP iPAQ h1930 series Pocket PC
HP iPAQ h1940 series Pocket PC
HP iPAQ h2210 series Pocket PC
HP iPAQ h3970 series Pocket PC
HP iPAQ h4150 series Pocket PC
HP iPAQ h5550 series Pocket PC
O2 XdaII Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC, phone edition
Toshiba e-400 (you have to install the bluetooth SD Card driver from Toshiba). Can be found here... http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/cgi-bin/ToshibaCSG/download_drivers_bios.jsp?service=UK
_________________
www.easydevices.co.uk

Tel: 0871 7000 156
Globalsat UK Distributor

mcwarre · Regular Visitor Joined: Mar 25, 2004 Posts: 157

"This was borne out by the fact that I managed to get a 7 satellite fix in the centre of my house. "

Did you need it to tell you where you were Wink

Paddlegod · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jan 12, 2004 Posts: 18

Are there any plans for a version with an integrated memory card / memory card holder? This would be excellent for hiking with as you could download the OS map area you need into internal memory, but not so good for road navigation.

Also, how much height does it add to the PDA? Would need to know in order to get an Aquapac to fit.

MikeB · Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 9:36 am Post subject:

Easy Devices may be able to help with the first part.

As stated in the review the GPS is 2inches long with the antenna folded, and 3 with it opened. These are the dimensions with it inserted into the the PDA.
_________________
Mike Barrett

EasyD2 · Regular Visitor Joined: Aug 13, 2004 Posts: 137

As regards a version with onboard memory... There are no plans as yet.
This really is intended for dual slot PDAS, Ipaq 2210 etc. or those who are just installing map regions.

fl-run · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 5

Hello
I'm from France and I purchased a Hp Ipaq 2210 and a Globalsat GPS SD-501 (SDIO GPS receiver)
First, I installed Globalsat SD drivers : SDGPS4bit.exe
and HP iPAQ Pocket PC h2200 Series SDIO Driver Update : updateSP27102.exe
Here are the results :
- With TomTom Navigator3 : no problem, works perfectly !
- with "GPSInfo"( included on Globalsat CDRom) : GPS is detected as PortCom7 and satellites are viewed well
- with "OziCE" : impossible to configure GPS (configuration...GPS/NMEA) : with port com or either port com : it doesn't work !! (no GPS NMEA sentences)
- with "Pocket Earth" : it's possible to configure GPS as portCom7 (GPS NMEA sentences appears), but when retrurn on main screen, it doesn't show GPS position (it works with an handled GPS connected on Data slot of 2210 and configured as PortCom1 in the software configuration)

QUESTIONS :
1- Is there an issue to configurate GPS SD in OziCe (and in Pocket earth) ?
2 - How to do to lock the card in the slot ?

Thank You
Francois (France)
www.gpsnav.fr.st

MikeB · Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 2:38 pm Post subject:

Francois,

I havent tried the SD501 with OziCE as I dont have a setup with OziCE installed at the moment. However there shouldnt be any problems.

Have you tried doing a soft reset and just running OziCE on it's own?

As for locking the SD card in the PDA that was an issue I raised in the rerview. As far as I know the SD slot does not have a locking capability. During the review period I did not have any issues with the card coming out other than when I deliberatly pulled it out.
_________________
Mike Barrett

fl-run · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 5

Hello
Thanks for your reply
Of course, I tested many installations of OziCe after hard reset, and when I launch OziCe, It's the only program running on PPC.
I contacted Des Newman, who developped the soft in Australia. He tells me he's waiting for a SD-501 to test his soft with this hardware...
(trial version of OziCe on this link : http://216.218.220.254/ozice/downloads/pocketpc_setup.exe)
As I tell you, in OziCE NMEA GPS configuration, it is shown as PortCom7: SDGPS,

but in the menu...map...display NMEA input : nothing is shown in the window

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CCIE · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 11, 2004 Posts: 1

I have two questions.
1. has anyone tested the GlobalSat SD-501 working with Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 ? since it's NMEA compatible, I'd assume it should work.
2. if i plug the GlobalSat SD-501 into SD reader slot on my Laptop or PC, can it work with a PC, instead of a Pocket PC ?

Thanks!

- CCIE

Mehanik · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:29 am Post subject:

I have the same problems with OziCE. Need solution.

2CCIE:
SD-501 wouldn't work with notebook, because there is only SD not SDIO.
_________________
Mikhail E. Veselov
http://www.globalsat.su
GlobalSat Russia

fl-run · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 5

There is a new development version of OziCE on the web site which should
now work with SDIO GPS:
beta version :
http://www.oziexplorer2.com/eng/download/ozice_pda_setup.exe

Francois

andrems · Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 8:41 pm Post subject:

Hi.

Just wanted to ask 2 questions about this GPS.

1- Does it leave space for a compact flash memory if is inserted in a Pocket PC where the CF and SDIO slots are close together?

2- If it works pretty well inside a house, does it work also in a car with a coated windscreen wihtout external antenna?

Thanks.

Mearns · Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:57 pm Post subject:

I can't help with your second question, but having just bought a SD501, the answer to your first is yes as far as a 2210 is concerned.
_________________
Tony
nuvi 2460LT plus Brodit mount

EasyD2 · Regular Visitor Joined: Aug 13, 2004 Posts: 137

Andrems,
As pointed out by Mearns, the device works fine when CF and SD slots are close together. Ipaq 2210 being a perfect example of this.

I would doubt that it will work in a vehicle with athermic windscreen. Not yet tested this though.
However, the good news is, there is an external antenna available and the unit is also supplied with a clip-on signal booster.

Maybe one of the kind guys at PocketGPSWorld could be first to test this out.
_________________
www.easydevices.co.uk

Tel: 0871 7000 156
Globalsat UK Distributor

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