ASN problem TTG update 4.4 - Reaction from Tomtom Support

avi · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 08, 2004 Posts: 29

As probably many of us experienced a faulty ASN function with the 4.4 update. My problem was when losing the GPS signal it takes a long time to correct afterwards. During that time TTG provides very faulty directions. As an example, in one instance TTG assumed that I was driving on water rather than on the highway for a period of 20 minutes. Noting that the during that faulty situation I had a good GPS reception.

I got the following reaction from Tomtom Support regarding my complaints:
"Inmiddels is het bekend dat dit probleem vaker voorkomt bij de 4.40 update. Daarom adviseren wij u om uw software weer te downgraden naar versie 4.21. Dit kunt u via onze website www.tomtom.com
doen. U klikt hiervoor op 'Support' en vult daarna 4.21 in. TomTom is ermee bezig om het probleem op te lossen. Onze excuses voor het ongemak. Vriendelijke groeten, Tomtom support".

The free english (from Dutch) translation is as follows:
"It is known to us that this problem occurs with the update 4.4. We advise you to downgrade the software to version 4.21. This can be done through the website www.tomtom.com, klik support and then enter 4.21. Tomtom is working on this issue to correct the problem. kind regards Tomtom support".

Avi

buckman · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 09, 2004 Posts: 73

Is this right? i think i was having the same probs!

Are we all to downgrade to 4.2?

What exactly is the ASN emblem on the preferences section? i enabled it as i suppose its something to do with satellites?? Embarassed

Darren · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 9:37 pm Post subject:

ASN stands for Assisted Satellite Navigation and is the system GO uses to maintan guidance when poor reception or no satellites are visible i.e. through tunnels etc. It utilises accelerometers to calculate speed and direction.
_________________
Darren Griffin

avi · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 08, 2004 Posts: 29

In my opinion, it just mean that the ASN functionality is not that reliable. The problem is when downgrading, one will not have the customized POI functionality. So in case you ignore (or not dependant on) the ASN, then just wait till Tomtom solves the problem, you don't need to downgrade.
Avi

BoxsterBoy · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 31, 2004 Posts: 33

The ASN is noticeably worse on 4.40. Having used 4.21 previously I found ASN quite accurate in terms of direction although it underestimated speed slightly. The problem with 4.40 is that the ASN makes TTG think it is on the wrong road when going under a road or in underpass sections and starts issuing alarming instructions. To be honest the options are simple:

a) Go back to 4.21 - and lose functionality
b) Turn off ASN through the menu
c) Live with it

To me its a no brainer - Option B or C and wait a month or two (or three) until TomTom fix the bug. I assume (hope) that the fix from TomTom could be quite simple as ASN on 4.21 seemed to work fine

Kram · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 1:36 pm Post subject:

I was about to start a new thread moaning that 4.40 performed far worse than 4.21 for me, then noticed this thread and wonder whether I'm having the same problem.

I did post recently saying that 4.40 seemed to lose the GPS signal far more often than 4.21 but the responses I got back said that I needed an external aerial. I was already sure that my problem was not as simple as signal strength but I went away to do more tests before saying that.

I have spent the past three weeks changing back and forth between 4.21 and 4.40, spending hours or days at a time on each version and using the same mounting position every time. Lots of my testing was on the same route to and from work each day, a journey which is almost all through open countryside with very little to obscure the signals.

After all of my testing I am still convinced of the following things:
* 4.21 hardly ever loses the GPS signal
* 4.40 very often loses the GPS signal
* Turning ASN on and off in 4.40 doesn't appear to have any effect on the signal loss
* Turning POI display and/or detection on and off in 4.40 appears to have no effect on the signal loss
* 4.21 shows me arriving at a corner roughly when I do so in real life
* 4.40 shows me arriving at a corner ahead of when I do so in real life, often causing it to think I have passed the junction and telling me to turn around when possible
* I do not need an external aerial because 4.21 works very well without one

I have now reverted to 4.21 until the next version comes out, accepting that I'm missing out on custom POI functionality.

I have also ordered a Brodit mount so that I can mount the unit in a more central position where it will have a better view of the sky, just in case slightly better signal levels do help.

Cheers,

Mark.

avi · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 08, 2004 Posts: 29

Mark
Indeed there is a difference between 4.21 and 4.4, where 4.21 is much more reliable. I bought an external antenna and tried both versions at almost the same time - used to identical cards (Panasonic 256 Mb, 10Mb/Sec). During the trip I exchanged the cards, playing between with or without external antenna. Both card were formatted just to be sure that the procedure and the activity are similar.
Version 4.21 was superior than 4.4. Escpecially, when you have POI (with alram - speed camera type) loaded and when at the same time TTG application and POI requires the processing power. It seems to me that there is certain interference between POI (speedcamer type and ASN). In any way 4.21 ASN is more reliable - sometime with 4.4 it takes long time to come back to the right position when the signal is back.
Regards
Avi

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