Topo software with GPS shuts me down

[rmcnabb]

Hello - I want to use my 29 for some off road mapping using Delorme Topo software and a "hocky puck" USB GPS.

I can use Topo software all day long with no problems normally. Runs a little slow sometimes, but it works just fine. But when I take it out to the truck and plug in the GPS, after a few minutes of tracking my position, the entire computer shuts off. Black screen, nothing.

I have been able to use the GPS for a couple of minutes, then disable it (of course it stops tracking) then re-enable it, and so on. This works. But it's a hassle and necessitates pulling over/stopping.

Is this all because of (as I imagine it) a slow video card? Is there some way I an upgrade my 29 so that it will run the GPS tracking without shutting down?

Thanks

[Gear6]

could it be that the hockey pokey USB GPS draws more current than the USB port can handle ? and as a protection, the CF-29 shuts down ?
usually only the port/device is disabled, but who knows.

check the current ratings on the USB GPS, it should need max 500mA at 5V.

Also, check the logs in Event Viewer in Windows, see if you have any hardware error there, that is if Windows manages to log it before the 29 shuts down.

[mklym]

Is the display shutting off and the unit still running, or does the whole unit shut off? If it is the laptop shutting down, then it is a thermal issue. There is something about the GPS unit you are using that the cpu does not like, maybe a driver, maybe the power draw by the GPS, and dealing with the GPS unit, the cpu reaches the thermal protection limit and shuts itself down. When you disable the GPS, the laptop is still running because it has not reached the thermal limit of the cpu. It has a chance to cool a bit before you enable the GPS again.

The CF-29's use passive cooling, no moving parts, and so the thermal interface between the cpu and the heat sink/case is important. It is probably using the original, installed at the factory, thermal pads. If it was my unit, I would open it up and replace the thermal pads, the one for the cpu and the one for the video chip as well as the chipset pads. If you do not have access to thermal pads, use a bit of quality thermal paste on the existing pads.
The CF-29's have been around for awhile now. The thermal interface, if it is original, has dried out and is now more of an insulator for the heatsink/case. Any sudden shutdown problems on these units are probably heat related.

Hope that helps.

[rmcnabb]

Thanks very much for the replies.

I think it is a heat issue - the whole laptop shuts off like flipping a switch. It will start up again in a minute and feels warm on the bottom.

How do I deal with the heat sink issue? Is there a Youtube video (LOL)?

[Shawn]

What is the full model number of the cf 29?
What USB port are you using?
What is the model number of the USB puck GPS?
Is the CF29 using battery or a car adapter in the truck?

[mklym]

Here are some videos I found. The first one is removing the bottom case of the CF-29.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ITIcLck ... HeJv0GNSdo

This next one shows replacing the CPU and GPU thermal pads on a CF-29.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5AZDjZPyEA

And this is a link to some info about the pads required. It is post #58, second from bottom, by user guidol1970.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/panason ... ods-6.html

Hope this helps and good luck, have fun.

[SHEEPMAN!]

I use 1.5 metric and .5 metric for the CF-29. I bought a 1/2 sheet of 1.5 mm from Frozen CPU and it lasted through many units.
For the researchers>>>> someone, somewhere had a post where Arctic Silver mixed with a pad was counter-productive. I'd like to see the research on that but no-one followed through. Not arguing here, I want to read the paper rather than second/third/etc.hand.

At a minimum:
Open ram door
Un-plug speaker
Remove bottom......you took the battery out right?
If the two gray cpu pads are squishy...smoosh them together. If they are hard and flaky...replace them with 1.5mm pads.
Replace bottom.
Plug in speaker.
Replace ram door.
Bob's yer Uncle.

I have done few gpu...they are usually fine.

What I have done...clumsy or not. G'luck.

Jeff

[rmcnabb]

I believe it's cf-29etkgzkm

I used the only USB port that it has - the one by the power input.

It's one of the generic small BU-353 GPS's available all over the internet and eBay - they're relatively interchangeable I thought. The computer was plugged in to a regular cigarette plug power inverter I'm pretty sure. It was about 6 months ago when I did this. I don't know if I tried it without the inverter or not.

Thanks for the tips about cooling - I'll work on that.

[Shawn]

try it without the inverter on a fully charged battery. The cig lighter inverter may not have enough power.

[CliC]

If you haven't run the unit with GPS on wall power, try that first and see if it shuts down. Not all devices like all inverters.

I suspect the issue is thermal though, as others have suggested.