Software to write to PCMCIA datacards?

I'd like to update the database for my Apollo GX55 GPS. $120 for the
raw data is bad enough, but Jeppesen also wants $150 for a writer. The
datacard is a PCMCIA card, so wouldn't it be possible to work with it
with a plain old laptop or a $10 reader from Best Buy? I'm wondering
if someone has found a way to do this.

--

The problem is that the data on the card is not in an open file format. So,
you need Jepp's application to do the writing. Jepp's application is
designed to interface with their writer. This is not necessary but is the
way it is designed. The alternative would be software drivers installed that
know how to deal with the format of the card and can negotiate with other
installed drivers to take over when appropriate - not an easy thing to
control.

Until they are willing to change their application, we're stuck with using
their writer.

--
-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK
"Charles" wrote in message
news4Oji.18991$Fc.10534@attbi_s21...
I'd like to update the database for my Apollo GX55 GPS. $120 for the
raw data is bad enough, but Jeppesen also wants $150 for a writer. The
datacard is a PCMCIA card, so wouldn't it be possible to work with it
with a plain old laptop or a $10 reader from Best Buy? I'm wondering
if someone has found a way to do this.

--

"Peter" wrote in message
...

so that the PC software can write to it in a simple manner. I don't
know what is involved but can tell you that if you plug one of these
into a normal reader and invoke the windoze API call for reading
physical sectors, all you see is rubbish; mostly zeroes. It looks like
they are using some odd property of the flash chips, but that would
lead to rapid obsolescence.

No odd property of the flash chip at all. Just a low level data structure
that makes no sense to the Windows drivers trying to interpret it as a
device that supports a filesystem.

It is entirely feasible to write a Windows driver for a Jepp datacard. You
would bypass all of the Windows drivers and be writing a very low level
device interface.

I'm just glad they still support data updates at all. Pay the $150 and enjoy
the updated data in your GX55.

-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK

The GNS 480 and the MX 20 use a standard windows CF
reader (which they give you a sandisk one with the units).
The cards have a serial number hidden in one of the FS
fields, but otherwise are standard. JSUM pretty
much doesn't care what hardware device you use to program
it as it uses the standard windows filesystem calls to
access it.

I've used a PCCARD-CF adapater to program mine.

On 7/7/07 10:13, "Charles" wrote:

I'd like to update the database for my Apollo GX55 GPS. $120 for the
raw data is bad enough, but Jeppesen also wants $150 for a writer. The
datacard is a PCMCIA card, so wouldn't it be possible to work with it
with a plain old laptop or a $10 reader from Best Buy? I'm wondering
if someone has found a way to do this.


Charles,

When you asked about this on the Husky list, I didn't know you were trying
to duplicate the datacard.

Don't know if it helps, but I used a program called Winhex to duplicate the
compact flash card for a GNS 480. You might check and see if it fits the
bill.

http://www.x-ways.net/winhex/

- Don
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between
a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist
in love with flight. - E. B. Jeppesen

Do a search for Raw write/read you can clone the flash drives including
PCMCIA Flash Disk


"Peter" wrote in message
...

"Travis Marlatte" wrote

so that the PC software can write to it in a simple manner. I don't
know what is involved but can tell you that if you plug one of these
into a normal reader and invoke the windoze API call for reading
physical sectors, all you see is rubbish; mostly zeroes. It looks like
they are using some odd property of the flash chips, but that would
lead to rapid obsolescence.

No odd property of the flash chip at all. Just a low level data structure
that makes no sense to the Windows drivers trying to interpret it as a
device that supports a filesystem.

It is entirely feasible to write a Windows driver for a Jepp datacard. You
would bypass all of the Windows drivers and be writing a very low level
device interface.

I'm just glad they still support data updates at all. Pay the $150 and
enjoy
the updated data in your GX55.

No matter what the filing system is, one should still be able to read
*logical sectors* from a CF using any cheap CF reader.

AFAIK the reader just returns logical sectors - the file structure is
down to the O/S.

If you read a KLN94 CF cartridge (an old 48MB Sandisk part; they must
have bought loads of them) in this way, you get mostly zeroes, plus a
very small amount of rubbish which doesn't seem to be valid data and
there is nowhere near enough of it for the size of the database (about
2MB). Hence my comment that they are invoking some flash chip feature.

Here is a Code for the winhex 14.2 Current Version

Target:
http://www.x-ways.net/winhex.zip

Paste All 6 Lines Below

Name: "Jeppesen Data Clone"
Addr1: "Free For All"
Addr2: "Planet Earth, Milkey Way"
Key1: C9D87F5A45256C3257E22C50548FE8E6
Key2: F7056AAF6D4E6F7564335EAD978ED639
Chksm: D9


"No Spam" wrote in message
...
On 7/7/07 10:13, "Charles" wrote:

I'd like to update the database for my Apollo GX55 GPS. $120 for the
raw data is bad enough, but Jeppesen also wants $150 for a writer. The
datacard is a PCMCIA card, so wouldn't it be possible to work with it
with a plain old laptop or a $10 reader from Best Buy? I'm wondering
if someone has found a way to do this.


Charles,

When you asked about this on the Husky list, I didn't know you were trying
to duplicate the datacard.

Don't know if it helps, but I used a program called Winhex to duplicate
the
compact flash card for a GNS 480. You might check and see if it fits the
bill.

http://www.x-ways.net/winhex/

- Don
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between
a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist
in love with flight. - E. B. Jeppesen

It's used to clone GPS data cards and other type of media. Helps Recover
Lost Data it works really well for a lot of things read the web site on it.


"Peter" wrote in message
...
What is Winhex?

"NW_Pilot" wrote

Target:
http://www.x-ways.net/winhex.zip