MSefi.com read only forum (Jan.15,2018)

This thread is intended to keep track of Palm devices that have been found to be compatible with PalmTune, PalmEdit, and PalmLog. Reply with device model, OS version, and any special mods required, and I'll add to the list:

III series

Palm IIIx, 4MB, flash upgradable OS, AAA battery, serial cradle
Palm IIIxe, 8MB, flash upgradable OS, AAA battery, serial cradle
Palm IIIc, 8MB, color, flash upgradable OS, rechargable battery, serial cradle

V series

Palm V, 2MB, flash upgradable OS, rechargable battery, serial cradle
Palm Vx, 8MB, flash upgradable OS, rechargable battery, serial cradle

M series

Palm M100, 2MB, AAA battery, serial cradle
Palm M105, 8MB, flash upgradable OS, rechargable battery, serial cradle

*** M500, M505, M515 Palms use TTL-level communication, rather than true RS-232. More details can be found HERE. These do not work without some extra circuitry to boost signal levels. One user did report success by modifying his Megasquirt to provide comm connections directly to the cpu, rather than thru the MAX232 chip. ***

Zire

Zire71, 16MB, li-ion rechargable battery, optional serial cradle.

Sony Clie

SJ20, 16MB, flash upgradable OS, rechargable battery, serial cradle optional
PEG-S320, 8MB, flash upgradable OS, rechargable battery, serial cradle optional

Clie's cable connector can be 'hacked' to gain access to the serial port connections at the following link:
http://astro1.panet.utoledo.edu/~igor/HotSync.html
and
http://www.weethet.nl/english/pda_palmp ... netrex.php

NOTE: OS 3.5 or higher is required. Some Sony Clie, and Palm M5xx series handhelds require a resistor to be added to the connector to switch the device from USB to serial mode. The second link above details that mod.

If using a serial cradle, a null-modem adapter or equivalent is needed. Connections are:
pin 2 -> pin 3
pin 3 -> pin 2
pin 5 -> pin 5

Please let me know of any errors/omissions in this post.

Thanks,
Roger.

A simple adapter is really easy to build. In my usual fashion, I built one from parts I had laying around.



The jumper between pins 7 and 8 is required for a terminal emulator application I use with my Palm which expects hardware flow control.

Roger,

I thought the Palm Zire 71 was also being used, and that a Sony Clie PEG-SJ20 was also a candidate.

Ian.

Anyone had any luck connecting as yet with reading page with mods adding 7.5ohm resistor. I have a serial cable from palm and going into a couple of db9which have wires switched 2-3 3-2 5-5. Tryed resistor between 7 and 8 on the db9 connector but no go. Could the resistor suppose to be between 7-8 inside the connector that goes into palm itself. Any ideas here.
Get 5.5ohms between 7-8 on db9 when palm turned on.
Com test get R 39bytes
V get 189 bytes
No responce.
palm loads fuel table and gets 50 on all bins including rm and map bins and still getting the n/c every few seconds. Thanks

Yes, it looks like a 7.5K ohm (7,500 ohm) resistor between pins 7 and 8 on the Palm connector is how I read it.

Ian.

EDIT:

Deleted my post because it was in the wrong place, and may have been confusing for those wanting an exact answer on palm compatibility.

Just for information - I was trying to connect a Sony Clie SJ20 to the MS with a Belkin 3-way cable that has a serial and a USB connector on the other end. The serial bit works fine with a laptop but not with MS, it will connect with a fully charged battery but then gets flaky and then N/C as the battery voltage drops. I checked the electronics in the connector, 3 transistors and some caps/resistors/diodes. Checking with the scope this circuit puts out a very crude pseudo RS232 that just doesn't cut it. Basically it appears to simply invert the TTL signal so that an RS232 receiver might have half a chance of reading it. A circuit with a proper TTL-RS232 converter chip is required. This could explain poor communications others have had with Palms (other than the early models) which only put out TTL. I think the early Palms have a dedicated RS232 chip inside them. The webpage below has a neat adaptor kit "A232DB" that comes with a DB9 female which you may or may not want.

http://www.compsys1.com/workbench/On_to ... apter.html

Ian.

EDIT: July 03. Another serial cable arrived today from here http://pc-mobile.net/clie.htm The PSTGS model for GPS.
It works fine, so I opened it up, and it has less components than the Belkin. What gives?
EDIT: July 10. The PSTGS doesn't connect sometimes I found out. Built an adapter using the DS275 as described in the post below. No faults so far.

Inspired by the link below and curiousity, I experimented with a Dallas DS275 IC 8-pin DIP, it seems to do the job well (TTL - RS232 converter) and needs no external components, so it's small enough to fit in a DB9 hood/backshell and proly won't need a PCB - just wires soldered to the legs with heatshrink should be OK. I tested it in place of the MAX232 on a V2.2 MS-I PCB on a Palm V, Vx, the laptop (burned new code, made changes etc), and checked on the scope. It's not that pretty on the scope but looks good enough that it will work fine for our MS and Palm purposes. I had no problems and don't expect any. Great little chip for inside a DB9 hood. It's not that cheap but if you need a custom TTL/RS232 adaptor cable it makes it easily possible and neat. Wired up like this: except you don't need the links between pins 4,6 and 7,8. You can take the 5V supply from MS. Now where is that trashed Sony Clie Belkin connector now that I need it?

http://www.kmitl.ac.th/~kswichit/MAX232/MAX232.htm

EDIT: July 2008. The Dallas chip will probably not support the 115k baud rate of MS2. If you need a TTL to RS232 converter for MS2 purposes, then best to use a MAX232 chip or equivalent.

Does anyone know if a Palm T/X will work yet? I read in another post that someone was going to try it but never saw a reply that stated if it did or not.

Thanks,
Paul

I am a little confused. Do all these devices need an adapter?
I just got a Palm Vx and it has a serial connector, do I need more than this?
It would appear that nothing special is required from the original post.
Also, Does anyone know if there is a place to get hotsinc? I don't have the disc for the palmVx. Or is there another sinc program that will work with XP?
-Thanks,
Tony

I think you can get the software on the palm website?

The Palms needed to tune with megasquirts are only the ones that Palm don't sell anymore...
i looked forward to buy a nuy one but non are specified in the first post.
What do i do ? Should i cry or should i keep hoping that any of the new ones fit with MS-Palm ?

I have a cable adaptor DB9 to USB, do i need to modify anything in the connection ?

In order to have a hope of connecting to MS, the Palm MUST have serial comm capability. Those devices without the 'universal connector' do not have serial comm. Here's a list:

These ones have the universal connector:

m500/m505/m515
i705
Zire71
TungstenT/T2/T3
TungstenC
TungstenW

These ones do not:

Zire
Zire21
Zire31
Zire72
TungstenE
Treo 270/300
Treo 600

Having the universal connector itself does not guarantee proper functionality, but at least there is a decent chance.

I only run the older $20 Palm's, so if it's lost/dropped/stolen, I can grab another without worry. I'm on my second one already!

Roger.

I have a Palm V, 2MB, flash upgradable OS, rechargable battery, serial cradle that I was going to use with MS, but it cant be used couse I cant upgrade OS for more than OS 3.1

Kaas, the Palm V can be upgraded to OS 4.1. I've been using a V for over a year.
Ian.

newtyres1 wrote:Kaas, the Palm V can be upgraded to OS 4.1. I've been using a V for over a year.
Ian.

Oh it was you that send that mail, I deleted it couse I dont not know if it was a virus mail

Can you send it again please!

any one wanna make or sell me a sony clie connector i tried making one but it would not connect.

What model Clie is it, and what chip did you use? I should be able to dig up the wiring diagram for my SJ20 cable using a DS275 chip if that's any help. Are you in Australia?

Ian.

no usa
n710 i used MAX232 withe the other mod and no go.

anyone have a good source for a male/male null model adapter as is needed to connect the serial dock to the MS unit?

the only adapters I'm finding are male/female so obviously they will not work.