WebOS Internals - User contributions [en]

GPS

2009-11-10T14:22:00Z

Balrog-kun: /* Description */ Typos

==GPS==

The GPS hardware page.

Software found elsewhere (location services - see SDK.)

====Description====

The Palm Pre has a built-in hardware GPS, it's integrated in the radio receiver chip.

Internet has some misleading information out there because the initial tear-downs didn't spot a separate GPS chip, so reviewers thought the Palm Pre didn't have a GPS and thus must rely on cell phone tower location like so : ''The Pre does use the assisted GPS capabilities of the Qualcomm baseband. That means the phone will not be able to get a location fix when it is not connected to the cellular network.''

This isn't entirely accurate - the Palm Pre '''does indeed have integrated GPS''' hardware, it's part of the RF reciever chip, and it uses this hardware GPS if it's turned on (enabled.)

*If the GPS is on, '''GPS hardware''' will be used with location determined by satellites.
*If the GPS is turned off in Location Services, the Palm Pre will fall back on cell tower location.

==Location of Chip==

The GPS hardware is physically located on the Comm board, right hand side, as part of the RF (radio frequency) receiver chip RFR6500 that is part of the [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTexas_Instruments_OMAP&ei=00LLSq6IE8iwtgf74KXrAQ&rct=j&q=arm+texas+instruments+omap+3+chipset+palm+pre&usg=AFQjCNEmNf0DMuYepJcYOS4WiM4dr77fYw&sig2=Drg2ly2tTdnTihaq_XFYrw OMAP3 chipset (PDF file),]

According to [http://www.pcb007.com/pages/zone.cgi?artcatid=&a=50798&artid=50798&pg=2 magazine PCB007], the Pre's main comm chipsets include the RFR6500 receiver and RFT6150 transmitter. Is it possible, the GPS isn't part of the MSM6801 but rather it's part of the Qualcomm RFR6500 Receiver, also on the Palm Pre?

Phone wreck shows the RFR6500 too, in the teardown.

This Qualcomm RFR6500 supports both GPS receiving and receiving of the voice part of cellular. This GPS chip will also likely need some digital controller - therefore my conclusion that the Palm Pre's GPS receiver is inside the second Radio Frequency support chip the Qualcomm RFR6500 receiver is the one, and it's likely the processing and control for that GPS may be part of the Baseband processor (Qualcomm MSM6801A.)

There is an [http://www.semiconductor.com/resources/reports_database/view_report.asp?pid=4176 engineering report here.]
(above, engineering report article)

Where you'll find that Qualcomm’s RFR6500 is a receiver that can support '''both GPS and '''CDMA2000 cell voice reception.

*Rapid Repair shows the [http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/Palm-Pre/palm-pre-dissasembly-repair-guide.html comm board here.] (photo.)

==References==

*Palm announced at CES the Pre uses the TI OMAP 3430 as an applications processor.
*Here is the [http://focus.ti.com/lit/ml/swpt024b/swpt024b.pdf Omap 3 bulletin from TI] - PDF file.
*Here is the [http://focus.ti.com.cn/cn/lit/ml/swpt019a/swpt019a.pdf mainARM chipset detail] from TI - PDF file.
*Ifixit [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=7&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.palminfocenter.com%2Fnews%2F9825%2Fifixit-tears-down-the-pre-and-touchstone%2F&ei=9j_LSqndCKCNtgeNluTbAQ&rct=j&q=palm+pre+tear+location&usg=AFQjCNFT0jONhOxxF6GRXLHwmxUSY7pMlQ&sig2=krl4zHjeDeeo8GhkiQckEg tears down the Palm Pre.]
*Here is Phonewreck's [http://www.phonewreck.com/2009/06/07/palm-pre-teardown-and-analysis-review-coming-soon/#more-320 parts analysis.]

==Mojo==
===Location Services===
* There are Mojo methods detailed in the SDK under Location Services (and so, no need to also detail them here.) Overview: Some of the Mojo functions allow to get current location, to subscribe to services (thus continually updating coordinates) and also reverse address resolution - put in an address and return the longitude/ latitude.
* See the SDK for the current WebOS version which describes the Javascript use of Location services.

==Known Issues==
===Southern Hemisphere===

Apparently the software on the Pre may not be converting lon/lat [http://www.rwhitby.net/blog/webos-internals/palm-pre-gps-error.html for the Southern Hemisphere correctly.] If patch becomes available, I'll update here.

===Battery Life===

* Enabling the GPS itself seems to consume more of the battery than when it's off.

* Results from today's test with battery meter:

====Testing method====
**I'm on a 12story building in the 9th floor, in Boston Massachusetts USA. Palm Pre is near a window, and GPS gives location value (I assume it can see satellites.)
**Time: 2-hour tests on the desk without moving the Palm Pre, nor using it in that time, Screen off in 30seconds, no apps running at the same time ( other than Battery Meter.)

* Procedure:
** Started battery meter.
** Battery level began at 20% discharged to 13%. Then recharged it to 20% again, and enabled GPS discharged again... once for each state.
** Meanwhile just let the Pre sit there.

*After 2-hours in the first state, from Location services we enabled GPS for the second test.

====Results below====
Battery Drain Two-hour test results:
.
* GPS OFF = discharge rate 3.18 % per hour
* GPS ON = discharge rate 3.89 % per hour
.
.
The above are my results, you can evaluate the results yourself - battery meter is freeware homebrew.

Comment: This was not moving, But, when walking /riding does it use up any more current? Assuming then it might be constantly losing / aquiring satellite signal? Further tests will be needed to determine if this is true.

''This page contributed by FreeTim''
Last update : [[User:FreeTim|FreeTim]] 22:31, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

====Potential Costs====
The Palm Pre driver uses services such a RX Network "GPS on extra" to improve the accuracy, meaning that it downloads files over the GPRS connection if available. Depending on your service providers's charging plan this may mean additional costs on your bill when Location services is enabled. It is not yet known how much data needs to be downloaded or how often.

==Low-level Access==
The GPS chip is part of the baseband GSM module and it seems it can not or is not enabled until the modem is registered to a network. Therefore the communication with the GPS chip goes over the same port and uses the same protocol as GSM, the messages relating to both services are interleaving in the communication stream. The attempt to document this protocol is coordinated at the [[Research Pre GSM Modem Protocol]] page.

It is not yet clear whether raw unaided GPS service is at all possible on the Pre hardware, with information such as the number and identitifiers of satellites currently in view, signal strength, and other information provided by traditional GPS chips.

GPS

2009-11-10T14:18:20Z

Balrog-kun: Protocol - new section

==GPS==

The GPS hardware page.

Software found elsewhere (location services - see SDK.)

====Description====

The Palm Pre has a built-in hardware GPS, it's integrated in the radio receiver chip.

Internet has some misleading information out there because the initial tear-downs didn't spot a separate GPS chip, so reviewers thought the Palm Pre didn't have a GPS and thus must rely on cell phone tower location like so : ''The Pre does use the assisted GPS capabilities of the Qualcomm baseband. That means the phone will not be able to get a location fix when it is not connected to the cellular network.''

This isn't entirely accurate - the Palm Pre '''does indeed have integrated GPS '''hardware, it's part of the RF reciever chip, and it uses this hardware GPS if it's turned on (enabled.)

*If the GPS is on, '''GPS hardware''' will be used with location determined by satellite.
*If the GPS is turned off in Location Services, the Palm Pre will fallback on cell tower location.

==Location of Chip==

The GPS hardware is physically located on the Comm board, right hand side, as part of the RF (radio frequency) receiver chip RFR6500 that is part of the [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTexas_Instruments_OMAP&ei=00LLSq6IE8iwtgf74KXrAQ&rct=j&q=arm+texas+instruments+omap+3+chipset+palm+pre&usg=AFQjCNEmNf0DMuYepJcYOS4WiM4dr77fYw&sig2=Drg2ly2tTdnTihaq_XFYrw OMAP3 chipset (PDF file),]

According to [http://www.pcb007.com/pages/zone.cgi?artcatid=&a=50798&artid=50798&pg=2 magazine PCB007], the Pre's main comm chipsets include the RFR6500 receiver and RFT6150 transmitter. Is it possible, the GPS isn't part of the MSM6801 but rather it's part of the Qualcomm RFR6500 Receiver, also on the Palm Pre?

Phone wreck shows the RFR6500 too, in the teardown.

This Qualcomm RFR6500 supports both GPS receiving and receiving of the voice part of cellular. This GPS chip will also likely need some digital controller - therefore my conclusion that the Palm Pre's GPS receiver is inside the second Radio Frequency support chip the Qualcomm RFR6500 receiver is the one, and it's likely the processing and control for that GPS may be part of the Baseband processor (Qualcomm MSM6801A.)

There is an [http://www.semiconductor.com/resources/reports_database/view_report.asp?pid=4176 engineering report here.]
(above, engineering report article)

Where you'll find that Qualcomm’s RFR6500 is a receiver that can support '''both GPS and '''CDMA2000 cell voice reception.

*Rapid Repair shows the [http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/Palm-Pre/palm-pre-dissasembly-repair-guide.html comm board here.] (photo.)

==References==

*Palm announced at CES the Pre uses the TI OMAP 3430 as an applications processor.
*Here is the [http://focus.ti.com/lit/ml/swpt024b/swpt024b.pdf Omap 3 bulletin from TI] - PDF file.
*Here is the [http://focus.ti.com.cn/cn/lit/ml/swpt019a/swpt019a.pdf mainARM chipset detail] from TI - PDF file.
*Ifixit [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=7&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.palminfocenter.com%2Fnews%2F9825%2Fifixit-tears-down-the-pre-and-touchstone%2F&ei=9j_LSqndCKCNtgeNluTbAQ&rct=j&q=palm+pre+tear+location&usg=AFQjCNFT0jONhOxxF6GRXLHwmxUSY7pMlQ&sig2=krl4zHjeDeeo8GhkiQckEg tears down the Palm Pre.]
*Here is Phonewreck's [http://www.phonewreck.com/2009/06/07/palm-pre-teardown-and-analysis-review-coming-soon/#more-320 parts analysis.]

==Mojo==
===Location Services===
* There are Mojo methods detailed in the SDK under Location Services (and so, no need to also detail them here.) Overview: Some of the Mojo functions allow to get current location, to subscribe to services (thus continually updating coordinates) and also reverse address resolution - put in an address and return the longitude/ latitude.
* See the SDK for the current WebOS version which describes the Javascript use of Location services.

==Known Issues==
===Southern Hemisphere===

Apparently the software on the Pre may not be converting lon/lat [http://www.rwhitby.net/blog/webos-internals/palm-pre-gps-error.html for the Southern Hemisphere correctly.] If patch becomes available, I'll update here.

===Battery Life===

* Enabling the GPS itself seems to consume more of the battery than when it's off.

* Results from today's test with battery meter:

====Testing method====
**I'm on a 12story building in the 9th floor, in Boston Massachusetts USA. Palm Pre is near a window, and GPS gives location value (I assume it can see satellites.)
**Time: 2-hour tests on the desk without moving the Palm Pre, nor using it in that time, Screen off in 30seconds, no apps running at the same time ( other than Battery Meter.)

* Procedure:
** Started battery meter.
** Battery level began at 20% discharged to 13%. Then recharged it to 20% again, and enabled GPS discharged again... once for each state.
** Meanwhile just let the Pre sit there.

*After 2-hours in the first state, from Location services we enabled GPS for the second test.

====Results below====
Battery Drain Two-hour test results:
.
* GPS OFF = discharge rate 3.18 % per hour
* GPS ON = discharge rate 3.89 % per hour
.
.
The above are my results, you can evaluate the results yourself - battery meter is freeware homebrew.

Comment: This was not moving, But, when walking /riding does it use up any more current? Assuming then it might be constantly losing / aquiring satellite signal? Further tests will be needed to determine if this is true.

''This page contributed by FreeTim''
Last update : [[User:FreeTim|FreeTim]] 22:31, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

====Potential Costs====
The Palm Pre driver uses services such a RX Network "GPS on extra" to improve the accuracy, meaning that it downloads files over the GPRS connection if available. Depending on your service providers's charging plan this may mean additional costs on your bill when Location services is enabled. It is not yet known how much data needs to be downloaded or how often.

==Low-level Access==
The GPS chip is part of the baseband GSM module and it seems it can not or is not enabled until the modem is registered to a network. Therefore the communication with the GPS chip goes over the same port and uses the same protocol as GSM, the messages relating to both services are interleaving in the communication stream. The attempt to document this protocol is coordinated at the [[Research Pre GSM Modem Protocol]] page.

It is not yet clear whether raw unaided GPS service is at all possible on the Pre hardware, with information such as the number and identitifiers of satellites currently in view, signal strength, and other information provided by traditional GPS chips.

GPS

2009-11-10T14:09:00Z

Balrog-kun: /* Known Issues */ GPRS costs

==GPS==

The GPS hardware page.

Software found elsewhere (location services - see SDK.)

====Description====

The Palm Pre has a built-in hardware GPS, it's integrated in the radio receiver chip.

Internet has some misleading information out there because the initial tear-downs didn't spot a separate GPS chip, so reviewers thought the Palm Pre didn't have a GPS and thus must rely on cell phone tower location like so : ''The Pre does use the assisted GPS capabilities of the Qualcomm baseband. That means the phone will not be able to get a location fix when it is not connected to the cellular network.''

This isn't entirely accurate - the Palm Pre '''does indeed have integrated GPS '''hardware, it's part of the RF reciever chip, and it uses this hardware GPS if it's turned on (enabled.)

*If the GPS is on, '''GPS hardware''' will be used with location determined by satellite.
*If the GPS is turned off in Location Services, the Palm Pre will fallback on cell tower location.

==Location of Chip==

The GPS hardware is physically located on the Comm board, right hand side, as part of the RF (radio frequency) receiver chip RFR6500 that is part of the [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTexas_Instruments_OMAP&ei=00LLSq6IE8iwtgf74KXrAQ&rct=j&q=arm+texas+instruments+omap+3+chipset+palm+pre&usg=AFQjCNEmNf0DMuYepJcYOS4WiM4dr77fYw&sig2=Drg2ly2tTdnTihaq_XFYrw OMAP3 chipset (PDF file),]

According to [http://www.pcb007.com/pages/zone.cgi?artcatid=&a=50798&artid=50798&pg=2 magazine PCB007], the Pre's main comm chipsets include the RFR6500 receiver and RFT6150 transmitter. Is it possible, the GPS isn't part of the MSM6801 but rather it's part of the Qualcomm RFR6500 Receiver, also on the Palm Pre?

Phone wreck shows the RFR6500 too, in the teardown.

This Qualcomm RFR6500 supports both GPS receiving and receiving of the voice part of cellular. This GPS chip will also likely need some digital controller - therefore my conclusion that the Palm Pre's GPS receiver is inside the second Radio Frequency support chip the Qualcomm RFR6500 receiver is the one, and it's likely the processing and control for that GPS may be part of the Baseband processor (Qualcomm MSM6801A.)

There is an [http://www.semiconductor.com/resources/reports_database/view_report.asp?pid=4176 engineering report here.]
(above, engineering report article)

Where you'll find that Qualcomm’s RFR6500 is a receiver that can support '''both GPS and '''CDMA2000 cell voice reception.

*Rapid Repair shows the [http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/Palm-Pre/palm-pre-dissasembly-repair-guide.html comm board here.] (photo.)

==References==

*Palm announced at CES the Pre uses the TI OMAP 3430 as an applications processor.
*Here is the [http://focus.ti.com/lit/ml/swpt024b/swpt024b.pdf Omap 3 bulletin from TI] - PDF file.
*Here is the [http://focus.ti.com.cn/cn/lit/ml/swpt019a/swpt019a.pdf mainARM chipset detail] from TI - PDF file.
*Ifixit [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=7&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.palminfocenter.com%2Fnews%2F9825%2Fifixit-tears-down-the-pre-and-touchstone%2F&ei=9j_LSqndCKCNtgeNluTbAQ&rct=j&q=palm+pre+tear+location&usg=AFQjCNFT0jONhOxxF6GRXLHwmxUSY7pMlQ&sig2=krl4zHjeDeeo8GhkiQckEg tears down the Palm Pre.]
*Here is Phonewreck's [http://www.phonewreck.com/2009/06/07/palm-pre-teardown-and-analysis-review-coming-soon/#more-320 parts analysis.]

==Mojo==
===Location Services===
* There are Mojo methods detailed in the SDK under Location Services (and so, no need to also detail them here.) Overview: Some of the Mojo functions allow to get current location, to subscribe to services (thus continually updating coordinates) and also reverse address resolution - put in an address and return the longitude/ latitude.
* See the SDK for the current WebOS version which describes the Javascript use of Location services.

==Known Issues==
===Southern Hemisphere===

Apparently the software on the Pre may not be converting lon/lat [http://www.rwhitby.net/blog/webos-internals/palm-pre-gps-error.html for the Southern Hemisphere correctly.] If patch becomes available, I'll update here.

===Battery Life===

* Enabling the GPS itself seems to consume more of the battery than when it's off.

* Results from today's test with battery meter:

====Testing method====
**I'm on a 12story building in the 9th floor, in Boston Massachusetts USA. Palm Pre is near a window, and GPS gives location value (I assume it can see satellites.)
**Time: 2-hour tests on the desk without moving the Palm Pre, nor using it in that time, Screen off in 30seconds, no apps running at the same time ( other than Battery Meter.)

* Procedure:
** Started battery meter.
** Battery level began at 20% discharged to 13%. Then recharged it to 20% again, and enabled GPS discharged again... once for each state.
** Meanwhile just let the Pre sit there.

*After 2-hours in the first state, from Location services we enabled GPS for the second test.

====Results below====
Battery Drain Two-hour test results:
.
* GPS OFF = discharge rate 3.18 % per hour
* GPS ON = discharge rate 3.89 % per hour
.
.
The above are my results, you can evaluate the results yourself - battery meter is freeware homebrew.

Comment: This was not moving, But, when walking /riding does it use up any more current? Assuming then it might be constantly losing / aquiring satellite signal? Further tests will be needed to determine if this is true.

''This page contributed by FreeTim''
Last update : [[User:FreeTim|FreeTim]] 22:31, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

====Potential Costs====
The Palm Pre driver uses services such a RX Network "GPS on extra" to improve the accuracy, meaning that it downloads files over the GPRS connection if available. Depending on your service providers's charging plan this may mean additional costs on your bill when Location services is enabled. It is not yet known how much data needs to be downloaded or how often.

Research Pre GSM Modem Protocol

2009-11-09T05:23:26Z

Balrog-kun: A short mention of GPS functionality over the same protocol

Here we are collecting informations about the modem protocol. At the moment all the research is don on the european UMTS version of the Palm Pre. The CDM version is likely to be pretty similar to the UMTS variant with regards to the protocol.

What we are doing to get used to the protocol is to strace the different applications that talk to the modem and log everything that goes over /dev/modemuart to the actual modem. From this wire protocol traces we are working backwards to the actual protocol and packet format.

=== Packet Start ===

A new packet starts with: '''0xFA''' (This may be an address instead as rfc1662 uses only one flag for frame separation).

As we found out that the CRC is calculated even over the flag '''0xFA''' and with assuming that the basic for the protocol is HDLC we can say that 0xFA is not the starting flag of the frame. It should be an adress if we have a real implemenation of HDLC that follows the rfc.

=== Packet End ===

A packet ends with: '''0x7E'''

=== Escaping ===

For the packet end marker there is an escaping sequence inside the packet. It is used '''0x7D 0x5E''' instead. Therefor '''0x7D''' is escaped as '''0x7D 0x5D''' as well.

=== Header ===

No informations about the header format have been gathered yet.

=== Payload ===

No informations about the payload format have been gathered yet.

=== Checksum ===

The last two bytes before the packet ending marker are a CRC16-FCS checksum. (See rfc1662 for polynom and table)

=== Similarity to RFC1662 ===

The usage of CRC-16-FCS but even more the frame boundary packet as well as the escaping for it looks similar to what we found about this protocol. Even a grep -i HDLC over the binary firmware image reports the usage of PPP and HDLC as communication protocol format. So we can be almost sureley that HDLC+PPP is used.

http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1662

=== Identified byte sequences ===
* Sync Message: 0xfa 0x10 0x0
* Sync Response Message: 0xfa 0x30 0x0
* Configuration Message: 0xfa 0x30 0x00 0x1
* Empty Configuration Message: 0xfa 0x40 0x0
* Configuration Response Message: 0xfa 0x40 0x0
* Acknowledge Message: 0xfa 0x50 0x0
* SIM PIN on startup is sent with: 0xfa 0x60 0xe3 0x0f 0x0e 0x00 0x13 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 <4 ASCII digits> 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00
* SIM PIN acknowledgement from modem: 0xfa 0x50 0x0f

=== GPS ===
The [[GPS]] receiver is part of the modem in Palm Pre and all data received and sent related to location goes over the same port using the same frame coding as GSM. GPS functionality can not be enabled (at least not using the Palm-provided drivers) until modem radio is enabled and seemingly until the modem successfully registers to the network.

Tracing the data sent over /dev/modemuart the following hostnames can be seen being sent from the OS to the modem chip:
xtra1.gpsonextra.net, xtra2.gpsonextra.net, xtra3.gpsonextra.net

They point to the RX Network's company website (rxnetwork.ca) that claims to provide better geolocation by combining GPS, wifi signals, GSM CellID and live reports downloaded over GPRS. The modem downloads the following files:
http://xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin, http://xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin, http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin

Research Pre GSM Modem Protocol

2009-11-09T05:13:07Z

Balrog-kun: Added what seems to be the PIN entry sequence