Sirf 2 firmware for a vintage TT Go 700 sought

Can anyone help me recover or find the correct firmware for my vintage TomTom Go 700 c.2005? It has a Sirf 2 FFFF chip and had 2.4.13.03-XIAC2.0.2-C3PROD1.0 firmware. It was previously upgraded with an 8GB CF card years ago.

It was working fine until I started investigating updating the navcore due to the unavailability of maps for 7.903. I had it working well on a version of 9.541 except that the clock reset to 00.00 when it connected to satellites. I could not find a working solution to this. Then I read the thread about updating the firmware (entitled “wnro ultimate solution for x10/x20/x30 & 7000”) without realising I had the wrong Sirf chip and was falsely reassured that changes were reversible misunderstanding that this only referred to swapping between the two version offered. After changing the firmware to 3.2.5 or 3.6.0 the GPS does not work. The black and yellow disc or ball does not spin and no satellites are shown on the satellite status screen.

I have tried numerous backups of this and other TomTom 700s that I own. I have wiped it and run clear flash then allowed old and new versions of Tomtom home to recover it. This result in a Tomtom that boots and load maps but still no GPS function.

The relevant areas of ttgo.bif before I started.

[TomTomGo]
DeviceName=TomTom GO 700
DeviceVersionHW=GO 700
DeviceSerialNumber=M52126J00965
DeviceUniqueID=AK8S2 BAEUS
RamDiskVersion=20081205
BootLoaderVersion=54201
LinuxVersion=2344
ApplicationVersionVersionNumber=7903
ApplicationVersion=9183
UserLanguage=English UK
UserName=
LastConnectionTime=2014/02/11,14:10:07,UTC
LastConnectionPhone=Sony Ericsson,V600i
GPSFirmwareVersion=2.4.13.03-XIAC2.0.2-C3PROD1.0
…
ValueRatio=Aic3AniU0Tqjzv/XLQ==

I realise these old TT Go’s are obsolete and I could buy another for spares but I enjoy the challenge of keeping old stuff going, and I use it in a car that is over 50 years old. I bought a Go 700 new in 2005 for £550, although not this one. Any thoughts or ideas on how to resurrect it?

Chris

Because of having the wrong GPS chip you will always have problems with the clock, but I will have to look up whether it is the wrong one that cannot provide you with a flash.
But I don't think that should be a big problem.
The device continues to receive the satellites and that is exactly what we need, in principle nothing more.
What I do notice is the bootloader, which I would replace with 5.5128
I have set aside some files for you on my private server, have a look around there, I can recommend a Navcore 9.510

Install WinSCP and use the next url

ftp://SerVice_Once_Only_Friends:SerVice ... net:47474/

Thank you for taking an interest in my problem.

It looks as though I am already on bootloader 5.5128. Although I didn’t consciously do this it must have happened during one of my many navcore swaps or during TomTom Home “updating” of my device.

Your FTP link is a useful resource but I didn’t find anything related to the Sirf chip apart from the 3.2.5 firmware flash, the start of my problems.

As you suggested I changed to the 9.510 navcore which works but unfortunately has done nothing to restore GPS function. 9.541 was also working previously.

Here is a picture of my GPS status screen, disc/ball not spinning, no sign of any satellites.


And the boot screen


In my current ttgo.bif the GPSFirmwareVersion= line now has no entry. Perhaps the flashing software deleted the sirf2 version then was unable to add the sirf3 version even though I got the message “flashing new GPS firmware” with a yellow process bar followed by a green bar, and a reboot, with no error messages. I fear my only hope is someone who has a copy of sirfimg.bin for the sirf2 or is knowledgeable enough to modify one to work.

Chris

Hello Chris,

Unfortunately, I only have a routine somewhere to fix a bad or interrupted bootloader.
Unfortunately I don't have a solution for the GPS chip.

But I have also accidentally released the flash routine on the wrong GPS chip, without paying close attention of course, but that had no disastrous consequences, simply nothing happened.

Whether re-flashing will be the solution, I honestly have no idea.
It is possible that searching the internet could be a solution, I wouldn't know of any other solution than the one you have already suggested.
I do have an old TomTom One with a Sirf 3 FFFF chip, but how to get the settings from it is beyond me, if it were even possible.

I abused my old TomTom One XL for a while and had the flash update performed twice, the first time it was done normally, but there was a red line visible, which in my opinion means that nothing is or was not performed.
A second attempt did not get any further than the message that the flash update had started, after 5 minutes I pulled the plug and the old One XL started normally.

In my opinion something else must have happened, try restoring the device with a clear flash.

In the meantime, I'm still looking to see if there is any other information on my server than you can already see

Thanks again for your interest and trying to help.

I have spent hours on the www looking for sirf-2 firmware totally unsuccessfully. I have other x00 devices with the correct Sirf 2 FFFF firmware on them but I don't think there is a simple way of extracting reusable firmware. Its interesting that you didn't trash your One XL by experimentation, and in my searching no one else seems to have had my problem. I have already used clear flash numerous times. I wondered which chip stores the firmware as I have a scrap 700 main board and could try a chip swap, but a lot of work.

I'll wait a bit and see if there are any other suggestions here then perhaps try the German forum that originated the upgrade firmware, with Google translate.

Chris

I have a very strong suspicion that you are dealing with a fateful coincidence.
There is now also a video on the server about how the flash update works, there is a green bar at the end of the process, mine was red and nothing has changed.

I still have some scrap material here, including a GO 920 that still makes the starting sound but the screen no longer works. I have two of the same screens, so either both screens are defective or the video control is defective.

A GO 910 without HDD but with a detachable GPS antenna with, I assume, the GPS chip underneath.
On the GO 920 the antenna is soldered to the motherboard and near it is a completely metal sealed, I assume, GPS chip, it would be a coincidence if both motherboards were the same.
Please contact me at [email protected] and I can exchange some photos with you to see if there is any similarity.

For tomorrow, an especially quiet and safe evening, good luck, prosperity and especially health for 2024

Thanks for your interest in my dilemma, here's an update. I got nowhere with various navcores or retrying the 3.2.5 firmware flashing, all seem to load and run OK but the GPS function didn't work, no spinning ball/disc, no satellites found. I dismantled my spares Go 700 that I had previously used for a mainboard and screen and found that the GPS chip is on a small separate pcb, easily removed. I swapped this board and the GPS function is restored, the disc/ball spins, UTC is detected and satellites found. The clock still rests to 00.00 but I can live with this.

Chris