Chinese GPS auto shutdown issue

Hi guys,

I have a rather weird issue here with my chinese/noname GPS. It's a Win CE 6.0 with IGO8.3. All works fine (thank GOD), but my car having the mirror folding option when
locking the car, when you remove the key (all powered down) and press "lock" button on remote controller it powers up everything for 8-10 seconds to be able to fold the mirrors.
After that everything powers down. The problem I have is that the GPS starts the shutting down sequence (I have it set to 10s) when removing the key from ignition and
it may or may not finish it until I press "lock" on the remote. The GPS senses this power-on event and starts the start-up sequence. The power is removed before the start
sequence is finished and so the GPS thinks it started on batteries, then it stays on until the battery dies or I come back to the car.
Before I go anywhere, my question is: Is there any script or hardware solution to avoid this or I have to live with it?
I was even thinking to remove the battery from inside the GPS but I was afraid that I may damage the unit by doing so, and not only the hardware but knowing how
windows handles these so called "hard stops" I may corrupt the OS too.

Please help!

Thanks!

EDIT:

I went on a limb and opened the GPS and cut all three wires from the battery.
Well, what can I say, all my issues are resolved. The device being not only a GPS starts in the applications mode, gives me the chance
to start my music and then I can start the IGO8 by touching an icon. When the ignition is cut, the device immediately stops no matter
in which state; booting, shutting down, winCE, gps or apps mode. When the power is restored, hence the ignition key is in, it starts the boot sequence every time.
The only issue I would see here is the device/gps time and date which is always reset every shutdown when no sat available but as long as the gps "sees" any satellite, the time is automatically updated in a matter of seconds.
But, as long as my gps is an fixed in dash model which will never be used somewhere else, I suppose it will serve its purpose in car only...in fact, if there is no sat visibility, I guess the purpose of the gps is defeated anyways.
I took a backup of the device just in case...

I'm just guessing here but wouldn't it just have simpler to correctly shutdown the GPS device before turning off the key instead of opening it up and cutting any wires?

1. problem I have is data stability.
If the device is shut while writing files you'll end up with heaps of corrupted data turning your system useless.
2. problem I have is that cuting the power to the battery is one of the worst choices I have seen so far ;)

For me the most easiest solution would be to tap into the ignition on power of your car - and not into the stuff that comes after that and is controlled by the computer.
That way you only get power with the key and the power is gone completely without it.
If your car would fire up the hole ignition system too your dash lights and everything would go on several times.
In that case you use a circuit that has a delay for the shut off (simple NE555 timer).
As they only need a few mA it can be connected to the battary power and get it impulse from the ignition system.
Once on it stays on for let's say 5 minutes with ignition off powering the GPS or the cigarette lighter outlet.

Downunder35m wrote:1. problem I have is data stability.
If the device is shut while writing files you'll end up with heaps of corrupted data turning your system useless.
2. problem I have is that cuting the power to the battery is one of the worst choices I have seen so far

I totally agree with you for the data stability and the choice...LOL
The problem is that I cannot tamper with the ignition and/or anything else in this car as it's still under warranty.
I own a GARMIN 760 too and being used to not having to start/stop gps manually (always starting/stopping with ignition) I wanted to have the same thing...I know this is different from GARMIN because it has the WinCE OS and the gps runs as an application on top of the OS. I am not much of a WinCE user, and I will probably never use it as an OS in the car.

If you don't mind me asking, if I am not copying/moving files from/to the WinCE interface or running anything else that would create read/write I/O within the OS, what else could corrupt?
Is the GPS soft (IGO8.3) writing anything into the OS files?
Or the whole thing is running on top of the OS?
I am asking these questions because I have no idea how these devices with WinCE work...

Thanks and forgive my ignorance if I am asking stupid questions...

All running programs at some stage write data even if it is only some status data.
Being a in dash system, if you use it for entertainment there should be no issue.
But I would not recomend turning the ignition off when using as a GPS.
By the way: what happened to save the planet and turning the engine off at the red lights? ;)

Downunder35m wrote:By the way: what happened to save the planet and turning the engine off at the red lights?

I don't know how you Aussies are doing it, but us, North Americans don't care about turning off the engine at the red lights or anywhere else for that matter, we save the planet by recycling empty beer cans...:angel_mini:

Anyone could answer my 2 previous questions?
Like, is the entire device (media player, document reader, radio player, gps, bt, etc) running on WinCE or just the gps?
Inserting a new question, is there any secure way of backing up the WinCE installation like imaging or something else?
Before you guys jump at me that I didn't read the FAQ section and googled the answer, let me tell you that I actually did a lot of reading before posted here

Thanks!

chas521 wrote:wouldn't it just have simpler to correctly shutdown the GPS device before turning off the key instead of opening it up and cutting any wires

Thanks for your answer, and yes, it would have been easier, but like I said in another reply I am used to just turnoff the engine and leave the car, I am lazy enough to look for a solution that doesn't make me remember s**t that I don't need to remember.
I believe that these gizmos are supposed to make our life easier, like give us more time to drink and enjoy life, don't you?
...and these things should do what WE want not the other way around...

PS: As an employer, which individual do you think you should hire to do your job faster and better? A lazy one or not?
Well, I'll tell you which one I would hire; the lazy one because he would find the best way to do things with minimum of effort and thinking, let alone time spent to do it....

belgiumrom wrote:1, Like, is the entire device (media player, document reader, radio player, gps, bt, etc) running on WinCE or just the gps?
2, Inserting a new question, is there any secure way of backing up the WinCE installation like imaging or something else?

1, Usually only the GPS, Media, MP3 runs under WinCE, The radio, CD, etc uses normal hardware, there will be a hardware audio mixer to manage the sound from both.

2, No, The WinCE installation is in ROM, with file/registry changes written to disk giving the impression that they've been changed, If you can find a ROM update image then you can flash the device back to default.

Thanks a lot for this, that's what I found on my own googling it.
But I had to ask, you never know where you may find a viable solution.

If you are unable to tap into the loom of the car to get a suitably switched power supply, then it's possible to create a script to force the device off immediately when power is disconnected, the same warning about file corruption applies though.

For this to work it's advised to disable the auto power off feature in iGO.

Just keep an up to date backup of the device handy in case of corruption issues.

I know this is an old thread I'm bumping, but I also own a cheap no-brand Chinese GPS that runs on WinCE 6.0, and I am looking for a way to make it auto power on and off with the ignition on my car. I'm hardwiring it into my car and it will be in a screen housing so I won't have access to the power button. I can't see an option anywhere to make it do this, and hoping someone here might be able to help?

There isn't a link, that I can see, to identify the model being talked about here, so here's a link to the same one on eBay that I have. I presume (hopefully) they are all much of a sameness!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XGODY-7-Inch-TRUCK-CAR-Navigation-GPS-Navigator-SAT-NAV-4GB-UK-EU-Map-SPEEDCAM-/290770039696?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b33eb390

If it won't switch on when power is applied now, there won't be a way of doing it with software.

Matt,
Before you exit the software. you must exit through the software exit and not just simply turn off the car or device. A proper save folder is then created.

I also have an issue with auto shutdown feature of a Chinese PNG..

When the device detects voltage, it automatically switches on.(this is good)

So, this is what happens...when I turn on ignition ( haven't started the engine yet), device wakes up, so I turn ignition one more step to start engine...at this stage momentarily, power to the cigarette lighter/radio etc...is cut off on all cars (to protect them from voltage dropdown)..so the device starts counting down 10 seconds to shut down and after a second when engine is running and power is restored, the device continues to count down and goes to sleep..

Power handling (wake & auto shutdown) of the device seems to be done by device firmware and I haven't been able to find any settings for this...

Normally on other WinCE sat navs I used, iGO controls this procedure ( not device firmware) and is capable of stopping the countdown when power is restored..(.sys file > [interface] > shutdown_time=10)

On my other sat navs I used..iGO manages this shut down stage and as power is restored after engine runs it stops the countdown but on these units device has its own countdown timer which will not stop countdown when power is restored..

Has anyone come across such problem or a way round it?