My Garmin eTrex legend has stopped working properly. It turns on and acquires GPS coordinates, but after 15-30 minutes it will freeze and restart. I would love to harvest the GPS module from the unit for use in Arduino projects. Does anybody know if this is possible and, if so, where I might learn how to do this?
The antenna makes the GPS unit look very similar to this product for sale on the Sparkfun website:
I own two of these already. They have printed on them “1590R-A M”. My eTrex legend’s GPS module has printed on it “MS74 E”. Here’s a photo of it: http://www.blairkelly.ca/2012/07/26/garmin-gps/
Hi and thanks for your reply! Sorry I didn’t respond till now, I was away for a few days. Unfortunately I don’t have a hot air machine, and I’m not sure any of my past adventures in de-soldering and re-soldering qualify as “rework.”
It does look as though the GPS module is well integrated into the PCB. I wonder if that ceramic square is just the antenna, with the guts of the GPS spread out across the PCB.
I have to admit the job looks a bit intimidating… but that’s just because I don’t really know where to start.
I would almost guarantee the white square is the antenna. The PCB stack under it looks like the GPS module. If you can get the sub PCB up and off the ‘motherboard’ PCB then you should have a working module if you figure out the pinout.
That is a good idea. I have a non working Garmin. I could certainly use the gps module for something else. Please keep us posted on your progress. I plan to take mine apart and see what’s in it.
