The adapter costs $24.41+$4.99 S/H.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000IN04G4/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1208541922&sr=8-1
This guy did it by opening the case and installed a regular serial connector!
http://www.aximsite.com/boards/x50-x51-accessories/100769-there-usable-rs232-compliant-cable-x50v-hyperterminal-like-software.html
My-O-my - got it less than 24 hours after ordering from Dell.ca - and it's a true CF SERIAL
(TTL only
) card!!!
Here's what my X50v sees:
PNP name: CF_CARD-GENERIC-A569
Port: comm 4
Dev ID: 43
Socket: 0
Driver: serial.dll
Rgy entry: drivers\pcmcia\serial
So now I'm trying to carefully open the case so I can see what the pin connections are.
I DO know that even though there are 12 pins, they are doubled. There are actually only 6 pins used and the external cable connector that fits over the GPS module connector only has 6 wide pins inside.
There are two GND, 1-Vcc, Rx & Tx. I need to figure out what the 6th pin does.
UPDATE:
The serial chip inside the CF card is an Oxford Semicondictor OXCF950:
http://www.oxsemi.com/oxford/documen...t/OXCF950.html
The CF card pinout:
(pin 1 is at the top of the picture
)
1,2 - Gnd
3,4 - 3V
5,6 - Gnd
7,8 - Rx
(0-3v into the CF card
)
9,10 - Gnd
11,12 - Tx
(0-3v to the GPS
)
The following are not connected on the OXCF950 chip:
DTR, RTS
The following are tied to +3V on the OXCF950 chip:
RI,DCD,DSR,CTS
There is enough open space on the PCB to mount a MAX3232
(surface mount package
) and to bring out the wires though the plastic housing to a DB9 mounted on the back. That way, you can still use the CF adapter with the Pharos GPS if you wanted to.