Geocaching Australia

Just got my Holux gps mouse today, hooked it all up, works a treat. I'm using the USB to serial software that came with it, works fine.

So, to my problem/concern.

When the gps mouse is plugged in and is working, there is a high pitched squeel, not loud, but annoying, coming from the laptop. As soon as i close the program that is accessing the gps mouse, the squeel goes away. i dont wanna stuff my new laptop, so does anybody know what is going on?

thanks

marin

marin wrote:Just got my Holux gps mouse today, hooked it all up, works a treat. I'm using the USB to serial software that came with it, works fine.

So, to my problem/concern.

When the gps mouse is plugged in and is working, there is a high pitched squeel, not loud, but annoying, coming from the laptop. As soon as i close the program that is accessing the gps mouse, the squeel goes away. i dont wanna stuff my new laptop, so does anybody know what is going on?

thanks

marin

The "squel" can only come from a switch mode power supply. Most likely the one that powers your USB port. Your GPS Mouse must be powered from the USB port, in which case it is most likely drawing a fair amount of current, thus causing the switch mode supply in your notbook to squeal. Annoying, but nothing to worry about. Nothing you can do about it really, unless you get an externally powered USB hub.

EcoDave

from the specs sheet

<p>
Power consumption
<170mA at 4.5- 5.5V input
<p>

is this alot?

marin wrote:from the specs sheet

<p>
Power consumption
<170mA at 4.5- 5.5V input
<p>

is this alot?

For a GPSr, yes. That's 0.85W. A GPS like the eTrex draws about 1/3 of that.
For a USB device - no. The USB port can supply up to 500mA @ 5V (it's intelligently programmable), but that doesn't mean the switch mode supply used in your notebook has to be efficient and not make any audible noise at that current or lower.

It's just a case of a poorly designed switch mode power supply - very common.

EcoDave

It could also be that the GPS is maxing out your CPU (poorly designed driver perhaps) and that is spinning up a noisy fan faster than during normal low-load operation.

Maybe the mouse is just annoyed at having its tail shoved in the back of a laptop.

- R

Mind Socket wrote:Maybe the mouse is just annoyed at having its tail shoved in the back of a laptop.
- R

Get the Gaffa tape!

EcoDave

thanks peoples, ive put it down to this switch mode power supply, but bloody hell, its a HP laptop 3ghz, only 2 weeks old, u reckon they could get these things right?!?!?!?!???!!!!!!!

marin wrote:thanks peoples, ive put it down to this switch mode power supply, but bloody hell, its a HP laptop 3ghz, only 2 weeks old, u reckon they could get these things right?!?!?!?!???!!!!!!!

Bill Hewlett & William Packard would be turning in their grave

Not the least of which when the computer division was given the rights to the HP name, and the TMG got spun off into Agilent

EcoDave