Unlocking the Mio C230 – Version 3.2 with Route & Settings Management

December 2, 2007 at 2:25 pm · Filed under mio c230

[UPDATE]  Version 3.4  Released Jan. 4, 2008

 On 11/16/2007, Amida168 released version R2 of his Mio C230 Unlock script which I used as a base for my MioC230-NXT-R2 .   On top of my changes which include an Unlock menu that allow you to proceed to an unaltered MioMap 3.3, I’ve also incorporated a Route Management menu which is the bulk of the change between R2 and MioC230-NXT-R3 as well as Amida’s (2) new TCPMP plugins that allow you to view podcasts and a few other minor improvements.

MioC230-NXT-R3.2 also incorporates an updated AYGSHELL.DLL,  another registry tweak to remove the Taskbar “Always on Top” setting, and menus for updating and editing the SYS.TXT settings file for MioMap  –  in particular making the changes necessary for the Route Management menus to function properly.   Thanks to robb1 (his inclination was correct), I’ve resolved the routepath issue that Ver3.1 had  – figuring out how to get IniWrite to feed the path to SYS.TXT with the proper double quotes required many trials!

Now that we’ve unlocked the C230, we can start enhancing the capabilities of the MioMap software and I’ve done so with my menus to give you the ability to save multiple (custom) routes and change settings for MioMap options that are hidden in the MioC230, all without touching the official “skin” and with the only penalty being one additional click if you simply want MioMap.   The older Mio units have a variety of alternate “skins” (what the various screens look like – colors, buttons, options, etc.) to choose from but very little has been published yet for the MioMap 3.3 software in the 320 X 240 QVGA format that is used in the Mio C230.

I happened to catch this posting by tweakradje where he developed a menu to manage multiple routes from within iGo and thought this would make a nice front-end in my next build.  Although I haven’t yet played with the skins, because we are able to exit MioMap using the BananaPC option, essentially I’ve been able to adapt and customize this same strategy. 

Perhaps we’ll be able to use his strategy for starting an external application from within iGo (MioMap to us C230 owners) in the near future as a built-in “exit” button, but for now I’m happy to be gaining the other advantages gained in adapting his strategy.

Because you are unable to save multiple routes and because the default route.dat file is currently saved in \My Documents\MioMap folder (which is cleared out during a hard reset), just his tweak alone is great! >>> add routepath = “<a more appropriate folder in My Flash Disk or Storage Card>” to the [interface] section of SYS.TXT in \My Flash Disk\MioMap\MioMap2. 

Normally you don’t need to save a route on your Mio, since you can just create a POI for the destination and regenerate the route dynamically when you want to go there.   If you want to see where you actually drove along the way, you can record a track log.   However, there could be times when you have created a more complex route with multiple waypoints, and you want to save it.   This could be because:

• you’ve imported the route as a set of waypoints from an online route planning site, and you don’t want to lose the effort of setting it up on the Mio
• vacation pre-planning – you’ve set up a complex route for a vacation trip that doesn’t start from “home” and you want to load it into memory once you’ve arrived at the start point
• you want to share your route with another Mio user. 

NOTE [added 12/25/2007]:  When planning routes that start from a location different from your present location (Vacation pre-planning), the Off-Route Recalculation option has a habit of interfering.  You have a couple of options here: 

• The first leg of your trip can be from your present location to the intended starting point.  Just keep setting your route up and when you’re finished, remove the first Waypoint (using the second button on the bottom of the Edit Route screen) which deletes that first segment of the Route.   It seems that once you’re in the Edit Route screens /Fit to screen/ etc., that the GPS doesn’t recalculate from your present position.  It’s when you are in Map or Cockpit where that happens.  With the Route Management Menu, you just exit and Save your Route for future viewing or navigating. 
• Although I haven’t tried it, the bottom selection on the General Settings page is Off-Route Recalculation. Switch this from Automatic to Disabled.  This doesn’t actually turn off the GPS receiver, but it should keep the C230 from messing up your Route planning.  Just don’t forget to turn it back on when your done with your Route planning.

Unlock Version NXT-R3.2

[BEFORE YOU FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES TO MODIFY YOUR MIO C230, KNOW THAT YOU MIGHT RENDER YOUR C230 UNUSABLE AND YOU MIGHT VOID YOUR WARRANTY.  YOU DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.]

Installation procedure

1. Turn on C230 and connect it to the computer using a 5-pin Mini-B USB 2.0 cable (not included in the package).
2. C230 will show up as a flash drive in My Computer as Mio Device. Mine is assigned as F drive. I’ll use F drive in the following steps. Substitute it with the actual drive letter of your system.  If you have a SD card in the slot, it shows up as well – in my case as G drive.
3. Rename the folder F:\MioMap\MioMap to F:\MioMap\MioMap2.
4. In order not to get the message “destination full”, you’ll need to free up some space on your flash disk by moving atleast 12MB of map files to your SD card by creating a MioMap folder and within that folder a maps folder so that the path appears as G:\MioMap\maps.   Choose a combination of map file(s) you’re not accessing every day (in case your SD card isn’t always inserted) from F:\MioMap\MioMap2\maps and move them to the maps folder on your SD card.  MioMap will see them after a hard reset as if nothing happened.  Or you could delete them (or copy to your PC) if you choose not to use a SD card at this time, since it’s easy to explore your MioMap DVD and copy them back to the original folder or a SD card later, if needed. 
5. Download MioC230_NXT_R3_2.zip from this site. 
6. Extract the files from your download and find the two folders MioMap and  Script 
7. Copy MioMap to F:\MioMap\ and copy Script to F:\ as in the screenshot. 
    
8. Disconnect Mio C230 and do a hard reset by sliding the switch on the rear of your C230 to OFF and back to ON again.
9. After calibrating the touch screen, you will be presented with two menu options (and Cancel):

• Unlocked C230 Desktop which automatically runs AUTOPATCHER, does a soft reset and then presents you with the C230 psuedo desktop pictured at the top.  When choosing MioMap from the desktop, you will be able to manage routes, change settings and you will be able to return to the desktop using Amida’s BananaPC option. 
• GPS Only (MioMap 3.3) which takes you right into MioMap directly (as your unit does automatically prior to unlocking) with no other processes running in the background, including BananaPC.   If you wish to exit MioMap started with this selection, you will need to do a hard reset.
•  Cancel, rather than choosing one of the first two actual options.   This will take you into File Manager as Amida’s R1 script does, giving you the flexibility to explore further prior to running any scripts.

Note 1: If you hard reset your unit, you will be presented with the step 9 options once again.

Note 2: If you wish to undo the enhancements and return the Mio C230 back to factory condition:

1. Turn on C230 and connect it to the computer using a USB cable.
2. Rename the folder F:\MioMap\MioMap to F:\MioMap\MioMap3 (or delete) and rename the folder F:\MioMap\MioMap2 to F:\MioMap\MioMap
3. Copy back any map files you may have deleted or moved to your SD card 
4. Disconnect the cable and hard reset C230 using the switch on the back of the unit.

Note 3: Remember, every time you disconnect the USB cable linked to your PC, you will need to do atleast a soft reset, although in most cases you really should do a hard reset.  After each hard reset, simply choose the default menu option that reruns the Autopatcher program to unlock your unit.  The time and date will also need to be reset, unless you are going right into MioMap with autosync enabled.   This is why you might consider using a SD card in conjunction with a USB card reader for adding programs and storing media files once you’re happy with your unlocked Mio setup.

Updating your unlocked C230

Before you begin using your unlocked unit after installing this package, you need to update the SYS.TXT file.  Rather than manually editing the file which might feel too much like hacking for some, I’ve automated the procedure, which also has the advantage of being able to change flyover and show One-way street settings as often as you wish via easy menu selections and all with no changes to the factory skins.

 

^ click on the MioMap icon (the GPS unit in the upper left)

  

^ double click this selection or select and hit OK 

  

^ click YES to add routepath and autosave parameters so that saved route(s) won’t be wiped-out by hard resets.
Well, the mandatory stuff is done…

 

^ your choice.  Mio’s default is YES (demo mode).

 

^ the script reads your current SLOWSIM value (slow simulation – which is the inverse of fast flyover) entry in the file and allows you to keep the value (YES) or change it (NO).   For fast flyover, slowsim=1 is changed to slowsim=0.  

iGo calls the two modes: Lifelike simulation mode (this demp mode with loop turned on) which runs real-time (at speed-limit rate) and includes voice instructions –  mainly used by retail stores with looping turned ON as Demo mode, and for the user to become familiar with it’s routing functioning.   Fast-flyover mode runs 10 times faster (10X the speed-limit rate) and voice instructions are not played, but it is much more useful for reviewing a planned route..

 

^ the script reads your current entry in the file and allows you to keep the value (YES) or change it (NO).

There that is all done, even if you do a hard reset.

^ click on “Load a Saved Route…” and select this sample file and it should copy itself as route.dat and open up in MioMap.  To visualize this Route, select Cockpit > Menu > Routes icon (third in bottom row) > Info > Fit to screen.  When you edit or delete route from within MioMap, you are impacting route.dat file, not the saved file you selected from the menu, so if you want to save changes you’ve made, you’ll have to do so after you exit MioMap and return to the Route Management menu.

Using your unlocked C230

You’ll note that the MioMap icon and the Media Player are larger than the rest.  My reasoning for this is that they will probably be your favorites and you are likely to access these without a stylus.   The other icons…

• MioTool – hitting the small “ab” box in the top left corner with your stylus will reveal a virtual keyboard for entering data.  To turn the keyboard off again, just hit the icon again.  Another method of engaging the keyboard is hitting the keyboard icon on the taskbar (2^nd from the right).
• MioMap 3.3 – Starts my new menu with options to either proceed into the MioMap program, Save / Delete / Rename / Load routes, View / Update MioMap settings in SYS.TXT, or view a brief BananaPC Help screen.

  

  When you start MioMap via this menu, the script first closes MioTool and starts BananaPC, which has three small icon squares that each act differently depending on whether they are tapped or held down.  Remember about where they appear while MioMap loads up as they hide themselves after a few seconds.  The first icon is an X, which if tapped will close MioMap and soft reset.  If held down it will present you with several options, including switching to other programs running in the background.  The second icon puts your currently program in full-screen mode, which can come in handy if the taskbar is acting up.  The third icon, if tapped toggles the mute function and if held down – presents you with a volume control panel.   Amida’s primary purpose for this program was to serve as an exit door back to the desktop to avoid using the hard reset option. 

  Exit and Cancel both take you back to the desktop.  You can either select your option and hit OK, or simply double-click your option.

• TCPMP Media Player – described earlier in this blog.  Ok, you want to play a music playlist or an audiobook while using the navigation functions of your GPS?  Yes, it works!

1. Bring up the taskbar in your desktop (discussed earlier) either hidden or exposed
2. Click Media Player icon and start up your music (or you can start it later if you wish)
3. Tap the far right area of the taskbar and select Desktop
4. Click on MioMap icon and observe the location of the BananaPC icons
5. By tapping and holding down the X icon, you’ll be able to select TCPMP Media Player (or any other running app) and bounce back and forth.

The audio settings for MioMap are independent of your other programs, so if you hit the mute icon in MioMap so that you don’t get 15 reminders that you are approaching your exit, the music plays on!

Shortcuts 2nd row-from-bottom across:

• Suspend – suspends the C230 in sleep mode, using some power though – so don’t use this in place of the actual orange power button.
• Windows Explorer – my primary reason for using this shortcut is to fix file icon associations in File Manager and to resolve the Show Toolbar performance.  It should be noted that the first time you select Windows Explorer, you are likely to get the Mio orange screen with a minimized taskbar at the bottom.  You just need to use your stylus in the right corner of the hidden taskbar (the narrow gray stripe at the bottom edge) and choose Desktop (don’t click on MainShell).  At this point, the taskbar and Windows Explorer will behave better, and the icon associations in File Explorer will work, and other programs that seem to be missing menus, like exit, folder selection, etc. will display their own taskbar (see the Freecell screenshot) as long as the desktop taskbar wasn’t toggled off.
• Pocket Notepad – viewing txt files and for creating quick txt files with the virtual keyboard.  Comes in handy for quick editing ini, mscr and other text files.
• Volume Control – graphic volume control display
• Pocket-G Freecell – so you can have a little fun.  Stylus recommended though (not a pen).

  

• An empty spot for a shortcut of your own (plus room for another 8 shortcuts above this row)
• GQ Photo Viewer – GQ is easier to use for viewing multiple photos than media player, and it has a zoom function
• Restart – soft reset button

Shortcuts 1st row-from-bottom across:.

• DPMS – puts your screen to sleep while everything else continues to run.  This could save battery consumption while recording GPS track logs or playing an audio book, etc.
• Taskbar toggle – toggles the taskbar on and off in whatever state it is in (hidden or revealed)
• FileManCE2 – Two-pane File Manager application alternative to Windows Explorer
• Move Any Window – the mouse icon, is used when you anticipate needing to move windows around (those that drag properly can just be slid over with your finger) or gaining access to the right mouse function by opening this program window beforehand
• MioUtility – quick access to adjust Backlight, Volume, Screen calibrate, Power, Date/Time and Language.  This is the program that older units like the Mio C220 used to exit from MioMap into, but MioMap 3.3 has been written such that these choices are all available from within the program now and in fact the Volume Control appears to be non-functional.   You’ll find that setting the date and time is much easier by clicking on the clock on the toolbar, unless you like the 24-hour format.

  

• WR-Tooks ResInfo – Quick access to status info on battery, program memory, storage memory, Flash Disk useage, Storage Card useage, tasks and processes currently running, system information and settings.  Most of this information is also available from Control Panel as well.

  

• My Calculator – a scientific calculator that is large enough to use without a stylus
• CapScrUtil – a screen capture utility. Remember to store the .bmp images to either Storage Card or My Flash Disk for easy access to the screenshots.  (This utility was used to create all of the images in this blog page)

Taskbar 

 

The registry tweaks introduced with version 3.1 should help tame the taskbar performance.  The default setting for “Always on Top” has been deactivated.   Try to remember to toggle the taskbar OFF prior to using MioMap though.   Want the day and date?  Press and hold the clock on the screen.  Want to minimize the taskbar?  Start/Settings/Taskbar Properties/OK.

ENJOY!!

Permalink