yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] jupppo:
Hi Guys,

I would like to take this to the next step and try it out with a more professional GPS antenna. I have either a foil antenna or this one in mind (which maby fit in the case):

http://www.antonics.de/products/images/datasheet/100-30-29-01.2%20omniplanar%2025%20sa%201500%20gps%20internal%20passiv_v01.pdf

Before I order some I need to know the type of connectors. Obviously I don't want to use the pogo pin or solder on it.

When I am right the attached picture should be the external antenna connector on the primes board.

Does anyone know, what type of connector that is and do you concur that this is for GPS?
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] thephoenixvampire:
i think i am about to order a few of those "cell phone booster stickers" stick them on the back of my TP and solder a wire to them. I've already re-soldered the antennas in my tablet and the signal is amazing when the tab it open.

what do you guys think?
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] bimbobo:
1) I am also tired of that the GPS is useless, (but that's not why I bought ATP).

2) I am also very tired that the WiFi is weaker than the other devices I own, (but I get not disconnected).

3) I am also Very much tired that WiFi and BT cannot work together!

But from this to begin going aorund with a tablet with "holes", external haning wires, tapes and other "smart solutions" it's totally crazy.

You have the most elegant tablet on the market and want to "turn it to a crap"?

I will await an update, a new fw, Gary Key's statement or whatever else, than can improve the status quo.

If things are going wrong I will ask ASUS to replace it, as soon as they have a batch with the QUALITY, they should have given us from the beginning.

All the rest (I fully rspect the effort and the explanation given when opening the unit) is very very stupid IMHO. It would be like buying a car and instead of get it fixed by the company, you go around with holes in the chassis and stuff hanging..

Come on guys.. You did a GREAT job, and ASUS should learn from your discoveries, and fixed the thing. :)

Sorry if I disagree with these smart "workarounds".
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] tshoulihane:
People looking to try different antenna configurations who want to understand a bit more what might work could try reading this - http://www.freescale.com/files/rf_if/doc/app_note/AN2731.pdf

Basically with antenna design (especially electrically small, or not operating in free space) comes down to if it looks wierd, it might work. If you build enough, you'll find one that does work.

For RF, you do not need an electrical connection. The copper foil tabs might be for capacitive loading, or might be an attempt to couple into the slot formed between the front and back plates.

My guess is that close proximity to the backplate has de-tuned the antenna PCBs, and re-making them at 70% size would be worth a try.

It's perfectly possible to couple into the whole backplate and make it into an antenna (just prone to proximity effects when you hold it). My first job was testing some antenna designs for Tracker - to be bolted into the inside of a car chassis, which acts as a good faraday cage, unless you couple into the bodywork or the slots round the doors!
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] jupppo:
Hey, I am willing to try out a couple of antennas at different locations within the prime. Can you answer my questions regarding the pin connector from post #506?
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] janaha_:
The connector pins are the same used on wifi cards and are not related to GPS (I had a pigtail? connector laying around and it didnt't improve my signal, nor wifi)

I too struggle with no gps birds and not the best wifi when moving away from the router.

Like others the wlan/gps PCB is faulty, with no connection on the wlan part.

I didn't want to solder anything in case I wanted to return it, so I used copper wire and tape

Since I can't post links you will have to copy the url

(poor picture but you get the point)

jahansen.com/temp/01.jpg

Wifi improved, but didn't go through the roof (maybe 2-3 mbit)

GPS found no birds(tried for an hour last night with no success.

jahansen.com/temp/02.jpg

Don't know what I hooked up to here, but it is ground.

5-6 birds and lock in about 10 sec with gps status.

Will test some more, and do a more permanent solution if it works OK.

If I remember correctly someone here asked if the pads that contact the antennas are conductive.They are on mine.Goes to backpanel.Ohm meter showed few ohms, but diode tester beeped. (EDIT : Answer above)
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Skullmonkey:
Pics for the post above: (scaled down because they were huge)
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] mrokeefe:
I've been in and out of this ever growing thread, but has anyone tried padding up the antenna's contact points with some leaf copper? Pogos suck, I know, but if the antenna's contact pads are thickened up so that we do make a decent connection it'll be what asus was trying to achieve in the first place. No holes, no coax, no solid core jumps...just the original design.

Or, are we taking this thread into a full blown mod-fest?
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Thenits:
Thanks Spike48

Looks like the thread is still heading off in all sorts of WAG ...wild arse guessing.

The pcb antennae are not a design flaw.

I am waiting to recieve some rf coax to bypass the pogopins and direct soldering to the pcb antenna and the testpoints on the main pcb. It would be nice if we had some more detail on the test points to determine if a connector is available but either way, if careful, a solid connection could be made.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] GernBlanston:
I don't know if, with the presence of the back plate, we're going to come across a good design that improves the wifi or gps without bringing it outside the confines of the unit...I think whatever we end up with, we'll be looking for the more hardcore hardware modders and fabricators (like, out of the car stereo fiberglass and dash work world, or people into model railroad or building small models in general) to come up with a way to make it cosmetically acceptable. What we really need, imho, is a team of one of those types closely couple with (no pun intended) someone with background in antenna design and theory. Two (or a very few more) people with enough time and focus to come up with an antenna design and find a cosmetically pleasing way to secure it.

I've been thinking more along the lines of a thin, retractable antenna...nothing designed from an RF standpoint, mind you, but taking advantage of the knowledge that GPS reception improves dramatically with something as dumb as a piece of wire or screwdriver attached to one of the contacts on the PCB, but moved outside the Prime's case. Something you could extend, or couple to, for use with GPS, then disregard when you're done.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] buxtahuda:
The issue isn't just one of bad connection though, I don't believe. There's also the printed circuit board that seems to be faulty on at least some Primes (proven in my mind by janaha_'s copper/tape method for completing the circuit and getting increased WiFi), and the fact that the pogopins themselves are small antenna whose signal is being absolutely raped by our grounded backplate/something else. And take what I say with a grain of salt, as I don't actually know lol

But no, I have not seen anyone do so yet.

I want to do a combo of janaha_'s fix for the primary WiFi antenna, and something like just covering the pins as much as possible with anti-static material or something. Again, I'm clueless, but that's why I'm keeping up the [GUIDE/DISCUSSION] thread regarding all this.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] tedr44:
Now we need to figure out how to jumper those pogos because their only purpose is to separate the two halves cleanly. If the pogos can be jumpered it will eliminate the intermittent contact problem. We need close up shots of pogos, antennas and surrounding areas. A continuity tester will verify the connection.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] clackity:
How is an antenna that makes no electrical connection whatsoever to the wifi card not a design flaw.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Erusman:
Exactly. Its a design flaw and anyone that says it isn't is wrong. Why even have a left side WIFI antenna copper loop on top there if nothing is connecting to it! Asus screwed up with the PCB and copper etching at the factory or whomever made the PCB. That was the whole reason of the recall there in beginning. Then they went ahead and shipped probably because Asus engineers told the bigwigs there is a secondary wifi antenna on other side.

It would have weaker wifi but it was still working.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Thenits:
As per spike48. RF theory - do a search on the google machine for parasitically coupled antenna elements.

Has anyone attempted to bypass the pogopins with coax yet?
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] demandarin:
I really like this idea of a small retractable antennae. It could be made that when put in it sits flush in the prime. There would be a small notch or something to allow you

To extend it out. Imagine how much better reception n strength you would get. It'll be a minimalistic look.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] GernBlanston:
Antennas and microwave transmission lines can be coupled together with no contact. This method is called parasitic coupling, where, in simple terms, the ends of the wires act as tuned sources that another set of wire ends can pick up on. This method can be used for a variety of purposes such as narrowing or widening the effective bandwidth of the antenna, or isolating one part of a system from another in terms of voltage spikes, altering the radiation pattern of an antenna (look up Yagi antenns) etc.

You might, while you're at it, look up rectangular waveguides and see how they work...two planes of conductor (like gold, for example) in a rectangular conduit (like a vent) that are spaced such that only a given set of frequencies "bounce" down the tube, with the idea being that any alternating electric field that arrives at either plane at anything other than 0 volts top and bottom, will be conducted to ground by the plane(s). In this way, the waveguide rejects everything but a chosen set of frequencies that fit in the space between the conductive plates. The couplers for such things are rarely physically connected by conductors to the waveguide itself, rather, an antenna element is inserted into the guide to pick up the signal at the far end, and placed such that the signal is always at its strongest field strength at the antenna placement.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] buxtahuda:
That's nice, but then why do people get better reception after correcting the "already-working" PCB? And why do different methods for the two antenna when they're all right in one area?
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] GernBlanston:
I didn't say it is correctly done, or that it was even the manufacturer's intent in this case, I was just responding to the question, "How could an antenna not physically connected work?" Seriously, it'd be beyond my ken to even model something on that scale and tell you the why's and wherefor's of how Asus designed an antenna like this. The day-to-day stuff I work on involves high-power transmission over miles with relatively huge antennas whose beam patterns aren't subject to interference by parasitic capacitance from nearby PCB's and being within millimeters of gigantic aluminum ground planes. Maybe all Asus wanted was a little dipole, and the manufacturers screwed up...or maybe this coupling has to do with interference rejection or filtering, I don't know.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Chemas:
Anyone tried to "disconnect" 2nd WLAN antenna to check if primary antenna is working?
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] jjdevega:
I really don't have any issues with my Prime. I'm still getting full bars on the 2nd fl of my house and minus 1 bar in the corner of my house on 2nd fl. GPS I get 15 sats with 11 locked on at 18 to 48 range in accuracy indoors, 17 sats outside. Am I but a few people that has a good Prime? I feel so alone. I received my 4th Prime 2 days ago. I guess I can finally stop looking. But if and when my Prime starts to show signs. I'm glad that this is here! I also have no wifi/BT issues. Go Manning!
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] tshoulihane:
Tricky from the photos...

It might be something like an MMCX connector, or maybe something like this http://www.rfmw.com/rosenbergerrfswitch

I suspect it is for GPS, but it's probably a factory test point. It looks like there is a small component between it and the microstrip feed to the pogo, probably a 33pf capacitor (the GHz equivalent of a 0 ohm link). If it was me, I'd lift this component, and solder coax on here - but I'm not worried enough about GPS to open my prime!

I would be worried about leaving the connection to the pogo if you do manage to find a match for the connector. Having an inch or so of un-terminated line won't do the signal any favours.

I just realised that my SGS2 has some similar looking connectors to pass RF between two boards. There are much smaller than MMCX, not something I've come across before - but I do have a 2" length of coax!

This example has some components which are presumably used for matching between the coax and the spring connectors between the PCBs - if you were connecting a 50 Ohm antenna, you'd want to remove these.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jW2zCTqW5y14j090zsdYt9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/IufMfx4jWDUfe7hPSZVENdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] junrider:
The transformer prime should change its name to Frankenstein Prime. Parts are getting pulled out and other parts are getting added. Hehe.. definitely not for the novice.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] janaha_:
I posted it earlier.It's not gps related as I have tried it.No signal improvement.

It's the same connector used on mini-pci wifi cards etc.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] tshoulihane:
No improvement would tie in with it being a parallel test point - fine for using in a test fixture to inject a know signal. If it is GPS, you'd need to remove the connection to the pogo pin to get a good comparison. Having 2 WiFi connection points would make sense too though.

My vote is still to connect random bits of foil to the pogo point...
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Doktaphex:
It most certainly is not. That would be a U.fl connector, and I have done enough hardware repairs on laptops to know that is not the same connector.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] janaha_:
Tried wifi too.No improvement but don't think the antenna used was top notch.

There are the same connectors on the left top too, probably aux wifi, one of these connectors are occupied.Probably connected to the chip, but may be mistaking

---------- Post added at 08:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 PM ----------

OK.I found one of those cables and tested.It fit so I guessed it was the same.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] cfl.htc.hd:
I have been fallowing this thread for a while. I am not an antenna expert! I would like to propose the following.

Could it be that we are looking at the wrong part of the PCB as being the antenna?

If you look below, Item A is grounded to the Prime back plate, just as the other antennas. Would this not be a common ground for the antenna "shielding".

If so, then look at Item B. Notice the different size of the copper strips between the GPS and the WLAN. This would indicate the different wave lengths for the different signals.

Would we not want to try to extended the antennas at Item B and make sure the antenna shielding is grounded to Item A.

Thoughts? Observations?
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] peterk-1:
Another GPS solution to consider is a re-radiating antenna clipped over the edge of the screen. There's an example here for a Garmin etrex being used in a car (ww-w.gartrip.de/antenna.htm)
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Wordlywisewiz:
Can I make a suggestion!

Try flipping the antenna upside down and solder it......

Maybe they designed it backwards!

Who knows just someone try it
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] junrider:
Hmmm... So if the pogopins are to help with the grounding, some primes are not properly grounded causing problems. So maybe to find the antenna of the wifi we should look at the main wifi..... maybe tapping on to the pigtail that connects the main to the aux wifi that is properly grounded?

http://www.anandtech.com/Gallery/Album/1619#35

or is it this one:

http://www.anandtech.com/Gallery/Album/1619#15

I think the wire near the main wifi pogopin is the pigtail that connects to the aux wifi. How about tapping a wire on to that pigtail and see if there is any improvement is reception? But then I am also thinking on the video where the the GPS pogo pin was tapped and the wire was in the unit produced no signals and then when the wire was moved out of the cover the signals started showing up might question if the pogopins are for grounding. I think Im confused. Im just throwing ideas in the air.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] flub:
On a lighter side

My Primes GPS & WI-FI work Fine
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Doktaphex:
Brilliant.....
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] GernBlanston:
When I use bluetooth headphones with my prime, I have to duct tape the prime to my head to maintain signal. My GPS behaves as if I live in Zion with Neo and Morpheus, deep beneath the earth.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] aznmode:
I think the correct way of opening is from the bottom first. Unlatch the 2 bottom latch first then work your way up from the side. If you look at the top tabs they are longer than the sides to secure the top better. Making it difficult to snap on if you close from the bottom first. When I closed it up I started from the top by sliding into the tabs rather than snapping it in. Snapped the side and then locked the latches on the bottom.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] mrokeefe:
I concur, sir.

Modded by MBOK
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] jupppo:
Are you sure about this? I used one of these mici pci connectors. They seem to fit, but the middle pin gets no contact, so you only connect ground for the shielding.

The antenna connetion is the small pin/whole in the middle
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Thenits:
It has been confirmed as not been u.fl. Could it be a mmcx conector??. Any chance you guys can upload a hi res. close up photo/s of the u7907 part in question?
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Ruprect:
ok, can we put this 'defective pcb' bull**** to bed. I have fantastic wifi, well same if not better than any other wifi device and hence you will see the designed gap in my wifi antenna pcb etchings. Also, those are not test points they are connectors, take a close look. I can confirm the outer of these two connectors have low ohms, thus probably grounded. The inner points which you need very thin multimeter probes to test, are connected to their adjacent pogo pins through what is probably a surface mount capacitor. You can see these caps in the photo, they are tiny. But please anyone whom knows nothing about RF design, get up and see if your tv antennas elements are all DC conductive, then scratch your heads and wonder how you get tv pictures.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Doktaphex:
From all the images that I have seen of MMCX connectors, the parts in question on the Prime are not these, at least as far as I can tell, I could be wrong though.

Erm.... yes, connectors to attach testing equipment to. :rolleyes: Hence, testpoints.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Thenits:
Attached are two photos of mmcx connectors - male. What you think? I am assuming the pcb has female recepticles on them.

The third photo is a female.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] cfl.htc.hd:
The in my earlier post Item B is the antennas and the pogo pins make contact with Item B.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] aznmode:
So initially prior to me posting this I had a hard time snapping the top because I followed the original video how to open and just reversed the procedure to close it. Turned out when I eventually shut the top last some of the tabs broke. So again follow my post to do the top first when closing it back up then sides lastly the bottom latches. I notices the tabs were longer so that's when I posted but only looked at the center ones. I reopened since and was following my own precedure to close it. that's when I notice the outer ones broke from when i closed it the orginal way before.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] ericshmerick:
This is why my Prime is going back.

The TF101 was on for about 15 seconds. The Prime for over 4 minutes.

It's on it's way back to Amazon. Shame, really.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Erusman:
Ok here are the pics of my final mods. I removed both PCB Left and right Wifi/GPS antenna. I removed the pogo pins and drilled holes in the back of the aluminum backpanel. Holes where placed just below where pogo pins use to be. I then inserted some rubber gourmets around the drilled holes. Soldered on some wires to where pogo pins use to be and feed them through the rubber gourmets.

I have a MoKo Slim-Fit case so this mod works perfect for me. I can just tuck the wires behind the prime. And never even see the mod.

Awesome results. 32mb 5mb using speedtest for the wifi. Getting 20-30dBM in Wifi Analyzer. I can walk all around my house and get excellent wifi. I can walk out 50 feet in my yard and still pull all bars!

(Using Asus RT-N66U Dual-band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router)

GPS works perfect. Using GPS Test it gets a signal within 5 seconds and 15+ birds, accuracy great!

Light bleed fixed for me. Just messing around with screws on display.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] demandarin:
Damn! That wifi strength is sick! Your reception is powerful as hell now. You should see how much farther than 50ft/17yrds, since you have full bars at that, you can go. I bet at least 50-75 yrds. Nice mods. Have you tested to see how well it holds a satellite also? Great looking mod for Superior wifi n satellite reception strength.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] jupppo:
I think that looks like it.

Thx
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Caanon:
Amazing work. I plan to do just this very thing with one small modification that I'd like to get your opinion on. I don't like having the wires just hanging out like that and would prefer if they were streamlined in some fashion. I'm thinking of having the wires start soldered to the baseboard like yours, go inside->outside via the grommet just like yours, but then continue taught across the back of the prime and then go outside-> inside via the "most" opposite grommet and then get tied off inside. That way it still looks sleek while having the external antennas. Thoughts?

See attached for my 2-minute MSPAINT description
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Ruprect:
where are people hosting their photographs that they have taken themselves?, I cant get picasa to work......... disregard
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] janaha_:
Not sure at all.I'm gonna do a GPS testrun today and if it doensn't work well, I'll open the Prime up and measure it.My multimeter pins are too big so I'll have to make a small wire to the center to test.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] xach:
OT : i wonder what does the small little switch SW6001 above the mini HDMI connector does.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] demandarin:
Just use photobucket..its a free app. Upload your pix. Then select pic in photbucket. Then press menu/options. There you can pull up the links or whatever to paste in your post n will be embedded like the others.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Doktaphex:
That switch if above the headphone jack not the HDMI socket. However, I do not know what it does.

http://www.anandtech.com/Gallery/Album/1619#16
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] green750one:
Kudos to you man, but this is just too extreme for me. I didn't spend £500 ($790 US) in order to drill holes & dangle wires out the back. It may have fixed reception, but it's not the work of art you bought. I'm al for modding but I'll be waiting for a hw mod that looks good. Sorry.