Widcomm BT Activesync on X51v A12 (WM5)

jago.taylor · 07-11-06, 05:40 AM

Hi All,

I have spent some time reading posts in relation to the A12 rom update. I have applied the update and have had no major issues. I have successfully installed the Widcomm 0.50 BT stack and have my BT GPS working fine.

I do have a stange issue with BT activesync (4.2). See below.

I have paired my X51v with my PC (Dell Latitude D600) - OK
Created a BT Activesync connection - OK

When I try to sync via BT from AS on my Axim, I get an error message stating that there is not a BT activesync connection to a PC on the device! It asks if I want to create one (but there is a connection).

If I load the Widcomm BT manager, I can successfully establish the BT AS connection and AS successfully syncs (connecting via the AS shortcut in the BT manager). It's just that I can't establish the AS connection from AS itself.

EDIT: Guys, I have found this guide on the net. The last paragraph indicates that my issue is by design. Can anyone confirm this is the case for WM5?
http://www.bluetoothnews.com/features/ActiveSync.htm

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Jago

gadgetnerd · 07-11-06, 05:56 PM

If it works through Widcomm, why do you care about it working through AS?

player911 · 07-11-06, 09:00 PM

You might not have added the AS service. Just because the PC and the Axim are paired... doesn't mean you have the ports setup on the PPC and the PC.

Best to just delete everything and start from scratch.

Go the Windows PC and open Bluetooth properties. Make a new Com port, usually it'll assign Com5, but it can be Com8 or Com9... just remember which number it picks. Then launch AS and select the option to "Allow Connections on:" and choose the port it assigned eariler.

Then make the PC discoverable. From the Axim, find the PC and it should display the AS service. Select it and finish the setup. Then go to the connections page and tap and hold on the AS connection and connect.

What is happening is the actual ActiveSync program on the Axim is looking for the Microsoft stack and its connections to AS. Because the MS stack isn't there, it can't find the AS connection. The Widcomm stack is different. There is a reg hack to making Activesync on the Axim use the Widcomm stack, so you can automatically connect to your PC's AS connection through the "Connect to Bluetooth" in the Menu button in the Axim.

Confused? Don't be. It'll work. Just play with it.

jago.taylor · 07-12-06, 04:32 AM

Guys,

Appreciate your help.

gadgetnerd - I am not too fussed whether I use AS or Widcomm - I just wanted to make sure BT sync is working as expected.

player911 - thanks for your post, very helpful. Can you provide more info on the reg hack for widcomm. I have installed Widcomm 0.50 - is the hack included in this install?

Is there a thread where I can discuss widcomm BT questions / issues for the X51?

Cheers.

beepbeep · 07-14-06, 01:16 AM

yup... I installed the 0.50 PPC widcom stack for the first time after having upgraded to A12 and the BT sync worked as indicated above. Trying to start the process from within Activesync would not work.

before the A12 upgrade, and with the original BT stack, I was only able to do BT activesync with a WinXP(but not earlier OS) PC with WinXP BT support (instead of Widcomm on the PC)

player911 · 07-14-06, 10:08 AM

That reg hack is in the several pages of the Widcomm thread, not the State of Development.

It was before .50, prolly around page 50 or so. I jumped into it around that time and I know I commented on it. Maybe doing a search for my alias "Player911" and a combination of Widcomm or something will bring it up.
or you can read the thread and skim over it looking for anything resemebling a registry location.

It was like /software/microsoft/activesync/... something
And you make a small change to change the link in AS to use the Widcomm.

I don't use Active sync so I dunno. I just BT push files to and fro.

PorkRind · 07-14-06, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by player911

That reg hack is in the several pages of the Widcomm thread, not the State of Development.

It was before .50, prolly around page 50 or so. I jumped into it around that time and I know I commented on it. Maybe doing a search for my alias "Player911" and a combination of Widcomm or something will bring it up.
or you can read the thread and skim over it looking for anything resemebling a registry location.

It was like /software/microsoft/activesync/... something
And you make a small change to change the link in AS to use the Widcomm.

I don't use Active sync so I dunno. I just BT push files to and fro.

Translation: There isn't any such hack.

I've been monitoring the WidComm stack threads (yes, there is more than one) since the beginning, and the problem reported by the OP is a common one. If there was a fix for it, it would most likely have its own thread. I've gone back and searched all of the WidComm threads and can find nothing that would support Player911's contention that such a hack exists. I sure hope I'm wrong, though.

jago.taylor · 07-17-06, 09:40 AM

All,

Thanks for all the assistance on this.

I don't really use BT Activesync too often anyway. I was really trying to determine if there was something wrong with my BT / AS config. It seems that it is OK.

Still, if anyone does uncover the 'mystery' reg hack to connect via a Widcomm BT AS connection from AS (i.e. not from the Widcomm manager), then that would be appreciated.

Regards,

Jago