How similar is the Sierra 580 and the PC5220 ?

Dog-One

I noticed Sierra Wireless has an AirCard 580 SDK available now on their developer site. Looking at the README, there is a note that it supports the 5220 with firmware 2.36 or newer. I've tried most of the evening to update my card beyond what you can get with the Mobile Connection Manager v2.5 (which sure looks a lot like Sierra's Watch App) and I just can't get the Sierra stuff to work and play with the 5220 card. If anyone knows of a way using EUFU.exe (End User Firmware Updater) to "force" an update, I'd sure be interested in the particulars.

There may actually be hardware differences that prevent it, but it seems to me that having the 580 firmware flashed onto a 5220 card, would basically convert it to a 580. That's what I would like to do, so that I can use this SDK without having to buy a genuine 580 card and going through the hassle of having the new card activated to replace the old card.

Michael · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 6:25 pm Post subject:

From my contact at Sierra:

Audiovox brands the Sierra AirCard for Verizon.

The AirCard 580 and Sierra PC 5220 are the same product. In some Verizon Areas, you may actually find the Sierra AirCard 580.
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Dog-One · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 6:45 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info.

That's what I wondered. Since (soon) you can update the firmware in the 5220 to make it work with the AC580 SDK, I would certainly think the guts are nearly the same. If it's rebranded like you say, then the guts are the same. Any idea on the version, i.e. is the retail 580 basically a 5220 P8A Question

I had a P8 and had problems with it--turned out not to be the card, but Verizon replaced it with a P7 anyway. So I'm still pretty unclear about the whole deal. Seems to me the P8A must have some work-arounds for buggy PCMCIA controllers. All my Cardbus controllers work fine with this P7 and they worked fine with the P8 that I had previously.

Michael · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 8:00 pm Post subject:

Sierra sent me a AirCard 580 for testing.

I can confirm that it is NOT hardware indentical to the PC 5220.

It does require new VZAccess OR Sierra software (which is VERY VERY COOL), it is not recognized with older software you must update.

The card is very similar to the PC 5220 in looks and size and flap up antenna.

I will be posting screen shots of the software and a full review in the coming weeks.

I really like what Sierra did with the connection software. It is like the old MCM, BUT TONS more features.

I wasn't really sold on having someone sends SMS messages while online and connected - but it is VERY cool. A sound (configurable) and message can pop up when a SMS messages comes in and you can reply. There is Outlook integration as well.

More on this software and screen shots coming.
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