N900 Hardware GPS
The GPS in the n900 is a TI GPS5030 - navilink 5. [1]
The Navilink series is detailed here.
The GPS is not connected to the main CPU, but to the processor in the phone module, hence cannot be directly communicated with. [2]
Bugs
A number of users have reported poor or no lock in circumstances where the phone should obtain a GPS lock.
See this bug for more information and to help with debugging.