USB Host support - Nook HD, HD+ General

It pains me to do this, as I was hoping B&N will step forward and release an OTG/USB Host cable. The hardware is certainly all there.
But alas, they are sitting on their hands again, so I have no other choice but use this software override kludge again.
All for the better most probably, as I suspect when they do release, it'll cost some outrageous amount of money, just like what happened to the HDMI adapter.
If you want to try it yourself.

good job verygreen.
whats the chances of getting this to work on the nook hd?

shue2701 said:
good job verygreen.
whats the chances of getting this to work on the nook hd?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should work on the HD. And since verygreen has his github up, bokbokan can see how he did it. So you need to ask bokbokan to do it in his HD thread.
Sent from my Nook HD+ running CM10.1 on emmc.

Wouldn't there be voltage draw threshold issues using the long cable as a usb host, especially for flash drives? Not even mentioning a usb hard drive, since obviously no way.

rushless said:
Wouldn't there be voltage draw threshold issues using the long cable as a usb host, especially for flash drives? Not even mentioning a usb hard drive, since obviously no way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not met any issues so far daisychaining two cables together (nook one and then into another one for the unpowered hub), but obviously don't go all crazy with 100m cable runs

verygreen said:
It pains me to do this, as I was hoping B&N will step forward and release an OTG/USB Host cable. The hardware is certainly all there.
But alas, they are sitting on their hands again, so I have no other choice but use this software override kludge again.
All for the better most probably, as I suspect when they do release, it'll cost some outrageous amount of money, just like what happened to the HDMI adapter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the software override kludge you're referring to?
-- Never mind, I just noticed the link at the bottom of the original post.

any chance you can make a flashable zip for stock?

dlinfiniti said:
any chance you can make a flashable zip for stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's too much hassle for questionable gains.

>Wouldn't there be voltage draw threshold issues using the long cable as a usb host, especially for flash drives? Not even mentioning a usb hard drive, since obviously no way.
After reading around, one can use a battery pack with pass-thru USB function to connect high-powered devices like a USB HDD. Continuing this line of thought, it should be feasible to connect said battery inline to an unpowered USB hub, and convert said hub to powered. Am practicing some Google-fu to find a decent pass-through USB battery now.

e.mote said:
After reading around, one can use a battery pack with pass-thru USB function to connect high-powered devices like a USB HDD. Continuing this line of thought, it should be feasible to connect said battery inline to an unpowered USB hub, and convert said hub to powered. Am practicing some Google-fu to find a decent pass-through USB battery now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are tons of battery-powered hubs for mobile devices, which seems to be a neater solution than combining a usb hub with a battery.

>there are tons of battery-powered hubs for mobile devices, which seems to be a neater solution than combining a usb hub with a battery.
Would you mind providing some quick links, or whatever search keywords you used? Mine turned up zip:
http://google.com/search?q=battery+powered+hubs

e.mote said:
>there are tons of battery-powered hubs for mobile devices, which seems to be a neater solution than combining a usb hub with a battery.
Would you mind providing some quick links, or whatever search keywords you used? Mine turned up zip:
http://google.com/search?q=battery+powered+hubs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try "battery powered usb hub"

I was hoping you have some actual models in mind. Your key terms resolve to the same blank wall. There are plenty of "battery hubs" shown, but AFAICT all of them are AC-powered hubs that can charge battery-powered devices. The need for a portable (battery) powered hub isn't new, and I've searched for it before. I was thinking of DIY, but a hub + inline passthru battery pack looks to be the least hassle at this point. Again, would appreciate any more integrated solution you know of.

Welp nothing that some window shopping can't cure, as me sis would say.
Anker Astro3 10Ah charger, max output [email protected] $40
http://amazon.com/Thunderbolt-Incredible-cellphone-connectors-customized/dp/B009USAJCC
Anker USB 3.0 4-Port Hub, input [email protected] $20
http://amazon.com/Anker®-Uspeed-Adapter-Compatible-Windows/dp/B007BWTOHU
Use barrel tip and connect charger output to hub DC input. If tip doesn't fit, get charger w/ more tips.
http://amazon.com/Anker-10000mAh-Multi-Voltage-Camcoders-Recorders/dp/B005NGKR54
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Probably best to try in store.

e.mote said:
I was hoping you have some actual models in mind. Your key terms resolve to the same blank wall. There are plenty of "battery hubs" shown, but AFAICT all of them are AC-powered hubs that can charge battery-powered devices. The need for a portable (battery) powered hub isn't new, and I've searched for it before. I was thinking of DIY, but a hub + inline passthru battery pack looks to be the least hassle at this point. Again, would appreciate any more integrated solution you know of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the very first link on that google search is to this amazon item: http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-Mobile-Battery-Powered-CP-H420MP/dp/B0002UQALQ/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt
which is eaxactly a usb hub with AA batteries. Granted, it's no longer available for sale, but there are more of those, I saw them when I last looked a couple of years ago so I know there must be more.

That seems a lot of power draw to be practical, unless a chunky hub to last very long.

rushless said:
That seems a lot of power draw to be practical, unless a chunky hub to last very long.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you measure it? Does not seem too bad in my testing.

Just my looking at the draw having two things hooked up. If you are using one usb drive and no other devices, it should last several hours. Better than taking the load via the tablet battery. Sharing the drain love is good.

so the gender changer usb host thing only works with cm10.1 and not on stock?

baberswallet said:
so the gender changer usb host thing only works with cm10.1 and not on stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct.
For stock you need to have this special cable that B&N never made available (but certainly had plans for).
Shoehorning a new kernel into stock is too much of a hassle too.
But if you are an enterprising individual, you can trace the id pin on the pcb to see where does that connect in the connector and make your own otg cables, resell for huge amounts of money and profit

Related

Presentation using a HTC TyTN?

Guys
Has anyone been able to connect HTC to a projector and give a presentation e.g. present a powerpoint deck?
- JoKer
I haven't tried this, but you might need a screen scaler like NYDITOT Virtual Display...
goestoeleven said:
I haven't tried this, but you might need a screen scaler like NYDITOT Virtual Display...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You da man!! Seems like an awesome software .. However, what kind of cable you would need .. because HTC TyTN is only mini-USB but the projector would need a monitor cable ..
Best guess on the cable at this stage: "Google is your Friend...." :wink:
Ok that google is your friend, but do you know what is the cable. Because here whe are talking about a output image to other device, this is possible using a cable, wich one. I know that is some new projectors that have a bluetooth connection and one sd connector (too expensive) that do this. But i havent head nothing about cable connection.
medicor said:
Ok that google is your friend, but do you know what is the cable. Because here whe are talking about a output image to other device, this is possible using a cable, wich one. I know that is some new projectors that have a bluetooth connection and one sd connector (too expensive) that do this. But i havent head nothing about cable connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basically, a mini-USB to VGA converter. Also, "NYDITOT Virtual Display" is for connecting to an external display but what's the point of the software really without a cable?
Sorry bud, but I haven't seen any external mini-USB adapters to date.
Frankly, I think you're much better off presenting off of a laptop, but that's my opinion.
I found this old article; maybe it will help point you in the right direction:
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tips/margi_presenter.htm
The company they refer to nolonger makes hardware...
Sorry bud, but I haven't seen any external video / mini-USB adapters to date.
Frankly, I think you're much better off presenting off of a laptop, but that's my opinion.
I found this old article; maybe it will help point you in the right direction:
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tips/margi_presenter.htm
The company they refer to nolonger makes hardware...
I found this one, which requires a miniSD (also won't work on the TyTN):
http://www.conduits.com/company_news.asp?pr20060822.html
I'm afraid you're probably ahead of the market in your requirements...
ok follow the condius news and know the sdv product
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http://www.spectec.com.tw/en/sdv-840.htm
not a microsd!
wonder our hermes microsd slot is a sdio slot?
I could be wrong but I don't think MicroSD slots are SDIO... The slot is too small and the cards too flimsy to support any time of external dongle.
yes i think so!
but it could be wrong
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=139433&tab=1
hope it is a sdio
vua777 said:
yes i think so!
but it could be wrong
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=139433&tab=1
hope it is a sdio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome vua777. Nice find. Can't wait fot it to get released. Then I wouldnt need my laptop anymore.
[edit] WTF .. "The Video-To-Go micro SD Card allows Pocket PC users with micro SD (TransFlash) slots to connect their digital projectors or other displays to the PDA (micro SD to SD adaptor also included in the box). Please note: This product does not convert the screen’s image into a VGA video signal." .. what does that mean?
goestoeleven said:
I'm afraid you're probably ahead of the market in your requirements...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
goestoeleven... Thanks for the compliment. 8) People like me define the future of the technology with their twisted needs .. :twisted:
Well I'm glad somebody is going to be producing one of these... I do hope it's sturdy enough to get through a couple presentations, too!
Best of luck!
PS. I think my initial comment still applies -- you're going to need a screen scaler to work with this device (otherwise, your presentation will be 320x240 resolution!)
PPS. I haven't found any information that says the MicroSD slot is SDIO compatible (and I have no way of testing)... I hope it is though!
Pocket Controller is your solution.. works when connects any PPC to the PC using USB-Activesync...
Sorry for the time to reply...
Nyditot works in you TyTn? i need a Hard Reset every time I tried to change the resolution...
What you can do is buy a usb to vga converter, then buy a cable to can convert the usb to mini usb and your all set. Then you just need the software for the resolution.
Marcello7x said:
What you can do is buy a usb to vga converter, then buy a cable to can convert the usb to mini usb and your all set. Then you just need the software for the resolution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're kidding, right?
This this:
http://www.spectec.com.tw/sdv842.htm
I saw them at CES and they have lots of SDIO products. They were using the a prototype when I was there. It was Micro SD but I did not recognize the phone. It definitely not a states phone.
It worked well though.
Ever heard about that?
Yesterday I received my ShowMate (http://www.impatica.com/showmate/). It is a bluetooth/vga adapter. So far it is working pretty good, but didn't had enough time for hardcore-testing.
But you have to know that you need a software on your pc to convert your ppt's. And you also need a software to project (and resize) your converted presentations.
There is also another bluetooth adapter
http://www.infrablue.co.uk/index.php?a=irmabluetooth
I think, you also need software to convert your presentations for this adapter.
Impatica is currently working on a solution to show your hole ppc-screen as you can only show the presentations with the current releases.

USB Host (TESTERS THREAD)

Hello everyone,
I know this has come up before, but now I think it's time to start actually testing this!
I've found a cable on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Micro-USB-Host-OTG-Cable-for-Palm-Treo-800W-data-sync_W0QQitemZ260524857077QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca87dd6f5
Also, in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=480899&page=17
There seems to be confirmation that HD2 has the right files to make this work, so what am I missing?
UPDATE: I found this quote on a Modaco forum
What's odd is that when I use my host cable, it does detect that I'm trying to use the car kit, so I suspect it does have some support, but nothing generic... more to come..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Hmmm, thoughts anyone?
Thanks!
Hey,
Please report after receiving it!!! This is great to know man!!!
Thanks a lot!
hTC service manuals (just look at the Diamond series service manual) depict a y-cable.
This is a cable where you can plug in a power supply, your device and the cardreader.
The powersupply is necessary because hTC devices don't have a power output.
I doubt if the standard treo cable works on a hTC.
I'm holding this cable in my hands right now.
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What do I do now? I have a USB memory stick that would be nice to be able to read for instance.
You only have to wait for my ROM (or another one that includes Qualcomm's USB Host drivers) to come out and...
TEST, TEST, TEST!
Ok, too bad. I thought it would be possible to install drivers separately.
Did you try these drivers from Zeno USB Host drivers topic?
http://rapidshare.de/files/45220151/__Zeno_USB_Host_Drivers_v6.0a.rar.html
Thanks for the drivers. I installed them but unfortunately my USB memory stick isn't detected. I wonder if my cable is OK though... when I insert it the NAVIPANEL starts. I've disabled the automatic startup of Navipanel but all programs are in landscape when the USB cable is inserted.
Tubgirl said:
Thanks for the drivers. I installed them but unfortunately my USB memory stick isn't detected. I wonder if my cable is OK though... when I insert it the NAVIPANEL starts. I've disabled the automatic startup of Navipanel but all programs are in landscape when the USB cable is inserted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No wonder, the stick isn't getting any power (as I told in the third post)..
true !
try using a external powered usb hub in the middle.
the-equinoxe said:
No wonder, the stick isn't getting any power (as I told in the third post)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that's the case it's pretty useless with the USB host function. Then I'd rather do whatever I want on a computer instead if it's nearby anyways.
the-equinoxe said:
hTC service manuals (just look at the Diamond series service manual) depict a y-cable.
This is a cable where you can plug in a power supply, your device and the cardreader.
The powersupply is necessary because hTC devices don't have a power output.
I doubt if the standard treo cable works on a hTC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, for starters the Diamond uses extUSB while the HD2 uses a standard microUSB. So the Diamond service manual is pretty useless in this case!
So don't try and mislead people here, chances are high the USB-host function can be used in the HD2 with the appropriate drivers.
Tubgirl, have you tried installing these drivers? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=480899
Please let us know!
I have tried the Zeno drivers and they don't work with my cable.
Tubgirl said:
If that's the case it's pretty useless with the USB host function. Then I'd rather do whatever I want on a computer instead if it's nearby anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mostly agree with this, but you can get portable USB power supplies. I've got 2 of them for when I use my phone for watching vids, playing games and listening to music on long journeys. They take rechargable AA or AAA batteries, so with the correct adapter, they could power a USB device, without the need for a plug socket.
USB devices need ~ 5V of power and I read somewhere that the output power of the HD2 is limited to 100mA.. not much to make most of the usb devices work.
Xeon said:
USB devices need ~ 5V of power and I read somewhere that the output power of the HD2 is limited to 100mA.. not much to make most of the usb devices work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what those USB battery powered chargers output, but that's a good point. I'll keep my arse shut next time I want to make a suggestion
johncmolyneux said:
Not sure what those USB battery powered chargers output, but that's a good point. I'll keep my arse shut next time I want to make a suggestion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Usually 5-5.5V and up to 2000mA.
I play around with USB alot. Will look into it also. Got to get the cable first, or anyone with the microusb pinouts?
ahdai said:
Usually 5-5.5V and up to 2000mA.
I play around with USB alot. Will look into it also. Got to get the cable first, or anyone with the microusb pinouts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it was my mouth and not my arse then I've got a couple. One takes 2 AA and one takes 4 AAA, so they're capable of putting out a decent amount. Whether they do or not is obviously a different matter.
turt said:
Well, for starters the Diamond uses extUSB while the HD2 uses a standard microUSB. So the Diamond service manual is pretty useless in this case!
So don't try and mislead people here, chances are high the USB-host function can be used in the HD2 with the appropriate drivers.
Tubgirl, have you tried installing these drivers? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=480899
Please let us know!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Y-usb CABLE used for the Diamond isn't extUSB..
I am not MISLEADING but INFORMING that every USB device needs POWER.
This power won't come from your device, but from an external source, hence you need a Y cable to provide the power.
This is how the hardware was build, has nothing to do with drivers or software.
But please, keep being thickheaded and insist in your irrational delusion that your device is able to power external devices through USB...
EqX
the-equinoxe said:
The Y-usb CABLE used for the Diamond isn't extUSB..
I am not MISLEADING but INFORMING that every USB device needs POWER.
This power won't come from your device, but from an external source, hence you need a Y cable to provide the power.
This is how the hardware was build, has nothing to do with drivers or software.
But please, keep being thickheaded and insist in your irrational delusion that your device is able to power external devices through USB...
EqX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If this is true, how come the Toshiba TG01 which has the same chipset and uses the same cable for USB host, can run various devices such as USB stick, HDD, Gampad? It does not require a seperate power source.

Thinking of performing a hardware mod for USB hosted microsd/bluetooth(Kindle Fire)

Ok, so i'm ordering a replacement digitizer and I figure this would be a good time to try this out.
As you all know, we Kindle Fire owners have neither expandable storage or bluetooth. Hashcode's new 3.0 kernel has the proper kernel modules/support for USB hosting. Instead of having to plug things in every time I need/want extra storage I figure that i'll try and hook up the stuff inside.
So here's what I figure i'll do when I get all the materials:
I already have a mini bluetooth USB dongle that i've disassembled.
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And i'll be getting a mini USB microsd adapter that I can tear apart down to the same type of thing as the bluetooth dongle.
Now, the easy part is finding space to put them, there are a few gaps/spaces that I found for the bluetooth dongle, and placing the microsd adapter should be just as easy.
The hard part is getting the wiring all wired up on the inside, and this is where I need advice/input. Trying to solder the wires to the pins on the charge/USB port would be too hard and risky since they're so close.
I took apart a mini-b USB cable to use the pins to try and hook them up like that some way, but I don't have everything I need yet, so it's just a thought.
Ideas, advice, thoughts and/or comments?
Also, I will be documenting what i'm doing so that I can post a tutorial if I succeed.
I've also posted this in the Kindle Fire general forums. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=25212300
Main problem with the SD adapter is that many USB SD readers behave badly if you insert the SD when the adapter is live - you need to insert the SD THEN plug the reader into a PC.
Entropy512 said:
Main problem with the SD adapter is that many USB SD readers behave badly if you insert the SD when the adapter is live - you need to insert the SD THEN plug the reader into a PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm, thanks for bringing that up, I didn't think of that. I'll have to see about putting a small switch in somewhere if I run into that issue.
Have you looked for another USB pinout on the board?
There might be one, if you can post an hi-res picture of the PCB I can try to find something useful
AraKs said:
Have you looked for another USB pinout on the board?
There might be one, if you can post an hi-res picture of the PCB I can try to find something useful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to try and do that myself, but I couldn't find anything. Right now I ended up scraping off some of the black plastic around the pins at the point that they're going up and i'm trying to solder them alternating the top and bottom.
If you can find other places though that would be great. It might help me out, and it would def help others out if I succeed and write a tutorial.
Here are some hi-res shots from ifixit, unfortunately my real camera has a broken lens at the moment.
http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/BWbx2gTOKoo2SInC.huge
http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/SejZs5a65UTRcAYv.huge
There's something I don't understand here; won't doing this render the USB port unusable? Don't you need a hub if connecting more than one USB device? Can the USB port provide enough power for these additional devices?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
scidon37 said:
There's something I don't understand here; won't doing this render the USB port unusable? Don't you need a hub if connecting more than one USB device? Can the USB port provide enough power for these additional devices?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need the USB hub for power from what I understand. The microsd adapter doesn't require any power and i'm not sure how much the bluetooth takes, but since the other takes none it might work out. If they don't work together then it doesn't really matter to me cause I don't need bluetooth.
Also, about it making the USB port unusable, yes and no. If you look at this pinout diagram here http://www.kineteka.com/microusb-b.aspx you'll see that there are 5 pins. On a USB cable only 4 are used. On a USB otg cable pins 4 and 5 ar econnected telling the device that it's a host and not a slave. When pins 4 and 5 are connected are connected USB will not work at all(So no adb or file transfers, etc.) because the cable is being told it's a host device. Once those two wires are separated then USB will work again because it will see itself as a slave device.
I searched info trought the TI OMAP 4430 documentation about the USB implementation.
(i have to "hide" the link or i won't be able to post!)
Here you can find a block diagram of a reference USB implementation:
h_t_t_p://w!w!w.ti.com/pdfs /wtbu/OMAP4430_ES2.x_DM_Public_Book_V_D .pdf
Section
A.4.4.2 USBA0 PHY Implementation Example
Also, Section
2.1 Terminal Assignments
Shows the pinout of the processor
Table
Table 2-1. Ball Characteristics
Shows the chip connections
The document lists also USB0, USB1 and USB2 but i can only see ball pinouts for "usba0_*" and anything like "usba1_*" or "usba2_*".
So i think that there's only one USB connection and you'll have to solder a USB HUB somewhere between the CPU and the USB connector.
AraKs said:
I searched info trought the TI OMAP 4430 documentation about the USB implementation.
(i have to "hide" the link or i won't be able to post!)
Here you can find a block diagram of a reference USB implementation:
h_t_t_p://w!w!w.ti.com/pdfs /wtbu/OMAP4430_ES2.x_DM_Public_Book_V_D .pdf
Section
A.4.4.2 USBA0 PHY Implementation Example
Also, Section
2.1 Terminal Assignments
Shows the pinout of the processor
Table
Table 2-1. Ball Characteristics
Shows the chip connections
The document lists also USB0, USB1 and USB2 but i can only see ball pinouts for "usba0_*" and anything like "usba1_*" or "usba2_*".
So i think that there's only one USB connection and you'll have to solder a USB HUB somewhere between the CPU and the USB connector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the help, but how am I going to solder directly to the processor?
And if I could get the correct pins anyways there would be no need to use USB I could just hook the microsd up directly since the 4430 already has those.
If there was a data sheet somewhere out there for this specific board something like what you're suggesting might be possible, but it's not really the way it is now.
And i've never used USB host capabilities before, but from the videos i've watched people on other devices don't use a hub unless they hook up more than one device.
I see. You are right!
Anyway, i came up with another solution for the bluetooth connectivity: it requires a bit of soldering and a couple of kernel modules (or a custom-built kernel).
You can solder some wires from the serial port of the kindle fire:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525439
to a UART bluetooth module:
h_ttp://w_w.tdvdesign(dot)com/BluetoothModule/
Then write a script the brings up the bluetooth interface at boot.
In Linux should be feasible, in Android i don't know... maybe there's a praticular framework that needs specific drivers...
---------- Post added at 04:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 PM ----------
Enable kernel bluetooth+UART HCI:
ht_tp://docs.blackfin.uclinux(dot)org/doku.php?id=bluetooth_over_uart
AraKs said:
I see. You are right!
Anyway, i came up with another solution for the bluetooth connectivity: it requires a bit of soldering and a couple of kernel modules (or a custom-built kernel).
You can solder some wires from the serial port of the kindle fire:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525439
to a UART bluetooth module:
h_ttp://w_w.tdvdesign(dot)com/BluetoothModule/
Then write a script the brings up the bluetooth interface at boot.
In Linux should be feasible, in Android i don't know... maybe there's a praticular framework that needs specific drivers...
---------- Post added at 04:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 PM ----------
Enable kernel bluetooth+UART HCI:
ht_tp://docs.blackfin.uclinux(dot)org/doku.php?id=bluetooth_over_uart
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
**Disregard**This could help with bluetooth if I can't get USB host to work, but that still leaves no solution for the sdcard, which is my primary concern. I've actually gotten all the wires soldered onto the correct pins on the usb port, but I can't get USB host to work for any device, with or without the correct modules.**Disregard**
You got me thinking though, I could probably add a UART sdcard and GPS module on like that. Awesomeness, thanks for the idea. I'll try that out if I can't get USB host to work.
aaricchavez said:
You got me thinking though, I could probably add a UART sdcard and GPS module on like that. Awesomeness, thanks for the idea. I'll try that out if I can't get USB host to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've also seen a lot of hardware mods that connected sdcards to gpio lines. That could be an option too.
For the sdcard over UART it's possible, but i'm concerned about the performances...
At 115200bps baud rate you get 14.0625KBps!!!
AraKs said:
I've also seen a lot of hardware mods that connected sdcards to gpio lines. That could be an option too.
For the sdcard over UART it's possible, but i'm concerned about the performances...
At 115200bps baud rate you get 14.0625KBps!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, true. You seem to have more experience then I do at this. I'll prob buy a GPS UART module and do that. I have the wires soldered onto the USB pins on my Kindle, but I haven't had time to do anything more then that yet.
Thank you
A GPS module will be very useful.
A 7" tab it's portable enough to be carried around and used with a simple car mount...
I'll look for the needed kernel modules asap
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA
This is interesting:
ht__tp://wiki_openpilot_org/plugins/viewsource/viewpagesrc.action?pageId=950326
BUMP
webstas said:
BUMP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just waiting for some stuff I need that I ordered offa ebay. The digitizer should be here tomorrow and the other stuff some time this week. I'll update when I get the stuff and start working on it again.
I don't really understand why using the usb-port should be a Problem. Just solder your what-ever-you-want-device to the original usb pinout, it's big enough. Solder a rly small switch (taken from an old mobile Phone for example) between pin 4 and 5 to change host and normal mode. Finally, if u need more power there of course is a battery inside the Kindle, get it from there
I'll receive my Kindle in a few days i hope (u can't buy it regularly in germany...), will play a bit with this stuff
Deehee3 said:
I don't really understand why using the usb-port should be a Problem. Just solder your what-ever-you-want-device to the original usb pinout, it's big enough. Solder a rly small switch (taken from an old mobile Phone for example) between pin 4 and 5 to change host and normal mode. Finally, if u need more power there of course is a battery inside the Kindle, get it from there
I'll receive my Kindle in a few days i hope (u can't buy it regularly in germany...), will play a bit with this stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've already got the wires soldered to the pins, I just wasn't able to get USB host working. And there's no room for a switch right on the pins, but I thought of a good solution. Reed switches!
Other thread was created here, just want to keep all the threads up to date: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1632277
aaricchavez said:
The UART modules are only an idea, the main problem with going that direction instead of USB host is the drivers the modules would need(They all usually come with generic ones, but they would need to be customized for Android). I have very limited code/coding knowledge so I would need alot of help or soeone to do that part completely. I was going to pm Hashcode for help if I decided to try out the UART modules. Also, i'm unsure if more than one module can be used at the same time.
Like I just posted in the thread i'm still waiting on some stuff to arrive to actually get started on the USB host attempt. I have the wires soldered to the USB/Charge port pins, but since I don't have the microsd adapter or any more spare cords to rip apart I can't go further. I ordered about 10 different mini microsd adapters to take apart and see which works out the best.
Other people have USB host working, so shouldn't be difficult. I've just never used USB host before so i'm not real sure of what to expect.
The only downside is that there needs to be a switch of some sort somewhere to disable USB host so that adb/storage will work. I'm trying to think of something a little more elegant that having a huge hole in the case with a switch protruding out of the side. I'm going to go searching for some solutions and a super small switch.
All the UART GPS modules I found when searching "uart gps module" on Google are mostly from India and are between $30-50ish, the receivers look to be about the size of a quarter.
*http://robokits.co.in/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=289
*http://robosapiensindia.com/robomar...n=com_virtuemart&Itemid=64&vmcchk=1&Itemid=64
*http://robosapiensindia.com/robosap...ategory_id=27&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=64
I decided to look on Sparkfun and adafruit and i'm glad I did, it looks like they both have some modules, but I haven't looked around and dug through them yet.
*http://www.sparkfun.com/categories/4
*http://www.adafruit.com/category/35_58
All the optimism aside i'm not all too sure that we could get the GPS UART module to work. From what I see (First picture: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1471813) the UART output that Hashcode put into use only has two GNDs a TX and RX. The modules that I found all look like they need 8 connections. Adafruit has a nice pic of the connections labeled here: http://www.adafruit.com/products/746
If you're talking about microsd UART modules, as mentioned in the thread I created, someone made the point that it wouldn't make much sense because speeds would be way too low.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aaricchavez said:
I hate to double post, but I found the perfect solution for the switch. A reed switch or two plus a small magnet will work wonders
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8642
Edit: Here are the switches that I am buying, they're the cheapest spdt reed switches I could find: http://www.newark.com/hamlin/mdrr-dt-15-20-f/switch-reed-spdt-co-1-5a-175vdc/dp/24C6463
This will allow USB host to be activated constantly and then deactivated easily with a neodymium magnet to use adb, USB storage and whatnot.
I'm pleased that I found such an elegant solution, no need to mess up the housing to put in a switch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious about the status of your progress.....

Lack of Ports

I may be stuck with my a500 for a while unless someone starts releasing accessories. when I travel my usual set up is as follows. I hook my hdmi cable from the dedicated port on my tablet to the hdmi on the TV. then hook up my Belkin multi usb port to the dedicated full sized usb port on my tablet. then I plug my external hard drive to to one port and my mouse and keyboard into the other. now I can sit back in bed and control my tablet from the bed, surf the net play games and watch movies. I have searched but have not found any adapters that allow usb and hdmi at the same time. I really want the note but use this combination when on the road. any suggestions?
TIA
flexte said:
I have searched but have not found any adapters that allow usb and hdmi at the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not use this (other than the price of course)?
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-EAD-T...id=1349641390&sr=8-1&keywords=allshare+dongle
BarryH_GEG said:
Why not use this (other than the price of course)?
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-EAD-T...id=1349641390&sr=8-1&keywords=allshare+dongle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank that should solve the Hdmi out issue. now i guess i just need a usb adapter to connect my hard drive, keyboard and mouse. I can use my belking usb 7 port to add more usb connections. I just hope that the note can handle all of those connections without issues. anyone tried hooking up multiple usb ports? I guess this solution adds another 150 tot eh price of my device. the biggest thing i will miss is easy file sharing with a usb stick. When on business trips or even vacation I can get large files by just plugin in my usb stick. seems technology is making things harder for me.
flexte said:
Thank that should solve the Hdmi out issue. now i guess i just need a usb adapter to connect my hard drive, keyboard and mouse. I can use my belking usb 7 port to add more usb connections. I just hope that the note can handle all of those connections without issues. anyone tried hooking up multiple usb ports? I guess this solution adds another 150 tot eh price of my device. the biggest thing i will miss is easy file sharing with a usb stick. When on business trips or even vacation I can get large files by just plugin in my usb stick. seems technology is making things harder for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as i know, external harddrives need external power to work with the galaxy note, someone correct me if im wrong, think youl find some info here about it, if you've not seen it already
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1899348
banderos101 said:
As far as i know, external harddrives need external power to work with the galaxy note, someone correct me if im wrong, think youl find some info here about it, if you've not seen it already
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1899348
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes they do and the one I hook up to my a500 works just fine. All of my external drives are powered. I just wanted to make sure there were no restrictions with the note.
flexte said:
keyboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$29.99 after $40 off.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA
mouse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A little pricey ($49.99) but an excellent BT mouse. I have this one.
http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_VGPBMS15U_SL_B/
BarryH_GEG said:
$29.99 after $40 off.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA
A little pricey ($49.99) but an excellent BT mouse. I have this one.
http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_VGPBMS15U_SL_B/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you! to everyone that posted these suggestions. Looks like i will have to spend about another $200 to get the note setup like my A500 but it may bee worth the investment. off to best buy to check it out in the AM.
BarryH_GEG said:
$29.99 after $40 off.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can also get that same keyboard on Amazon for $25.25 with free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L9MBH6/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0287VD1TN9BETQNMF2PY&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846
flexte said:
yes they do and the one I hook up to my a500 works just fine. All of my external drives are powered. I just wanted to make sure there were no restrictions with the note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you're able to power your external harddrive with the tabs battery and dont have to, like with my adapter, have to connect your harddrive to the mains power? Is that assumption right?
If so, and if its not a bother can you provide info on the adapter you use please mate, im sure others like me would appreciate it i.e. model or product web link
banderos101 said:
So, you're able to power your external harddrive with the tabs battery and dont have to, like with my adapter, have to connect your harddrive to the mains power? Is that assumption right?
If so, and if its not a bother can you provide info on the adapter you use please mate, im sure others like me would appreciate it i.e. model or product web link
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no its a misunderstanding. Of course the external hard drive has to be hooked up to wall power. I even had a problem hooking my usb stick directly to my tv's usb without choppy video. When ever and where ever i travel there are always enough outlets to plug in my hard drive and tablet. The only thing that I am waiting on is a good solution to hook up my tablet to the tv's hdmi while having an exteranl hard drive mouse and keyboard attached. the above suggestions may work. After reading the reviews on the wifi hdmi adapter it seems video playback may be a concern. most of the business men i know use a usb stick to take files off their work pc if they need to bring them home or take them on a business or vacation trip. cloud storage isn't always viable because sometimes the files are large and internet connection is not always available and sometimes way to slow. having the full sized USB makes the task a whole lot easier. carrying info in a micro usb card for file transport doesn't work well because it is too easily misplaced. Anyway I am just weighing the positives and negatives and the solutions have been very helpful.
flexte said:
no its a misunderstanding. Of course the external hard drive has to be hooked up to wall power. I even had a problem hooking my usb stick directly to my tv's usb without choppy video. When ever and where ever i travel there are always enough outlets to plug in my hard drive and tablet. The only thing that I am waiting on is a good solution to hook up my tablet to the tv's hdmi while having an exteranl hard drive mouse and keyboard attached. the above suggestions may work. After reading the reviews on the wifi hdmi adapter it seems video playback may be a concern. most of the business men i know use a usb stick to take files off their work pc if they need to bring them home or take them on a business or vacation trip. cloud storage isn't always viable because sometimes the files are large and internet connection is not always available and sometimes way to slow. having the full sized USB makes the task a whole lot easier. carrying info in a micro usb card for file transport doesn't work well because it is too easily misplaced. Anyway I am just weighing the positives and negatives and the solutions have been very helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers, was getting my hopes up there
As far as connecting to the tv wirelessly, if the tv in the the hotel you frequent are smart tv (wifi) capable, then you can stream your media over wifi using dlna apps on the market like imediashare, theres a few others, but if you want to mirror everything thats on your tab wirelessly, then it looks like the screencast hub is your solution assuming your ok with the price,.
Maybe a usb to hdmi adapter might work in your situation assuming you have enough usb ports for all you devices, and thats assuming a usb to hdmi adapter would even work on our tab
Just use one of the portable wireless HDDs. No more problems iwth connecting it to the Note or any other device as long as it has WiFi.
Szadzik said:
Just use one of the portable wireless HDDs. No more problems iwth connecting it to the Note or any other device as long as it has WiFi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looks like wireless is going to be my only real choice. I wanted to stick with wired because there would be no connectivity issues just plug and play. So wifi from my hdd to my tablet and then wifi from my tablet to my tv. hope that works. and Bluetooth for my mouse and keyboard.
flexte said:
looks like wireless is going to be my only real choice. I wanted to stick with wired because there would be no connectivity issues just plug and play. So wifi from my hdd to my tablet and then wifi from my tablet to my tv. hope that works. and Bluetooth for my mouse and keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In your situation, getting a wifi harddrive with a usb connection, for usb sticks, would solve the usb stick problem, and would be future proof for other devices with wifi, but no usb port, although, im just assuming here, that there is such a thing as a wifi hd with a usb port,. If money is no concern and indeed if there is such a thing as a wifiHD with usb port i mean theres gotta be...... right?), might be worth it, gd luck
I also own a a500 and recently bought note 10.1.
I must tell you the difference in performance and screen colors and contrast is pretty big from one to another.
Even though I must say all those add ons to get what we had from default on a500 is kind of dissappointing.
For hdmi you have two ways...the dongle, which is WiFi based....that is if you go to a cabin for a weekend with no WiFi outside your city....it won't work. Or you have the adapter which unfortunately works only if it is also connected to to AC which in my opinion also limits the portable function or idea of a tablet...I mean it is like doing the same connections you can do with your notebook....
So tough choice there, maybe consider as I....having both.
Same thing here with usb otg adapter.
Acer did sacrifice thickness over having standard usb and mini hdmi ports but it really did the trick.
Kind of mad here with Sammy as you may say....good luck and if you find new ways of having less accessories please let me know!!!
Enviado desde mi GT-N8013 usando XDA Premium HD app
" For hdmi you have two ways...the dongle, which is WiFi based....that is if you go to a cabin for a weekend with no WiFi outside your city....it won't work."
Is'nt the screencast dongle a direct to tv connection?
banderos101 said:
In your situation, getting a wifi harddrive with a usb connection, for usb sticks, would solve the usb stick problem, and would be future proof for other devices with wifi, but no usb port, although, im just assuming here, that there is such a thing as a wifi hd with a usb port,. If money is no concern and indeed if there is such a thing as a wifiHD with usb port i mean theres gotta be...... right?), might be worth it, gd luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No USB-in on WiFi HDD, just a normal HDD, no idea what you are talking about.
Szadzik said:
No USB-in on WiFi HDD, just a normal HDD, no idea what you are talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was thinking out loud mate
If i were gonna get a wifi hdd, id check for ones with additional benefits, i.e. a usb port (host), so if i have anything on a usb stick, i can connect that to the wifi hdd aand transmit it over wifi via wifi hdd........thing is, i have no idea if there is a wifi hdd product out there that has a host usb port, my brief search showed nothing, would be a nice feature though
flexte said:
yes they do and the one I hook up to my a500 works just fine. All of my external drives are powered. I just wanted to make sure there were no restrictions with the note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had *terrible* luck trying to connect drives to the Note 10.1... this is probably the single 'failure' the Note has in general.
There are two different problems at work. First, the USB port only sources 100ma. That makes it fine for most keyboards, mice and *some* USB memory sticks (but not all), but forget anything that needs more power. Worse, even devices that ARE self-powered will draw more than 100ma just to drive their USB connection and that trips the Note's 'overcurrent' warning causing it to shut down the USB port.
Weirdly, even if you go through a powered USB hub, you still get this behaviour... that doesn't even make sense.
The bizarre thing is - if you connect in just the right sequence with just the right timing - you sometimes *can* get it to work, so it's not that the Note isn't capable of handling the USB load - Samsung's software is purposefully tripping on devices by enforcing the USB current limit too tightly (well or I have a defective Note or USB dongle - but I've tried several and they all seem to work this way).
The other problem is that there doesn't seem to be integrated support for NTFS (or exFAT, from what I can see), so you're stuck with FAT32. I've switched all my USB keys over to NTFS as I work with large files regularly. It also doesn't seem to support things like USB ethernet dongles.
Ironically, this is one place where the Asus Prime really shines - you can hang almost anything on the USB port and it'll work fine and the dock, because it has a big battery built in, seems to handle heftier devices quite well. It even supports NTFS out of the box.
---------- Post added at 01:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:26 PM ----------
mantrajt said:
For hdmi you have two ways...the dongle, which is WiFi based....that is if you go to a cabin for a weekend with no WiFi outside your city....it won't work. Or you have the adapter which unfortunately works only if it is also connected to to AC which in my opinion also limits the portable function or idea of a tablet...I mean it is like doing the same connections you can do with your notebook....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're confusing WiFi and WAN. If the dongle is WiFi based, you can bring a pocket WiFi access point and connect all your devices to it. Where you are isn't really relevent since it's not connected to the internet through cable, DSL or cellco. These pocket access points are *tiny*.
Here's an example of one:
http://www.dlink.com/ca/en/home-sol...350-wireless-n-pocket-router-and-access-point
Looks like I will have to stick with the a500 nd get the small note 2 for stylus use. The a 7 inch note would be perfect.

Hiking GPS Tablet

So I'm thinking I'm going to tether via wifi my phone's GPS with the NST. Has anyone done this? Is there a good offline map pack for eink devices?
Let me know your thoughts...
EDIT:
So I did it last weekend and it works great. Downloaded some Topos from Rmaps after rooting and turning on mock locations via SQLite on the NST. Installed GPS Tether on phone and NST. Turned on phone hotspot, then tethered the NST to the phone and blamo! GPS. I already have a solar panel I wired up and will attach to the backpack to charge both the NST and the external battery for the phone.
Meet Earl was my inspiration.
I have not tried that, but I did just order an Earl for the same purpose. Maybe you could use whatever they use for maps.
I cant post links, but google meetearl.
One of the problems with USB is that it is a bit power intensive.
Also, running things off USB you need to convert 3.3 V to 5 V to 3.3 V
If I were trying to turn the Nook into a hiking map I would...
Get a GPS module that runs off 3.3V, maybe this: http://www.adafruit.com/products/790
Connect it directly into the internal 3.3 V serial port on the Nook.
I don't know what you'd have to do for the antenna.
You'd probably need an external antenna, but external to the case or not is the question.
ace7196 said:
So I'm thinking I'm going to tether via wifi my phone's GPS with the NST. Has anyone done this? Is there a good offline map pack for eink devices?
Let me know your thoughts...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feeding GPS data from one device to another - there is no much need for such an app, shouldn't be a problem to write one using Mock Locations provider.
I was wondering, what uses more power: external USB GPS or WiFi tethering?
iGo Primo claims it works with 1.6 and up
Sygic: GPS Navigation & Maps - 2.0.1
TomTom: 2.2 and up
Update
See OP.
ace7196 said:
I already have a solar panel I wired up and will attach to the backpack to charge both the NST and the external battery for the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds really cool!
Could you post a picture of you setup, please?
BTW: If you are Eco Friendly person, check this out Bicycle Generator Kit with 5 LED headlight and 3 LED red flashing taillight and Charger Port for MP3 and Mobile Devices
Or if you prefer DIY (like RenateNST) - this is for you USB-Bike-Generator
BTW2: Did you try Google Maps too?
Look at tophatsoaring.wikispaces.com/Top+Hat+on+Nook+Simple+Touch
It's using external gps on NST
Renate NST said:
One of the problems with USB is that it is a bit power intensive.
Also, running things off USB you need to convert 3.3 V to 5 V to 3.3 V
If I were trying to turn the Nook into a hiking map I would...
Get a USB module that runs off 3.3V, maybe this:
Connect it directly into the internal 3.3 V serial port on the Nook.
I don't know what you'd have to do for the antenna.
You'd probably need an external antenna, but external to the case or not is the question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Renate NST, do you have any more detail about how you'd go about this? I bought a Nook ST last week for exactly this purpose (though I also want to install a solar panel on the back of it and weatherproof the whole system), and actually have one of those GPS chips you listed (on a breakout board though) from an old project with an RPi.
So in terms of the next steps... (apologies for the dumb questions, this is the first time I've properly played with something not intended to be played with)
- How do I find the serial port? I've spent about ten minutes looking at the board and haven't found it.
- How do I then get a maps program (I'm using rmaps at present) to take the serial input as GPS input? Will I need to parse the NMEA?
Thanks in advance,
Jake
The UART for /dev/ttyS1 is detailed here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1702734
I haven't looked too closely into serial NMEA-0183 working on the Android.
I have gotten the USB version to ouput via a cat.
It seems that most folks who do that just read and parse it themselves then use the Android "mock location" interface.
The "mock location" is so that you can playback a trip from Boston to San Francisco without driving anywhere.
It seems that it would be cleaner to not go through the "mock location" interface.
Now you've used this for a while how long does the WiFi last on your phone and how long on the Nook?
Even if not saving battery at least we can read the screen this way
GPS on USB
I'm using the following:
- NST glow
- OTG cable (micro USB male, regular USB female)
- reduction (regular USB male, mini USB male (and an extra USB for external power, but haven't tried that so far))
- GPS unit (QStarz BT-Q1000XT)
- USB mode utility app
- UsbGps4Droid app
Works perfectly. I haven't noticed any substantial power drain, but I switch the GPS off after a few minutes every time...
I use it mostly with Osmand, but it seems to work with any other app.
ProtD said:
I'm using the following:
- NST glow
- OTG cable (micro USB male, regular USB female)
- reduction (regular USB male, mini USB male (and an extra USB for external power, but haven't tried that so far))
- GPS unit (QStarz BT-Q1000XT)
- USB mode utility app
- UsbGps4Droid app
Works perfectly. I haven't noticed any substantial power drain, but I switch the GPS off after a few minutes every time...
I use it mostly with Osmand, but it seems to work with any other app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested almost that exact setup (QStarz 818X) but the extra cables were a ***** so I hacked apart my nook and got this:
(currently being refined further)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
I can't tell at all what you are doing.
Is that small thing a Bluetooth serial module? What model?
Is it going directly into a Nook hardware serial port or the USB?
Renate NST said:
I can't tell at all what you are doing.
Is that small thing a Bluetooth serial module? What model?
Is it going directly into a Nook hardware serial port or the USB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a really small GPS module (SparkFun) going directly into the Nook UART. Currently looking to drop the battery voltage to 3.3 for V_BAT of the GPS Here is the current state:
Black - GND
Orange - VCC 3.3 (goes off with screen saver)
Blue - RX
Green - TX
The switch is for putting GPS to sleep mode.
Yup, direct to the UART is the way to go.
I guess the ceramic antenna is too big to fit inside the Nook between the aluminum plate and the top case?
I think that I'd cut a rectangle out of the Nook top case at the top for clearance,
run the wires inside the Nook and glue a tiny box on top.
I haven't checked that connector to see if there were any UART control lines or GPIO on it.
That would be the nice way to control the power mode of the GPS.
Just a quick one to say watch out on Sygic. It's a great and slick program and downloading new maps is easy. But it's made plenty of my phones run hot; it's CPU intensive probably and a battery drainer. Q: What's a battery efficient mapping app?
RMaps: Very probably light. I don't think it's very slick.
There's an app for OS maps in the UK offline: You can then preload the >8gb of maps to get full UK, very nice maps. Probably the best option. I think you have to pay for the Android app though... don't know how that would work... don't know if it's supported on Nook
iGO, TomTom: Also sounding CPU intensive. It seems vector and nav capabilities are what make these things battery draining. Stick to raster maps? (images rather than route calculable vectors)
It's been a long while but no news on this for ages.
The earl is still not out. It's also expensive.
This hack is pretty cool. The USB option is the easiest... but we can't have a USB cable hanging out the bottom, ready to rip off the mainboard rendering the whole thing useless.
So I prefer the option of soldering directly onto that UART with the GPS module.
yegoshin, what did you use to get the voltage right?
There's lots of info in the comments here:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11571
But while I understand a lot of this I'm not used to this level of project. If someone has already figured it out though with that voltage adapter, I can give that a go.
jago25_98 said:
yegoshin, what did you use to get the voltage right?
There's lots of info in the comments here:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11571
But while I understand a lot of this I'm not used to this level of project. If someone has already figured it out though with that voltage adapter, I can give that a go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you can use the direct battery voltage from the nook for the VCC, you can also use pin 1 off U2713 (however I have recently run into what seems a lack of current through that - GPS doesn't lock until I plug in a USB power really weird, no problems off the Battery though pink wire is the VCC)
Now for the V_BAT I was able to wire up this board to the nook battery https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10995 and pull 1.8Volts off that. However that board has ALOT of excess parts (its meant to be used with this GPS, which I think may work even better for the nook since the on-off can be done via that breakout board) I may look into getting a custom board stuffed.
If you happen to be near Bay Area CA, I can help you out.
Woah, I didn't know about this tiny 1.8V logic GP-2106: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10890
You don't need any level conversion, ttyS0 (UART1) is all 1.8V logic.
(You'd need to make sure that you aren't using ttyS0 for the console.)
You can grab one of the JTAG signals (also 1.8V) for the on/off control.
See the pinout here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=49931617#post49931617
You could 3D print a tiny housing and mount it on top of the bezel right over the "nook" at the top.
Something to look out for is that 5 second, 50 mA anomaly that we haven't chased down yet.
The power consumption will kill you.
Latest news?
Hi guys,
Just come back off a hiking holiday, and have been looking into using the NST as a low power, eink gps for UK OS maps etc.
Your prototype here looks spot on!
How far did you get with this - any guides etc?
Also, if someone felt like making these, 3d printing a new, deeper back case for all the extra electronics - i'm sure you'd have a nice lot of customers !
(NB looked at your pics of soldering direct onto the serial connectors internally... Woah! Bit beyond my soldering skills there!)
Good luck, would love to hear updates...

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