<rjeffries>
wpwrak lookinh ay your latest UBB/VGA results indicates Wolfspraul should start a program to copyleft (is that a verb??) the XEN-1510T monitor. Maybe bundle a monitor with each UBB VGA adapter?
<rjeffries>
<smile>
<kristianpaul>
rjeffries: you could help testing, you have UBB, i guess some time also to reproduce werner work at home and try with your monitor too.
<rjeffries>
kristianpaul I donated my UBB to the friend who temporarily loaned his Ben to me
<kristianpaul>
oh, nice :_)
<kristianpaul>
so, you're are missing that ben currently i hope ;-)
<wolfspraul>
kristianpaul: hey there. What kind of GPS antenna are you using right now?
<wolfspraul>
I'm wondering if we wanted to make an integrated product, what kind of difficulties we would be facing with a much smaller pcb antenna, or other integrated antenna...
<kristianpaul>
hmm thats an unexplored field for me
<kristianpaul>
my current working antenna is a GPS Active one, RANG001312G
<kristianpaul>
also considering sige chip is just 2 bit resolution is to say that indoor surelly will be a problem
<kristianpaul>
also i dint explore yet the internal LNA in the sie chip, wich may allow us to use a PCB like atenna i think
<kristianpaul>
s/sie/sige
<wolfspraul>
ok that's some starting information, thanks!
<wolfspraul>
we'll get to those things :-)
<kristianpaul>
hey, nice news pointed from Korotnev Vladislav :-)
<wpwrak>
kristianpaul: input is the same speed as output. it's synchronous, with the host providing the clock.
<LunaVorax_mini>
wpwrak, I suggested manytime that a "devboard" like thing (exactly like the beagleboard and such) based on the Ben Nanonote should be made
<LunaVorax_mini>
Not better than the Ben but only with extra connectivity like VGA, Ethernet and such
<LunaVorax_mini>
I think I suggested it a lot of times... or mayde I though hard about it during a long period of time...
<LunaVorax_mini>
Anyway
<kristianpaul>
you can hack the ben to achieve those items, well vga already is
<kristianpaul>
suguestions are good, but it alos need to be sellable :-)
<LunaVorax_mini>
Of course. That's why I was wondering about making a post to see how good the idea would be.
<kristianpaul>
even if you dont have time or skills for pcb making there are some boards with spi/ethernet ready 10/100Mbits bte
<kristianpaul>
just matter of buy one, plug and hack the linux driver for that chip (microchip one)
<kristianpaul>
of coruse making it willbe fun !
<kristianpaul>
coruse/course
<wpwrak>
LunaVorax_mini: (devboard) that was more or less of concept of the SIE. also, there probably are prototyping boards for this cpu around.
<kristianpaul>
around even in magazines ;)
<kristianpaul>
s/in/fitted in
<wpwrak>
ah, that vogue thing ?
<kristianpaul>
yeah
<kristianpaul>
i wonder in wich mobile phones..
<LunaVorax_mini>
wpwrak, of course I could stick with an hawkboard, but since the Ben Nanonote is meant to have open schematics to be reused in other projects it may be "funnier" ;)
<LunaVorax_mini>
Anyway the word "devboard" may be inapropriate for what I'm thinking.
<LunaVorax_mini>
I was more thinking about a (forgive me for saying that) an Apple TV clone.
<LunaVorax_mini>
Small board with power input + video out + audio out + usb host + ethernet and voilà .
<wpwrak>
LunaVorax_mini: what quantity would you expect to produce ?
<wpwrak>
LunaVorax_mini: and would it be just a bare board or would it also have a case ?
<LunaVorax_mini>
wpwrak, I really have no idea, this is more of a concept rather than a serious thing.
<LunaVorax_mini>
Hum
<LunaVorax_mini>
Ok I'll tell you the long story about my idea :P
<LunaVorax_mini>
At first it I had the idea of a device for a game console that would be dedicated to indie video games. SD card slot for storage, video and audio for the TV and ethernet to download games via a Gmenu2X menu like.
<wpwrak>
= pandora ?
<LunaVorax_mini>
But then I realized that such a Linux powered device could have way more potential. Of course the Ben really is hackable, you guys proved it to me in many ways, but for software focused only people like me, it may be confusing or even dangerous to go down and solder things on the board to add a VGA connector or something.
<wpwrak>
LunaVorax_mini: (dangerous) ubb is fairly safe :) even if you short things, nothing breaks. things can be hacked without incurring excessive risk; don't listen to rjeffries ;-)
<LunaVorax_mini>
The pandora is the pandora, it's an handled device. I was thinking about a small device for the home and for a lot of purpose (gaming console, jukebox playing files over the networks, etc)
<LunaVorax_mini>
Haha ok
<LunaVorax_mini>
But in anyway, it can get confusing for some people when it comes to soldering or see the naked board (yikes)
<wpwrak>
you get used to those worrying sights :)
<LunaVorax_mini>
Maybe I'm too annoying with all of that, I don't know.
<LunaVorax_mini>
Best thing would be for me to get my hand on a hawkboard (which looks closely to what I would want as a Ben Nanonote board), play with it and come back saying "Hey I made this with the hawkboard, why wouldn't make it with the Ben ?".
<LunaVorax_mini>
But again, that's my idea and fantasy so I need to know what you are thinking about it.
<LunaVorax_mini>
In the other hand the Milkymist is cool but it may be too advanced for such a little project, also it's using an FPGA and not the Ingenic chip.
<LunaVorax_mini>
(and it's way more expensive than the Ben, because of the FPGA I suppose)
<rjeffries>
LunaVorax Milkymist is super, but in a completely differnt class than Ben on multiple dimensions
<LunaVorax_mini>
Yes rjeffries that's what I tried to say.
<rjeffries>
yes about $500 now while Ben is nominally $100 + shipping
<rjeffries>
there are several pretty cool alternatives around. In addition to Hawkboard (a clone of Beagleboard as I recall) there is the newer Panda board that TI is backing
<LunaVorax_mini>
Indeed, that's also why I suggested a naked board for that Nanonote thing. It would make it more flexible (imo) and remove the cost ot the case, battery, screen and keyboard.
<rjeffries>
the project that has faded that was in that direction was swiss army knife board later called SIE
<rjeffries>
it had Ingenic SOC + FPGA and has a lot more capable i/o than Ben
<rjeffries>
it eliminated the keyboard, but maintained a connector so the Ben LCD module could be attached
<LunaVorax_mini>
I know rjeffries but I consider the Pandaboard being too sophisticated as it have DVI + HDMI while Composite and/or VGA is more than enough (and everyone doesn't necessarily have DVI/HDMI compatible devices)
<rjeffries>
well, that is an interesting point of view in that it is getting hard to find displays that support VGA
<LunaVorax_mini>
Ingenic SOC + FPGA ? I never was thinking about a more powerfull device, only a more connectable one.
<rjeffries>
I could see a nice small market for a next gen Ingenic device similar to what you need, but with newer4760 SOC and more i/o
<LunaVorax_mini>
Hum, I don't know, I may have a bad point of view but still it's easier for me to find analog devices. But I really don't know about other people in fact.
<LunaVorax_mini>
Mkay :)
<rjeffries>
LunaVorax where do you live if I might ask
<LunaVorax_mini>
France, south
<rjeffries>
nice place !
<LunaVorax_mini>
I really insist on the fact that I'm not asking for more power, the Ben really is capable !
<LunaVorax_mini>
Haha thanks
<LunaVorax_mini>
Btw, my fellows
<LunaVorax_mini>
oop
<LunaVorax_mini>
My fellow comp-sci students at college are impressed by the Ben ;)
<rjeffries>
Ben's lack of host mode USB is a sever constratint
<rjeffries>
as well they should be ;)
<LunaVorax_mini>
I agree rjeffries !
<rjeffries>
s/sever/severe/
<LunaVorax_mini>
Haha yes "But it really is a computer ?"
<LunaVorax_mini>
I even heard "Can I go on Facebook with that" haha
<rjeffries>
well getting on the Internet is not a crazy desire. ;)
<LunaVorax_mini>
Network makes the device even more exciting to use indeed.
<LunaVorax_mini>
I'm not trolling, but it's way more magical than an iPad for me.
<LunaVorax_mini>
Maybe I'm too old school.
<rjeffries>
Ben is a minimalist Linux system that is impressive in those terms
<LunaVorax_mini>
Indeed, I couldn't say it better. Could have been great for Python/C coding on the go but the keyboard it a little too... capricious ? ;)
<rjeffries>
donning fireproof gear: the Ben keyboard sucks. period.
<LunaVorax_mini>
Hahahahaha
<LunaVorax_mini>
Hum in the other hand, I'm very amused when I read the suggestion for the Ya Nanonote
<LunaVorax_mini>
GPS ! Touchscreen !
<LunaVorax_mini>
;P
<LunaVorax_mini>
May be a little too much too early ?
<LunaVorax_mini>
In fact I'm a bit scared about touchscreen, except for the iDevices I rarely saw a good working touchscreen devices... or a non laggy one.
<wpwrak>
rjeffries: (next dev) yeah, it's easier to sneak such a "devboard" in while making a new device.
<wpwrak>
sorry, busy day. gptta run. i'll catch up with the discussion ina few hours