A date with the Pyra

[TrashyMG]

A Pyra 2.0 is going to happen in the future aside of the CPU updates (if Pyra is a success, is the people is interested, bla, bla, bla...). For example, the screen have no a full HD resolution and in a near future the 2k, 3k and 4k are going to be normal stuff so I hope I can, at least, update the screen.

The display uses a driver board which is a bit like the CPU daughterboard that resides behind the LCD screen. So if a need for a new LCD screen exists, a new LCD driver board can be made to support the new LCD screen without a need to replace the main PCB.

 

[pmprog]

Xcom

http://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=2428.0

Maybe?

 

[WizardStan]

A: "Being able to install Android would be good for some people"

B: "I am completely against Android as the primary OS. It's gotta be linux!"

Wut? :huh: Did I miss a step somewhere?

 

[pmprog]

A: "Being able to install Android would be good for some people"

B: "I am completely against Android as the primary OS. It's gotta be linux!"

Wut? :huh: Did I miss a step somewhere?

C "Android is available for my device!? It's not being forced upon me, but I must force my opinion on how bad it is to everybody else "

 

[DaMummy]

I seem to recall that we didn't kick Craig out of this community over the money stolen from Pandora preorders, the money for iCP2 preorders, his idea of what Pandora successor would be, but we kicked him out over saying a Pandora successor should default boot into android.

 

[levi]

I can't remember the straw that broke the camel's back when it came to Craigix's leaving.  There's plenty of stuff to choose from.

Regarding android, isn't there something about Android that mean all emulators and games suffer a bit of lag?  I don't run Android anywhere at present, so I've not experienced it myself, but I understood that was one reason not to run Android as default.

 

[Xcl4m4t10n]

A Pyra 2.0 is going to happen in the future aside of the CPU updates (if Pyra is a success, is the people is interested, bla, bla, bla...). For example, the screen have no a full HD resolution and in a near future the 2k, 3k and 4k are going to be normal stuff so I hope I can, at least, update the screen.

The display uses a driver board which is a bit like the CPU daughterboard that resides behind the LCD screen. So if a need for a new LCD screen exists, a new LCD driver board can be made to support the new LCD screen without a need to replace the main PCB.

And the rotator chip will still work?

 

[TrashyMG]

A Pyra 2.0 is going to happen in the future aside of the CPU updates (if Pyra is a success, is the people is interested, bla, bla, bla...). For example, the screen have no a full HD resolution and in a near future the 2k, 3k and 4k are going to be normal stuff so I hope I can, at least, update the screen.

The display uses a driver board which is a bit like the CPU daughterboard that resides behind the LCD screen. So if a need for a new LCD screen exists, a new LCD driver board can be made to support the new LCD screen without a need to replace the main PCB.

And the rotator chip will still work?

The rotator chip is on that board, so if it needs to change they can do it there.

 

[Acheron]

Gotta say, the somewhat modular design of the Pyra is a major drawing point for me. Bricking chips is no fun when they're connected to all the other chips... especially since miniaturization brought BGA into the equation. I like the idea that even if I really screw up an overclock or something, I can replace a board and go at it again, most or all of my data intact.

On a similar note, I would like to see how many modders are drawn to this device for this and other reasons. It would be neat for the Pyra 2.0 to have a few extra modder-friendly interconnects. Not like the Pyra won't already spoil us in that regard, but... the possibility of a Mini-PCIE header for a separate WLAN/WWAN board intrigues me, the more speed the better. With the CPU it boasts, it would be nifty to be able to hook it up to an eGPU or something.

Maybe that's better left to the Pyra 13.37, though which, btw, I would definitely support.

 

[Not_a_Nick]

Regarding android, isn't there something about Android that mean all emulators and games suffer a bit of lag?  I don't run Android anywhere at present, so I've not experienced it myself, but I understood that was one reason not to run Android as default.

Audio latency in Android is a well known issue, hence the non existence of high grade audio apps like you see at IOS, here's a little more info on the subject: http://superpowered.com/androidaudiopathlatency/#axzz3qY6XZynK

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Yet the Pyra is clearly the bigger brother of the Pandora. Craig did help bring the Pandora to life and we can't take that away from him.

The Pyra would not exist without the Pandora. Ed is a more stable steersman than Craig and more level headed.

Still in an odd way I kind of miss Craigix - the place sure is duller without him; sadly he was a master of self destruction.

 

[kingoddball]

Gotta say, the somewhat modular design of the Pyra is a major drawing point for me. Bricking chips is no fun when they're connected to all the other chips... especially since miniaturization brought BGA into the equation. I like the idea that even if I really screw up an overclock or something, I can replace a board and go at it again, most or all of my data intact.

On a similar note, I would like to see how many modders are drawn to this device for this and other reasons. It would be neat for the Pyra 2.0 to have a few extra modder-friendly interconnects. Not like the Pyra won't already spoil us in that regard, but... the possibility of a Mini-PCIE header for a separate WLAN/WWAN board intrigues me, the more speed the better. With the CPU it boasts, it would be nifty to be able to hook it up to an eGPU or something.

Maybe that's better left to the Pyra 13.37, though which, btw, I would definitely support.

Hey!
After reading this; is anyone going to be able to release a hackers manual for this like the Pandora had????????

I never done anything to my PCB but always liked the hackers reference in case I wanted to.

Also, is the LED on the rear (Pyra logo) still RGB?

 

[FaeMinx]

Also, is the LED on the rear (Pyra logo) still RGB?

Oh yes...

... and there are two of them, so fancy light shows a definite!

 

[kingoddball]

Also, is the LED on the rear (Pyra logo) still RGB?

Oh yes...

... and there are two of them, so fancy light shows a definite!

Thanks! That's great! Setup some puuuurdy notification lights. Hope I can access these via [bash] scripts.

 

[Grench]

A: "Being able to install Android would be good for some people"

B: "I am completely against Android as the primary OS. It's gotta be linux!"

Wut? :huh: Did I miss a step somewhere?

C "Android is available for my device!? It's not being forced upon me, but I must force my opinion on how bad it is to everybody else "

Mmm... I thought the question was, if someone should be issued a prototype and potentially paid money to allow for dual boot to Android as an alternate OS at 8 O'clock day 1.

If someone wants to take the initiative and on their own time, Pyra and money create an Android OS to alternate boot into, more power to them.

However, in my very humble and non expert opinion, we would be better served to plan Android as a VM and appear to the end user as, "Just another emulation" on the Pyra.  Android would thus be built on and leverage the interaction between the host OS and the hardware - the host OS would act as an abstraction and integration layer for Android (or theoretically iOS or anything else that runs on ARM) and the Pyra's hardware.  

Debian Linux OS on ARM => Virtual interpreter layer (See Virtualbox for X86 equivalent) => Guest OS (Android or other ARM OS)

The, "Virtual interpreter layer" could, in theory, be flexible to reflect the differences in ARM architectures, essentially acting as a hardware emulation layer.

Thus, every effort to make the Debian base software and it's related drivers and components as solid/advanced/functional as possible at or near the Pyra release makes far more sense than diverting any resources to Android.

Yes, it's likely a pipe dream.

Does that help clarify?

 

[Kev2442]

Audio latency in Android is a well known issue, hence the non existence of high grade audio apps like you see at IOS, here's a little more info on the subject: http://superpowered.com/androidaudiopathlatency/#axzz3qY6XZynK

Very interesting article. It reads that ALSA is a source of lag. Would that be the case if Pyra uses it ? What about PulseAudio ?

 

[Yoyobuae]

I am curious: for 90% + of perspective Pyra users, is there any advantage of running the default OS over running Android? Sure there will be a good number of people that have serious reasons, but I am going out on a limb and guessing that 90% of users just boot up the OS and fire up games, emulators, applications - if that is the case, surely Android can do that, and also opens up a huge catalogue of software (and on top of that, any Pandora specific software in the repo could presumably be ported to Android relatively easily).

I don't expect the notion of what I have written above to do anything but enrage most people posting in this thread  :wub: h34r:  and it isn't the case that I particularly want to run Android, but at the same point, I am not sure I really understand why Android would be that undesirable (to the 90%).

How much effort is is to maintain Android OS (keep up with Android updates) VS how much effort it is to maintain Debian on Pyra?

Because from what I understand Pandora's Supersaxxon was a lot of work to maintain, and in some ways limited what Pandora could do (it actually had repercussions for the user). If maintaining Android OS turns out to be harder VS a Debian on Pyra then it might not be that good of an idea.

One rather annoying thing about Android is that not all device manufacturers actually bother keeping the OS updated. Or the OS updates end up breaking things that were working fine before.

IMO, Debian which works really well is better than half-working Android. But I'm not opposed to having a secondary means of running Android (Replicant sounds interesting).

 

[Not_a_Nick]

Very interesting article. It reads that ALSA is a source of lag. Would that be the case if Pyra uses it ? What about PulseAudio ?

To my knowledge PulseAudio tends to increase buffer underflow, but i also confess i'm a bit curious regarding the audio functionality of the Pyra.

 

[pmprog]

However, in my very humble and non expert opinion, we would be better served to plan Android as a VM and appear to the end user as, "Just another emulation" on the Pyra.  Android would thus be built on and leverage the interaction between the host OS and the hardware - the host OS would act as an abstraction and integration layer for Android (or theoretically iOS or anything else that runs on ARM) and the Pyra's hardware. 

There was somebody working on an Android VM a while back, not seen any updates for a while though, can't even find the thread

 

[zoranc]

I am curious: for 90% + of perspective Pyra users, is there any advantage of running the default OS over running Android? Sure there will be a good number of people that have serious reasons, but I am going out on a limb and guessing that 90% of users just boot up the OS and fire up games, emulators, applications - if that is the case, surely Android can do that, and also opens up a huge catalogue of software (and on top of that, any Pandora specific software in the repo could presumably be ported to Android relatively easily).

I don't expect the notion of what I have written above to do anything but enrage most people posting in this thread  :wub: h34r:  and it isn't the case that I particularly want to run Android, but at the same point, I am not sure I really understand why Android would be that undesirable (to the 90%).

Call me stupid but I really don't understant your stand? If you or someone else wants aAndroid only why wouldn't he just buy one of the Chinese ANdroid gaming devices? It'd probably have better processor bigger screen and gaming controls? And most importantly be about 5 times cheaper!!! 

Second thing I don't understand why would you want a keyboard on a Android device? Sure there are a few retro computer emulators and a number of games with keyboard controls, but would you play those on the go?

One aditional use case is that having an open source hardware and software I can use those devices for a secure data vault. Think of a most secure affordable bitcoin wallet?

Final and most important point Pandora/Pyra with a Linux OS and  keyboard has unique market proposition. It is a desktop replacement! Take away one of those and that status is simply gone. In my particular case the fact that I can use GNU C++ on it for a native software development is big plus. I can build a custom crossompiler and develop for my favored console too. I can also play CoreWars on the go. And yes, I did those thing in the past. I have good confidance that many other people probably majority of them (as they are ready to pay the premium price) have at least sometime use for the desktop capabilities of the Pandora/Pyra many of them are already mentioned here. 

So please tell me how you think? I'd like to know your thinking on the 1. and 2. point?