A really weird idea to bring additional plugable options to the Pyra?

[Grench]

OK, so I saw this and thought, 'interesting - wonder if anyone thought about embedding these in a handheld.'

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9590/asus-announces-the-vivostick-pc-a-cherry-trail-compute-stick

Then I had another idea.  Is the HDMI port on the Pyra going to be bi-directional by any chance?

Here's the idea.  Create a 'mode' on the Pyra that accepts incoming HDMI signals and puts them on the display AND outputs keyboard/control signals to the USB OTG as a device.  Connect one of these HDMI stick computers into the HDMI port, connect it's USB to the Pyra's USBOTG and - instant Cherry trail semi-mobile solution.

OK, so the HDMI probably can't work that way - I seriously doubt if it will.  But if it could, this would be a doorway to using Intel, Android, Chrome, Roku, Apple, stick computers as what would amount to dedicated single board computers connected to the Pyra host.

But - is there any chance that the HDMI can be used as a display device as well as an output?

 

[TrashyMG]

The HDMI and the LCD output(MIPI) are two separate outputs and driven independently(OMAP5 can actually drive 4 displays), for your idea to work there would need to be some kind of added circuitry to convert and bridge HDMI to MIPI.

 

[Grench]

Nevermind - answered my own question (No - it can't - at least not that easily.)  The HDMI port on the OMAP 5 is strictly output for video, though as an HDMI 1.4 device it should be capable of bidirectional 100Mbit Ethernet of all things - different question there though.

It's not an HDMI to MIPI issue - the Pyra is assumed to be translating the incoming video and populating it on the MIPI screen.

IF someone were to get an HDMI to USB 3.0 adapter/converter (~$300 yikes) and figure out the driver bits (should show up as a generic webcam) then use bluetooth from the Pyra to the stick computer for the controls (USB 3.0 host is taken by the video adapter), that could in theory work.

From the Pyra's perspective, it would be monitoring a high definition USB webcam and re-directing keyboard/mouse controls to a bluetooth connected device.

The HDMI to USB 3.0 adapter needed:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I16VQOY

Depending on the stick, it might need a USB adapter as well.

Someone with more budget than me give it a try some day.

 

[TrashyMG]

t's not an HDMI to MIPI issue - the Pyra is assumed to be translating the incoming video and populating it on the MIPI screen.

Well it's still and HDMI to MIPI issue, even if it's assumed that some magic way of having the Pyra doing the translation.

IF someone were to get an HDMI to USB 3.0 adapter/converter (~$300 yikes) and figure out the driver bits (should show up as a generic webcam) then use bluetooth from the Pyra to the stick computer for the controls (USB 3.0 host is taken by the video adapter), that could in theory work.

In theory yes, in practice you would drain a full battery in a half and hour.

 

[Neelix]

Nevermind - answered my own question (No - it can't - at least not that easily.) The HDMI port on the OMAP 5 is strictly output for video, though as an HDMI 1.4 device it should be capable of bidirectional 100Mbit Ethernet of all things - different question there though.

That's a pity, as it's quite an interesting prospect.
it does lead me to a follow up question though. If a future CPU board offered a SOC that did allow bidirectional HDMI traffic, would the existing traces to the HDMI port on the main board be sufficient to support that function?

-Neelix

 

[Grench]

t's not an HDMI to MIPI issue - the Pyra is assumed to be translating the incoming video and populating it on the MIPI screen.

Well it's still and HDMI to MIPI issue, even if it's assumed that some magic way of having the Pyra doing the translation.

IF someone were to get an HDMI to USB 3.0 adapter/converter (~$300 yikes) and figure out the driver bits (should show up as a generic webcam) then use bluetooth from the Pyra to the stick computer for the controls (USB 3.0 host is taken by the video adapter), that could in theory work.

In theory yes, in practice you would drain a full battery in a half and hour.

Pyra's battery is slated to be a big honking 6Ahr beastly thing.  It should hold for at least a couple of hours - even with this kind of external load.  But, yes, it would be MUCH shorter than the Pyra alone.

Nevermind - answered my own question (No - it can't - at least not that easily.) The HDMI port on the OMAP 5 is strictly output for video, though as an HDMI 1.4 device it should be capable of bidirectional 100Mbit Ethernet of all things - different question there though.

That's a pity, as it's quite an interesting prospect.

it does lead me to a follow up question though. If a future CPU board offered a SOC that did allow bidirectional HDMI traffic, would the existing traces to the HDMI port on the main board be sufficient to support that function?


-Neelix

If the SoC allowed for HDMI input and HDMI output ports?  I suspect that the traces are not so direct from the SoC board to the HDMI port.  There are likely features sitting in between for voltage control and/or RF filtering or other.

Now if a future future Pyra successor were to have two HDMI ports with one being the HDMI version 2.X OTG...

Realistically though, this will likely always have to drive through an HDMI to USB dongle - if anyone ever does it.  Or - if the Pyra successor were to have a dedicated HDMI input port that had the converter dongle equivalent riding behind it on the circuit board to flip that to USB input on one of it's 8 USB-C ports...  unlikely as it's a niche of a niche application.

Hmm.  No simple or efficient solution that I can think of.  But, it should be possible using that crazy expensive adapter...

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

@Grench. It would be nice if you had an avatar. The stock one is bland.


Your a welcome forum member and you have been here long enough.

 

[Kirinkunhime]

Personally I totally dig that idea - I mean, bringing a pyra and efficiently having a small HD-display with an integrated power-supply on the go would be really neat.

Then again - it's likely not possible, and I think the compute-sticks would not be strong enough, but maybe a "pyra-that is really just a display with HDMI-in and the battery"-thing would be possible somewhen in the future. Maybe. I could see what you could use this for

 

[Xcl4m4t10n]

I have been thinking on a desktop pandora/pyra 100% compatible with the portable one for a long time now. And like me there's tons of people with the same obvious idea .

 

[Binky]

http://www.anandtech...l-compute-stick

Asus is yet to decide whether to actively cool the device or not.

Surely in a device that size, a fan (and accompanying heatsink etc) would require a reatively huge increase in volume. Perhaps even doubling it compared to just the PCB?

If they haven't worked out major elements of the design like thermal management, they really can't have got much further than the "Shiney-looking case render" stage.

We do however know that it...

 comes in multiple colours

...so all must be well in the world!

 

[Grench]

@Grench. It would be nice if you had an avatar. The stock one is bland.


Your a welcome forum member and you have been here long enough.

Thanks - I had one years ago (picture of my Border-Lab with it's tongue hanging out) then the forum software updated and it lost the link to it and I never bothered to replace it.  I'll have to dig that one out or figure out something.  The Border-Lab passed 4 years ago, but it's still a cool picture.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

@Grench. It would be nice if you had an avatar. The stock one is bland.


Your a welcome forum member and you have been here long enough.

Thanks - I had one years ago (picture of my Border-Lab with it's tongue hanging out) then the forum software updated and it lost the link to it and I never bothered to replace it.  I'll have to dig that one out or figure out something.  The Border-Lab passed 4 years ago, but it's still a cool picture.

Sure why not. I swear I'll never get another dog again. I get too attached. Damn furry things don't live long.

 

[Grench]

@Grench. It would be nice if you had an avatar. The stock one is bland.


Your a welcome forum member and you have been here long enough.

Thanks - I had one years ago (picture of my Border-Lab with it's tongue hanging out) then the forum software updated and it lost the link to it and I never bothered to replace it. I'll have to dig that one out or figure out something. The Border-Lab passed 4 years ago, but it's still a cool picture.

Sure why not. I swear I'll never get another dog again. I get too attached. Damn furry things don't live long.

I realized that the keyboard mat has eyes and thought I would try it and see if that works. It anthropromorphizes nicely.

Others will say what they will, but I'm proud of what we accomplished.

 

[Caine]

Others will say what they will, but I'm proud of what we accomplished.

Hear hear.

 

[rygD]

Grench, is that you? What an ugly face. It doesn't suit you. Take it off.

 

[comradekingu]

https://www.crowdsupply.com/numato-lab/opsisdoes a lot of things for quite a low price, but makes the whole ordeal stationary.