Accessories Update ?

[Chock]

Howdy,

I've been parsing the forum to get more details on the accessories ( tv cable and case).
Even went to http://www.gp2x.co.uk/ (aka gbax.com) but it not completely helping.

Will the carry case be like the Wiz one , that is not completely closed (sides seems to be opened).
Is it going to be leather (like?) or a hard shell ?

Regarding the TV cable, I read it's svideo. Since s-video doesn't carry the sound, will we need a second cable plugged in the earphone plug and ending by 2 RCA plugs for the TV ?
Or will the TV cable also contain the 2 RCA plugs ? ( A post from MWeston seemed to imply that the connector on the Pandora can output much more than the video (like lineout))...


Chock

Pandobra : the mini pc with 2 thumbsticks
+ (.) (.) +

 

[Squidge]

Yes, the tv cable will have s-video, composite and line out.

http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?s=&am...st&p=648916

 

[Kyo]

While we're on the subject of video/audio out questions - will there be a DVI-D out cable? I know it's possible with the OMAP

 

[quote]

Even went to http://www.gp2x.co.uk/ (aka gbax.com) but it not completely helping.


That's not GBAX.com, it's a poorly maintained website by the same people. (Ok, sure, they have other prioreties at the moment)
Come to think of it, GBAX.com hsn't been updated in a fair while. Some of the information on there is just false.

 

[Karel Jansens]

While we're on the subject of video/audio out questions - will there be a DVI-D out cable? I know it's possible with the OMAP

This has been discussed before; the only possible DVI-out lead is already used by the LCD. And there's no way to "double out" the lead (meaning that, if you'd add a DVI port and even a switch, there'd be too much interference on either side).

Beagle chose DVI, Pandora LCD. You can't have both...

 

[Squidge]

While we're on the subject of video/audio out questions - will there be a DVI-D out cable? I know it's possible with the OMAP

Not officially. The digital output is used by the LCD, and it's difficult to split or switch the signals.

So, your better of with something like a USB DVI adaptor (assuming you can get appropriate drivers of course)

 

[Kyo]

I figured as much, but I thought there might be a way to ONLY have DVI-D running, and not the "local" screen. Oh well, I guess I can live with s-video

 

[mali]

Chip hinted, that there might come out non-Pandora Pandoras in the future, if you know what I mean :blink:
Something with OMAP3 tech inside but not necessarily looking like the current design. Maybe even a settop box with DVI-out.
MWeston seems to be totally fallen in love with OMAP3 SoC

Edit:

I think Chip just means using the OMAP3 technology inside Pandora as designed by me (MJW Designs) for other applications and customers. It won't be a Pandora as you know it anymore. It will just share the core functionality of the kernel and the hardware.

 

[lulzfish]

Isn't the BeagleBoard basically a settop Pandora with DVI out and no LCD?

 

[fischju2000]

On the OMAP3530 technical specs it says the board can run two 1920x1200 displays at the same time, and if I remember correctly they are both from separate LCD outputs...

 

[mali]

Isn't the BeagleBoard basically a settop Pandora with DVI out and no LCD?

Beagle Board is more like a devboard. There is no case available AFAIK.

 

[emil10001]

On the OMAP3530 technical specs it says the board can run two 1920x1200 displays at the same time, and if I remember correctly they are both from separate LCD outputs...

Do you have a link to support this? This is contrary to everything I've read, and everything that has been discussed here, and on beagelboard discussions. What I have read has stated that the OMAP3530 supports one digital (lcd or dvi) and one analog output, the analog being either composite or s-video.

QUOTE

There is no case available AFAIK.



BeagleBoard case:
http://www.specialcomp.com/beagleboard/index.htm

 

[jakewastaken]

I'd like to hear more about the case and if more will be available still after units have shipped.

 

[sterling976]

Isn't the BeagleBoard basically a settop Pandora with DVI out and no LCD?

Kind of. What really distinguishes the Pandora from the beagleboard is the proprietary hardware that's been added to the design -- Bluetooth and wi-fi antennae, d-pad and gaming controls, etc -- and the fact that it's packaged in a nice, polished case. It's a consumer device.

The beagle board lacks many of these advantages, although it's based on the same system-on-a-chip. I wouldn't recommend anyone consider using a beagle board as their desktop machine, or even as a specialty set-top device unless they're really comfortable hacking together their own linux distro from scratch or have a lot of experience with embedded linux. Honestly, it's more of a hobbyist's board anyway.

The Pandora, on the other hand, should be fairly newbie-friendly once the community's had a couple months to play with it.

 

[Karel Jansens]

Isn't the BeagleBoard basically a settop Pandora with DVI out and no LCD?

Kind of. What really distinguishes the Pandora from the beagleboard is the proprietary hardware that's been added to the design -- Bluetooth and wi-fi antennae, d-pad and gaming controls, etc -- and the fact that it's packaged in a nice, polished case. It's a consumer device.

The beagle board lacks many of these advantages, although it's based on the same system-on-a-chip. I wouldn't recommend anyone consider using a beagle board as their desktop machine, or even as a specialty set-top device unless they're really comfortable hacking together their own linux distro from scratch or have a lot of experience with embedded linux. Honestly, it's more of a hobbyist's board anyway.

The Pandora, on the other hand, should be fairly newbie-friendly once the community's had a couple months to play with it.

Also, is the Beagleboard not still on the "old" hardware specs? 128 MB RAM and 256 MB flash?

For me, it's indeed mainly the hacking aspect that put me slightly off the Beagle. As I wrote, I'm looking for something that'll basically be an appliance computer, hiding behind the TV. I'd want that to be as polished as possible, reason why I asked for the possibility of a Beagle-like Pandora derivative.

 

[fischju2000]

On the OMAP3530 technical specs it says the board can run two 1920x1200 displays at the same time, and if I remember correctly they are both from separate LCD outputs...

Do you have a link to support this? This is contrary to everything I've read, and everything that has been discussed here, and on beagelboard discussions. What I have read has stated that the OMAP3530 supports one digital (lcd or dvi) and one analog output, the analog being either composite or s-video.


The TI page http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/omap3530.html

"Display Subsystem
Parallel Digital Output
Up to 24-Bit RGB
HD Maximum Resolution
Supports Up to 2 LCD Panels
Support for Remote Frame Buffer Interface (RFBI) LCD Panels"

The Archos 5 has an OMAP3530 and has 1920x1200 HDMI output with the help of a dock, I have to say that it's possible. The simpler docks are just digital to analog converters. The system does "switch" so only the screen or the ouput is on.

 

[Eolair]

Some additonal connectivity information:

 

[WizardStan]

The TI page http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/omap3530.html

"Display Subsystem
Parallel Digital Output
Up to 24-Bit RGB
HD Maximum Resolution
Supports Up to 2 LCD Panels
Support for Remote Frame Buffer Interface (RFBI) LCD Panels"

The Archos 5 has an OMAP3530 and has 1920x1200 HDMI output with the help of a dock, I have to say that it's possible. The simpler docks are just digital to analog converters. The system does "switch" so only the screen or the ouput is on.

The second LCD out also functions as a large number of GPIO lines. As I understand it, MWeston was already pushing it for capacity. To have not used those lines, instead using them as an external display, would have required cutting back on the number of keys. I think. That's what I've pieced together anyway.

 

[Chip]

The OMAP spec sheet is a bit misleading. In order to support two displays, one of them has to be a "smart" display. This is basically a display with its own built-in video card. They are both expensive and uncommon.

It is not possible to simply "get" HDMI out of the OMAP chip. The chip has a raw digital video interface, but that needs to be turned into something useful. On the BeagleBoard, they use a chip to convert it to HDMI. On the Pandora, we use a completely different chip to interface with the LCD display.

It would not be impossible to create a device with an OMAP3530 that had a LCD display and HDMI out. It is impossible to have both these things on the Pandora due to space and cost limitations.

 

[Karel Jansens]

Kind of. What really distinguishes the Pandora from the beagleboard is the proprietary hardware that's been added to the design -- Bluetooth and wi-fi antennae, d-pad and gaming controls, etc -- and the fact that it's packaged in a nice, polished case. It's a consumer device.

The beagle board lacks many of these advantages, although it's based on the same system-on-a-chip. I wouldn't recommend anyone consider using a beagle board as their desktop machine, or even as a specialty set-top device unless they're <i>really</i> comfortable hacking together their own linux distro from scratch or have a lot of experience with embedded linux. Honestly, it's more of a hobbyist's board anyway.

The Pandora, on the other hand, should be fairly newbie-friendly once the community's had a couple months to play with it.
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Also, is the Beagleboard not still on the "old" hardware specs? 128 MB RAM and 256 MB flash?

For me, it's indeed mainly the hacking aspect that put me slightly off the Beagle. As I wrote, I'm looking for something that'll basically be an appliance computer, hiding behind the TV. I'd want that to be as polished as possible, reason why I asked for the possibility of a Beagle-like Pandora derivative.

Apologies for bumping my own post, but is there any news (from the developers, that is) on the possibility of a "settop" Pandora derivative? By which I mean: a Pandora minus LCD, keyboard and battery (but with powersupply preferrably built in and a HDMI/DVI-D/Component video out), that comes in a nice case that fits behind the tv?

I'm still in the market for a few of those, as experiments with Linutop pcs turned out disappointing and the Beagleboard frankly scares me.