Sorry again for the long time without an update - once again, I'm stuffed with work... so running out of time.
This post will be a quick summary, but at least I'll have some nice pictures for you
Let's start with the status of the case...
The first parts of the case arrived last week (the full basement, so the most complex part).
And even though the last details to make it fit perfectly have not been implemented yet, it fits almost perfectly and looks and feels great!
The PCB fits perfectly, all ports and openings work without any problems as well, the keymat also fits fine.
The screws fit so much better than in the Pandora case as well (even though this is not yet the real material).
The shoulder buttons and the top of the case have been finished end of last week, so they will be shipped soon as well (I'll probably get them next week), the DPad and stylus should follow one week later.
So yes, we're getting there!
Okay, now we'll continue with the keymat...
Now that I got the real case, I could finally start testing and tweaking the keymat as well.
Basically, it is working, but it needs some improvement:
And finally, the status of the PCBs...
As Nikolaus solved the issue with the I/O-Errors of the SD Card slot, he is now able to boot into Linux to do some testing.
Finally, we could test the remaining parts: The Wifi module (incl. Bluetooth) works fine as well, the LCD including the rotator work, the 3G/4G-Module works, etc.
However, there is one thing Nikolaus is fighting with right now:
The system runs a bit unstable if it uses too much power. Running two cores at the same time will cause the system to freeze at some time, running only one core will run mostly stable (except for if you stress the CPU).
This is another one of those issues where the solution will probably be simple, but finding it is a long and hard way.
He already traced it down to most likely be the charger / power management chip setup we're using.
It could be a software issue (both ICs are being configured by software during bootup), it could be a simple hardware thing where only a capacitor needs to be added.
This seems to be the last hurdle we need to take, as all the other hardware has been tested and is working already
Now, let's guess:
Will Nikolaus solve the issue or will all the case parts arrive here first?
My guess is that both will probably happen around the same time, which would make me a happy camper.
As usual, if you have any more questions, let me know.
But now, enjoy the pictures I took of the case with a PCB put in!
This post will be a quick summary, but at least I'll have some nice pictures for you
Let's start with the status of the case...
The first parts of the case arrived last week (the full basement, so the most complex part).
And even though the last details to make it fit perfectly have not been implemented yet, it fits almost perfectly and looks and feels great!
The PCB fits perfectly, all ports and openings work without any problems as well, the keymat also fits fine.
The screws fit so much better than in the Pandora case as well (even though this is not yet the real material).
The shoulder buttons and the top of the case have been finished end of last week, so they will be shipped soon as well (I'll probably get them next week), the DPad and stylus should follow one week later.
So yes, we're getting there!
Okay, now we'll continue with the keymat...
Now that I got the real case, I could finally start testing and tweaking the keymat as well.
Basically, it is working, but it needs some improvement:
- The ABXY-Buttons need to be a bit higher. Right now, they don't stick out too much and when you press them, they are flat with the surrounding. This makes it hard to navigate from one button to the next one. I've checked different buttons (PlayStation and SNES controllers, Pandora, etc.), and they all stick out more than what we've got right here. This is an easy fix!
- While the flat keyboard buttons look awesome, there certainly is a reason why all mobile keyboards I've seen so far are curved a bit. While typing works okay, accidental button presses easily happen, as the space between the keys is narrow. The mobile keypads solve that with a bit of an elevation in the middle and a recession at the edges of the key: Your finger automatically finds the absolute middle of the key, and as the area surrounding it is a bit recessed, you also don't easily hit that key. This also is an easy fix, I just need to do some more testing.
And finally, the status of the PCBs...
As Nikolaus solved the issue with the I/O-Errors of the SD Card slot, he is now able to boot into Linux to do some testing.
Finally, we could test the remaining parts: The Wifi module (incl. Bluetooth) works fine as well, the LCD including the rotator work, the 3G/4G-Module works, etc.
However, there is one thing Nikolaus is fighting with right now:
The system runs a bit unstable if it uses too much power. Running two cores at the same time will cause the system to freeze at some time, running only one core will run mostly stable (except for if you stress the CPU).
This is another one of those issues where the solution will probably be simple, but finding it is a long and hard way.
He already traced it down to most likely be the charger / power management chip setup we're using.
It could be a software issue (both ICs are being configured by software during bootup), it could be a simple hardware thing where only a capacitor needs to be added.
This seems to be the last hurdle we need to take, as all the other hardware has been tested and is working already
Now, let's guess:
Will Nikolaus solve the issue or will all the case parts arrive here first?
My guess is that both will probably happen around the same time, which would make me a happy camper.
As usual, if you have any more questions, let me know.
But now, enjoy the pictures I took of the case with a PCB put in!
ftw!
