Battery Powered Usb Pocket Hub

[GCDKraven]

After a little more thought I've decided I could most likely build on most of the BoB features onto a pocket sized portable system.... the only question is how many batteries are people willing to use?

GP2X = 2 (or 3 with the life extention mod I've seen and practised)
USB = 4
TV OUT thankfully wouldn't require any additional power
I have no idea about Serial or J-TAG though!

However I have built the hardware and am working on software for the GP2X to use the serial connector on the BoB to create a wireless GP2X to GP2X communications system (like text messaging on the GP2X). It's actually rather simple!!! This could have the potential to replace the Wifi requirement for creating multiplayer games perhaps?

The thing is the circuit comprises of just two simple components! A 9-pin Serial connector, and a 1MHz ocsilator crystal and this could VERY EASILY be built into the GP2X!

Am I being ambitious now?

 

[Orkie]

The only problem I could see with the serial thing is that Linux puts a lot of text out on it automatically and you'd need to make sure you had stopped that before you could send your own data,

 

[GCDKraven]

The only problem I could see with the serial thing is that Linux puts a lot of text out on it automatically and you'd need to make sure you had stopped that before you could send your own data,

Do you have any idea what the purpose of that is? I'm just wondering if attempting to stop it may damage the system in any way, or stop it performing properly.

It's just one idea, but it is simple enough to make it run on USB! However that would make it harder to embed inside the GP2X!

 

[nubie]

Just host a game over the USB host, then let anyone who wants to plug into your hub and enable USB network (over the USB B-Mini on the side) in the options menu. I think if the software on your machine is working properly (set up a server) then any other machines will see you as a network and just work .

Only the host system would need the EXT adaptor cable. If you are really into the USB host you could put it inside next to the SD reader, there are Digg and hackaday links, they are poorly terminated though, so I would use the Artaylor

American coins because I live in California. Machinist's ruler on the Metric side for the rest of the world .

 

[GCDKraven]

thing is that depending on the size of the antenna.... with the serial wireless device I've built, you could play games with people wireless around 1KM away! This is with a small wire antenna.... though a socket mount would also allow people to connect their own custom antennas of various size.... the longer the wire, the higher the range (untested maximum distance but we've achived 3.08 miles on our first test) To achive that we used a 23MHz crystal instead!

 

[Orkie]

No, don't use USB host - it will be much harder to set up. The text on the serial line is fairly easy to surpress (somebody on #gp2xdev should be able to give more information) and it's only there for using the serial cable for debugging

 

[GCDKraven]

No, don't use USB host - it will be much harder to set up. The text on the serial line is fairly easy to surpress (somebody on #gp2xdev should be able to give more information) and it's only there for using the serial cable for debugging

Good to know thanks

does anyone know if JTag requires additional power? If it doesn't then I will draw up two circuit designs for both stripboard and PCB to create a pocket-sized, battery powered breakout board featuring:

-TV OUT
-5v USB
-HQ Audio
-Serial/wireless interface
-JTag

anything missing?

 

[nubie]

oops, browser glitch, I double-posted

I didn't know you meant wirelessly, is it the GP32 wireless link? There should be plenty of those around.

I was just thinking local GB style link-game.

 

[GCDKraven]

oops, browser glitch, I double-posted

I didn't know you meant wirelessly, is it the GP32 wireless link? There should be plenty of those around.

I was just thinking local GB style link-game.

It's not like the GP32 wireless as I can tell....
It's my own completely custom wireless protocol I'm writing (with a few of my coding buddies) specifically for the GP2X. We're going to make a set of library files for the SDK to allow games developers the ability to make games utilizing the wireless protocol. The device itself could be built into the GP2X very simply (as it is literally one component) or can be attached via the Serial port on a BoB.


Also I'd like to announce I'm beginning construction of a fully battery powered Break-Out-Board (or Box) for everything as previously mentioned!

My only query is as to whether the JTag requires external power?

Also I will build in a mains adapter jack for people who need to unbrick their GP2X (where it cannot turn off because it'd break the unit) which will also be able to power the GP2X (like a docking station but not)

I am welcoming all ideas and discussion on this and in fact.... if you wish to discuss this with me directly here's my MSN address:

kraven _AT_ greycascade _DOT_ com < scrabled to avoid yet more spam bots!

This should be entertaining

 

[firefly2442]

Wow, thanks for the information! I can't believe I didn't find this sooner! I am also working on getting a battery powered USB Hub + Wifi together.

http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=35121

I have the CyberPower battery powered hub, a wireless USB stick, and the necessary resistors and capacitors. I would have used the small integrated circuit that Nubie has posted about but it's way too small for me.

My question is, if I have the battery powered hub, do I need the 5 volt VUSB line going into the hub? It's clear that the GP2X won't be able to provide the power as it's 3.3 volts. Even if it was 5 volts, I don't think I would want it to drain the batteries like that. Is the 5 volt VUSB line into the hub needed for setting up the initial connections between the two devices? I was thinking of just building it without and trying it to see if it works or not but I thought I would ask here first. Thanks.

 

[jokeman]

My question is, if I have the battery powered hub, do I need the 5 volt VUSB line going into the hub?

you only need the 2 data lines... and ground maybe
since your hub is powered, you don't need to connect the VUSB line

 

[firefly2442]

My question is, if I have the battery powered hub, do I need the 5 volt VUSB line going into the hub?

you only need the 2 data lines... and ground maybe
since your hub is powered, you don't need to connect the VUSB line

Thanks for the help!

 

[tomj]

you only need the 2 data lines... and ground maybe
since your hub is powered, you don't need to connect the VUSB line

You really need to connect ground as it is what the data line are measured against. Although you could probably get away with not connecting it you may get strange problems and for the sake of one wire its not worth leaving it disconnected

 

[firefly2442]

Well, I just tried putting it together (with the ground and no 5 volt external power) but including the powered USB hub and it didn't seem to work. I think the 5 volt line is necessary because I checked my soldering and other lines and it seemed to be working. I'll investigate it more tomorrow.

 

[jokeman]

hm... strange...
my bob works fine with the powered hub and only data lines and ground connected

 

[nubie]

Well at I just tried putting it together (with the ground and no 5 volt external power) but including the powered USB hub and it didn't seem to work. I think the 5 volt line is necessary because I checked my soldering and other lines and it seemed to be working. I'll investigate it more tomorrow.

hm... strange...
my bob works fine with the powered hub and only data lines and ground connected

I think that some Hubs need to see the voltage to start the hub, and some just assume since you plugged them in that you want to use them.

If you have a powered hub, see if a momentary 5v starts it working, then you can just put a button in the plans.

Or if it needs just a signal the 3.3v might activate it. The question is whether the hub draws power from that line or just uses it as a signal.

 

[firefly2442]

Well, I think I goofed a little with the soldering with those little tiny wires in the Samsung E810 connector. I bought a USB Samsung cable this time which was a lot cheaper. Should be ready to tackle it again early this week.

 

[nubie]

Well, I think I goofed a little with the soldering with those little tiny wires in the Samsung E810 connector. I bought a USB Samsung cable this time which was a lot cheaper. Should be ready to tackle it again early this week.

You can clean off any solder with some De-soldering braid from radio shack. I have bought 2 USB e810 cables so far and they both only have like 4 pins, and they don't even have the plastic set up for any other pins.

I have seen the black USB e810 connectors with a big bulge in the middle of the cable, those seem to be different, like they have a Serial to USB converter in the middle bulge. But if it is just USB on one end, the cable, and then the Samsung connector it is probably the wrong one.

 

[Mekon]

I'm having no luck trying to get a hub added to my GP2X.

I bought a powered USB hub from SVP (http://svp.co.uk/products-solo.php?pid=501) - It looks to be identical to the one Richard Taylor is selling on his site, so I guess it's proven technology.

I've tried it with and without a filter circuit (my resistor values were a bit off those on the wiki -http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/USB_Host_BoB_Schematic - might be the problem) , but no luck.

I've been looking at the boot-up output through the serial cable, what should I be looking for when a USB device is recognised? I'm using version 2.0 firmware and have enabled USB host, human input and mass storage, is there anything else I need to do?

I also seem to have lost shell access via the serial cable since I upgraded to 2.0 firmware, is this normal?

Any ideas chaps?

 

[nubie]

I'm having no luck trying to get a hub added to my GP2X.

I bought a powered USB hub from SVP (http://svp.co.uk/products-solo.php?pid=501) - It looks to be identical to the one Richard Taylor is selling on his site, so I guess it's proven technology.

I've tried it with and without a filter circuit (my resistor values were a bit off those on the wiki -http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/USB_Host_BoB_Schematic - might be the problem) , but no luck.

I've been looking at the boot-up output through the serial cable, what should I be looking for when a USB device is recognised? I'm using version 2.0 firmware and have enabled USB host, human input and mass storage, is there anything else I need to do?

I also seem to have lost shell access via the serial cable since I upgraded to 2.0 firmware, is this normal?

Any ideas chaps?

Maybe troubleshoot the hub and the GP2X connection seperately, IE make sure the USB adaptor works on individual devices.

Then take your hub to a PC and see how it works. Make sure to unplug the power to the USB port if you run it without power on the GP2X (front panel ports on most PC's have 4-5 wires going into a jumper block, consulting the motherboard manual you usually pull off the red wire to disable the power to that port).

Once both are verified working then procedd to see how they are hooked up differently in the GP2X configuration.

Don't try to troubleshoot the host adaptor through a hub your first try, always use just a single USB device.