Brief Answers to the Big (Pyra) Questions

[levi]

I'm not sure that's true. The modem is built on top of the basic packet connection, but for 3G and previous the telephony stuff is on a layer below that. If the chip has a connection in /dev I'd try tailing that (with tail -f) then calling it and see if anything pops up.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I know ED tested making and recieving calls a while back, so that does work.

 

[docbroke]

I know ED tested making and recieving calls a while back, so that does work.

That is great news.
I was searching about telephony support in gemin pda. It seems that telephony is supported while running android or sailfish but not with linux os.

 

[elw3]

Wasnt that hns only who tried that?

How stuff works depends on the actual modem, if you send the at commands for dialing to you phone it will litterally dial just as you do with its own keys meaning sound in/output goes to the phone speaker.
Based on that i guess the modem will expose a sound device software wise.
So you dial, record your mic and then push it to the modems "mic"
Internal internet modems in laptops or USB stuff usually lacks an input line for sound data.

 

[Grench]

I have one for this thread...

When looking at the Pyra renders - and when I had the case sample for the traveling keymat test, I noticed that one of the USB ports has something funky going on with it's shape. Looking at the back of the Pyra render (see the image at the top of the screen) going left to right there is the microUSB 3.0 OTG port, blue USB 2.0 type A / eSATA port with a nice rectangular cutout, USB 2.0 type A port with a funky oversized tabbed out cutout, etc...

Why is that 2nd USB type A port's cutout in the plastics so weird? It seems to have been done on purpose, but what that purpose might be eludes me.

 

[levi]

It's the same on my Pandora. Originally I also questioned why such a part had been used, but looking at the part chosen it's fairly clear why the cutout is this 'open box' shape. I don't have any other devices with weird cutouts like this though, although the USB ports on my PC don't give you any assistance if you miss the port to the sides; it only has flanges on the top and bottom of the port (although these sockets are mounted 90 degrees to the one in my Pandora or the Pyra and I'm translating here), so the cutouts are still rectangular, just slightly wider than they needs to be. I've never had significant problems inserting a plug into that, but perhaps the Pandora and Pyra help when your inserting the plug under the screen.

 

[Grench]

I've never had significant problems inserting a plug into that, but perhaps the Pandora and Pyra help when your inserting the plug under the screen.

If that were the case, then why is the other USB type A format plug's cutout in the plastic not set up the same way?

 

[levi]

Because I've never seen a micro usb port with insertion helping flanges on them. I suggest they're either hard to get, or simply don't exist.

 

[Grench]

Because I've never seen a micro usb port with insertion helping flanges on them. I suggest they're either hard to get, or simply don't exist.

Do you mean, "never seen a usb 3.0 type A with insertion helping flanges"?

 

[levi]

No, because I assume the Pyra has that? Doesn't it?

Oh, hang on, I thought the Pyra only had the one type-A port like the Pandora, and assumed you were talking about the other ports like the micro-USB type A and HDMI ports. Perhaps then yes, I've not knowingly seen a USB 3.0 type A port with insertion helping flanges, but then I don't currently own any devices with USB3.0 full-sized ports on (I have on hard disc with a micro-USB based 3.1 enclosure on it, and that's it), so I don't really consider myself an expert in that subset of type-A ports.

 

[Grench]

No, because I assume the Pyra has that? Doesn't it?

Oh, hang on, I thought the Pyra only had the one type-A port like the Pandora, and assumed you were talking about the other ports like the micro-USB type A and HDMI ports. Perhaps then yes, I've not knowingly seen a USB 3.0 type A port with insertion helping flanges, but then I don't currently own any devices with USB3.0 full-sized ports on (I have on hard disc with a micro-USB based 3.1 enclosure on it, and that's it), so I don't really consider myself an expert in that subset of type-A ports.

OK. See this render:

Note the render of the back of the Pyra on the top left of center.

Left to right: microUSB 3.0 | USB 2.0/eSATA | USB 2.0 (bottom) | microUSB charging (top) | headphones | micro HDMI

There is also a non-port hole under the charging and HDMI ports that is actually a lanyard hole.

My question is: Why do the two USB Type A ports have differing surrounding plastics?

 

[levi]

Oh right, I don't use that style for the boards. I use the old gp32 graphics, like an old-timer should.

Looking at that it's quite soft and hard to make out the exact shape of the cutout, but it's like an open box with flanges up, right, down, left as you'd expect on my Pandora at least, which matches pretty well with the flanges on the USB2.0 port on that device (even if it did still confuse me to begin with).

 

[Djoga'Ro]

@Grench My guess would be, weirdo-port is the one doubling as a sata port that it is mechanically different to the normal one. Here it says "two full-sized USB 2.0 ports (one has additional SATA output, available via an adapter),". So, something to do with the adapter, maybe?

 

[levi]

Grench's assertion (that I agree with) is that the weirdo port is the plain 2.0 A port though; the supposed 3.0 port that actuallty supplies USB 2.0 on the bottom pins and eSATA on the top pins is the non-weirdly cut out one that's got a bright blue divider.

 

[docbroke]

The blue one is normal USB type A port, while the one below micorUSB charging point is combo USB/eSATA port. I have one on my laptop.

[doublepost=1551320658,1551320395][/doublepost]Though I am little confused about this first port, which looks like two fused ports.

 

[levi]

That first port is micro USB 3.0 port; it's an OTG port but otherwise a quite standard USB part.

I've long heard that the blue one is the one that carries USB2.0 and eSATA. I'm pretty sure the Pyra doesn't have a full sized 3.0 port, so if that blue one was just plain USB I'd have to assume it was a 3.0 type A, which I'm largely confident the Pyra doesn't have.

I'm not sure what's going on with that combined port on your laptop. Doesn't the cutout inside stop you inserting a USB 2.0 cage? Or does a 2.0 plug not align with the outside of the socket, and sit in the middle instead?

 

[docbroke]

I'm not sure what's going on with that combined port on your laptop. Doesn't the cutout inside stop you inserting a USB 2.0 cage? Or does a 2.0 plug not align with the outside of the socket, and sit in the middle instead?

USB drive fits just fine in that port, it goes in the lower part. This port is actually larger in comparison with normal USB type A, so it can easily accommodate USB drive. I have never used eSATA though.

 

[levi]

Ah, that explains the type-A lugs on the bottom only, I guess. So it's not like either of the Pyra's type-A capable ports then, which are both type A sized only.

 

[docbroke]

I've long heard that the blue one is the one that carries USB2.0 and eSATA. I'm pretty sure the Pyra doesn't have a full sized 3.0 port, so if that blue one was just plain USB I'd have to assume it was a 3.0 type A, which I'm largely confident the Pyra doesn't have.

Blue is standard color for type 3.0 USB ports.

Ah, that explains the type-A lugs on the bottom only, I guess. So it's not like either of the Pyra's type-A capable ports then, which are both type A sized only.

Agreed. Pyra port looks different from USB/eSATA ports.

 

[levi]

Yeah, which is why I remember; the blue port that looks like a usb 3.0 type A port is not actually a usb 3.0 type -A port in this revision of the CPU board at least (and probably any future ones where eSATA is still supported). The only USB 3.0 port is the micro USB one.