Expansion Card

[sephiroth111]

on the shell, would there be room to fit a slot where there you could put a small slot that can access the PCB's hardware hacking pads. This would be best accompanied with blanks that allows access to the complete set of pads.

Reason for?
- Allows access to core set of hardware hacking easily and safely
- Don't have to hack a hole in the case for larger devices making the devices look more professional
- Non-permanent if you mess something up, just buy another blank

Reason against?
- another slot that would have to be put somewhere on the case.


What do you guys think? if the shell hasn't been made, this would be an easier way for hobby hackers without a set of impressive tools to add functionality, or a set of small cards that other people can buy and add new features, like bluetooth and what not.

 

[atomicthumbs]

Blank == breakout board?

And this would be neat, IF the case could accommodate it WITHOUT having to move hardware.

 

[Chip]

I think that's an excellent idea. Unfortunately I get the impression that the board is nearly finalized, and re-routing traces to a common area might be more trouble that it is worth at this point.

Personally I don't believe hardware hacking is hardware hacking without a Dremel, but I could see where a built-in expansion "port" could be handy. Even if the port is just a removable section of the case with solder pads behind it. I really believe that Pandora should be a hobbyist device first and foremost.

 

[sephiroth111]

I think that's an excellent idea. Unfortunately I get the impression that the board is nearly finalized, and re-routing traces to a common area might be more trouble that it is worth at this point.

Personally I don't believe hardware hacking is hardware hacking without a Dremel, but I could see where a built-in expansion "port" could be handy. Even if the port is just a removable section of the case with solder pads behind it. I really believe that Pandora should be a hobbyist device first and foremost.

That is what I think as well, I'd just hate to have a hole cut in the pandora case where i may mess it up gravely OR screw something up internally and brick my new expensive paperweight. I have barbarian hands and it's hard to work with small sensitive devices like that.

as for the blanks, I was thinking more like the equivalent of like... well, I got the idea from the back of an NDS cartridge to be honest. On the back of the cartridge there are metal tabs that are small enough that there can be 17 pins, but large enough that it'd be easier to work with than the pads themselves. particularly if the pins would connect to larger pads, or what not.

doesn't have to be only on one side mind you, it could be pinned out on both sides, with a notch, determining which way was up.

I'd find this interesting to see how they'd do this, but I suppose it'd be pretty trivial to put 8 or however many wires onto the existing pads (from what i gather, they will leave these debugging/H.H. pads open) and move them across the board or something. the nontrivial part would be where to put the output on the case. i guess i'd put it on the top, but where is a good question.

 

[Megatog615]

Why not just have a parallel port on the bottom?

 

[Zarneth]

Why not just have a parallel port on the bottom?

Or find some kind of usb interface for external mods.

 

[JyCet]

Yes an internal expansion board like amiga accelerators
but bybye battery

 

[sephiroth111]

Why not just have a parallel port on the bottom?

Or find some kind of usb interface for external mods.

for the main reason that that'd take up more space on something that's already pretty small.

as for the usb, the thing already has 1 powered usb input, however, (big however) from what i imagine would be available to hardware hackers would be more than just usb. (i.e. it's been said that it has i2c available, which is most definitely NOT in the USB spec.) not to mention that, aside from power, grounding, and i2c, we dont know what else is available, like, JTAG, or what not.

I'd like to move away from hard to find cables (remember trying to find an E810 cable for the GP2x? yeah, that was a pain in the ass after awhile.) that's why I suggested the card format. people could just buy spares off the web site (how much can a small bit of plastic, metal, and silicon cost? $0.50?) and again, if you mess up, you wouldn't need to worry about wasting much.

plus, would you really want another thing hanging off the pandora? Personally, the less i can have hanging off the pandora at one time (cable wise) the better it would be.