GP2X Gp2x Scientific Sensor

Would you buy it?

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  • Maybe.

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  • No.

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OrR

Corporate games suck.
Joined
Oct 7, 2004
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Location
Hildesheim/Germany
Website
grvoid.com
I had a weird idea recently: How about designing a sensor thingy that attaches to the GP2X Ext port and a program to collect the data? The sensor should be as simple but also as universal as possible. Not sure what would be possible, yet, but I could probably develop it as a university project.
Imagine a price range from 20-60$. Would you buy one? For fun? Because you would actually have a use for it? Is it even possible? Any hints how to do something like this?
It's just a weird idea that popped up in my head so don't expect anything to actually happen. ;)
 
gps is easy to connect, but the software end of it might provide a bit of challenge.
most receivers a serial out--whatever-the-heck name they have for that serial
I'd go for gps, but I really can't think of much else I'd want.

I guess it bothers me a little that I don't have a regular slotcar opponant--that should be pretty doable. just a memorization exercise.
An IR remote program seems like a good idea too.
 
Yeah, GPS would give an additional value to the GP2X. I don't know how hard it would be making something like that, but the gizmondo (I think) has it :rolleyes:
I know it has already been discussed in this forum, but wifi would also be great.
 
You could have sensors that measure temperature, humidity, altitude (pressure).

Then using the GP2X display you could have it graph those readings and change the sampling times to seconds, minutes, hours etc. So if humidity was increasing you would see a graph with the readings on one axis and time on another. The axis would be scalable. You could even put setpoints there so if the temp, humidity, pressure, etc got past a certain level a sound would go off.

Then you could have settingsto convert temp for example to F°,C°,K° etc.
 
I'd say, if it did what DaveC described above, I would be willing to pay $20 up to $35. I just couldn't justify spending more for essentially a neat gimmick add-on.

Now, if it came with a game that would make use of this information, kinda like that GBA RPG that could measure sunlight, I would go up to $50 ;)
 
I don't see how you could measure temperature, humidity, etc, when you don't have any A/D pins on the EXT port. The only thing you can really connect to is the UART pins, which is why I suggested a GPS module.

Unless of course you want to place a microcontroller on your board that takes inputs from the various sensors and converts them to a serial output?
 
Unless of course you want to place a microcontroller on your board that takes inputs from the various sensors and converts them to a serial output?

Well a sensor without a microcontroller is no fun at all =)
What I like to see is a small logic analyzer or oscilloscope, the problem is the low bandwidth of the EXT port...but maybe a multimeter for us electronics geeks =)
 
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I've done lots of DAQ (data aquisition) stuff and have a few PIC's programmed to take temperature, pressure, humiditiy measurements. Actually, I was working on a small environmental control system a while ago. Once I get my serial cable I'll whip something up in short order. The whole unit would fit in a 1"x 2.5"x0.5" box I think. My software skills are still under development though, so I would definately need some help there.
 
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