MIPI woes, good design ideas and headaches

[fusion_power]

Optimizing is great, it seems all the Experience with the Pandora final leads into a much more efficient development process of the Pyra. 8 layers sounds complex, I guess even PC Mainboards don't have more. Maybe the oveeerall PCB can get cheaper if the Pyra can work with maybe only 6 layers instead of 8?

However, the problem with the LCD scares me a little bit. If such an compared basic task like bring an screen to life that actualy follows standard is already an issue, it could get complicated. I mean, the SoC is built for these kind of screens, the screens are built for the mobile usage, why it just can't work like every PC Monitor works on every PC? I suggest to try a different LCD if the communication with the LCD manufacturer (other thread) will take time. Do these sit again in China? Old Pandora releated issues grow up in my mind when I read this but OK, lets think positive (I'm natural pessimist so excuse my negative behaviour please). ^^

- The volume wheel appears to be mounted on it's own, away from the headphone port, like on the Pandora.  If that deliberate?  I'd have thought keeping as much of the audio hardware together as possible would reduce noise and interference, but I'm no audio engineer.
- You mention the LEDs are programmable.  Are the backlight LEDs also multicolour currently?  Some people seem to be keen on that.  Awesome to see them on board already though!

Yes, volume wheel side by side with the Headphone Jack may be a small but important feature also for pocket "Walkman" mode.  I have no angled Headphone plug so it sucks to have the pandora in my pocket for music play. Volume wheel upside means headphone jack downside which does not fit well.

-Multicolour LCD's are a nice feature, because I don't like the blue backlight, this would be not that good for your evyes. decent red is much better for a non disturbing backlight at night. (you learn these things like which light colour is the most "stealthy" in the army by the way XD )

No, the keyboard LEDs are not planned to be multicolor - we would need additional LED driver chips for that (as basically, one multicolor LED is like three LEDs at once), so it would just add costs.

Again, I don't recommend to use blue lcd's as backlight. It may look cool but it can disturb alot, blue can appear very bright in the dark. RED is much more stealthy in the dark and it doesn't disturb the eyes that  much, try it out!  Red of course also fit to a Dragon much better. ^^

 

[ExquisiteCorpse]

Wow really cool post.

One questions. Is there any chance of getting a few buttons on the outside of the case so it can be used as a portable music player (to skip/play/pause/previous) with the lid shut?

Also would you take pre-orders?

 

[TrashyMG]

Also would you take pre-orders?

He stated earlier, he wouldn't until it's ready to be produced.. ie get it past prototype phase, when they are ready to hit the button for full production.. so we don't have the same Pandora mistakes.

 

[Null]

One questions. Is there any chance of getting a few buttons on the outside of the case so it can be used as a portable music player (to skip/play/pause/previous) with the lid shut?

The 4 shoulder buttons should be able to be put to that use, software support depending of course.

 

[EvilDragon]

However, the problem with the LCD scares me a little bit. If such an compared basic task like bring an screen to life that actualy follows standard is already an issue,

You didn't read my post properly

"Standard" in MIPI is only the communication protocol.

See it like a TCP protocol (networking)

What's not 100% standard is what you SEND using that protocol.

TCP analogy: if you have no clue how Samba works, you can't easily connect to a Samba Server.

The information how to "speak" to the LCD, is missing in the datasheet.

Technically, we can communicate with the LCD via MIPI, but we do not yet speak its language so it doesn't understand us.

The MIPI interface itself is working fine, but we need to wait for the protocol information to tell it what to do.

Do these sit again in China? Old Pandora releated issues grow up in my mind when I read this but OK, lets think positive (I'm natural pessimist so excuse my negative behaviour please). ^^

LG? Should be Korea  

- The volume wheel appears to be mounted on it's own, away from the headphone port, like on the Pandora.  If that deliberate?  I'd have thought keeping as much of the audio hardware together as possible would reduce noise and interference, but I'm no audio engineer.

- You mention the LEDs are programmable.  Are the backlight LEDs also multicolour currently?  Some people seem to be keen on that.  Awesome to see them on board already though!

 Yes, volume wheel side by side with the Headphone Jack may be a small but important feature also for pocket "Walkman" mode.

Yes, though it doesn't help if we can't fit it to the front anymore.

Again, I don't recommend to use blue lcd's as backlight. It may look cool but it can disturb alot, blue can appear very bright in the dark. RED is much more stealthy in the dark and it doesn't disturb the eyes that  much, try it out!  Red of course also fit to a Dragon much better. ^^

 These are white LEDs, not blue ones.

And you can set their brightness to any value (from barely visible to very bright).

One questions. Is there any chance of getting a few buttons on the outside of the case so it can be used as a portable music player (to skip/play/pause/previous) with the lid shut?

You mean like the four shoulder buttons...?

 

[sepulep]

didn't pengpod use an allwinner SoC?? seems like they never got good battery life under linux...don't know the details though..

 

[Fzero]

The LEDs in the front row will be multicolor as will a special surprise LED. 

Ooo surprise eh?

...It's in the logo isn't it... you gonna make the logo light up and fade colours

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Infrared led ? Motion sensor led ? Sound volume led ? Flashlight led ? ED led ?

 

[God Ginrai]

The LEDs in the front row will be multicolor as will a special surprise LED.

I'm looking forward to a Cylon LED on my Pyra.

-God Ginrai

 

[mclien]

Ah fine a Tron style LED lighting up all edges of the case.

 

[Null]

My guess is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYCBgSRNjk0

 

[FBnil]

Again, I don't recommend to use blue lcd's as backlight. It may look cool but it can disturb alot, blue can appear very bright in the dark. RED is much more stealthy in the dark and it doesn't disturb the eyes that  much, try it out!  Red of course also fit to a Dragon much better. ^^

Why not just change the keymat? *(or paint the transparent parts with a stift)

 

[Saber]

 

One questions. Is there any chance of getting a few buttons on the outside of the case so it can be used as a portable music player (to skip/play/pause/previous) with the lid shut?

You mean like the four shoulder buttons...?

Michael, are six face buttons still being looked into? If so, any thoughts on how they'll be sorted?

 

[Neelix]

You know if we're going to refer to them as face buttons maybe we should label them with smileys instead of letters.    it would nicely solve the problem of which letter should go with which button

- Neelix

 

[thatgui]

Are there already plans on LED visibility ? I would like at least some of them beeing visible even if the Pyra is closed (like it is with the Pandora now), mainly power/charging and SD activity.

 

[Bosbeetle]

You know if we're going to refer to them as face buttons maybe we should label them with smileys instead of letters.    it would nicely solve the problem of which letter should go with which button

- Neelix

This is actually a nice idea

 

[PokeParadox]

Press Happy Button to start fun times!

Press Angry button to shoot the incoming alien threat!

Press the Sad button to exit the game.

 

[Trickyhero]

Thanks for the update ED! I don't know if this was already covered, but it looks like on that pcb there will not be 6 face buttons, but on the website it says there will be 6 facebuttons! I for one look forward to having 6 facebuttons for having more then enough buttons for n64 and genessis.

Edit:

Opps looks like I wasn't the first person to bring this up! Congrats on the progress so far!

 

[God Ginrai]

Thanks for the update ED! I don't know if this was already covered, but it looks like on that pcb there will not be 6 face buttons, but on the website it says there will be 6 facebuttons! I for one look forward to having 6 facebuttons for having more then enough buttons for n64 and genessis.

Edit:

Opps looks like I wasn't the first person to bring this up! Congrats on the progress so far!

I'm pretty sure that's due to the fact that they were originally designing it to be 4 face buttons until we brought up 6 face buttons in the forum and requested it. Hopefully we'll see a new PCB that has 6 face buttons soon.

-God Ginrai

 

[ekianjo]

but on the website it says there will be 6 facebuttons!

Maybe 6 face buttons include the start and select ones?

Space-wise, I don't know if it's a good idea to try to put 6 buttons in such a narrow space... especially if we already have 4 shoulder buttons - why do we need so many of them then ?