Modular Pandora 2

[Sburns015]

First I'd like to say hello to everyone as this is my first post on the Pandora boards, although I have been following the Pandora and cruising the forums every now and then since 2008...

 I don't own the Pandora yet but I do intend on buying one in the near future, but in the mean time I have a few ideas for a modular Pandora 2.

1. The form factor should remain very similar to the original Pandora so it is compatible with the Pandora 1's battery, and key mat to keep development cost's down.

2. Higher resolution multi touch screen with atleast 720P and the keypad should be back lit.

3. Pandora 2's hardware should come in cartridge format containing  the SOC, onboard nand and micro sd slot and come in several different trim levels ( single core, duel core, quad core configurations) so  its user upgradable and "future" proof... handheld portion of the Pandora 2 contains SD card slot, mini HDMI out and other I/O ports (pretty much serves as portable dock).

My idea is that a potential buyer for example could buy the Pandora 2 with the single core or duel core option and upgrade at a later date and other upgrade carts could be manufactured and released.

Anyway these are just a few of my ideas and sorry in advance if any of these ideas have been covered already thanks!

 

[Binky]

Welcome to the forums!

I disagree with the keymat point though - the current one could do with a lot of improvement, and the iControlPad2 (made by many of the same people) already has a much better (and backlit) design.

 

[Sburns015]

So I did some digging and found this http://www.phytec.com/products/som/phycore/omap5.html

And think this would be a perfect solution to making the Pandora 2 modular in design!

 

[Sburns015]

Heres a size comparison of a quarter and the cortex a-9 version of the SOM, the cortex a-15 is similar in size!

 

[Sburns015]

I think im on a roll now! also found this

http://www.variscite.com/products/item/92-var-som-mx6-imx6

With these modules, the Pandora 2's main board wouldn't need to be so expensive to produce and the SOM's could be bought in bulk and sold with or without the Pandora 2 at Dragon Box shop!

 

[monstercameron]

just to add to the connector talk

http://elinux.org/Embedded_Open_Modular_Architecture

q7 SoMs are plentiful, with multiple soc and processors but read the first link.

http://www.qseven-standard.org/index.php?id=qseven_modules

this tegra 3 MxM module also looks cool.

http://www.toradex.com/products/apalis-arm-computer-modules/apalis-t30

this omap5 sodimm module is also cool

http://www.variscite.com/products/item/96-var-som-om54-omap5-omap5432

or we could wait for amd temash apu...just saying.

 

[Sburns015]

just to add to the connector talk

http://elinux.org/Embedded_Open_Modular_Architecture

q7 SoMs are plentiful, with multiple soc and processors but read the first link.

http://www.qseven-standard.org/index.php?id=qseven_modules

this tegra 3 MxM module also looks cool.

http://www.toradex.com/products/apalis-arm-computer-modules/apalis-t30

this omap5 sodimm module is also cool

http://www.variscite.com/products/item/96-var-som-om54-omap5-omap5432

or we could wait for amd temash apu...just saying.

I really hope the next Pandora uses a modular design, I really think it could bring the cost of the open handheld down to a more affordable price range!

I have alot of friends who like the idea of the Pandora and would get one if were in the $300 range...

I also think the new amd temash would be a great fit for the Pandora 2 also, being about to run an x86 os such as windows7 would be great!

 

[monstercameron]

just to add to the connector talk

http://elinux.org/Embedded_Open_Modular_Architecture

q7 SoMs are plentiful, with multiple soc and processors but read the first link.

http://www.qseven-standard.org/index.php?id=qseven_modules

this tegra 3 MxM module also looks cool.

http://www.toradex.com/products/apalis-arm-computer-modules/apalis-t30

this omap5 sodimm module is also cool

http://www.variscite.com/products/item/96-var-som-om54-omap5-omap5432

or we could wait for amd temash apu...just saying.

I really hope the next Pandora uses a modular design, I really think it could bring the cost of the open handheld down to a more affordable price range!

I have alot of friends who like the idea of the Pandora and would get one if were in the $300 range...

I also think the new amd temash would be a great fit for the Pandora 2 also, being about to run an x86 os such as windows7 would be great!

the lasy bit at the end was a joke...dont let the og p1 guys see you type "x86," after that they only see red. I do agree that the p2 needs to be under $300, preferable $199

 

[Sburns015]

just to add to the connector talk

http://elinux.org/Embedded_Open_Modular_Architecture

q7 SoMs are plentiful, with multiple soc and processors but read the first link.

http://www.qseven-standard.org/index.php?id=qseven_modules

this tegra 3 MxM module also looks cool.

http://www.toradex.com/products/apalis-arm-computer-modules/apalis-t30

this omap5 sodimm module is also cool

http://www.variscite.com/products/item/96-var-som-om54-omap5-omap5432

or we could wait for amd temash apu...just saying.

I really hope the next Pandora uses a modular design, I really think it could bring the cost of the open handheld down to a more affordable price range!

I have alot of friends who like the idea of the Pandora and would get one if were in the $300 range...

I also think the new amd temash would be a great fit for the Pandora 2 also, being about to run an x86 os such as windows7 would be great!

the lasy bit at the end was a joke...dont let the og p1 guys see you type "x86," after that they only see red. I do agree that the p2 needs to be under $300, preferable $199

I've noticed that too lol , how do you think the community would take the idea of an Open Pandora set top box? something like a Panda Board or even porting the Open Pandoras OS to the Panda Board?

 

[monstercameron]

just to add to the connector talk

http://elinux.org/Embedded_Open_Modular_Architecture

q7 SoMs are plentiful, with multiple soc and processors but read the first link.

http://www.qseven-standard.org/index.php?id=qseven_modules

this tegra 3 MxM module also looks cool.

http://www.toradex.com/products/apalis-arm-computer-modules/apalis-t30

this omap5 sodimm module is also cool

http://www.variscite.com/products/item/96-var-som-om54-omap5-omap5432

or we could wait for amd temash apu...just saying.

I really hope the next Pandora uses a modular design, I really think it could bring the cost of the open handheld down to a more affordable price range!

I have alot of friends who like the idea of the Pandora and would get one if were in the $300 range...

I also think the new amd temash would be a great fit for the Pandora 2 also, being about to run an x86 os such as windows7 would be great!

the lasy bit at the end was a joke...dont let the og p1 guys see you type "x86," after that they only see red. I do agree that the p2 needs to be under $300, preferable $199

I've noticed that too lol , how do you think the community would take the idea of an Open Pandora set top box? something like a Panda Board or even porting the Open Pandoras OS to the Panda Board?

from what I have seen alot of the backend os stuff has been...for the most part donated and community driven, so a port would only happen if the devs have spare time to give to another platform...but I could be very wrong.

 

[overgauss]

I'm thinking along these lines as well. I would have a bad ass screen on the pandy itself to future proof it.  Since the design of it is modular you could have different price points with different SoC modules later on for future buyers.

The main body would have a user replaceable battery and all external i/o ports, usb connectors etc (I would have two microusb connectors on the hinge side to interact with a keyboard add-on that acts as an extra battery, usb hub, has a stylus silo, SD slots, and a battery style compartment used to store extra cables, sd/microsd cards etc.  Maybe more on this later).

Now we have a base unit with a bad ass screen, and all the connectors needed to future proof the device.  Included in the base unit would be an SoC module bay that the user could use to upgrade the brains of the pandy at will.  This means you pay once for the base unit and don't have to buy a whole new base unit merely to upgrade the brains of the pandy!  If you don't need that much power, use the basic SoC module.  If you want top of the line power down the line, or just want current tech, upgrade to the next SoC module.

After upgrading SoC modules what do you do with the old one?  Well, maybe you could plug it into a set-top base receptacle/case and turn it into a rox box or some other computing device.

 

[Sburns015]

I'm thinking along these lines as well. I would have a bad ass screen on the pandy itself to future proof it.  Since the design of it is modular you could have different price points with different SoC modules later on for future buyers.

The main body would have a user replaceable battery and all external i/o ports, usb connectors etc (I would have two microusb connectors on the hinge side to interact with a keyboard add-on that acts as an extra battery, usb hub, has a stylus silo, SD slots, and a battery style compartment used to store extra cables, sd/microsd cards etc.  Maybe more on this later).

Now we have a base unit with a bad ass screen, and all the connectors needed to future proof the device.  Included in the base unit would be an SoC module bay that the user could use to upgrade the brains of the pandy at will.  This means you pay once for the base unit and don't have to buy a whole new base unit merely to upgrade the brains of the pandy!  If you don't need that much power, use the basic SoC module.  If you want top of the line power down the line, or just want current tech, upgrade to the next SoC module.

After upgrading SoC modules what do you do with the old one?  Well, maybe you could plug it into a set-top base receptacle/case and turn it into a rox box or some other computing device.

Great minds think alike!, this is exactly what I want to see out of the next Pandora!

 

[overgauss]

Hehe. Another thought is that with hdmi out you could use the unit as a gaming PC like the Razor tablet or Ouya.  Just plug it into your tv and use the controller or bluetooth keyboard+mouse set up to rock out with your lox out.