Mould Creation Time

[bzar]

The first dpads have shipped too (with the final keypads).

I think there's enough news cumulated here to warrant an official blog post, would you agree?

EDIT: I mean about all the new information in this thread

 

[gruso]

The first dpads have shipped too (with the final keypads).

Excellent!

 

[Polossatik]

just a silly Q, why are there 4 led pads on the right (keyboard) side seen only 2 are used?
To allow people to put some extra led's in the case? Are thye connected to I/o line?

 

[bzar]

just a silly Q, why are there 4 led pads on the right (keyboard) side seen only 2 are used?
To allow people to put some extra led's in the case? Are thye connected to I/o line?

Different colors? Maybe?

EDIT: Oh... led pads. Sorry, my bad.

 

[EvilDragon]

just a silly Q, why are there 4 led pads on the right (keyboard) side seen only 2 are used?
To allow people to put some extra led's in the case? Are thye connected to I/o line?

Yep. That's for the hackers. There's also an L2 Spare and R2 spare if anybody wants to solder in more shoulder buttons

We know that some guys love to modify the Pandora ,)

 

[GizmoTheGreen]

just a silly Q, why are there 4 led pads on the right (keyboard) side seen only 2 are used?
To allow people to put some extra led's in the case? Are thye connected to I/o line?

Yep. That's for the hackers. There's also an L2 Spare and R2 spare if anybody wants to solder in more shoulder buttons

We know that some guys love to modify the Pandora ,)

I also see theres the KPBL pads on both sides of the board!
I can see it clearly now, some kind of PWM BL deamon that changes the brighntes sof solderer led's to the music/sound levels.

 

[Bosbeetle]

The first dpads have shipped too (with the final keypads).

great news things are slowly moving might become an avalanche soon

 

[borgqueenx]

well we at least got confirmation about the factory work now. they're not scamming or doing nothing

 

[Monk]

Apart from people saying "take your order and leave" - WHO has been being rude???

New pic on MWeston's photobucket! Not a TV cable yet, but a couple of units from the famous 105.

Rev4 production samples
I finally got some production samples that passed testing. These are the best looking boards of all the revisions ever made. The guy in charge of assembly for the Pandora project does such an amazing job!

I must admit, they DO look nice! My kind of update.

Agreed, but isn't harassment different from concern?

And which one do you think (to paraphrase) "take your money back and go away" is taken as each and every time it's been said over the last year when people ask questions? Harassment isn't a uni-directional argument. People can get fed up with anything, including being told to f/off.

Ooooh - dpads too? A good day to check the forums

 

[Polossatik]

just a silly Q, why are there 4 led pads on the right (keyboard) side seen only 2 are used?
To allow people to put some extra led's in the case? Are thye connected to I/o line?

Yep. That's for the hackers. There's also an L2 Spare and R2 spare if anybody wants to solder in more shoulder buttons

We know that some guys love to modify the Pandora ,)

don't want to ba a pain, but is there then any decent schematics out there how all stuff is hooked up together?
I know the gerber files wont be released, but a eagle / Orcad (or any of the open source CAD stuff) file with the schematics (or if it really must - a pdf but please don't, it's a hatefull format) would be most welcome to start looking into hacking the H/W.

 

[-Tj-]

I also see theres the KPBL pads on both sides of the board!
I can see it clearly now, some kind of PWM BL deamon that changes the brighntes sof solderer led's to the music/sound levels.

I saw those, too, but I'm a n00b when it comes to hardware hacking, what are those for? :huh:

 

[WizardStan]

I saw those, too, but I'm a n00b when it comes to hardware hacking, what are those for? :huh:

Keypad backlight. The intention being that you can replace the keypad with something more transparent, and put an LED board behind it to light up the keys.

 

[openthebox]

The nubs are tested elsewhere, plus we had to flash a final firmware revision on to them, they will be going on the boards remaining at the factory soon.

Because it's difficult to upgrade the nub firmware once they are on the Pandora it had to be 100% right, so was quite a tricky one...

If later on we found out there were still some clitches with the nubs, would the average user be able to uprade to a newer firmware?

 

[craigix]

No, well not the average user. But the nubs seem 100% now, and have a reset feature just to be on the safe side.

I seem to remember, was it the Zodiac, which had constant issues with the analogue stick?

 

[Phawx]

Hey Craig,

Are the dpad and keypad rubber mats getting delivered to Texas? Sorry, I spaced this somewhere, is the *complete* Pandora being assembled in Texas and then shipped to you and Ed?

 

[craigix]

They will probably be built in Texas yes, if there is a financial/speed advantage to building them in the UK we will do it here instead.

I suppose it's possible for people to put the cases on themselves and get their Pandora a little early, but I'd have to chat to Michael about the possibility of that as no doubt some people would break their Pandora trying it.

 

[droneb]

hmm, mainly as a hacking Q, aprox how much space do we have inside the OP box to place electronics. (height between case n board below)

also it might be a lil too soon, but shouldnt the forums open a new section for hardware mods and accesories.?

 

[Monk]

The nubs are tested elsewhere, plus we had to flash a final firmware revision on to them, they will be going on the boards remaining at the factory soon.

Because it's difficult to upgrade the nub firmware once they are on the Pandora it had to be 100% right, so was quite a tricky one...

If later on we found out there were still some clitches with the nubs, would the average user be able to uprade to a newer firmware?

The chances for it seem slim. As much as I like to take a devil's advocate stance against Craig/OP from time to time, there is only so much to go into nub firmware, and they tested the initial design well enough to find a bug that they then set about having done. Now, please, no-one quote this back to me later when I'm being all pedantic but they SEEM to have been putting in the work to make this not just "another handheld device that ships" but one that is positively a joy to own. The extra delays have been a royal pain in the butt, but they HAVE meant that a lot of rough edges have been knocked off before the first mass shipment.

 

[droneb]

They will probably be built in Texas yes, if there is a financial/speed advantage to building them in the UK we will do it here instead.

I suppose it's possible for people to put the cases on themselves and get their Pandora a little early, but I'd have to chat to Michael about the possibility of that as no doubt some people would break their Pandora trying it.

DIY Pandas!!! XD that reminds me of the old Kinder Egg toys, and all plastic models in their injection tubing.

Case + Board + Display n speakers + Batt = Open Panda.!

 

[Monk]

They will probably be built in Texas yes, if there is a financial/speed advantage to building them in the UK we will do it here instead.

I suppose it's possible for people to put the cases on themselves and get their Pandora a little early, but I'd have to chat to Michael about the possibility of that as no doubt some people would break their Pandora trying it.

IIRC isn't the PCB to screen cable placement probably the trickiest, most likely to break bit of assembly?

Speed is good. I tend to be a bit of a window shopper as in once I've bought a thing I want it (why else would I order it?) but personally I'd still rather it was put together professionally than by me. I'd rather a Pandora than a kit that left me forever wondering where those spare bits were MEANT to go...