Pandora 2 - My Wishlist

[Fueler]

I'll add my hat in to the wish list threads.

First of all thank you for creating Pandora, it's been an awesome device to use on the road. Pandora 2 should build on the successes of Pandora 1.

What I really like about the Pandora is the Audio Jack, D-Pad, Battery Life and screen size (not quality).

Improvements:

1. HDMI output (v1.4 or higher)
   • I know the keyboard takes a number of pins to support which caused HDMI to be removed in Pandora 1, but HDMI needs to be done.
2. Screen quality needs improvment, viewing angle need lots of work in the vertical axis
3. 2 more shoulder buttons, 2 on left and 2 on right
   • 1st set is the corner while the 2nd set are on the back pressed using finger tips
4. Weight, low priority but the unit does get heavy after time
5. WiFi module that supports Miracast
6. Additional RAM for large display buffers, decoding and encoding

Out there wish list:

1. Connector for hard drive module
   • Hard Drive will be http://www.sandisk.com/products/embedded/issd/
     
   • Use this instead of NAND for OS
   • By using a connector to main board the module can be upgraded and/or high capacity sold at higher price point
2. Connector for Display
   • The base unit should work by itself and allow the display portion of the unit to be removed.
   • Sell the Display as an addon, most people will by it anyway
   • This would cause most of the I/O ports on the back to moved to the sides (leave HDMI so the device looks like a controller)
   • The touchscreen would be a USB input device
3. Camera within Display unit

 

[Binky]

The pandora's processor has one digital and one analogue video output

the digital one is connected to the screen, leaving the analogue for TV-out.

I don't think the keyboard has anything to do with it (unless you have a citation - I could be completely wrong!)

 

[Fueler]

The pandora's processor has one digital and one analogue video output

the digital one is connected to the screen, leaving the analogue for TV-out.

I don't think the keyboard has anything to do with it (unless you have a citation - I could be completely wrong!)

You were right. I was told long ago it was because too many gpio pins were associated with the keypad. At work I use OMAP4 which has HDMI capability so my confusion on not looking up the OMAP3 block diagram.

Then I suggest moving to OMAP4 platform. For me without a high rez output of some sort, the device is stuck being a handheld gaming device.

 

[TrashyMG]

By the time things get in motion for the Pandora 2 the OMAP4 SoC will look pretty old school.. may as well push for something better.

 

[Binky]

Moving to a new Soc is a HUGE amount of work, and if/when anyone gets round to building a Pandora 2 it will certainly have an up-to-date processor with digital video out.

There is a strong possibility of using an OMAP5 in the P2

For the moment there's nothing to be done except

1. use a ADC whatnot between your pandora and your fancy new screen
2. sell lots of pandoras so ED has enough money to start work on the P2

 

[monstercameron]

just an idea on a decent arm(i know) soc, maybe freescale would be the best choice, buy low quantities, high enough performance, x gpu & vpu acceleration and tonnes of peripheral interfaces.

~$32 per 1000 units

http://www.freescale.com/

 

[Fueler]

I wonder what their interface to the video core is, OMX or something custom? At a quick glance the specs look decent, curious about the GPU performance, but not bad.

 

[Binky]

~$32 per 1000 units

You mean $23000 for one thousand units, surely? (or are socs much cheaper than I thought?)

 

[monstercameron]

~$32 per 1000 units

You mean $23000 for one thousand units, surely? (or are socs much cheaper than I thought?)

oops, ~$32/unit for 1000 pieces, and some others are cheaper, allwinner a31 rumored to be ~$20/unit

 

[3_bit]

By the time things get in motion for the Pandora 2 the OMAP4 SoC will look pretty old school.. may as well push for something better.

We could use the "sequential" idea or just grab the latest and greatest from hardware lines that tend to be usable with ARM processors and hope that the one we grab 1-2 months from production is compatible with it or swap that piece out. Of course, the design process is probably much more complicated.

~$32 per 1000 units

You mean $23000 for one thousand units, surely? (or are socs much cheaper than I thought?)

oops, ~$32/unit for 1000 pieces, and some others are cheaper, allwinner a31 rumored to be ~$20/unit

But the factories have poor working conditions there I thought... Couldn't using the A31 be bad for the Pandora's name?

 

[Jerom]

I've posted this elsewhere already, but  I would love to see a backlit keyboard on the next version, and maybe a camera on the side of the dispaly to be able to use the pandora for skype videocalls

 

[Binky]

Look at this:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1703567677/icontrolpad-2-the-open-source-controller

Replace Craig's broken promises with ED's awesome openness (but leave to cool tech the same) and you'll have a very good idea of the keyboard we're getting in the P2

 

[3_bit]

Look at this:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1703567677/icontrolpad-2-the-open-source-controller

Replace Craig's broken promises with ED's awesome openness (but leave to cool tech the same) and you'll have a very good idea of the keyboard we're getting in the P2

What if we use the ICP2's profits to FUND the OP2? Then they could help fund eachother's new versions!

 

[Binky]

Bad idea.

Look at the current mess where ED's new sales are funding Craig's GHz upgrades which funded his original sales.

 

[3_bit]

Well we could idle with the current OP design (maybe toss in a new processor if one compatible with the current motherboard comes up) and but incrememntally upgade the ICP2 with new tech, then finalize OP2 designs when the whole company is out of debt and stuff.

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

I'll add my hat in to the wish list threads.

First of all thank you for creating Pandora, it's been an awesome device to use on the road. Pandora 2 should build on the successes of Pandora 1.

What I really like about the Pandora is the Audio Jack, D-Pad, Battery Life and screen size (not quality).

Improvements:

1. HDMI output (v1.4 or higher)
   • I know the keyboard takes a number of pins to support which caused HDMI to be removed in Pandora 1, but HDMI needs to be done.
2. Screen quality needs improvment, viewing angle need lots of work in the vertical axis
3. 2 more shoulder buttons, 2 on left and 2 on right
   • 1st set is the corner while the 2nd set are on the back pressed using finger tips
4. Weight, low priority but the unit does get heavy after time
5. WiFi module that supports Miracast
6. Additional RAM for large display buffers, decoding and encoding

Out there wish list:

1. Connector for hard drive module
   • Hard Drive will be http://www.sandisk.com/products/embedded/issd/
     
   • Use this instead of NAND for OS
   • By using a connector to main board the module can be upgraded and/or high capacity sold at higher price point
2. Connector for Display
   • The base unit should work by itself and allow the display portion of the unit to be removed.
   • Sell the Display as an addon, most people will by it anyway
   • This would cause most of the I/O ports on the back to moved to the sides (leave HDMI so the device looks like a controller)
   • The touchscreen would be a USB input device
3. Camera within Display unit

It should also be able to run windows 7 and windows 8 if the Pandora 2 would like to be named the "Ultimate Emulation Machine"     I know windows are not open source but who cares, if I buy a version of windows for my laptop, there shouldn't be a problem to install in onto my Panda 2 as well.  That way Dreamcast emulation would be easy

 

[3_bit]

why don't we just use ALL the processors OR a lot of the BEST FPGAs and just use software-based processors? That would end the x86 VS ARM VS etc. battle. But, of course, you would need to write the software to do it.