Pandora Htpc Controller

[bzar]

There was an idea at some point to sell just the bottom parts of pandoras as cheaper "boxes". There also was an idea for a "Pandora game pad", made with the pandora's game controls. What I propose is something similar. A portable keyboard and game controller. It can be just the bottom half of a pandora or something with more unique form. The point is having an ultimate HTPC controller, which coincidentally would also work nicely with tablet computers, laptops, cell phones (some) etc. The minimum would be a pandora lower part case, keyboard, game controls and bluetooth with HID profile (this would require a new PCB, but it should be significantly simpler to Pandora's. USB as an optional connection would be nice. I also thought of a more curved design, a bit like wii classic controller (but more curved) and one with keyboard on one side and game controls on the other (smaller surface, but thicker). My rationale is that there are no devices with both and wiimotes/ps3 controllers are not really pocketable.

Opinions? Ideas? Trolls?

EDIT: Yay, screwed the subtitle. It should say: "More use for pandora components"

 

[mali]

Very good idea Something similar to this maybe, including gaming controls and preferably optical mouse sensor

 

[Mofokubik]

Yes this is an excellent idea.

However I was thinking more along the lines of a program you can run on your pandora so when connected in via usb or bluetooth, it would be recognized as your desktops keyboard, mouse or gamepad. Even better, put in the ability to control IR devices from the same program. I remember the gp32 has a program similar to this in a sense. You run the program on your gp32 and connect it to your pc and voila, pc enabled controller.

I'm not a programmer so obviously those are pipe dreams to me, but the day I get my pandora is the day that changes. or year(s) to be accurate

 

[bzar]

Very good idea Something similar to this maybe, including gaming controls and preferably optical mouse sensor

Yes, I had that same product in mind, but with game controls . Analog nubs could work nicely as a mouse?

Yes this is an excellent idea.

However I was thinking more along the lines of a program you can run on your pandora so when connected in via usb or bluetooth, it would be recognized as your desktops keyboard, mouse or gamepad. Even better, put in the ability to control IR devices from the same program. I remember the gp32 has a program similar to this in a sense. You run the program on your gp32 and connect it to your pc and voila, pc enabled controller.

I'm not a programmer so obviously those are pipe dreams to me, but the day I get my pandora is the day that changes. or year(s) to be accurate

Also a good idea, and probably will be done. See BlueMaemo for example. USB gadget mode can be used on the pandora for USB connectivity. My idea is more along the lines of a smaller, cheaper, dedicated controller.

EDIT: replied to Mali as well

 

[Zotty]

Currently designing/building something similar. I'm gonna use the Pandora to control music (handbuild embedded player) and IR (receiver/DVD/popcornhour) over bluetooth. So the Pandora stays in tact, but the receiving end is custom build hardware from scratch.

 

[Caine]

Good idea, but I don't see the need to actually strip the pandora down to bare components. It might save a few bucks but you would have to wait for three years

I hope the Pandora will support some bluetooth profiles for mouse, keyboard and/or game controller such that I can control my XBMC box with it.

 

[j.pickens]

Run VNC and control the HTPC on the Pandora over Wifi.
That's my plan, anyway.

 

[b1llygo4t]

i think thats an awesome idea. it needs a bottle opener.

 

[bzar]

Like many of you have pointed out, a pandora will do this nicely. However, if I take the pandora everywhere, how will my GF use the HTPC while I'm gone? As I said, I'm talking about a dedicated controller. maybe even for people who for some reason don't have or don't want a Pandora. It's just a way for the OPT to get a little more hard earned cash out of the pandora's design with some extra designing.

 

[Pleng]

Cant you just use one of the XBox 360 controllers with the built in keyboard? OP aren't going to be able to make anything cheaper than that, I wouldn't think.

ok yea, not so pocketable, but I can't think of a time I'd want to carry such a device in my pocket.

 

[typs lik dis]

Haven't you heard of the iControlpad? What you describe is basically one of those with a keypad and bluetooth/usb instead of an iPod connector. There's also the PS3 keypad controller remote. If it's reasonably usable and works with more devices than the PS3, I think that it does exactly what you want. The Pandora's buttons and nubs might be better, but the PS3 thing exists right now.

 

[second exodous]

If someone sets this up it would be awesome! You could port a Remote Desktop to the Pandora but a gui specially for something like XBMC would be great. I'm setting up a XBMC box right now so it would benefit me.

It wouldn't need any more hardware than a small and cheap Bluetooth 2.0 Adapter Dongle for you HTPC. Someone needs to write an app for the Pandora is all. Making a separate device with the Pandora hardware would be pointless, lots of cheaper alternatives out there. Pandora would be nice since it has a separate screen so if you took the screen out of the picture it wouldn't be as powerful.

 

[HackModford]

I simply would like to buy the nubs so that I can use them in handheld projects over at the benheck forums.

 

[second exodous]

I simply would like to buy the nubs so that I can use them in handheld projects over at the benheck forums.

Yeah, that would be great. I've started like 3 projects and never finished them. Every time I start one a handheld comes out to distract me, Pandora being the newest.

 

[bzar]

Cant you just use one of the XBox 360 controllers with the built in keyboard? OP aren't going to be able to make anything cheaper than that, I wouldn't think.

ok yea, not so pocketable, but I can't think of a time I'd want to carry such a device in my pocket.

Does an XBox 360 controller work as a BT HID joystick / USB gamepad without any modification or special software? Is the keypad recognized as a keyboard? Honestly, I don't know, and a quick google wouldn't reveal anything of the sort.

Haven't you heard of the iControlpad? What you describe is basically one of those with a keypad and bluetooth/usb instead of an iPod connector. There's also the PS3 keypad controller remote. If it's reasonably usable and works with more devices than the PS3, I think that it does exactly what you want. The Pandora's buttons and nubs might be better, but the PS3 thing exists right now.

Yes, I have. And you listed the reasons why this is not the same. Pretty big differences. The PS3 3 in 1 solution does not look good for gaming. At all. And I doubt it is recognized as a gamepad and a keyboard either.

If there is a product to fit this bill, I'm happy to hear about it and get one ASAP

 

[Zotty]

I simply would like to buy the nubs so that I can use them in handheld projects over at the benheck forums.

Yeah, that would be great. I've started like 3 projects and never finished them. Every time I start one a handheld comes out to distract me, Pandora being the newest.

So familiar! But I must admit that waiting for my Pandora has gotten me all fired up and I'm actually making progress with some projects

 

[second exodous]

I simply would like to buy the nubs so that I can use them in handheld projects over at the benheck forums.

Yeah, that would be great. I've started like 3 projects and never finished them. Every time I start one a handheld comes out to distract me, Pandora being the newest.

So familiar! But I must admit that waiting for my Pandora has gotten me all fired up and I'm actually making progress with some projects

Yeah, for me when I look at something like the Pandora I think 'it will play all those games anyway'. I want to build a portable Atari and an NES because I like those carts. I usually get stuck on the cases though, I build it out of wood and then think of ways I could improve it so it's back to the drawing board. One day I'll finish my Atari hand held, I have a million carts that I need to use for something!