Product Idea For An Enterprising Developer

[BradN]

So, even if the gp2x's usb controller can't do host mode, it can surely do client mode, and it should be possible to make something that provides a usb host interface to both the gp2x and then any attached peripherals... biggest pains would be driver programming on the gp2x (but the linux source is out there, so at least it's possible), and having thorough enough knowledge of USB to make it all work.

I don't think having a small external box would be too prohibitive, considering you'd need extra batteries to power anything external anyway, and one could even rig it up to include a 2.5" hard drive or something in the box... You could have a hell of a portable media player with a hard drive available, and it would save on getting expensive SD cards if you want to take a lot of PSX images with you or whatever.

I know I'd be interested in such a thing if someone would design it (probably wouldn't be too complex even - a dual port USB controller and a beefy microcontroller would probably suffice, some might even have the USB integrated).

Anyone else interested in such a thing?

 

[Sofox]

Nice idea. I should mention that I already discovered an iRiver H320 could communicate with the GP2x, but to get it to work the other way would be different.

 

[gremrod]

Well, I look at it like this. They already have internal drive cases you can buy that you snap in any 2.5" or a 3.5" drive. These cases are sometimes usb powered some have your regular wall jack power. You would need the latter type since the GP2x usb port is non-powered.

So with that said all we need is someone with really good linux coding skills and a good knowledge of USB and I'm sure someone could write a driver that could allow the GP2x unit to see this type of mass storge device.

Anyone else disagree?

The real ptoblem is the Gp2x unit only has a USB port out and no USB port to plug a USB device into.

Unless at the sametime they write a driver to read a USB hub and then any USB device plugged into the hub!

Yea! - No! ????

I would love to see this type thing for the Gp2x. I would use it.

 

[Sofox]

Sorry, forgot to give link to my iRiver topic: http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=22149

 

[BradN]

I believe the problem is the USB2 chip on the gp2x cannot do host mode at all - the gp32's chip could, and the MMSP2's built in USB can in theory, but GPH added an extra USB2 client only chip that goes to the USB connector. I don't think the MMSP2's USB is connected at all. Personally, I think GPH should have just gone with the plain USB1.1 built into the MMSP2 and saved the cost of an extra chip, as well as a marginal battery life improvement, and besides, it seems there's huge compatability problems with either the extra chip or the drivers for it...

 

[nik166]

you mean you wanna do an EXTERNAL usb-host device?

yep that's a good concept, but i guess it would be necessary ONLY on the GP2x , so we would have to make everything by ourselves

and GPH said the next version of GP2X (f200 ? ) will have a USB host support, so we gotta do it quickly!


but good idea, my iaudio X5 (mp3 player ) has a USB host mode , so i can access to the GP2X from it easily,move,copy and delete files etc but i would love to do the opposite , like launching programs and reading videos from my X5's hard drive

would be much more myself-compliant


but to make a USB device, don't you need to alreadu have USB HOST ? ?:

 

[nik166]

I believe the problem is the USB2 chip on the gp2x cannot do host mode at all - the gp32's chip could, and the MMSP2's built in USB can in theory, but GPH added an extra USB2 client only chip that goes to the USB connector.

​

that's what i don't understand, the MMSP2 chip CAN do usb host etc, but it's not wired!!

and they added another usb chip instead of using the MMSP2 , i can't understand why wasting such an interesting function, we all have it, but we can't use it simply because of a few stupid COPPER TRACKS ON THE PCB who would cost nothing technically :blink:

 

[BradN]

Exactly, nik166, even if they didn't run it to the USB connector, they could have surely spared a couple pins on the EXT connector, and just have a breakout adapter that can connect all the various things that go through that.

 

[slygamer]

that's what i don't understand, the MMSP2 chip CAN do usb host etc, but it's not wired!!

and they added another usb chip instead of using the MMSP2 , i can't understand why wasting such an interesting function, we all have it, but we can't use it simply because of a few stupid COPPER TRACKS ON THE PCB who would cost nothing technically :blink:

​

One reason is that the USB on the MMSP2 board is USB 1.1. The USB client chip that GPH chose is USB 2.0.

P.S. Not that I can get it to use USB 2.0. I have to hook my GP2X up through a USB 1.1 hub to get the PC to recognize it.

 

[Series-8]

The Irony.

If they haden't used the extra chip we might not be having this discussion now.

True complaints about slow SD access may abound, but last I checked a SD card reader was $15 (or less in some cases!)

 

[BradN]

not only would we not be having this discussion, but there probably wouldn't be 50 threads about trying to get the usb to work

 

[Squidge]

It is indeed ironic that GPH place a USB2.0 chip on the board because they don't want to use the built-in 1.1 controller, and then everyone finds out that plugging a gp2x into a usb2.0 port doesn't actually work, and needs a usb1.1 port to function :wacko:

Then again, GPH obviously have not read anything from the usb implementors site (here), as even there usb cable isn't compliant

 

[mattyrb]

It is indeed ironic that GPH place a USB2.0 chip on the board because they don't want to use the built-in 1.1 controller, and then everyone finds out that plugging a gp2x into a usb2.0 port doesn't actually work, and needs a usb1.1 port to function :wacko:

Then again, GPH obviously have not read anything from the usb implementors site (here), as even there usb cable isn't compliant

​

I've not been reading about the issues surrounding the USB...but you mean to tell me that it has a USB2.0 chip onboard but doesn't work when you plug the thing into a USB2.0 on the pc..... <_< errrm slightly confuzzled

 

[nik166]

I've not been reading about the issues surrounding the USB...but you mean to tell me that it has a USB2.0 chip onboard but doesn't work when you plug the thing into a USB2.0 on the pc..... <_< errrm slightly confuzzled

​

yep, windows XP doesn't recognize it in 2.0, gotta switch the controller to 1.1; or use a 1.1 hub

are there PCB pictures somewhereo n the net? of all faces ? (i guess it's a multilayered with no access to the MMSP2's pins on the back, but i'm curious to see the layout anyway )

 

[Turambar]

Erm the GP2X works fine in my USB 2.0 ports on WinXP...