It's been quite a while since the last blog post, but of course that doesn't mean nothing has happened here.
A lot of what has happened for me was organizing (looking for companies that are able to produce the keymat, etc.) while Nikolaus was working on the base PCB most of the time.
Here's a quick summary of stuff that happened
1. Base PCB design
Nikolaus is now about 95% finished with the design of the base PCB.
All of the parts have already been placed and will be wired up.
If everything works out, then the base PCB does not need another revision - but you never know.
We'll know when it's finished and tested
As for the ports on the backside, it seems we can include the following ones:
They fit on the PCB, but we need to wait for feedback from the case designers if that works out well.
In case you wonder what the Micro USB Debug port is:
It's basically the serial out port. You can connect it to a PC and it will register as USBtty device.
No more hardware needed - so if you want to do some low-level kernel development, it will certainly be useful.
The port can also be used to charge the unit. This makes it possible to use a USB3.0 device (i.e. harddisk) while the Pyra is connected to the charger.
2. The case
The case designers were mostly working on the keymat, where I should get a first design this week.
This is important, as the keymat is the only part of the case that cannot be produced by FormAction, so I need to get quotations from other companies, and find a suitable one.
And as you can imagine, the keymat needs a lot of testing, as it has the buttons and the DPad included - and those need to be perfect
Therefore, the faster we get it, the faster I can test and confirm it.
After they finished the keymat, they will work on the keyboard part of the case and make sure, the PCB fits without any issues. This is also the time to work on the hinge and finalize the keymat design and PCB design.
When that is done, the lid will be designed, and finally, the lower part wit the battery compartment.
3. The touchscreen
The technical design of the touchscreen has been finished and is approved by me, now the production will begin.
We should get samples soon (I don't have a date yet, probably in about 4 - 5 weeks).
I've ordered the highest resolution and sensivity, anti-glare. So we should hopefully get the best resistive touchscreen as possible.
4. New (or old?) help
Some more helpers joined our internal development mailing list.
Two TI employees who are helping us in their spare time (they know a lot more about the OMAP5 than we do, so this will certainly be helpful) and Michael Weston (yep, the one who designed the Pandora)
It's always good to have various experienced designers.
There are often multiple solutions for one problem, and different ideas often help to find the best solution.
And proof-reading a schematics before the PCB goes into production is really helpful as well.
I'm really happy and thankful for all the help
It helps us to improve the final product and move forward a bit faster.
That's all there is for today. See you soon
A lot of what has happened for me was organizing (looking for companies that are able to produce the keymat, etc.) while Nikolaus was working on the base PCB most of the time.
Here's a quick summary of stuff that happened
1. Base PCB design
Nikolaus is now about 95% finished with the design of the base PCB.
All of the parts have already been placed and will be wired up.
If everything works out, then the base PCB does not need another revision - but you never know.
We'll know when it's finished and tested
As for the ports on the backside, it seems we can include the following ones:
- 1x Micro USB 3.0 OTG
- 1x USB-A 2.0 Host Port
- 1x USB-A 2.0 Host + eSATA Comboport
- 1x MicroHDMI Port
- 1x Headset (an internal switch ensures you can both use Apple and normal headsets)
- 1x Micro USB Debug and charging port
They fit on the PCB, but we need to wait for feedback from the case designers if that works out well.
In case you wonder what the Micro USB Debug port is:
It's basically the serial out port. You can connect it to a PC and it will register as USBtty device.
No more hardware needed - so if you want to do some low-level kernel development, it will certainly be useful.
The port can also be used to charge the unit. This makes it possible to use a USB3.0 device (i.e. harddisk) while the Pyra is connected to the charger.
2. The case
The case designers were mostly working on the keymat, where I should get a first design this week.
This is important, as the keymat is the only part of the case that cannot be produced by FormAction, so I need to get quotations from other companies, and find a suitable one.
And as you can imagine, the keymat needs a lot of testing, as it has the buttons and the DPad included - and those need to be perfect
Therefore, the faster we get it, the faster I can test and confirm it.
After they finished the keymat, they will work on the keyboard part of the case and make sure, the PCB fits without any issues. This is also the time to work on the hinge and finalize the keymat design and PCB design.
When that is done, the lid will be designed, and finally, the lower part wit the battery compartment.
3. The touchscreen
The technical design of the touchscreen has been finished and is approved by me, now the production will begin.
We should get samples soon (I don't have a date yet, probably in about 4 - 5 weeks).
I've ordered the highest resolution and sensivity, anti-glare. So we should hopefully get the best resistive touchscreen as possible.
4. New (or old?) help
Some more helpers joined our internal development mailing list.
Two TI employees who are helping us in their spare time (they know a lot more about the OMAP5 than we do, so this will certainly be helpful) and Michael Weston (yep, the one who designed the Pandora)
It's always good to have various experienced designers.
There are often multiple solutions for one problem, and different ideas often help to find the best solution.
And proof-reading a schematics before the PCB goes into production is really helpful as well.
I'm really happy and thankful for all the help
It helps us to improve the final product and move forward a bit faster.
That's all there is for today. See you soon
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