Sleep Mode, Diagnostic/maint. Menu, Boot Off Usb?

[MWeston]

I have done some calculations about how I can keep the RTC running even with the battery out. I can't talk about how the system works internally, but the battery/capacitor will only hold the clock and some settings (like maybe your name, birthday,....that sort of stuff). If you yank the battery out while in sleep mode, the device will restart when a battery is re-inserted. The PSP is like this as well. I am more interested in a capacitor than a mini battery due to issues with government regulations. I guess there are going to be even more restrictions on flying with Li Ion batteries in the new year and it might only get worse in future years. This might have no effect on backup batteries in devices, but who knows? Pandora is going to have a long life, I hope, and I'd like to avoid future concerns by designing around it now.

Doing my rough calculations and digging out those old formulas for exponential decay and time constants, I think I can use a capacitor value already in the design which will hold the settings for about 25 seconds while the battery is being changed (and at about 1/5 the cost of a supercap). Buying them from a surplus store and not a distributor is a terrible idea by the way.

Also, I 'think' you can swap the battery while the DC jack is plugged in. It looks like the hardware can do that, but I will have to test it. You can't always trust the data sheets as written. Real world tests are the only definitive proofs.

The battery lid concept is not set in stone, but that is just how it is right now. Obviously it cannot be a little slip cover like the PSP because that battery is much larger. I was under the impression something more complicated for quick release was going to be a nightmare with the injection mold, but we will see.

 

[chris_r]

Whenever you say that you can't talk about some feature of the panda, is this because you don't want to reveal features or because of some nda with the omap supplier?

 

[MWeston]

Whenever you say that you can't talk about some feature of the panda, is this because you don't want to reveal features or because of some nda with the omap supplier?

Just stuff in the datasheet which has an NDA disclaimer on every page

I'm happy to discuss features in a level of detail that doesn't violate these terms and I think we have everything on the table now. If you want answers to what software looks like, I'm not your guy though

 

[b._.o._.b]

The battery lid concept is not set in stone, but that is just how it is right now. Obviously it cannot be a little slip cover like the PSP because that battery is much larger. I was under the impression something more complicated for quick release was going to be a nightmare with the injection mold, but we will see.

Thanks for the explanation, looks like we will not have to reset the rtc changing batteries after all.
25 seconds to change a battery should be enough, if a screw is the best way to ensure a rock solid construction I would prefer that instead of a quick release that can easily break.
Of course the quality of the screw (male - female) should be very high and suited for many swaps.

 

[atomicthumbs]

Whenever you say that you can't talk about some feature of the panda, is this because you don't want to reveal features or because of some nda with the omap supplier?

Just stuff in the datasheet which has an NDA disclaimer on every page

I'm happy to discuss features in a level of detail that doesn't violate these terms and I think we have everything on the table now. If you want answers to what software looks like, I'm not your guy though


Wouldn't it be sad if one of TI's clients got hacked, and their entire hard drive contents were put on the Internet for people to see?

I guess it would, because then Bad Things would happen to the TI-Client relationship.

No hacking the Pandora team, people!

 

[prairiefire]

Wouldn't it be sad if one of TI's clients got hacked, and their entire hard drive contents were put on the Internet for people to see?

I guess it would, because then Bad Things would happen to the TI-Client relationship.

No hacking the Pandora team, people!

why would you bring that up??

 

[Amon_Re]

The battery is removable if you really wanted to change them out. The battery compartment will have a cover held down by a screw (like the DS). One thing to note is that you will have to re-set the clock each time you do this.

Depending on autonomy of the battery, this might be a very annoying thing, my PDA for instance has it's main battery, and a smaller rechargeable battery inside, that keeps the ram alive long enough to allow me to swap out it's main battery, the trick is that there's an extra switch beneath the battery lid that detects when it's opened, might be worth considering, if not for this unit, then for pandora+1.

 

[Amon_Re]

I have done some calculations about how I can keep the RTC running even with the battery out. I can't talk about how the system works internally, but the battery/capacitor will only hold the clock and some settings (like maybe your name, birthday,....that sort of stuff). If you yank the battery out while in sleep mode, the device will restart when a battery is re-inserted. The PSP is like this as well. I am more interested in a capacitor than a mini battery due to issues with government regulations. I guess there are going to be even more restrictions on flying with Li Ion batteries in the new year and it might only get worse in future years. This might have no effect on backup batteries in devices, but who knows? Pandora is going to have a long life, I hope, and I'd like to avoid future concerns by designing around it now.

Doing my rough calculations and digging out those old formulas for exponential decay and time constants, I think I can use a capacitor value already in the design which will hold the settings for about 25 seconds while the battery is being changed (and at about 1/5 the cost of a supercap). Buying them from a surplus store and not a distributor is a terrible idea by the way.

Also, I 'think' you can swap the battery while the DC jack is plugged in. It looks like the hardware can do that, but I will have to test it. You can't always trust the data sheets as written. Real world tests are the only definitive proofs.

The battery lid concept is not set in stone, but that is just how it is right now. Obviously it cannot be a little slip cover like the PSP because that battery is much larger. I was under the impression something more complicated for quick release was going to be a nightmare with the injection mold, but we will see.

Well, one possibility offcourse is to swap the ram to the SD card when the battery gets to a critical level and shutdown, as for the lid, using a screw big enough to open with a penny might solve that problem too

Whenever you say that you can't talk about some feature of the panda, is this because you don't want to reveal features or because of some nda with the omap supplier?

The panda's digestive track is indeed covered by an NDA

 

[fusion_power]

Also, I 'think' you can swap the battery while the DC jack is plugged in. It looks like the hardware can do that, but I will have to test it. You can't always trust the data sheets as written. Real world tests are the only definitive proofs.



Other question because I find this a bad "feature" of the GP2X: Do the Pandora also a reset, when I plug the AC Adaptor in (for charging etc...) while playing? I hope we cann keep the device running, when Pandora run out of Battery Power and we plug the charger in. I also hope, Pandora will have an WORKING Battery LED, also a thing, the GP2X doesn't have (mainly because of Gmenu2X in my case).

 

[Squidge]

The problem with the gp2x is that as you plug in the dc power supply, it cuts off power from the batteries (to ensure the psu does not try to charge the batteries). This short time without power will reset the cpu.

Since the pandora uses the psu to charge the battery, it need not cut the power, so it will not reset

 

[atomicthumbs]

why would you bring that up??

just a thought, born out of a fantasy

 

[Clad]

Please use a good old regular screw to keep the battery. It's simple enough. Even the NDS do that (a machine targeted at very young, very old, and not technically inclined people !) and no one ever complained. I'm pretty sure if the NDS target audience can manage with that, so do we.

No need to complicate things for an action that is supposed to be performed like... every 2 years ? I bought my NDS on japanese launch day in 2004, and I use it pretty intensively, I did not have to change it's battery yet and the autonomy is still pretty good.

 

[b._.o._.b]

Please use a good old regular screw to keep the battery. It's simple enough. Even the NDS do that (a machine targeted at very young, very old, and not technically inclined people !) and no one ever complained. I'm pretty sure if the NDS target audience can manage with that, so do we.

No need to complicate things for an action that is supposed to be performed like... every 2 years ? I bought my NDS on japanese launch day in 2004, and I use it pretty intensively, I did not have to change it's battery yet and the autonomy is still pretty good.

For more serious use a back up battery is very important. The eeepc has got an easy swappable battery and as far as I know all laptops. This may not be a laptop, but I'm sure it will be used that way.
Also on longer trips (vacation) it would be nice if you could swap the battery easily.

Personally I need it mainly because I often forget to charge on time. I've got an extra battery for my phone as well for that reason.

 

[Squidge]

Maybe part of the case and the clip for battery cover could be part of the battery, that way, when you renew the battery, you renew all the plastic and the clip as well. It would definitely mean a proprietary battery however, but thats not so bad considering the battery will last 3 years or so, and by which time the machine itself will be emulated.

But I just think: How many times do you take the battery out of the DS or PSP? Very rarely, if ever. If your worried about your battery capacity, you can always take one of those emergency battery things with you.