Some more of my ideas

[vcoleiro1]

Is OMAP5 a good idea if TI are not providing any support for it?.  I also thought they were going to stop making these and focus on embedded platforms.  That sounds like they could stop supply at any moment.

 

[slaeshjag]

They are moving away from cellphone SoC's to automotive multimedia SoC's. And TI isn't the company that just suddenly stops making a system on chip. The OMAP5 has barely even been released.

 

[Grench]

Consider the OMAP5.  Now consider 'car of the future' automotive applications.

Controls up to 4 screens.  Driver's gauge display, center console radio/nav screen, two rear-entertainment headrest screens.  Check.

SATA controller.  Small SSD or HDD for nav databases, user accessible storage.

USB 3 OTG.  Likely buried away somewhere for system updates.

USB 2 hub built in.  Put a USB host in front and two in the seat backs.  Let each rear occupant charge &/or playback from their devices.

3G/4G connectivity.  Onstar type services.  Calls home.  Location services for Nav.

eMMC.  Protected storage to hold vehicle tuning, OS, etc...

Although they may be exiting the cell phone market to emphasize the embeded/car market, I don't think that necessarily means the end of the OMAP5 line.

 

[knightron]

I'd really like to see an option in the firmware for the nubs to mimic the dpad, so that the nubs can be used in games which normally would only use the dpad.

Other than that, i'm happy with what's been listed. Good stuff.

 

[TrashyMG]

I'd really like to see an option in the firmware for the nubs to mimic the dpad, so that the nubs can be used in games which normally would only use the dpad.

Other than that, i'm happy with what's been listed. Good stuff.

That's a software issue not a hardware. It would be just as difficult to do that on the pyra as it is now with the Pandora. The difficulty being, it needs a skilled person to write code to do that.

 

[knightron]

I know nothing about coding, so i'm perhaps oversimplifying, but i thought it wouldn't be too hard to implement, because i remember back when the psp was going through its hay day, all the emulators supported doing this with its nub.

 

[bzar]

It's simple to do per application, but on a general level (eg. no separate application support required) requires a bit more work.

 

[_wb_]

Also, the best you can hope for is to get the analog x/y value converted to one out of 8 discrete directions.

 

[Exophase]

Also, the best you can hope for is to get the analog x/y value converted to one out of 8 discrete directions.

And I can't fathom why anyone would want to use something like Pandora's nub instead of its dpad for this purpose.

 

[knightron]

I enjoy using nubs/joysticks in rpgs. It feels better to me in those type of games.

 

[Granitehead]

Also, the best you can hope for is to get the analog x/y value converted to one out of 8 discrete directions.

No.

Iit might not work in all games, but in principle you could have an input which is as analog as the nubs by PWMing the dpad.

 

[comradekingu]

So... working off the theory that it is an OMAP5,  does that mean that this is the general layout and ports that would theoretically be available?

Spoiler

Spoiler

http://images.anandtech.com/doci/4153/omap5.png

Working clockwise from top left corner...

LPDDR2...  2GB RAM?

NAND/NOR Flash...  not using it per the eMMC conversation?

SD... only 1 SD bus if we're using eMMC for onboard storage?

eMMC...  8 or 16 GB onboard storage?

SATA 2.0...  not used or maybe give it an eSATA port?  (would be VERY cool if so)

USB 3.0 OTG... does this get surfaced as the primary USB port OR as one of those wide micro USB 3.0 dual-port things since this is the switchable host/device port?

3x USB 2.0 host...  does one of these come out as our full sized USB host port?  What could we do with the other 2?

4 camera devices?  Skip adding a camera.  Is there anything other than a camera that these could be coopted into doing for us?

Are we using the TWL6040 for audio?  Would that be up to the standard set by the Pandora?

Up to four displays - wow.

Touch screen controller - does it limit to any specific type/style of touchscreen?

Keypad - does it allow for multiple-key-presses?  Or would we be better off using one of the internal USB host ports for an internal USB keyboard definition to get better response?

UART - Fast IrDA - Can we use this this time?  I'd like to have an IR blaster on the Pyra.

(4) serial UARTS - ignore or use for nub (joysticks) inputs?

WiLink - are we going to use the TI wireless solution?

3G/4G modem - quandry.  I don't think we really need cell-phone like capabilities - but it's there on the chip.  I notice a lot of usable signals are being piped to the 3G/4G modem path (USB, SDIO, etc...)  Can we make better use of these (SDIO = 2nd SD slot)?

Fun stuff.

TI is not doing the 5430, only 5432, which is DDR3/DDR3L only.  Technical reference manual appentix A  page 6030

http://www.ti.com/product/twl6040

Edit: TI not doing 5430 is something i learnt from a supplier. On the TI pages the 5430 isnt listed in stock.

 

[_wb_]

Also, the best you can hope for is to get the analog x/y value converted to one out of 8 discrete directions.

No.

Iit might not work in all games, but in principle you could have an input which is as analog as the nubs by PWMing the dpad.

Haha, yeah, you could do that, but I guess some games might flip from getting that many keypress events

 

[slaeshjag]

TI is not doing the 5430, only 5432, which is DDR3/DDR3L only.  Technical reference manual appentix A  page 6030

http://www.ti.com/product/twl6040

I can't see anything in Appendix A saying that TI doesn't do the 5430? They only talk about how the 5432 differs from the 5430.

 

[Granitehead]

Also, the best you can hope for is to get the analog x/y value converted to one out of 8 discrete directions.

No.

Iit might not work in all games, but in principle you could have an input which is as analog as the nubs by PWMing the dpad.

Haha, yeah, you could do that, but I guess some games might flip from getting that many keypress events

I think it could work if you had a maximum of 8 or maybe even only 4 key presses per second and key and that would already greatly exceed 8 directions.

I would try to code something like this (and for remapping keys in general) if I knew how to make something like this work with all programs without needing the program to do anything special. But I don't know how Linux handles keypresses and if that's even possible.

 

[matzesu]

Any chance to get some more acessiaris this time??

The New Pandora Hardcover Carry Case was realy awesome and the TV Out Cable to

But can whe get somethinge like a Silicone Case to protekt the device during the play??

Also i dont want diverent modells this time,

I mean whit the Classic, Rebirth, and 1 ghz Edition, this wasnt that cool

I want to by a First Batch Pyra, and the First Batch should have the same specs as the last batch..

 

[levi]

We got the Rebirth because the initial production had to be scrapped and moved to Germany, and the extra RAM was because prices had fallen over time. Then the original part went out of stock so production moved to the 1Ghz. Assuming it doesn't take years to produce enough units for order this time round, there won't be the need for new specs down the line, so I agree that hopefully this won't happen with the Pyra (though of course, I'd be happy for a Pyra+ to be released down the line after all orders have been fulfilled if new parts became available at the same price).


Regarding the analogue-dpad thing, I think that's a Sony weirdness. The original Analog pads (and later DualShocks) had a hardware switch which (as I recall) maps the left analogue stick to the dpad, because the PS1 was originally released without analogue sticks. So early software just flat out doesn't recognise the sticks and you need to switch off the analog button (i.e. map the stick to d-pad) to be able to use the left stick in game. That slightly weird necessity made it through to the PS2's DualShock 2, where it was entirely unnecessary, but it seemed to have become a Sony 'thing' which I guess made it into the PSP, but as a software switch only perhaps.


Such a software switch could be coded for the Pandora and Pyra I guess, but I really don't see the point when we have one of the best d-pads on the market.

 

[knightron]

What's the point of having nubs at all if no one wants to use them. :rolleyes:

If we had nicer nubs on the Pandora then maybe people would desire to use them more. The Pyra is getting new one ones, maybe they will be as pleasant to use as the current Pandora's dpad.

 

[God Ginrai]

Such a software switch could be coded for the Pandora and Pyra I guess, but I really don't see the point when we have one of the best d-pads on the market.

This. If anyone doesn't like our dpad, then they just hate dpads.

-God Ginrai

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

What's the point of having nubs at all if no one wants to use them. :rolleyes:

If we had nicer nubs on the Pandora then maybe people would desire to use them more. The Pyra is getting new one ones, maybe they will be as pleasant to use as the current Pandora's dpad.

I use Pandora nubs a lot for racing and shooting games as well as neogeo fighting games.  I didn't like using Pandora nubs at first but after a bit of getting used to, I think they are very good.  My experience is you have to train yourself not to use too much pressure when using them as that doesn't make them more responsive but rather the opposite effect and you may break them faster.  Just train yourself and you will get to love those nubs.  I use my nubs 90% of the time especially on the bus when the whole thing is shaking the whole time and with nubs I have no issue pinpointing anything and browsing the web with nubs is no issue for me.   So must have nubs in PYRA