131 replies to this topic

[Grench]

None of the above.

GPS = bluetooth - Assuming anyone ever gets the maps/software nailed down.
OBDII = bluetooth
Drive expansion = shared on 802.11g network

I''ll probably try to get this to work on it with Audacity though:
http://www.centrance.com/products/mp/

[cbox]

Will the Linux distro on the Pandora support USB DVD burners/readers? Just bought one for my regular laptop, figure it might be cool for the Pandora too.

[B-ZaR]

Will the Linux distro on the Pandora support USB DVD burners/readers? Just bought one for my regular laptop, figure it might be cool for the Pandora too.

Most likely yes. I for one don't see any reason why it wouldn't.

[borgqueenx]

mmm a extrenal HDD or burner or blue ray player wouldnt be really portable. not something i want for my pandora...

[valhalla]

Will the Linux distro on the Pandora support USB DVD burners/readers? Just bought one for my regular laptop, figure it might be cool for the Pandora too.

Most likely yes. I for one don''t see any reason why it wouldn''t.

as long as they are self powered, I suppose (but I''ve never seen an USB powered one)

[B-ZaR]

Will the Linux distro on the Pandora support USB DVD burners/readers? Just bought one for my regular laptop, figure it might be cool for the Pandora too.

Most likely yes. I for one don''t see any reason why it wouldn''t.

as long as they are self powered, I suppose (but I''ve never seen an USB powered one)

Even if it was usb-powered, pandora supplies full 500mA so it would still work, right?

[cbox]

The DVD burner I purchased is USB powered, it uses a laptop DVD drive. It has an optional power jack that pulls power off of a PS1 keyboard port but can also be powered fully by USB.

[Alibobar]

^ that would still depend on the Amperage of the USB-port and considering the Pondora only gives 500mA this is probably not possible.

[B-ZaR]

^ that would still depend on the Amperage of the USB-port and considering the Pondora only gives 500mA this is probably not possible.

CODE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Power

A unit load is defined as 100 mA in USB 2.0, and was raised to 150 mA in USB 3.0. A maximum of 5 unit loads can be drawn from a port in USB 2.0, which was raised to 6 in USB 3.0. There are two types of devices: low-power and high-power. Low-power devices draw at most 1 unit load, with minimum operating voltage of 4.4 V in USB 2.0, and 4 V in USB 3.0. High-power devices draw the maximum number of unit loads supported by the standard.

If I read this correctly, a standard USB 2.0 device can draw a maximum of 5*100mA = 500mA, which the pandora supplies.

[Chip]

If I read this correctly, a standard USB 2.0 device can draw a maximum of 5*100mA = 500mA, which the pandora supplies.

The problem being that many USB devices (especially hard disks and optical drives) do not follow the standard. Nearly every 2.5" USB hard drive uses well over 500mA during spin up. They only work at all because nearly all laptops and desktops allow for these variances and limit their USB ports to 1A or higher.

The USB power regulator in the Pandora allows for 500mA continuous and 750mA peaks. Some drives will work, and some won't. It's going to take some trial and error to determine which drives will and which won't.

[B-ZaR]

If I read this correctly, a standard USB 2.0 device can draw a maximum of 5*100mA = 500mA, which the pandora supplies.

The problem being that many USB devices (especially hard disks and optical drives) do not follow the standard. Nearly every 2.5" USB hard drive uses well over 500mA during spin up. They only work at all because nearly all laptops and desktops allow for these variances and limit their USB ports to 1A or higher.

The USB power regulator in the Pandora allows for 500mA continuous and 750mA peaks. Some drives will work, and some won't. It's going to take some trial and error to determine which drives will and which won't.

Thanks for the correction. I guess I was too naive to think companies would follow a standard to ensure their products worked

[Matthias_H]

I was thinking of a little device that accepts Super Nintendo cartridges on one side and pipes the ROM data to the host via a convenient interface (USB Mass Storage or Bluetooth or so, SMC/SWC files).

[Aethix]

There might be something like that, but game copying devices, especially old ones, are pretty hard to find.

Try searching around for a Game Doctor SF7. Bung, the company that made these, was shut down by a lawsuit, so they're pretty rare.

Edit: does anyone know if it would be possible to use USB cables with alligator clips to copy ROMs from cartridges?

Edited by Aethix, 28 May 2009 - 10:45 PM.

[Klepto]

I'd like a laser range finder and a compass please

[lulzfish]

You'd need a lot of very tiny alligator clips to hit all the pins on a game cartridge. And a microcontroller to translate that into actual data, and to send it over USB.

But it's theoretically possible, assuming that the cartridge itself just provides data and doesn't authenticate for the presence of an actual console at any step. That would complicate things a bit.