3/4g internal modem. - Acer Iconia A500

I'm looking to start a thread about turning an a500 into a a501. I've done a teardown of the a500 and it has the capability of potentially being able to support an internal card. It has the space/slot and screw mounts.
Before I start ordering and soldering parts to the circuit board I'd like to get a few facts straight.
1. The firmware (kernel) between the a501 and a500 are the same? I've heard that it is, and that it isn't
2. Drivers- obviously drivers will need to written. No way of getting around that.
3. PCIe Riser extender - As you can see from these pictures, the plastic bracket is missing/not included. You can see on each side there is two holes for mounting the bracket. I'd recommend the extended below, as it will allow me the needed length between the two.
http://www.amazon.com/PCI-Express-Riser-Flexible-Cable/dp/B0054CIL46
The reason I'm picking this is because I can solder this
Here is the empty space:
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"lightbox_next": "Next",
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"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Now here is the space with a pcie wlan card
You can see from the last picture that there is a space issue that needs to be addressed.
I would need to use riser with an extended back end inorder to align up this the screw mounts.
this picture is just of the screw mounts.
I've seen a few threads now about the idea of this , nothing really taking liftoff, so I thought I'd be the first to start.
Also, is there a command for listing hardware/chips in android , using android terminal emulator. Something like lspci (linux command)
**********************************************************
On to pcie 4g/3g cards.
Here is the 4g card I found:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-5150-...135?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a38d57f7
I'd rather have one with the major cellular provides, but I can't seem to find any. Clear has a basic 200mb (holy hell) for $20. Not bad for 4g coverage.
3g Card
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Inspiron-15...118?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5645ae677e
This one is cheap, and from verizon.
$30 /2gb plan from verizon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let me know what you think. If you have anything to add please feel free to let me know

Make a video when you got it running.

Johnny0906 said:
Make a video when you got it running.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still learning basic programming.I've taken a programming fundamentals and half of programming structures. Teacher was Indian and had us read from a book. If someone wouldbwrite the driver I would jump into it

wow .. really interesting ..
now u know what would be even better ?
to have this module external.
to be able to connect it to the a500.
anyway ..
sure hope u get something..

fxandrei said:
wow .. really interesting ..
now u know what would be even better ?
to have this module external.
to be able to connect it to the a500.
anyway ..
sure hope u get something..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree!! Your average XDA user is open minded when it comes to flashing roms, kernels and different types of software mods but they aren't that open minded to cracking their device open and screwing around with things internally. A usb type of module would be great!! I KNOW you're properly thinking like "WOW, do you want it to clean your house too" BUT T'll put my wallet where my mouth is and will donate 75 dollars if you can get this thing working via usb or provide some sort of brick-proof way of doing this.
I'm really excited to the idea of possibly having 4G on this tablet!!
Good Luck!!
Sent from inside my house using XDA Premium

It looks like its missing one of these..
Mouser is a great source for parts like this. It will involve soldering a connector and possibly writing a driver.
Once you find out the parts requirement, any electronics repair shop can handle it.
http://www.mouser.com/Interconnects/Memory-Card-Connectors/_/N-72bz7/
I can't help anymore then this, I don't own one of these devices. However, kernel=drivers. You've got two issues. Kernel support and Hardware. Once you've got the physical connection done, search for some linux devices which uses similar hardware and grab the kernel modules built for your kernel. If you're lucky, you can just insmod them into the device. If you're not lucky, you'll need to build from source.

Would a kernel dump or source from an A501 do the trick? I don't have one, just throwing around ideas...

A little background: I'm an electronic engineer with some experience of teardown work.
I agree with Adam that you need a socket rather than trying to solder a flexy on.
Do you have any teardown information on the A501, or would someone with an A501 be willing to get photographs. I think the key hardware things to find out are 1) what socket is used for the card and 2) what card is used.
If you get a 3g card with the same chipset on, then wouldn't it be as simple as hacking in A501 firmware for the driver?

I-S said:
A little background: I'm an electronic engineer with some experience of teardown work.
I agree with Adam that you need a socket rather than trying to solder a flexy on.
Do you have any teardown information on the A501, or would someone with an A501 be willing to get photographs. I think the key hardware things to find out are 1) what socket is used for the card and 2) what card is used.
If you get a 3g card with the same chipset on, then wouldn't it be as simple as hacking in A501 firmware for the driver?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That one itself would be the ideal. But that makes sense.

The story doesn't end at installing the card mount, but also needs other components to work. Instead you can tear down a 2 port USB hub, tear down your 3G modem and Stick it in an empty place do some soldering so that the end result should be as follows........
1. The socket which generates USB inside the case, should be fed to the USB hub,
2. One output of the hub should go to the USB dongle we earlier ripped out
3. The other output of the hub should be the cable that extends to the outside USB port.. after all we need this USB also for external USB for attaching keyboards, flash drives etc..
I hope I gave a unique idea here

You need to see a real 3g version to know if other thing missing like transistor on board neer pci card, or usb its more sure
Look for version 3g before investigate pciMe 3g and pciMe connector also sim connector of course
---------- Post added at 11:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 AM ----------
superhotluv said:
The story doesn't end at installing the card mount, but also needs other components to work. Instead you can tear down a 2 port USB hub, tear down your 3G modem and Stick it in an empty place do some soldering so that the end result should be as follows........
1. The socket which generates USB inside the case, should be fed to the USB hub,
2. One output of the hub should go to the USB dongle we earlier ripped out
3. The other output of the hub should be the cable that extends to the outside USB port.. after all we need this USB also for external USB for attaching keyboards, flash drives etc..
I hope I gave a unique idea here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this one what i do it cause you can found mini usb 3g and open it to integrated on board

This was attempted once before and was proven that the boards of the A500 and A501 have differences! Somewhere here in the forum was a thread and there were diagrams and photos of the tho devices! There are many missing components on the A500 that will have to be mounted and it will surely be cheaper (better working) to sell the A500 and get an A501 if you so much desire 3G!

superhotluv said:
The story doesn't end at installing the card mount, but also needs other components to work. Instead you can tear down a 2 port USB hub, tear down your 3G modem and Stick it in an empty place do some soldering so that the end result should be as follows........
1. The socket which generates USB inside the case, should be fed to the USB hub,
2. One output of the hub should go to the USB dongle we earlier ripped out
3. The other output of the hub should be the cable that extends to the outside USB port.. after all we need this USB also for external USB for attaching keyboards, flash drives etc..
I hope I gave a unique idea here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is nice idea, but you should know that the hub as well as the dongle need power. If the USB output on the device itself is not giving enough power for both of them then it will not work or not work reliably.
Of course the battery will also be drained much faster as all the power saving measures do not affect the hub and the dongle.
And as for the pci connector: maybe you could compare the A500 with the A501 model and see if there are other parts missing. Usually not only the connector is left out but also some other parts on the board itself. So it may be much more soldering and work as you originally though of.

well that's depressing to know. that brscket in the fifth post was what I'm looking for.
can someone post a link to that thread with the pictures if the two teardowns?

BlackICE said:
It is nice idea, but you should know that the hub as well as the dongle need power. If the USB output on the device itself is not giving enough power for both of them then it will not work or not work reliably.
Of course the battery will also be drained much faster as all the power saving measures do not affect the hub and the dongle.
And as for the pci connector: maybe you could compare the A500 with the A501 model and see if there are other parts missing. Usually not only the connector is left out but also some other parts on the board itself. So it may be much more soldering and work as you originally though of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Goood you understood what I meant with. Definitely the USB out port of the Tablet can handle both. you should buy a two port low power hub and try on
I also did the analysis of power usage, and found that the power used by the hub is really miniscule, and can be used with ease. You must appreciate that the Max power is drawn by the screen rather than the other hardware components, and inevitably the power consumption will increase once you add a 3G module in the tablet, as in A501. So the total power consumption is well within the limits.
I did the practical experiment of leaving the data ON on the tablet, overnight, and I find no extra power usage than without, in the sleep mode.
The only challenge in both the cases is that you have to change the Rom. Either the stock 501 Rom or one of the marvellous custom Roms. I am personally using Virtuous Galaxy 1.0.5 , with an overclock and code for 3G modem, that works seamless.
Once I do this activity I would post a video , or at least a set of pictures.

Sorry i dont know much about these devices but I am not sure what usb has to do with it??? looks like a mini pci e slot to me... (correct me if i am wrong) it cant harm to try soldering the points together.. swap the kernel from the 501 over as long as its got the same build and you have r/w to the system partition and see what happens...

anarchyuk said:
Sorry i dont know much about these devices but I am not sure what usb has to do with it??? looks like a mini pci e slot to me... (correct me if i am wrong) it cant harm to try soldering the points together.. swap the kernel from the 501 over as long as its got the same build and you have r/w to the system partition and see what happens...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you read all posts? I don't think so.
it does not harm to solder a socket there but it will not work as there are for sure other components for that pcie slot missing.
As for the USB solution read the earlier posts as this is a solution, which would work.

Another type of wimax card for clear is the one inside their Rover puck wifi point. no one talks about it or i have seen a picture online but i got one that just works fine, its a half size pci-e mini card so you would have more space to move it around and the antennas come with it, just find one with broken usb port and open it to get the card.
As for driver info i will post with pic of card, it uses the same driver as their clear 4g stick,(grey and black color)

I know it's a bit 'off topic', but.. Since the Iconia has this 'slot', do you think it would be possible with the xoom too??
Check this out: http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/5oVhXNLhi3U1AZRy.huge
Step 8 from iFixit --> At first glance, this appears to be a Wi-Fi board, but wait: there are no chips on it! It appears to be just a mini-PCI interconnect board for the antennas. This board is probably just a place holder for when the 4G upgrade becomes available.
Back on topic:
The Iconia A501 has the Qualcomm MDM6600 chip on one of it's boards or it's just a modem? I ask that because by seeing the Xoom 3G teardown we find the said chip. It seems that the chip is missing on the Xoom WiFi according to some here: http://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/45910/Wifi+Only+Xoom+upgradable+to+4G+LTE
So, if you are missing some key parts of the system, I don't think it would be possible to just add a modem to the list of bills to make it 3G/4G unless it's just a software lock?

Uhuhu said:
I know it's a bit 'off topic', but.. Since the Iconia has this 'slot', do you think it would be possible with the xoom too??
Check this out: http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/5oVhXNLhi3U1AZRy.huge
Step 8 from iFixit --> At first glance, this appears to be a Wi-Fi board, but wait: there are no chips on it! It appears to be just a mini-PCI interconnect board for the antennas. This board is probably just a place holder for when the 4G upgrade becomes available.
Back on topic:
The Iconia A501 has the Qualcomm MDM6600 chip on one of it's boards or it's just a modem? I ask that because by seeing the Xoom 3G teardown we find the said chip. It seems that the chip is missing on the Xoom WiFi according to some here: http://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/45910/Wifi+Only+Xoom+upgradable+to+4G+LTE
So, if you are missing some key parts of the system, I don't think it would be possible to just add a modem to the list of bills to make it 3G/4G unless it's just a software lock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe there is the empty space on other tablets with the same chipset too
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdamaster&posted=1&cpu=a2250nvt
So you can (if it works) pimp every moto or acer tab to 4g

Related

Thinking of performing a hardware mod for USB hosted microsd/bluetooth(Kindle Fire)

Ok, so i'm ordering a replacement digitizer and I figure this would be a good time to try this out.
As you all know, we Kindle Fire owners have neither expandable storage or bluetooth. Hashcode's new 3.0 kernel has the proper kernel modules/support for USB hosting. Instead of having to plug things in every time I need/want extra storage I figure that i'll try and hook up the stuff inside.
So here's what I figure i'll do when I get all the materials:
I already have a mini bluetooth USB dongle that i've disassembled.
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And i'll be getting a mini USB microsd adapter that I can tear apart down to the same type of thing as the bluetooth dongle.
Now, the easy part is finding space to put them, there are a few gaps/spaces that I found for the bluetooth dongle, and placing the microsd adapter should be just as easy.
The hard part is getting the wiring all wired up on the inside, and this is where I need advice/input. Trying to solder the wires to the pins on the charge/USB port would be too hard and risky since they're so close.
I took apart a mini-b USB cable to use the pins to try and hook them up like that some way, but I don't have everything I need yet, so it's just a thought.
Ideas, advice, thoughts and/or comments?
Also, I will be documenting what i'm doing so that I can post a tutorial if I succeed.
I've also posted this in the Kindle Fire general forums. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=25212300
Main problem with the SD adapter is that many USB SD readers behave badly if you insert the SD when the adapter is live - you need to insert the SD THEN plug the reader into a PC.
Entropy512 said:
Main problem with the SD adapter is that many USB SD readers behave badly if you insert the SD when the adapter is live - you need to insert the SD THEN plug the reader into a PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm, thanks for bringing that up, I didn't think of that. I'll have to see about putting a small switch in somewhere if I run into that issue.
Have you looked for another USB pinout on the board?
There might be one, if you can post an hi-res picture of the PCB I can try to find something useful
AraKs said:
Have you looked for another USB pinout on the board?
There might be one, if you can post an hi-res picture of the PCB I can try to find something useful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to try and do that myself, but I couldn't find anything. Right now I ended up scraping off some of the black plastic around the pins at the point that they're going up and i'm trying to solder them alternating the top and bottom.
If you can find other places though that would be great. It might help me out, and it would def help others out if I succeed and write a tutorial.
Here are some hi-res shots from ifixit, unfortunately my real camera has a broken lens at the moment.
http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/BWbx2gTOKoo2SInC.huge
http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/SejZs5a65UTRcAYv.huge
There's something I don't understand here; won't doing this render the USB port unusable? Don't you need a hub if connecting more than one USB device? Can the USB port provide enough power for these additional devices?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
scidon37 said:
There's something I don't understand here; won't doing this render the USB port unusable? Don't you need a hub if connecting more than one USB device? Can the USB port provide enough power for these additional devices?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need the USB hub for power from what I understand. The microsd adapter doesn't require any power and i'm not sure how much the bluetooth takes, but since the other takes none it might work out. If they don't work together then it doesn't really matter to me cause I don't need bluetooth.
Also, about it making the USB port unusable, yes and no. If you look at this pinout diagram here http://www.kineteka.com/microusb-b.aspx you'll see that there are 5 pins. On a USB cable only 4 are used. On a USB otg cable pins 4 and 5 ar econnected telling the device that it's a host and not a slave. When pins 4 and 5 are connected are connected USB will not work at all(So no adb or file transfers, etc.) because the cable is being told it's a host device. Once those two wires are separated then USB will work again because it will see itself as a slave device.
I searched info trought the TI OMAP 4430 documentation about the USB implementation.
(i have to "hide" the link or i won't be able to post!)
Here you can find a block diagram of a reference USB implementation:
h_t_t_p://w!w!w.ti.com/pdfs /wtbu/OMAP4430_ES2.x_DM_Public_Book_V_D .pdf
Section
A.4.4.2 USBA0 PHY Implementation Example
Also, Section
2.1 Terminal Assignments
Shows the pinout of the processor
Table
Table 2-1. Ball Characteristics
Shows the chip connections
The document lists also USB0, USB1 and USB2 but i can only see ball pinouts for "usba0_*" and anything like "usba1_*" or "usba2_*".
So i think that there's only one USB connection and you'll have to solder a USB HUB somewhere between the CPU and the USB connector.
AraKs said:
I searched info trought the TI OMAP 4430 documentation about the USB implementation.
(i have to "hide" the link or i won't be able to post!)
Here you can find a block diagram of a reference USB implementation:
h_t_t_p://w!w!w.ti.com/pdfs /wtbu/OMAP4430_ES2.x_DM_Public_Book_V_D .pdf
Section
A.4.4.2 USBA0 PHY Implementation Example
Also, Section
2.1 Terminal Assignments
Shows the pinout of the processor
Table
Table 2-1. Ball Characteristics
Shows the chip connections
The document lists also USB0, USB1 and USB2 but i can only see ball pinouts for "usba0_*" and anything like "usba1_*" or "usba2_*".
So i think that there's only one USB connection and you'll have to solder a USB HUB somewhere between the CPU and the USB connector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the help, but how am I going to solder directly to the processor?
And if I could get the correct pins anyways there would be no need to use USB I could just hook the microsd up directly since the 4430 already has those.
If there was a data sheet somewhere out there for this specific board something like what you're suggesting might be possible, but it's not really the way it is now.
And i've never used USB host capabilities before, but from the videos i've watched people on other devices don't use a hub unless they hook up more than one device.
I see. You are right!
Anyway, i came up with another solution for the bluetooth connectivity: it requires a bit of soldering and a couple of kernel modules (or a custom-built kernel).
You can solder some wires from the serial port of the kindle fire:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525439
to a UART bluetooth module:
h_ttp://w_w.tdvdesign(dot)com/BluetoothModule/
Then write a script the brings up the bluetooth interface at boot.
In Linux should be feasible, in Android i don't know... maybe there's a praticular framework that needs specific drivers...
---------- Post added at 04:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 PM ----------
Enable kernel bluetooth+UART HCI:
ht_tp://docs.blackfin.uclinux(dot)org/doku.php?id=bluetooth_over_uart
AraKs said:
I see. You are right!
Anyway, i came up with another solution for the bluetooth connectivity: it requires a bit of soldering and a couple of kernel modules (or a custom-built kernel).
You can solder some wires from the serial port of the kindle fire:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525439
to a UART bluetooth module:
h_ttp://w_w.tdvdesign(dot)com/BluetoothModule/
Then write a script the brings up the bluetooth interface at boot.
In Linux should be feasible, in Android i don't know... maybe there's a praticular framework that needs specific drivers...
---------- Post added at 04:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 PM ----------
Enable kernel bluetooth+UART HCI:
ht_tp://docs.blackfin.uclinux(dot)org/doku.php?id=bluetooth_over_uart
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
**Disregard**This could help with bluetooth if I can't get USB host to work, but that still leaves no solution for the sdcard, which is my primary concern. I've actually gotten all the wires soldered onto the correct pins on the usb port, but I can't get USB host to work for any device, with or without the correct modules.**Disregard**
You got me thinking though, I could probably add a UART sdcard and GPS module on like that. Awesomeness, thanks for the idea. I'll try that out if I can't get USB host to work.
aaricchavez said:
You got me thinking though, I could probably add a UART sdcard and GPS module on like that. Awesomeness, thanks for the idea. I'll try that out if I can't get USB host to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've also seen a lot of hardware mods that connected sdcards to gpio lines. That could be an option too.
For the sdcard over UART it's possible, but i'm concerned about the performances...
At 115200bps baud rate you get 14.0625KBps!!!
AraKs said:
I've also seen a lot of hardware mods that connected sdcards to gpio lines. That could be an option too.
For the sdcard over UART it's possible, but i'm concerned about the performances...
At 115200bps baud rate you get 14.0625KBps!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, true. You seem to have more experience then I do at this. I'll prob buy a GPS UART module and do that. I have the wires soldered onto the USB pins on my Kindle, but I haven't had time to do anything more then that yet.
Thank you
A GPS module will be very useful.
A 7" tab it's portable enough to be carried around and used with a simple car mount...
I'll look for the needed kernel modules asap
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA
This is interesting:
ht__tp://wiki_openpilot_org/plugins/viewsource/viewpagesrc.action?pageId=950326
BUMP
webstas said:
BUMP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just waiting for some stuff I need that I ordered offa ebay. The digitizer should be here tomorrow and the other stuff some time this week. I'll update when I get the stuff and start working on it again.
I don't really understand why using the usb-port should be a Problem. Just solder your what-ever-you-want-device to the original usb pinout, it's big enough. Solder a rly small switch (taken from an old mobile Phone for example) between pin 4 and 5 to change host and normal mode. Finally, if u need more power there of course is a battery inside the Kindle, get it from there
I'll receive my Kindle in a few days i hope (u can't buy it regularly in germany...), will play a bit with this stuff
Deehee3 said:
I don't really understand why using the usb-port should be a Problem. Just solder your what-ever-you-want-device to the original usb pinout, it's big enough. Solder a rly small switch (taken from an old mobile Phone for example) between pin 4 and 5 to change host and normal mode. Finally, if u need more power there of course is a battery inside the Kindle, get it from there
I'll receive my Kindle in a few days i hope (u can't buy it regularly in germany...), will play a bit with this stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've already got the wires soldered to the pins, I just wasn't able to get USB host working. And there's no room for a switch right on the pins, but I thought of a good solution. Reed switches!
Other thread was created here, just want to keep all the threads up to date: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1632277
aaricchavez said:
The UART modules are only an idea, the main problem with going that direction instead of USB host is the drivers the modules would need(They all usually come with generic ones, but they would need to be customized for Android). I have very limited code/coding knowledge so I would need alot of help or soeone to do that part completely. I was going to pm Hashcode for help if I decided to try out the UART modules. Also, i'm unsure if more than one module can be used at the same time.
Like I just posted in the thread i'm still waiting on some stuff to arrive to actually get started on the USB host attempt. I have the wires soldered to the USB/Charge port pins, but since I don't have the microsd adapter or any more spare cords to rip apart I can't go further. I ordered about 10 different mini microsd adapters to take apart and see which works out the best.
Other people have USB host working, so shouldn't be difficult. I've just never used USB host before so i'm not real sure of what to expect.
The only downside is that there needs to be a switch of some sort somewhere to disable USB host so that adb/storage will work. I'm trying to think of something a little more elegant that having a huge hole in the case with a switch protruding out of the side. I'm going to go searching for some solutions and a super small switch.
All the UART GPS modules I found when searching "uart gps module" on Google are mostly from India and are between $30-50ish, the receivers look to be about the size of a quarter.
*http://robokits.co.in/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=289
*http://robosapiensindia.com/robomar...n=com_virtuemart&Itemid=64&vmcchk=1&Itemid=64
*http://robosapiensindia.com/robosap...ategory_id=27&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=64
I decided to look on Sparkfun and adafruit and i'm glad I did, it looks like they both have some modules, but I haven't looked around and dug through them yet.
*http://www.sparkfun.com/categories/4
*http://www.adafruit.com/category/35_58
All the optimism aside i'm not all too sure that we could get the GPS UART module to work. From what I see (First picture: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1471813) the UART output that Hashcode put into use only has two GNDs a TX and RX. The modules that I found all look like they need 8 connections. Adafruit has a nice pic of the connections labeled here: http://www.adafruit.com/products/746
If you're talking about microsd UART modules, as mentioned in the thread I created, someone made the point that it wouldn't make much sense because speeds would be way too low.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aaricchavez said:
I hate to double post, but I found the perfect solution for the switch. A reed switch or two plus a small magnet will work wonders
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8642
Edit: Here are the switches that I am buying, they're the cheapest spdt reed switches I could find: http://www.newark.com/hamlin/mdrr-dt-15-20-f/switch-reed-spdt-co-1-5a-175vdc/dp/24C6463
This will allow USB host to be activated constantly and then deactivated easily with a neodymium magnet to use adb, USB storage and whatnot.
I'm pleased that I found such an elegant solution, no need to mess up the housing to put in a switch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious about the status of your progress.....

Lack of Ports

I may be stuck with my a500 for a while unless someone starts releasing accessories. when I travel my usual set up is as follows. I hook my hdmi cable from the dedicated port on my tablet to the hdmi on the TV. then hook up my Belkin multi usb port to the dedicated full sized usb port on my tablet. then I plug my external hard drive to to one port and my mouse and keyboard into the other. now I can sit back in bed and control my tablet from the bed, surf the net play games and watch movies. I have searched but have not found any adapters that allow usb and hdmi at the same time. I really want the note but use this combination when on the road. any suggestions?
TIA
flexte said:
I have searched but have not found any adapters that allow usb and hdmi at the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not use this (other than the price of course)?
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-EAD-T...id=1349641390&sr=8-1&keywords=allshare+dongle
BarryH_GEG said:
Why not use this (other than the price of course)?
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-EAD-T...id=1349641390&sr=8-1&keywords=allshare+dongle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank that should solve the Hdmi out issue. now i guess i just need a usb adapter to connect my hard drive, keyboard and mouse. I can use my belking usb 7 port to add more usb connections. I just hope that the note can handle all of those connections without issues. anyone tried hooking up multiple usb ports? I guess this solution adds another 150 tot eh price of my device. the biggest thing i will miss is easy file sharing with a usb stick. When on business trips or even vacation I can get large files by just plugin in my usb stick. seems technology is making things harder for me.
flexte said:
Thank that should solve the Hdmi out issue. now i guess i just need a usb adapter to connect my hard drive, keyboard and mouse. I can use my belking usb 7 port to add more usb connections. I just hope that the note can handle all of those connections without issues. anyone tried hooking up multiple usb ports? I guess this solution adds another 150 tot eh price of my device. the biggest thing i will miss is easy file sharing with a usb stick. When on business trips or even vacation I can get large files by just plugin in my usb stick. seems technology is making things harder for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as i know, external harddrives need external power to work with the galaxy note, someone correct me if im wrong, think youl find some info here about it, if you've not seen it already
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1899348
banderos101 said:
As far as i know, external harddrives need external power to work with the galaxy note, someone correct me if im wrong, think youl find some info here about it, if you've not seen it already
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1899348
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes they do and the one I hook up to my a500 works just fine. All of my external drives are powered. I just wanted to make sure there were no restrictions with the note.
flexte said:
keyboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$29.99 after $40 off.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA
mouse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A little pricey ($49.99) but an excellent BT mouse. I have this one.
http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_VGPBMS15U_SL_B/
BarryH_GEG said:
$29.99 after $40 off.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA
A little pricey ($49.99) but an excellent BT mouse. I have this one.
http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_VGPBMS15U_SL_B/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you! to everyone that posted these suggestions. Looks like i will have to spend about another $200 to get the note setup like my A500 but it may bee worth the investment. off to best buy to check it out in the AM.
BarryH_GEG said:
$29.99 after $40 off.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can also get that same keyboard on Amazon for $25.25 with free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L9MBH6/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0287VD1TN9BETQNMF2PY&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846
flexte said:
yes they do and the one I hook up to my a500 works just fine. All of my external drives are powered. I just wanted to make sure there were no restrictions with the note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you're able to power your external harddrive with the tabs battery and dont have to, like with my adapter, have to connect your harddrive to the mains power? Is that assumption right?
If so, and if its not a bother can you provide info on the adapter you use please mate, im sure others like me would appreciate it i.e. model or product web link
banderos101 said:
So, you're able to power your external harddrive with the tabs battery and dont have to, like with my adapter, have to connect your harddrive to the mains power? Is that assumption right?
If so, and if its not a bother can you provide info on the adapter you use please mate, im sure others like me would appreciate it i.e. model or product web link
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no its a misunderstanding. Of course the external hard drive has to be hooked up to wall power. I even had a problem hooking my usb stick directly to my tv's usb without choppy video. When ever and where ever i travel there are always enough outlets to plug in my hard drive and tablet. The only thing that I am waiting on is a good solution to hook up my tablet to the tv's hdmi while having an exteranl hard drive mouse and keyboard attached. the above suggestions may work. After reading the reviews on the wifi hdmi adapter it seems video playback may be a concern. most of the business men i know use a usb stick to take files off their work pc if they need to bring them home or take them on a business or vacation trip. cloud storage isn't always viable because sometimes the files are large and internet connection is not always available and sometimes way to slow. having the full sized USB makes the task a whole lot easier. carrying info in a micro usb card for file transport doesn't work well because it is too easily misplaced. Anyway I am just weighing the positives and negatives and the solutions have been very helpful.
flexte said:
no its a misunderstanding. Of course the external hard drive has to be hooked up to wall power. I even had a problem hooking my usb stick directly to my tv's usb without choppy video. When ever and where ever i travel there are always enough outlets to plug in my hard drive and tablet. The only thing that I am waiting on is a good solution to hook up my tablet to the tv's hdmi while having an exteranl hard drive mouse and keyboard attached. the above suggestions may work. After reading the reviews on the wifi hdmi adapter it seems video playback may be a concern. most of the business men i know use a usb stick to take files off their work pc if they need to bring them home or take them on a business or vacation trip. cloud storage isn't always viable because sometimes the files are large and internet connection is not always available and sometimes way to slow. having the full sized USB makes the task a whole lot easier. carrying info in a micro usb card for file transport doesn't work well because it is too easily misplaced. Anyway I am just weighing the positives and negatives and the solutions have been very helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers, was getting my hopes up there
As far as connecting to the tv wirelessly, if the tv in the the hotel you frequent are smart tv (wifi) capable, then you can stream your media over wifi using dlna apps on the market like imediashare, theres a few others, but if you want to mirror everything thats on your tab wirelessly, then it looks like the screencast hub is your solution assuming your ok with the price,.
Maybe a usb to hdmi adapter might work in your situation assuming you have enough usb ports for all you devices, and thats assuming a usb to hdmi adapter would even work on our tab
Just use one of the portable wireless HDDs. No more problems iwth connecting it to the Note or any other device as long as it has WiFi.
Szadzik said:
Just use one of the portable wireless HDDs. No more problems iwth connecting it to the Note or any other device as long as it has WiFi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looks like wireless is going to be my only real choice. I wanted to stick with wired because there would be no connectivity issues just plug and play. So wifi from my hdd to my tablet and then wifi from my tablet to my tv. hope that works. and Bluetooth for my mouse and keyboard.
flexte said:
looks like wireless is going to be my only real choice. I wanted to stick with wired because there would be no connectivity issues just plug and play. So wifi from my hdd to my tablet and then wifi from my tablet to my tv. hope that works. and Bluetooth for my mouse and keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In your situation, getting a wifi harddrive with a usb connection, for usb sticks, would solve the usb stick problem, and would be future proof for other devices with wifi, but no usb port, although, im just assuming here, that there is such a thing as a wifi hd with a usb port,. If money is no concern and indeed if there is such a thing as a wifiHD with usb port i mean theres gotta be...... right?), might be worth it, gd luck
I also own a a500 and recently bought note 10.1.
I must tell you the difference in performance and screen colors and contrast is pretty big from one to another.
Even though I must say all those add ons to get what we had from default on a500 is kind of dissappointing.
For hdmi you have two ways...the dongle, which is WiFi based....that is if you go to a cabin for a weekend with no WiFi outside your city....it won't work. Or you have the adapter which unfortunately works only if it is also connected to to AC which in my opinion also limits the portable function or idea of a tablet...I mean it is like doing the same connections you can do with your notebook....
So tough choice there, maybe consider as I....having both.
Same thing here with usb otg adapter.
Acer did sacrifice thickness over having standard usb and mini hdmi ports but it really did the trick.
Kind of mad here with Sammy as you may say....good luck and if you find new ways of having less accessories please let me know!!!
Enviado desde mi GT-N8013 usando XDA Premium HD app
" For hdmi you have two ways...the dongle, which is WiFi based....that is if you go to a cabin for a weekend with no WiFi outside your city....it won't work."
Is'nt the screencast dongle a direct to tv connection?
banderos101 said:
In your situation, getting a wifi harddrive with a usb connection, for usb sticks, would solve the usb stick problem, and would be future proof for other devices with wifi, but no usb port, although, im just assuming here, that there is such a thing as a wifi hd with a usb port,. If money is no concern and indeed if there is such a thing as a wifiHD with usb port i mean theres gotta be...... right?), might be worth it, gd luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No USB-in on WiFi HDD, just a normal HDD, no idea what you are talking about.
Szadzik said:
No USB-in on WiFi HDD, just a normal HDD, no idea what you are talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was thinking out loud mate
If i were gonna get a wifi hdd, id check for ones with additional benefits, i.e. a usb port (host), so if i have anything on a usb stick, i can connect that to the wifi hdd aand transmit it over wifi via wifi hdd........thing is, i have no idea if there is a wifi hdd product out there that has a host usb port, my brief search showed nothing, would be a nice feature though
flexte said:
yes they do and the one I hook up to my a500 works just fine. All of my external drives are powered. I just wanted to make sure there were no restrictions with the note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had *terrible* luck trying to connect drives to the Note 10.1... this is probably the single 'failure' the Note has in general.
There are two different problems at work. First, the USB port only sources 100ma. That makes it fine for most keyboards, mice and *some* USB memory sticks (but not all), but forget anything that needs more power. Worse, even devices that ARE self-powered will draw more than 100ma just to drive their USB connection and that trips the Note's 'overcurrent' warning causing it to shut down the USB port.
Weirdly, even if you go through a powered USB hub, you still get this behaviour... that doesn't even make sense.
The bizarre thing is - if you connect in just the right sequence with just the right timing - you sometimes *can* get it to work, so it's not that the Note isn't capable of handling the USB load - Samsung's software is purposefully tripping on devices by enforcing the USB current limit too tightly (well or I have a defective Note or USB dongle - but I've tried several and they all seem to work this way).
The other problem is that there doesn't seem to be integrated support for NTFS (or exFAT, from what I can see), so you're stuck with FAT32. I've switched all my USB keys over to NTFS as I work with large files regularly. It also doesn't seem to support things like USB ethernet dongles.
Ironically, this is one place where the Asus Prime really shines - you can hang almost anything on the USB port and it'll work fine and the dock, because it has a big battery built in, seems to handle heftier devices quite well. It even supports NTFS out of the box.
---------- Post added at 01:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:26 PM ----------
mantrajt said:
For hdmi you have two ways...the dongle, which is WiFi based....that is if you go to a cabin for a weekend with no WiFi outside your city....it won't work. Or you have the adapter which unfortunately works only if it is also connected to to AC which in my opinion also limits the portable function or idea of a tablet...I mean it is like doing the same connections you can do with your notebook....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're confusing WiFi and WAN. If the dongle is WiFi based, you can bring a pocket WiFi access point and connect all your devices to it. Where you are isn't really relevent since it's not connected to the internet through cable, DSL or cellco. These pocket access points are *tiny*.
Here's an example of one:
http://www.dlink.com/ca/en/home-sol...350-wireless-n-pocket-router-and-access-point
Looks like I will have to stick with the a500 nd get the small note 2 for stylus use. The a 7 inch note would be perfect.

Hiking GPS Tablet

So I'm thinking I'm going to tether via wifi my phone's GPS with the NST. Has anyone done this? Is there a good offline map pack for eink devices?
Let me know your thoughts...
EDIT:
So I did it last weekend and it works great. Downloaded some Topos from Rmaps after rooting and turning on mock locations via SQLite on the NST. Installed GPS Tether on phone and NST. Turned on phone hotspot, then tethered the NST to the phone and blamo! GPS. I already have a solar panel I wired up and will attach to the backpack to charge both the NST and the external battery for the phone.
Meet Earl was my inspiration.
I have not tried that, but I did just order an Earl for the same purpose. Maybe you could use whatever they use for maps.
I cant post links, but google meetearl.
One of the problems with USB is that it is a bit power intensive.
Also, running things off USB you need to convert 3.3 V to 5 V to 3.3 V
If I were trying to turn the Nook into a hiking map I would...
Get a GPS module that runs off 3.3V, maybe this: http://www.adafruit.com/products/790
Connect it directly into the internal 3.3 V serial port on the Nook.
I don't know what you'd have to do for the antenna.
You'd probably need an external antenna, but external to the case or not is the question.
ace7196 said:
So I'm thinking I'm going to tether via wifi my phone's GPS with the NST. Has anyone done this? Is there a good offline map pack for eink devices?
Let me know your thoughts...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feeding GPS data from one device to another - there is no much need for such an app, shouldn't be a problem to write one using Mock Locations provider.
I was wondering, what uses more power: external USB GPS or WiFi tethering?
iGo Primo claims it works with 1.6 and up
Sygic: GPS Navigation & Maps - 2.0.1
TomTom: 2.2 and up
Update
See OP.
ace7196 said:
I already have a solar panel I wired up and will attach to the backpack to charge both the NST and the external battery for the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds really cool!
Could you post a picture of you setup, please?
BTW: If you are Eco Friendly person, check this out Bicycle Generator Kit with 5 LED headlight and 3 LED red flashing taillight and Charger Port for MP3 and Mobile Devices
Or if you prefer DIY (like RenateNST) - this is for you USB-Bike-Generator
BTW2: Did you try Google Maps too?
Look at tophatsoaring.wikispaces.com/Top+Hat+on+Nook+Simple+Touch
It's using external gps on NST
Renate NST said:
One of the problems with USB is that it is a bit power intensive.
Also, running things off USB you need to convert 3.3 V to 5 V to 3.3 V
If I were trying to turn the Nook into a hiking map I would...
Get a USB module that runs off 3.3V, maybe this:
Connect it directly into the internal 3.3 V serial port on the Nook.
I don't know what you'd have to do for the antenna.
You'd probably need an external antenna, but external to the case or not is the question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Renate NST, do you have any more detail about how you'd go about this? I bought a Nook ST last week for exactly this purpose (though I also want to install a solar panel on the back of it and weatherproof the whole system), and actually have one of those GPS chips you listed (on a breakout board though) from an old project with an RPi.
So in terms of the next steps... (apologies for the dumb questions, this is the first time I've properly played with something not intended to be played with)
- How do I find the serial port? I've spent about ten minutes looking at the board and haven't found it.
- How do I then get a maps program (I'm using rmaps at present) to take the serial input as GPS input? Will I need to parse the NMEA?
Thanks in advance,
Jake
The UART for /dev/ttyS1 is detailed here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1702734
I haven't looked too closely into serial NMEA-0183 working on the Android.
I have gotten the USB version to ouput via a cat.
It seems that most folks who do that just read and parse it themselves then use the Android "mock location" interface.
The "mock location" is so that you can playback a trip from Boston to San Francisco without driving anywhere.
It seems that it would be cleaner to not go through the "mock location" interface.
Now you've used this for a while how long does the WiFi last on your phone and how long on the Nook?
Even if not saving battery at least we can read the screen this way
GPS on USB
I'm using the following:
- NST glow
- OTG cable (micro USB male, regular USB female)
- reduction (regular USB male, mini USB male (and an extra USB for external power, but haven't tried that so far))
- GPS unit (QStarz BT-Q1000XT)
- USB mode utility app
- UsbGps4Droid app
Works perfectly. I haven't noticed any substantial power drain, but I switch the GPS off after a few minutes every time...
I use it mostly with Osmand, but it seems to work with any other app.
ProtD said:
I'm using the following:
- NST glow
- OTG cable (micro USB male, regular USB female)
- reduction (regular USB male, mini USB male (and an extra USB for external power, but haven't tried that so far))
- GPS unit (QStarz BT-Q1000XT)
- USB mode utility app
- UsbGps4Droid app
Works perfectly. I haven't noticed any substantial power drain, but I switch the GPS off after a few minutes every time...
I use it mostly with Osmand, but it seems to work with any other app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested almost that exact setup (QStarz 818X) but the extra cables were a ***** so I hacked apart my nook and got this:
(currently being refined further)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
I can't tell at all what you are doing.
Is that small thing a Bluetooth serial module? What model?
Is it going directly into a Nook hardware serial port or the USB?
Renate NST said:
I can't tell at all what you are doing.
Is that small thing a Bluetooth serial module? What model?
Is it going directly into a Nook hardware serial port or the USB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a really small GPS module (SparkFun) going directly into the Nook UART. Currently looking to drop the battery voltage to 3.3 for V_BAT of the GPS Here is the current state:
Black - GND
Orange - VCC 3.3 (goes off with screen saver)
Blue - RX
Green - TX
The switch is for putting GPS to sleep mode.
Yup, direct to the UART is the way to go.
I guess the ceramic antenna is too big to fit inside the Nook between the aluminum plate and the top case?
I think that I'd cut a rectangle out of the Nook top case at the top for clearance,
run the wires inside the Nook and glue a tiny box on top.
I haven't checked that connector to see if there were any UART control lines or GPIO on it.
That would be the nice way to control the power mode of the GPS.
Just a quick one to say watch out on Sygic. It's a great and slick program and downloading new maps is easy. But it's made plenty of my phones run hot; it's CPU intensive probably and a battery drainer. Q: What's a battery efficient mapping app?
RMaps: Very probably light. I don't think it's very slick.
There's an app for OS maps in the UK offline: You can then preload the >8gb of maps to get full UK, very nice maps. Probably the best option. I think you have to pay for the Android app though... don't know how that would work... don't know if it's supported on Nook
iGO, TomTom: Also sounding CPU intensive. It seems vector and nav capabilities are what make these things battery draining. Stick to raster maps? (images rather than route calculable vectors)
It's been a long while but no news on this for ages.
The earl is still not out. It's also expensive.
This hack is pretty cool. The USB option is the easiest... but we can't have a USB cable hanging out the bottom, ready to rip off the mainboard rendering the whole thing useless.
So I prefer the option of soldering directly onto that UART with the GPS module.
yegoshin, what did you use to get the voltage right?
There's lots of info in the comments here:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11571
But while I understand a lot of this I'm not used to this level of project. If someone has already figured it out though with that voltage adapter, I can give that a go.
jago25_98 said:
yegoshin, what did you use to get the voltage right?
There's lots of info in the comments here:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11571
But while I understand a lot of this I'm not used to this level of project. If someone has already figured it out though with that voltage adapter, I can give that a go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you can use the direct battery voltage from the nook for the VCC, you can also use pin 1 off U2713 (however I have recently run into what seems a lack of current through that - GPS doesn't lock until I plug in a USB power really weird, no problems off the Battery though pink wire is the VCC)
Now for the V_BAT I was able to wire up this board to the nook battery https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10995 and pull 1.8Volts off that. However that board has ALOT of excess parts (its meant to be used with this GPS, which I think may work even better for the nook since the on-off can be done via that breakout board) I may look into getting a custom board stuffed.
If you happen to be near Bay Area CA, I can help you out.
Woah, I didn't know about this tiny 1.8V logic GP-2106: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10890
You don't need any level conversion, ttyS0 (UART1) is all 1.8V logic.
(You'd need to make sure that you aren't using ttyS0 for the console.)
You can grab one of the JTAG signals (also 1.8V) for the on/off control.
See the pinout here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=49931617#post49931617
You could 3D print a tiny housing and mount it on top of the bezel right over the "nook" at the top.
Something to look out for is that 5 second, 50 mA anomaly that we haven't chased down yet.
The power consumption will kill you.
Latest news?
Hi guys,
Just come back off a hiking holiday, and have been looking into using the NST as a low power, eink gps for UK OS maps etc.
Your prototype here looks spot on!
How far did you get with this - any guides etc?
Also, if someone felt like making these, 3d printing a new, deeper back case for all the extra electronics - i'm sure you'd have a nice lot of customers !
(NB looked at your pics of soldering direct onto the serial connectors internally... Woah! Bit beyond my soldering skills there!)
Good luck, would love to hear updates...

[Q] asus transformer t100

hey guys , i saw in a review of this new win 8 tablet, the guy said the bay trail cpu can run android with no problems, i am totally buying this tablet, but has anybody tryied to install android in it, or along win 8? thanks guys..
Someone would have to compile Android x86 for it. I'm not sure how well the current Android x86 isos out there would support the hardware. You could always run Android x86 through Virtualbox, the downside being performance would suffer since your tablet would be running Android on top of Windows.
I dont think they have shipped to consumers yet.
For now you have virtualbox (or VMware, I get better performance with VMWare but virtualbox is more straightforward) and android-x86. Or "Jar Of Beans" or bluestacks. I think a regular ARM build of android has been tried in QEMU too but on a bay trail this will be unusably slow, heck, its near enough unusable on a god damned core i7.
Bay trail doesnt have the operating system lock that clovertrail had. So yes, it should be able to boot android-x86 natively, but android-x86 doesnt support all touchscreens, bluetooth or wifi, chances are on the t100 it wont work properly. Android-IA is far better than android x86, but is device specific so you will have to hope that there is an Android IA build for the t100 *or* someone makes a compatible build of android x86 for the t100. It is theoretically possible though.
asus t100
SixSixSevenSeven said:
I dont think they have shipped to consumers yet.
For now you have virtualbox (or VMware, I get better performance with VMWare but virtualbox is more straightforward) and android-x86. Or "Jar Of Beans" or bluestacks. I think a regular ARM build of android has been tried in QEMU too but on a bay trail this will be unusably slow, heck, its near enough unusable on a god damned core i7.
Bay trail doesnt have the operating system lock that clovertrail had. So yes, it should be able to boot android-x86 natively, but android-x86 doesnt support all touchscreens, bluetooth or wifi, chances are on the t100 it wont work properly. Android-IA is far better than android x86, but is device specific so you will have to hope that there is an Android IA build for the t100 *or* someone makes a compatible build of android x86 for the t100. It is theoretically possible though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah. this tablet was launched on oct 18. 2 days later they were sold out in newegg, i haven't checked other places.
JCESAR2 said:
hey guys , i saw in a review of this new win 8 tablet, the guy said the bay trail cpu can run android with no problems, i am totally buying this tablet, but has anybody tryied to install android in it, or along win 8? thanks guys..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm attempting to install ubuntu / *nix / android on it
ubuntu is currently booting to grub, crashing on x-server and getting a working interactive shell
will be making a few threads on the "Windows 8 Development" subforum here about it
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=35652212&postcount=1500
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=35653282&postcount=1503
paperWastage said:
i'm attempting to install ubuntu / *nix / android on it
ubuntu is currently booting to grub, crashing on x-server and getting a working interactive shell
will be making a few threads on the "Windows 8 Development" subforum here about it
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=35652212&postcount=1500
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=35653282&postcount=1503
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried a headless linux install yet? Might be a start.
SixSixSevenSeven said:
Have you tried a headless linux install yet? Might be a start.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might try to take teh dock apart and see if I can fit a battery in it. I have a couple portable charges that go up to 12000mah
I might wonder if I could fit one in there maybe a 5000mah or a 8k. I might have to take mine apart to see how everything is laid out.
But on a side note I still need to get one. Anyone know where a 32GB one can be bought?
cmsjr123 said:
Might try to take teh dock apart and see if I can fit a battery in it. I have a couple portable charges that go up to 12000mah
I might wonder if I could fit one in there maybe a 5000mah or a 8k. I might have to take mine apart to see how everything is laid out.
But on a side note I still need to get one. Anyone know where a 32GB one can be bought?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with flat batteries, and some sanding maybe? but you'll either sacrifice the usb port, or have to integrate a usb hub in there somehow, or just wire the batteries in the data pins only... I'm interested in that too, may look at hardware mods once the software mods get going enough
if you plan to do a (full) teardown of the dock / the tablet itself, lmk...
http://liliputing.com/2013/10/booting-ubuntu-asus-transformer-book-t100.html#comment-1099894718
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paperWastage said:
with flat batteries, and some sanding maybe? but you'll either sacrifice the usb port, or have to integrate a usb hub in there somehow, or just wire the batteries in the data pins only... I'm interested in that too, may look at hardware mods once the software mods get going enough
if you plan to do a (full) teardown of the dock / the tablet itself, lmk...
http://liliputing.com/2013/10/booting-ubuntu-asus-transformer-book-t100.html#comment-1099894718
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wiring into the data pins will kill the USB controller. Guess you probably meant the +5v and GND pins.
Do you know if anyone has reverse engineered the dock connector pinout? Chances are you will not be able to wire a battery into the system from the keyboard on the USB port.
SixSixSevenSeven said:
Wiring into the data pins will kill the USB controller. Guess you probably meant the +5v and GND pins.
Do you know if anyone has reverse engineered the dock connector pinout? Chances are you will not be able to wire a battery into the system from the keyboard on the USB port.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to use the interface form one of the ultra thin portable chargers that has a 2amp output. I was going to use the USBin it and mount it on the opposite side of the current USB 3.0 and there may be room on the sides of the touchepad. I will try once i can get my hand on one.
I was then going to use a thin and short usb cable I made to wire it to the USB port on the tablet part that I can plug and unplug when needed. .
How about trying a dock from one of the Android transformer series? they all come with built-in batteries..
I was thinking it might work if the connectors and latches are the same!
PhiBeRx said:
How about trying a dock from one of the Android transformer series? they all come with built-in batteries..
I was thinking it might work if the connectors and latches are the same!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Confirmed to not be compatible.
Asus will release a T100 with a modified keyboard T100TA-DK007H - 64GB eMMC with 500GB built internally. Makes you wonder what other things you could pop under the hood.
As for running other OS, seems booting is way to complicated at the moment. Anyone tried running Gennymotion VM on it yet?
Screen question
Hello!
hope im at the right forum ... i have been using my t100 for 2 days now and im in love with it XD
i had the slow charge problem with it but 2.20 bios fixed that ... now im using 1.2m cable that came with my logitech keyboard (the cable trully is of top quality) and original charger (need to try it out with my s4 charger) and it fills up in about 4 hours.
My question is about the screen ... when i close it when its in the keyboard ... there are only options to "shut down", "sleep" or "do nothing" ... is there a way to turn the screen off while the tablet is still turned on ... like on laptop if you choose "do nothing" it will stay on but the screen of the laptop will shutdown.
Cheers!
compufreek said:
Hello!
hope im at the right forum ... i have been using my t100 for 2 days now and im in love with it XD
i had the slow charge problem with it but 2.20 bios fixed that ... now im using 1.2m cable that came with my logitech keyboard (the cable trully is of top quality) and original charger (need to try it out with my s4 charger) and it fills up in about 4 hours.
My question is about the screen ... when i close it when its in the keyboard ... there are only options to "shut down", "sleep" or "do nothing" ... is there a way to turn the screen off while the tablet is still turned on ... like on laptop if you choose "do nothing" it will stay on but the screen of the laptop will shutdown.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure man, just go to control panel, power management, change settings, and here set time to go to sleep after 4-5h. Then, change advanced power settings and make screen to turn off after 5 mins. This way, you can leave PC tuned on, while screen is off...
T100 Slow WiFi with External Monitor
When I connect my T100 to an external Monitor then wifi becomes extremely slow, 1 - 2 mb/sec and much of the time I get the unable to connect msg in the browser.
Windows shows that I am connected to my wireless lan.
It only happens if the cable is connected to the monitor. Connecting the cable to the T100 without a monitor does not affect the wifi speed.
It only happens if the t100 is set to display something on the external monitor. If I set it to internal only then even with the external monitor connected, then the WiFi is fine.
Monitor is Dell U2410. I am using a minihdmi to hdmi adpapter and a three foot hdmi cable.
I was completely updated with all windows updates. Not all ausus updates installed. I did install the latest bios update, 220 I believe.
I also tried rolling back to a system restore before I updated all the windows drivers but that did not help.
Can someone else test their network speeds with an external monitor?
Any ideas how to fix?
T100 Slow WiFi with External Monitor
I tried a different WiFi access point in my home but that did not help. Windows shows plenty of signal strength for the WiFi network connection, but I just get a bad data rate.
Without an external screen connected then the WiFi connection is good. It is much more reliable than for my Old Asus Transformer Infinity TF700 tablet.
If I connect a Unitek wired ethernet converter to my USB port and use that for networking then the data rate is ok, so the problem is definitely related to WiFi. I am wondering if anyone else sees the same behavior or if it is just my device.
jw111 said:
When I connect my T100 to an external Monitor then wifi becomes extremely slow, 1 - 2 mb/sec and much of the time I get the unable to connect msg in the browser.
Windows shows that I am connected to my wireless lan.
It only happens if the cable is connected to the monitor. Connecting the cable to the T100 without a monitor does not affect the wifi speed.
It only happens if the t100 is set to display something on the external monitor. If I set it to internal only then even with the external monitor connected, then the WiFi is fine.
Monitor is Dell U2410. I am using a minihdmi to hdmi adpapter and a three foot hdmi cable.
I was completely updated with all windows updates. Not all ausus updates installed. I did install the latest bios update, 220 I believe.
I also tried rolling back to a system restore before I updated all the windows drivers but that did not help.
Can someone else test their network speeds with an external monitor?
Any ideas how to fix?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds really really weird, shouldnt happen though.
I've read there's a chunk of metal as counterweight located in the keyboard. Asus took that out and put a 500Gb HDD instead. Maybe you could put a battery instead?
mariolouis said:
I've read there's a chunk of metal as counterweight located in the keyboard. Asus took that out and put a 500Gb HDD instead. Maybe you could put a battery instead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is in fact a counter weight and I have confirmed that removing it will cause it to fall over when opened. LOL
As far s running Android... why? Android makes a great mobile OS and works fine on tablets, but this particular device is a desktop PC, in tablet FORM.
Full Windows, not RT, MS Office included, etc... It is part of what makes it so appealing... While I am a huge Android fan, to put that on this device would seem like a downgrade to me.
I would love to see a keyboard base with extra storage and battery though...

Asus T100 hardware tear down

Since I can't post anywhere else for some reason, here goes my hardware tear down for the Asus T100 (T100TA for experts ):
Visible chips on the T100TA mainboard Rev 2.0:
Amtel MXT1664TXES-C2U 1330B TW QLG9F (Touchscreen controls)
Broadcom BCM43241SFKFFBG TN1322 P24 294688 P3T (WiFi)
Phison PS2251-68-5 UO1329C D75J0.11AA (USB3.0 controller)
Realtek ALC5642 D2L87HI GD13F (Audio)
Winbond 250(Q)64FW1G 1329 6236 QP30003 (BIOS/UEFI)
Intel Q326A657 SR1M5 02962 '12 (the main cpu Z3740)
M F20 P02 CFQ0589 (No idea)
ITE IT8568VG 1331-AXO ZC0P1A (No idea)
SANDISK 9.15 XC4*00 SanDisk32G (The eMMC storage unit, 32GB version)
Camera module:
HannStar J 94V-0 E89382 1335 MV-4
Unnused connector J601 can be found on the camera module. Seems to be an USB connector.
Pictures of the hardware/inside: [NOT ALLOWED]
Got the hi-res versions stored locally, can't find a good place that doesn't rape the resolution / jpeg compression rate. Now, I was thinking the Winbond chip is most likely the PLL, isn't it? Should open the doors for some FSB tweaking. Another thing I couldn't find was the recovery USB storage... 7GB according to the hardware manager of Windows 8.1 . Unfortunately it uses 'current read-only state: true' which makes it impossible to use it as extra storage (try it with diskpart for yourselves).
Also, for other Dutch users, this is my main Dutch thread on Tweakers: [NOT ALLOWED].
If people can help out with identifying the chips / giving additional information it would be greatly appreciated
thanks for the teardown...
un-hidden links:
http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/list_messages/1567250/2
http://imgur.com/a/u6Uni
wouldn't mind rehosting the higher-quality image links .. feel free to PM to me
KoeWaffle said:
Amtel MXT1664TXES-C2U 1330B TW QLG9F <- touchscreen controller
Broadcom BCM43241SFKFFBG TN1322 P24 294688 P3T (WiFi) <- mounted via SDIO, is linux-kernel supported
Phison PS2251-68-5 UO1329C D75J0.11AA (No idea) <- USB 3.0 to flash microcontroller... probably for eMMC
Realtek ALC5642 D2L87HI GD13F (Audio)
Winbond 250(Q)64FW1G 1329 6236 QP30003 (PLL?)
Intel Q326A657 SR1M5 02962 '12 (the main cpu Z3740)
M F20 P02 CFQ0589 (No idea)
ITE IT8568VG 1331-AXO ZC0P1A (No idea)
SANDISK 9.15 XC4*00 SanDisk32G (The eMMC storage unit, 32GB version)
Camera module:
HannStar J 94V-0 E89382 1335 MV-4 <- think it's a Sony IMX 175 senor. need to check. maybe a Aptina mt9m114 instead
Unnused connector J601 can be found on the camera module. Seems to be an USB connector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cm3218x capella micro light sensor
unused connector would be nice. I have a small microSDXC USB reader, looking through your pics to see if there's any space to fit it there
would like to see the battery model number. C12N1320 ?
paperWastage said:
would like to see the battery model number. C12N1320 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
C12N1320 Yes, or CL12NL320, but I am pretty sure they would use "L" instead of "l" then. As you probably have seen, it has two batteries connected to each other. How exactly I don't know, didn't want to remove the black cover sticker. :silly:
KoeWaffle said:
C12N1320 Yes, or CL12NL320, but I am pretty sure they would use "L" instead of "l" then. As you probably have seen, it has two batteries connected to each other. How exactly I don't know, didn't want to remove the black cover sticker. :silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the info
how did you take apart the tablet? guitar pick around the screen? do I see some free space on the bottom right corner?
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Is the RAM socketed or is it non-removable as my only issue is the 2Gb (1.89Gb usable) RAM available.
Starfury said:
Is the RAM socketed or is it non-removable as my only issue is the 2Gb (1.89Gb usable) RAM available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look at the pics, there's no sockets.
paperWastage said:
How did you take apart the tablet? guitar pick around the screen? do I see some free space on the bottom right corner?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used some tools that were leftovers of my HTC Leo / HD2 days. Pretty much a guitar pick, but it might be a little thinner. I recommend starting on top, it goes the easiest loose there. The screen side is hooked to the backside, so best to pull the backplate a little outwards when removing, it will snap the hooks loose. For the dock, I will upload hires pictures soon of its contents, I did pull it apart before but my phone doesn't make great photos: imgur dot com slash a slash NQdTb http://imgur.com/a/NQdTb
SANDISK parts
Hi, I would like to know the appropriate part no. of Sandisk 32G. Could you pls see and let me know it ?
I may help you to identify of the specification in detail.
Thanks, Ricky:laugh:
Ricky0817 said:
Hi, I would like to know the appropriate part no. of Sandisk 32G. Could you pls see and let me know it ?
I may help you to identify of the specification in detail.
Thanks, Ricky:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like to know this too if anyone knows. Is it soldered into the board or is it a microSD?
Its a Sandisk SEM64G or 32G if you have the 32gb. Just reflashed mine from the stock bios to 220 and now everything is working great and no more bsod while using adobe flash or gaming in d3d. Thanks for those pictures they have saved me the hassle of looking to see if a ram upgrade to 4gb is possible and its not. No matter around october 2014 there should be something better to trade up to with hopefully 4gb and 128gb ssd minimum.
gallahad2000 said:
Take a look at the pics, there's no sockets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure the t100 uses the version of the processor which is limited to 2GB of RAM
KoeWaffle said:
. Another thing I couldn't find was the recovery USB storage... 7GB according to the hardware manager of Windows 8.1 . Unfortunately it uses 'current read-only state: true' which makes it impossible to use it as extra storage
If people can help out with identifying the chips / giving additional information it would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your information.I think that recovery USB storage is located here (marked on the attached picture). Can you please make the pictures of this area and connector J601 with higher resolution
Phison PS2251-68-5 is a controller usb 2.0 is used in flash drives. i think it is a controller for recovery USB storage
KoeWaffle said:
I used some tools that were leftovers of my HTC Leo / HD2 days. Pretty much a guitar pick, but it might be a little thinner. I recommend starting on top, it goes the easiest loose there. The screen side is hooked to the backside, so best to pull the backplate a little outwards when removing, it will snap the hooks loose. For the dock, I will upload hires pictures soon of its contents, I did pull it apart before but my phone doesn't make great photos: imgur dot com slash a slash NQdTb http://imgur.com/a/NQdTb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems there is a non USA model of this T100TA that has a 500GB hard drive inside the dock. Would a mod be possible for the USA version?
snoozii said:
It seems there is a non USA model of this T100TA that has a 500GB hard drive inside the dock. Would a mod be possible for the USA version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think so. They could have soldered it to the board though... I haven't seen a teardown of a 500GB model, would love to see what is inside too! Maybe it can even help us Europeans to mod ours to have the same capabilities :good:.
Anyone know where the WiFi antenna is?
I'm really impressed with how well this tablet hold on to my WiFi signal across the road. I have a Yagi and a panel antenna beaming through tree branches, a balcony and a brick wall. Despite all this it doesn't seem to struggle to hold on any worse than my laptop did which had two antenna. You would think this low power chip would perform much much worse.
Even speed wise considering this doesn't have MIMO so the link speed is down from 150Mbit to 64Mbit, real-world speed is not as much of a reduction as I thought it might be when I realised it didn't do MIMO.
I have even seen this thing get 20Mbit across the road where my laptop used to peak around 30Mbit, although on average I get nearer 5Mbit now whereas the laptop did 10-20Mbit more frequently.
I did try an external mini USB adapter on the T100, didn't work any better even though THAT was linked at 150Mbit and the built-in only does 64MBit.
As for the HDD model, I read on another forum that its definitely in the keyboard and a different board to the normal one. Its interesting though, makes you wonder if it uses a hub or are there actually spare connectors on the dock?
What I personally would like is a dock adapter you can use while still in tablet mode that just adds the USB 3.0 port. If we are REALLY lucky maybe someone will trace the dock connector?
Any hint of a connector for the HD in the dock?
Thanks for the teardown info. As far as I've found these are the only ones on the web so far.
Its hard for me to see from the pictures. Did you see any hint of what/where the HD would connect in the dock?
Thanks,
Eric
sarman_1998 said:
Thanks for the teardown info. As far as I've found these are the only ones on the web so far.
Its hard for me to see from the pictures. Did you see any hint of what/where the HD would connect in the dock?
Thanks,
Eric
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HDD dock keyboard has a different PCB to the normal keyboard. Below is the normal one taken from http://www.transformerforums.com/forum/asus-transformer-book-t100/39507-inside-t100-base.html:
What I'm curious about is if the whole dock runs off a single USB 3.0 port or does the dock connector have several ports?
It would seem unlikely that its run off a hub as many USB 3.0 devices have issues if not run directly from a native port and I notice my USB 3.0 HDD works fine.
Alex Atkin UK said:
The HDD dock keyboard has a different PCB to the normal keyboard. Below is the normal one taken from http://www.transformerforums.com/forum/asus-transformer-book-t100/39507-inside-t100-base.html:
...
What I'm curious about is if the whole dock runs off a single USB 3.0 port or does the dock connector have several ports?
It would seem unlikely that its run off a hub as many USB 3.0 devices have issues if not run directly from a native port and I notice my USB 3.0 HDD works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I took a look on mine and windows doesn’t show any USB 3 hub between my USB 3 thumb drive and the Root Hub, so I’d say there isn’t a hub there. I also did a little digging to make sure there wasn’t an embedded hub in there which might show up differently. I looked at the xHCI extended capability values and the host controller is advertising 6 USB 2 ports and 1 USB 3 port. That makes me even more curious what protocol will be used to connect to the HD in the dock. Hope it’s not USB 2.0.
If you go into windows device manager, go to the view menu and change it to "view by connection" you can then browse the device tree in a hierarchical way that will show you what is connected to what.
In Windows 8/8.1, if you find your external HD in device manager BEFORE you switch to “View by Connection” then when you switch the tree will automatically expand to show it. Under the xHCI controller there will always be a Root Hub listed. If you HD shows connected directly to that then there is no hub.
What chips are on the pcb in the dock?
Eric
sarman_1998 said:
What chips are on the pcb in the dock?
Eric
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will ask the guy on the Transformer forum who took the photos as I don't want to take mine apart.
Is the wifi card a mini pcie? Or a different interface I may want to upgrade mine.

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