[DEV] Hardware observations - Nook Color Android Development

Post here about anything you might have found out about the internal NookColor hardware.
Here's one to start with:
Look at dmesg under Android. The wireless driver is TIWLAN, and a little Googling correlates the line "Chip ID is 0x4030111" with a WL1271, a TI part with 802.11b/g/n, bluetooth, and FM. However, as far as I can tell Bluetooth isn't anywhere to be seen in the Nook ROM.
This document shows the typical setup for the WL1271, which is for WiFi to connect to the host through SDIO (one of the SD/SDIO/MMC interfaces) and Bluetooth and FM to go through a UART.

There may not be antennae for BT and FM, but we should definitely look into this

staulkor said:
There may not be antennae for BT and FM, but we should definitely look into this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe not FM, but that document I linked shows a "WiLink 6.0 Solution" that uses an antenna switch so only one 2.4GHz antenna is needed for BT and WiFi.

Ohhhh, this has some interesting potential!
I got Flash 10.1 to install, but cannot get the B&N Browser to Dolphin to recognize that its installed when I try to do something with Flash (tells me I need to install it)

txskeets said:
Ohhhh, this has some interesting potential!
I got Flash 10.1 to install, but cannot get the B&N Browser to Dolphin to recognize that its installed when I try to do something with Flash (tells me I need to install it)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, but let's keep this thread on the topic of hardware.

Have you tried checking the ttys? Or even just trying to put a bluez stack + firmware taken from another device on it?

BlueTooth
Please, Oh Please, tell me that this device can do BlueTooth. The ability to add a wireless keyboard would make this device Perfect for me!!!!

Agreed, Bluetooth FTW. We could be one kernal injection away from BT!

marcus905 said:
Have you tried checking the ttys? Or even just trying to put a bluez stack + firmware taken from another device on it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't bother; from that doc I posted there's a GPIO enable for bluetooth, and unless the BN developers were complete bozos they've turned it off and left it off in this kernel. We could go searching for it, but it would get tedious. I am willing to bet that it's referenced in the BN u-boot and kernel sources though.
The TI WLAN/BT/FM driver and firmware can be found here: http://gforge.ti.com/gf/project/wilink_drivers/

This might not be the right section. But what are the possibilities of overclocking to possibly run the tablet version of android "3.0" which is said to require 1ghz or faster processor??

This is an interesting find. My guess is that it would have been too much of a hassle for BN to get a WIFI only chip so they opted for the ready made one and disabled the rest of the functionality.
But I think until we have a cooked ROM for the Nook we won't be able to see BT any time soon. This is too stripped down an OS.

devis said:
This is an interesting find. My guess is that it would have been too much of a hassle for BN to get a WIFI only chip so they opted for the ready made one and disabled the rest of the functionality.
But I think until we have a cooked ROM for the Nook we won't be able to see BT any time soon. This is too stripped down an OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's clear that the NC is based on TI's ebook reference platform. Given the amount of TI silicon in there I wouldn't be surprised if TI cut them a deal on this WiFi module such that it was cheaper than another company's WiFi-only one. It's not clear what's inside the module, and for all we know there is no BT/WiFi switch, which would make it impossible to run anything but WiFi.
As long as the module has a switch, it wouldn't make any sense for BN to hard-disable the bluetooth. There aren't that many connections just to get BT data, and I'm pretty sure the OMAP doesn't use those connections (1 GPIO, 1 UART) for anything. It would only cost a few PCB traces and maybe a pullup resistor or two, less than a couple of cents at scale.

The nook is getting 3.0 Already confirmed.

luistorres1027 said:
The nook is getting 3.0 Already confirmed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where was this confirmed? never heard mention of it at all

molesaied88 said:
where was this confirmed? never heard mention of it at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems pretty unlikely, to be honest. The NC wasn't intended to run straight Android so can't see B&N being massively interested in supporting future Android versions.

luistorres1027 said:
The nook is getting 3.0 Already confirmed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a fairy tale. The next version of android will be 2.3, and nothing about 3.0 could be confirmed as it's likely 6 months away at least. And no one has really even confirmed anything about 2.3. It's all been sightings and rumors.
But back on topic - has anyone had a look at the TI Ebook reference material? Maybe they have a vanilla version of android that is made to work with the processor? It's possible the Nook hardware is similar or identical to some TI reference design - it is the first product based on that chip after all, maybe B&N just let TI design the thing?
EDIT: At the bottom of the page for this processor it says: "This product is intended for high-volume wireless OEMs and ODMs and is not available through distributors. If your company meets this description, please contact your TI sales office."
So Grr, looks like they're not going to share much unless you're a big company. Sometimes these guys have lots of support material for their processors, but I guess this one is too specialized.

has anyone had a look at the TI Ebook reference material?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I browsed through a bit. Looks like very well supported hardware - the driver for the WIFI chip is in the AOSP source tree, and the graphics chips is pretty common.
It would seem to me that a port of Cyanogen would be very straightforward. The missing buttons would need to be mapped to something - maybe an additional UI component which popped up for menu and back? - but other than that...doesn't look too bad. Simpler than a lot of others, maybe.
And damn, this device looks like it would be pretty quick. It's no slouch now, and with Froyo...and maybe a touch of overclocking... it would be faster than a Nexus one with absolutely killer battery life.
A very commonly available, high-quality Cyanogen tablet for $250?
Sick.

You could copy the Archos on-screen buttons (which look really annoying but are better than nothing)

Facegarden said:
That's a fairy tale. The next version of android will be 2.3, and nothing about 3.0 could be confirmed as it's likely 6 months away at least. And no one has really even confirmed anything about 2.3. It's all been sightings and rumors.
But back on topic - has anyone had a look at the TI Ebook reference material? Maybe they have a vanilla version of android that is made to work with the processor? It's possible the Nook hardware is similar or identical to some TI reference design - it is the first product based on that chip after all, maybe B&N just let TI design the thing?
EDIT: At the bottom of the page for this processor it says: "This product is intended for high-volume wireless OEMs and ODMs and is not available through distributors. If your company meets this description, please contact your TI sales office."
So Grr, looks like they're not going to share much unless you're a big company. Sometimes these guys have lots of support material for their processors, but I guess this one is too specialized.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, as far as I can tell it's the same die as the 3630 but in a lower pin count package, without a package-on-package (DRAM/flash stacked on top) version, no camera interface, and only specced for 800MHz. The 3630 comes in 1200MHz versions, and as we've seen with the Nooter bootloader (by accident) it's possible to make this part run at least at 1GHz.
The datasheet for this part is the general 36xx series datasheet, and at 24MB isn't lacking at all (except for the DRM stuff).

bcpk said:
You could copy the Archos on-screen buttons (which look really annoying but are better than nothing)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could.
There's a thread in the general section right now about a button remapping app.
I just manually did what the app does, pulled the .kl files, changed VOLUME_UP to BACK and VOLUME_DOWN to MENU, pushed the files back and rebooted.
Et Voila, Bob's yer uncle, I now have menu and back keys...at the expense of losing a couple of volume control keys about which I care not at all.
Nice.

Related

Hidden Wifi/GPS - Possibility to unlock?

I'm starting this thread to research the hidden possibilities in the HTC Touch Dual (nike). Alot of questions have been asked about wifi capabilities in the dual and how they may be there just locked by the manufacturer. I hope this thread will help us answer wether further capability is unlockable via roms, cabs, drivers, or registry changes.
In an article about the upcoming WM6.1 I found these interesting finds.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/mobile-gadgeteer/?p=707
"Qualcomm see the decreasing cost of the smartphone spurring growth in adoption of these devices. Steve talked about the Qualcomm/Microsoft collaboration effort and the MSM 7xxx series of chipsets we see in today’s latest and greatest devices. These chipsets include GPS, media, applications processors and more in a single, low battery consumption configuration. There are several variants of their chips in mobile devices today with some having everything inside and some having limitations desired by the manufacturer or carrier for various reasons (cost, size of the device, targeted market, etc)."
The HTC Touch Cruise (polaris) has GPS & Wifi with the Qualcomm® MSM 7200, 400MHz processor - The same processor the HTC Touch Dual (nike) has. There would be no reason to use additional hardware in the Polaris if the processor provides this capability.
already posted at other thread that when someone installs the various cabs that people are trying, when we go to wlan settings mac adress doesn't appear.
Usualy appears even when wifi is off.
Regarding gps i tried using google maps to see if detects something but the only com port that kinda works is com 7 but it turns bluetooth on, so it must be a bluetooth port...
Here you have a link for the japanese version that will be available in january.
NO GPS, but has WIFI and FM RADIO.
wouldn't mind having fm radio on my nike!!!!
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=847
madds said:
Here you have a link for the japanese version that will be available in january.
NO GPS, but has WIFI and FM RADIO.http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=847
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's neither WiFi nor FM radio in the japanese version. PDAdb.net is just wrong (as many times before).
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/product/business_model/ht1100/
hmmm thank's for the reply...
our bad....
<sigh> pearl white....
And what are they talking about FM? Someone speaking Japanese?
if you tranlate the page you can see the word FM appearing...
http://translate.google.com/transla...ss_model/ht1100/&langpair=ja|en&hl=en&ie=UTF8
IT HAS FM RADIO
Chainfire:
Just wondering if you could post a RegDump (possibly directory/file listing) of your Kaiser?
I think we are still missing some registry entires.
One such entrie:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\CommManager\WLAN]
"DeviceName"="{98C5250D-C29A-4985-AE5F-AFE5367E5006}\TNETW12511"
If I know how to extract files from Rom's I'd probably stand a better chance at all this.
Wifi -> theres already a lot of discussion on another thread
this thread has been dealing with wifi hidden capacities (or not)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=348912
madds said:
if you tranlate the page you can see the word FM appearing...
http://translate.google.com/transla...ss_model/ht1100/&langpair=ja|en&hl=en&ie=UTF8
IT HAS FM RADIO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does indeed seem to have an FM radio. It doesn't change much, though (hardware-wise at least, as you would have to use the headset as an antenna).
My point is, don't trust blindly on PDAdb.net. You can find many errors if look around in there (though most of it seems to be right).
Klutsh said:
Chainfire:
Just wondering if you could post a RegDump (possibly directory/file listing) of your Kaiser?
I think we are still missing some registry entires.
One such entrie:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\CommManager\WLAN]
"DeviceName"="{98C5250D-C29A-4985-AE5F-AFE5367E5006}\TNETW12511"
If I know how to extract files from Rom's I'd probably stand a better chance at all this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heh you are right, I did miss that one. Can't make a complete listing right now but I can send you a comparison between the two devices I made yesterday.. In these files 'M' stands for missing and 'D' stands for different... If you send me back two files with only the lines of the files and registry entries you want I can make it into a patch by pressing a button...
I'll try sending you a full listing and dump (instead of the compare files from yesterday) later today.
Chainfire said:
I'll try sending you a full listing and dump (instead of the compare files from yesterday) later today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, thanks for that, it would seem that there are quite a few registry keys missing, I've only searched for GPS keys so far, the main ones needed for interfacing with the GPS driver seem to be missing.
But even after going though and making my own registry file, GPS still does not work, nothing appears on com 4.
Klutsh said:
Hi, thanks for that, it would seem that there are quite a few registry keys missing, I've only searched for GPS keys so far, the main ones needed for interfacing with the GPS driver seem to be missing.
But even after going though and making my own registry file, GPS still does not work, nothing appears on com 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried COM7 ?
Chainfire said:
Have you tried COM7 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep think its comm 7 on the dual
I think registry keys and DLLs won't help in this case. The MSM7200 GPS function should be enabled by a low level hardware driver that is probably loaded after reset before the OS comes on. Then the OS either sees the GPS port or not. An expert's help is thus needed in this case.
As for WIFI, someone mentioned the lack of MAC address for the WIFI. Again - this is a HW issue as the MAC address is coded in ROM (unerasable part of the FLASH) just like IMEI. And if it is not there to begin with... hmmm...
But we can certainly look for one if we have access to the ROM code - it is a 6-digit number that should begin with 00h 18h 41h. If we correlate a few devices that have this string in the same location than maybe there is something to it (WiFi included).
I was trying GPS test, it scanned all com ports, it did halt on Com7, but now it just skips it.
I think a hard reset and start again is in order.
Klutsh said:
I was trying GPS test, it scanned all com ports, it did halt on Com7, but now it just skips it.
I think a hard reset and start again is in order.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cant remember now as ive had to return mine as im replacing it with a 20key model..but isn't there 2 comm7's
ones called comm7 and the others GDP7...or somthing like that....cant remember exactly now.
Please note...
Hi developers.
Please note the following post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1733688#post1733688
I am not much of a mobile/lowlevel coder, but I would be happy to help in other ways.
brgds
- Jesper
jcostanza4 said:
I'm starting this thread to research the hidden possibilities in the HTC Touch Dual (nike). Alot of questions have been asked about wifi capabilities in the dual and how they may be there just locked by the manufacturer. I hope this thread will help us answer wether further capability is unlockable via roms, cabs, drivers, or registry changes.
In an article about the upcoming WM6.1 I found these interesting finds.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/mobile-gadgeteer/?p=707
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That web page also indicates that GSM850 is supported. For a USA user, that would be the most important thing of all. There has been some speculation that the phone can support GSM850 now. Perhpas the Japanese ROM will turn it on.
I have an htc s640 (iris 100) has the exact same specs as the HTC Touch and my wifi is enabled. i know it has GPS but its disabled. if you need anything from my registry id be happy to help. only difference between these phones that i can tell is the touch screen. rest of the specs seem to be the same.
Juggalo_X said:
I have an htc s640 (iris 100) has the exact same specs as the HTC Touch and my wifi is enabled. i know it has GPS but its disabled. if you need anything from my registry id be happy to help. only difference between these phones that i can tell is the touch screen. rest of the specs seem to be the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That phone has a Qualcomm MSM7500 chip, the Dual has a Qualcomm MSM7200 chip.

Bluetooth function on Éclair ?

what are the odds that in the new version of android , the issue with bluetooth file transfer will be fixed ?
doubt it, i dont think its a bug but more a compagny policy.
they dont want you to send apps and games to oher phones
i think we have a better chance with the xda community here for developing/porting a proper bluetooth stack to our hero` s
there is a lot more you can do with a proper bluetooth stack than sending files, you know. so i doubt this is a company policy thing but rather a BIG failure to deliver what has been standard in mobile devices for years now. (especially for handsets in this price range)
coming from the iphone, i learned that all the "BT is necessary" chants were a bit overrated; I didn't know it was not possible until way after I upgraded to the 3G. I never used it or saw the need for it.
In the beginning BT filetransfer was 'cool'; "wow I can send a picture! or a MP3 !!"
But now I would just email it, even if the person is standing next to me.
A2DP I can understand. But all other functions like "cool! I can use my phone as a mouse for my computer!!" for me got old 4/5 years ago.
Still, if people want it, you could just write a program, no?
No, obviously it is not possible to "just write a program" if there is no API for Bluetooth file transfer and there is no information on how to do it without an API.
There are now several programs that can do BT file transfer on other Android phones, but none of them work on the Hero.
And you can use only mail if the receiver can also use mail. My BT carkit certainly can't use mail.
elmicha said:
No, obviously it is not possible to "just write a program" if there is no API for Bluetooth file transfer and there is no information on how to do it without an API.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, almost true.
There's an app in the market called "Bluetooth File Transfer" which allows you to send and receive files by Bluetooth and doesn't require a rooted phone.
Sounds great, but.... (yes there's a but!)
You can only receive files being sent from another Android user via "Bluetooth File Transfer"
See http://www.medieval.it/content/view/61/85/
Regards,
Dave
Does it work on your Hero? It doesn't on mine (GSM Hero). The market description still says "Currently, doesn't work on HTC Hero and Samsung Galaxy, but we are working on it." (http://www.cyrket.com/package/it.medieval.blueftp)
Same problem with Androbex: "Reported not to work on HTC Hero and Samsung Galaxy. you can try yourself and tell us."
As far as I know, neither the Hero kernel nor a Hero image for the emulator is available at this time, so it is a lot more complicated to develop such things which are not covered by the API.
foxmeister said:
Well, almost true.
There's an app in the market called "Bluetooth File Transfer" which allows you to send and receive files by Bluetooth and doesn't require a rooted phone.
Sounds great, but.... (yes there's a but!)
You can only receive files being sent from another Android user via "Bluetooth File Transfer"
See http://www.medieval.it/content/view/61/85/
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have another but on this. It doesn't just have to be to another Android phone, I can easily send to my Sony Ericson & LG & Moto friend's phones.
Although I'm on a rooted G1, so take that with a grain of salt.
However you are right about not working on a Hero.
Geniusdog254 said:
I have another but on this. It doesn't just have to be to another Android phone, I can easily send to my Sony Ericson & LG & Moto friend's phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, it says that you can only *receive* files from another user of this software. I always presumed that sending would be ok!
However you are right about not working on a Hero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I installed it on my Hero, and it seems to run ok (i.e. no obvious errors) but as soon as I saw that I can only receive from another phone running this software, I dismissed it. I seldom use BT file transfer anyway, and this restriction would've made it pointless for the limited occasions that I might use it.
I will give it a try today though, and see what happens, but I'm also on a rooted device so this may make a difference.
Regards,
Dave
Ok, when I start the application it tells me that is has successfully started the "Bluetooth file receiving" and "Bluetooth file sharing" service.
However, I tried to pair with my laptop and I got an error message that it couldn't start the OBEX FTP service. So, it looks like it doesn't work at all for devices not running their software. I do wonder though if it would work between two devices running the software simply because it looks like they don't use OBEX FTP.
Regards,
Dave
maybe someone can make a wifi based peer to peer app FTP orso
at least then we can send stuff
I think dismissing it as simply being 'cool', is incorrect.
I know alot of people that arn't 'smartphone' savvy and don't have email accounts that they use on the phone or have internet access on the phone for that matter. They tend to use the phones mostly for (shock horror) making call and taking pics etc.
There have been several instances when they like a picture/video clip or something and want to send/receive via bluetooth.
They are somewhat surprised when I say I can't do that, especially after I've shown them all the other clever things I can do on the phone...
Zuber
Bluetooth
Begin rant:
I know everyone keeps saying you should sync your entire life with Google's servers (as that’s the point of having an Internet device) but there are times when a quick sync with Outlook (or another client) is desirable just to back-up your contacts or to grab a file/contact through the use of Bluetooth. Hell, that’s what the technology was created for!
Yes, I know everything is online with Android, but using BT to sync is something I took for granted with my Win Mobiles and Symbian devices. With me it’s a privacy issue, I don't want my entire life to be blasted off into the ether, transmitted across the globe, stored on a sever (in a country for which server security may not be a top priority i.e. Korea) and back again just to ensure my phone calendar is up-to-date with my computer's calendar.
From my phone in my pocket to the computer sitting less than a foot away on my desk, Bluetooth seems the best solution.
Yes, there's USB but that means plugging in a cable...
End Rant.
If you have a WiFi router (or access point) it's possible to use an ftp server on the hero and an ftp client on the desktop (or vice versa). See FTPServer and SwiFTP Server for ftp servers.
I didn't try aFileSync yet, but from the description it looks nice.
But this doesn't help if you don't have a WiFi router avaliable, although WiFi ad-hoc mode might be possible with android-wifi-tether on rooted phones. And Wifi ad-hoc mode doesn't help if the other end has only Bluetooth.
agent-5 said:
From my phone in my pocket to the computer sitting less than a foot away on my desk, Bluetooth seems the best solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, it's probably partially Apples fault as it took them ages to get something half resembling Bluetooth into their iPhones. Given the take up of the iPhone, it does go to show that much of the market can just live without it.
Googles "excuse", way back more than a year ago, was that they hadn't quite finalized the API and so they shipped the G1 with only support for headsets. Skip forward a year, and they've only only added a couple more profiles to their bluetooth stack, which is pretty poor going for a multi-bazillion dollar organization!
Regards,
Dave
foxmeister said:
To be honest, it's probably partially Apples fault as it took them ages to get something half resembling Bluetooth into their iPhones. Given the take up of the iPhone, it does go to show that much of the market can just live without it.
Googles "excuse", way back more than a year ago, was that they hadn't quite finalized the API and so they shipped the G1 with only support for headsets. Skip forward a year, and they've only only added a couple more profiles to their bluetooth stack, which is pretty poor going for a multi-bazillion dollar organization!
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I know its a feature that (some) of us expect but at the end of the day the Android OS is still in its infancy. Give me Android over Symbian (which I've been using for the last couple of years) any day!
It would be nice to see things like OBEX implemented into the OS (perhaps in a future release?). But for all the small picky things that its missing, Android makes up for its 'downfalls' in a million other ways. I certainly would not switch now, I just hope that Google, HTC and all the freelance Dev's keep up their amazing work.
One final word: I'd still like to Sync with Bluetooth though!
This is not just a cool feature, it is an expected feature. To have a smartphone released without that is ridiculous, in this day and age. Unlike Apple, who have ideological reasons why they dont want it, I dont believe that Google have any reason; it is just a massive slip up, probably because they werent thinking globally.
It is the most starred/wanted issue in the Android bug/development list, higher than anything else which shows that it is pretty important to tech- savvy users as well as the average joe who takes it for granted.
People simply expect this standard functionality to be there. I never fail to be embarrassed when someone asks me to bluetooth a photo to their crappy Nokia and I admit I cannot.
I could on my Jam, I could on my Touch, I could on my Diamond, but I cant on my Hero. Pathetic.
bluetooth obex on donut 1.6
hey i have been looking all over for an up to date blog on android obex development. I notice many of you guys are complaining about not having the capability. Look up Medieval software app that is freeware in the Android Market, and also have a webpage. I have used them for windows mobile. I have seen sites where people have created their own stacks and have directions to help you. I would be interested on learning how to actually do this. I know cupcake had a directory and stack for this. I would like to know if any of you know anything for the donut build. Every time I connect to my pc from medieval via my G1, i get this error "Service not found, you can't connect with target device because it lacks of the obex ftp bluetooth service"....oddly however when i linked up this app it allowed a stack to become visible underneath the vista bluetooth properties on the G1 device. it had handset and file transfer which i selected because it wasnt. Actually as im writing this i just checked again to verify the name and now i have another one! Object push! wow. so i will keep you posted. going to try harder. i think this program will work. thanks
Idea
Correct me if I'm wrong but seeing as the Blueooth standard is open and Android is opensource, how much time/effort/cost would it involve in a 3rd party dev like MoDaCo/Cyanogen implementing additional protocols into the BT stack?
A custom ROM with this feature would be an instant hit. I'd make a donation to anyone developing such a feature.
agent-5 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but seeing as the Blueooth standard is open and Android is opensource, how much time/effort/cost would it involve in a 3rd party dev like MoDaCo/Cyanogen implementing additional protocols into the BT stack?
A custom ROM with this feature would be an instant hit. I'd make a donation to anyone developing such a feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it can totally be done. Im pretty sure people have made steps to do this and some 1.5 cupcake roms had support. There is many BT stacks out there and are dependent on the more primitive driver, known as the API. The Kernel is the base framework which is chosen for these Roms. Most rom developers like Cyanogen pick a certain one to fulfill an obligation, ex speed, Hero, experimiental. From what I get on here is that many of the top rom developers dont care much about BT and alot of people are waiting for BT 3.0. So in short i behind what you stated and maybe we could start a donation fund towards a developer that would be willing. Maybe theres already someone out there even! Alot is changing with Android, its exploding.

GPS - Is there or isn't there one?

I thought this thing was somehow using network to get a general location somehow. However when I use my phone as a wi-fi hotspot Maps on my touchpad seems to find me to within 20 feet of wherever I actually am at the time.
Can someone explain this to me? Am I hallucinating? Only seems to work when wi-fi is connected though. Is this some sort of google magic?
Only apple and disney make magic.
Sent from my HP Touchpad using Tapatalk
Well, everything I read seems to indicate there is no GPS. in the WiFi version of the TouchPad. However I just opended the maps app and it's right on my house. I have my TP setup to ask me for permission to use location service before an app can use it. Maps ask for this permission prior to giving my location. I assume this is done almost certinly done by Googles location service over my WiFi.
in short, yes it's Google "magic".
To the previous poster... Yes apple also makes magic, but it black magic! LOL
To cut a long story short, it's using the location data of your ip address, through your wifi connection (I believe).
Not necessarily a google thing.
it's just a setting in the router you're getting wifi from. some routers allow you to turn the ip location settings on and off, others are always on.
the only Touchpads with GPS are the 3G/4G ones.
I knew there wasn't a GPS. But I have an unrooted HTC Desire HD phone. Is there an easy way to tether my CM7 Touchpad to my phone to make use of my phone's GPS?
asif9t9 said:
I knew there wasn't a GPS. But I have an unrooted HTC Desire HD phone. Is there an easy way to tether my CM7 Touchpad to my phone to make use of my phone's GPS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use an external GPS receiver tethered with Bluetooth to the touchpad.
asif9t9 said:
I knew there wasn't a GPS. But I have an unrooted HTC Desire HD phone. Is there an easy way to tether my CM7 Touchpad to my phone to make use of my phone's GPS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, download an app called TGPS from the market both on your phone and on the tp, install the client widget on the tp and the server widget on your phone, and as long as you are connected to the same network (either the same wifi or you are using wifi tether from the phone) it will work
Sent from my HP Touchpad using Tapatalk
texasreb said:
I use an external GPS receiver tethered with Bluetooth to the touchpad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you have to do anything special to get it to work? I paired my external BT GPS device but it didn't see to work.
I'll have to try again and see.
When google drove around making streetview they logged the mac address of every single wifi point they could find and its location.
Even though your touchpad was connected to your phone, it was receiving the SSID from random wifi routers. Even though it wasn't connected to any of these routers, it knew their location and so could guess where you were,
Fon22
Well, according to this document: http://www.qualcomm.com/documents/files/snapdragon-msm8x60-apq8060-product-brief.pdf, it does have embedded GPS. Maybe I am missing something. Certainly the feature is not implemented in webOS on the Touchpad, but maybe the hardware is actually there. One of the devs that has worked with the Touchpad may be able to shed more light on the question.
The Qualcomm datasheet may not give the correct picture. Like many other ARM tablets, the GPS may be incorporated with the 3G part of the chipset, which is not implemented on the standard Touchpad.
kmdub said:
Well, according to this document: http://www.qualcomm.com/documents/files/snapdragon-msm8x60-apq8060-product-brief.pdf, it does have embedded GPS. Maybe I am missing something. Certainly the feature is not implemented in webOS on the Touchpad, but maybe the hardware is actually there. One of the devs that has worked with the Touchpad may be able to shed more light on the question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dmarchant said:
The Qualcomm datasheet may not give the correct picture. Like many other ARM tablets, the GPS may be incorporated with the 3G part of the chipset, which is not implemented on the standard Touchpad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THIS.
plus all the different model touchpads have been taken apart and inspected thoroughly. The different touchpads have different hardware not just size differences.
you can read more here:
http://forums.precentral.net/hp-touchpad/302420-4g-touchpad-owners-lounge.html
The Qualcomm datasheet may not give the correct picture. Like many other ARM tablets, the GPS may be incorporated with the 3G part of the chipset, which is not implemented on the standard Touchpad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, maybe. However, the document does clearly list the modem separately, and caveats other features that do not apply universally. It just seems that the document refers to the GPS functionality as part of the "Snapdragon Family Overview," and lists it separately in the table, where the modems are clearly distinguished.
You are probably right, but this document at least, seems a bit misleading. I am going to look for more technical documentation.

Sony Security

Hi Guys,
First post here so I could'nt post in the relevent thread. It has been noticed that there is a switch on the Tablet S PCB that apparently disconnects the battery, I've opened up many devices over the years and have never seen that before - very strange if you ask me. Might be of interest to some to note that the Sony PSP used an anti hacking method that utilised the battery !!, so we may be on to something here.
On PSP a hacked battery is called "pandora battery". It is not a switch. The battery has four contacts. Two of them are the voltage contacts plus and minus and two of them send a serial signal code. With the right code, the PSP boot in a special (hidden) recovery menu. Do you have more information about the tablet battery and the switch? Pictures available?
Wouldn't the relevant thread be the ones you found out about on it?
original discovery of switch here (with pictures)
Then I brought it up in the dev thread about APX mode here
And yes it exists... can confirm it's there (at least on my 16gb model anyway)
My thoughts are is that there would be a factory cable used here (similar to the motorola factory cable) and they need to disconnect the battery for it to function as it should.
And a hunch that it could very well have something to do with APX mode, however... since people have stumbled into APX mode completely by accident with no hardware commands, that kind of contradicts that thought.
I don't have any info on the battery or the switch, I was just pointing out the strangeness of having a switch to disconnect the battery, nothing else I have ever looked at has this feature. (and I've opened up a lot of devices)
It just makes me think that there is a need to easily and repeatedly disconnect the battery during the manufacturing / assembly / repair process.
For example, does the system "know" when the battery has been disconnected and allow different operations ? - fastboot perhaps ?
I know this is all supposition and it may mean nothing at all - but the feature is bugging me - it cost money to implement and I can't help but feel it's there for a reason.
System woiuld'nt let me reply in thread I was reading - said dev section was for expert users only ??
obicom said:
On PSP a hacked battery is called "pandora battery". It is not a switch. The battery has four contacts. Two of them are the voltage contacts plus and minus and two of them send a serial signal code. With the right code, the PSP boot in a special (hidden) recovery menu. Do you have more information about the tablet battery and the switch? Pictures available?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought of this too but then went on to think that there's probably no way such a thing would transfer accross do android/unix codes like that. ie they use android kernels and stuff, they don't make the whole thing themselves. Plus they realised the vulnerability of it and removed it in models like the psp 3000 and go (not sure about 2000).
DreadPirateDan said:
I thought of this too but then went on to think that there's probably no way such a thing would transfer accross do android/unix codes like that. ie they use android kernels and stuff, they don't make the whole thing themselves. Plus they realised the vulnerability of it and removed it in models like the psp 3000 and go (not sure about 2000).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Early PSP-2000 models still had the vulnerability.
DreadPirateDan said:
I thought of this too but then went on to think that there's probably no way such a thing would transfer accross do android/unix codes like that. ie they use android kernels and stuff, they don't make the whole thing themselves. Plus they realised the vulnerability of it and removed it in models like the psp 3000 and go (not sure about 2000).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're actually pretty close, I think. Android would be perfectly capable of receiving certain boot codes, but these are far more likely to be wired to the more capable micro-USB port as in just about every other Android device. While an Android kernel could theoretically receive serial codes from almost anywhere given the right instructions, Sony would probably not do this. As mentioned, the PSP's ability in this regard caused many problems.
As mentioned by the others, if someone could post some good hi-res shots of the battery and surrounding PCB or something like that, that would make it much easier.
Sony's philosophy has always been that the end user should use the product as it was built and the purpose it was built for.
They've always made hacking and rooting very difficult for users. They don't like their products being tampered with.
I can understand where they are coming from, but at the end of the day, with many phones and tablets, if root techniques and mods aren't available, many users won't buy the goods.
All PSP models, including the 3000 series, excluding the go have been cracked.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
pandora battery worked for psp 1000 and psp 2000 before the TA-088 V3 motherboard, all the next models where hacked by firmware homebrew enabler, but not by battery mod..
wrsg said:
All PSP models, including the 3000 series, excluding the go have been cracked.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clear things up, what works on the PSP will not, generally speaking, work on the Tablet S. They are different hardware, with different interfaces to different firmware which runs completely different software.
If we can get a look at the PCB in closer detail where the battery connects we might be able to see if there are any serial pins, but I doubt there will be. No other Sony product since has featured it (to my knowledge).

Nook Tablet for camera monitor?

Hi,
Have not used my Nook Tablet recently because have newer hardware.
Recently saw "Use An Android Tablet as a Live Monitor for your DSLR Camera" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnzkHegu3aA and hope can do this with my Nook Tablet 16GB.
Searched the forum and then YouTube using Nook Tablet for camera monitor but to date have found nothing.
Hope someone else has interest in doing this.
Thanks
Ken
A search through the forum for "USB Host" seems to indicate that while many people over the years have coveted this capability, it has never been implemented on the NT.
That said, there are some DSLR cameras that use direct WiFi to communicate with Android devices and can display what they see on the tablet screen (not to mention accept remote commands from the device). These apps run just fine on the NT.
nmyshkin,
"there are some DSLR cameras that use direct WiFi to communicate with Android devices and can display what they see on the tablet screen (not to mention accept remote commands from the device). These apps run just fine on the NT" Unfortunately my cameras do not have WiFi.
Thanks for the tip about "USB Host" somehow my searches never picked it up. Redid the search using Nook tablet USB Host and got a Lot of Hits! Also Googled and got > 111K hits!!!
Clarification: Is the reason it has never been implemented on the NT a Hardware or a Software problem?
Googled and found [Q] USB Host/OTG mode for peripherals? https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1546363
Answer by tobdaryl "From what I have read this is not possible yet but is being looked at by at least Team B. Others may also be working on this but it holds lesser value till the more important things to everyday operation on internal hardware has been conquered" it sounds like a Software problem.
Beginners question, if it is a Software problem can it be corrected by installing a newer version of Android?
Thanks for your help!!!
Ken
KenithO said:
Beginners question, if it is a Software problem can it be corrected by installing a newer version of Android?
Thanks for your help!!!
Ken
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has to be patched into the OS by someone (if the hardware even allows for it). That funky USB connection on the NT may also cause issues, not sure.
But yes, it's maybe both, certainly at least non-existent code in the OS. I looked at my tablet running AOSP 7.0 and I only saw one mention of USB Audio in the Settings section. That's a typical USB Host application (I use it on my NST--there developers wrote new code patches to enable USB Host). Just for the heck of it and because I have all the hardware, I attached an OTG cable and a USB Audio device to my NT.
Nada. Generally there has to be a setting to enable USB Host because power input/output has to be changed, drivers added, among other things. The setting I found on my NT is probably just there like "camera" and "bluetooth" are there. They don't do anything but it was easier to just let them be than to take them out and try to trace all the threads that might unravel if they were removed.
So I think the answer is still that no one ever got around to looking at it seriously, or someone did once and found the hardware was an issue.
Sorry
nmyshkin,
Thanks for checking!!! My gut feeling now it is a Hardware Problem.
Any suggestions as to uses for the NT since the hardware is so old?
Ken
PS Thanks for the "Nook Simple Touch" link https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61591693&postcount=2
Beginners Question: Are you now running Android Open Source Project 7.0 on it?
Did you ever do any baseline speed tests with original NT OS and your later OSes?
KenithO said:
Are you now running Android Open Source Project 7.0 on it?
Did you ever do any baseline speed tests with original NT OS and your later OSes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am running AOSP 7.0 (see https://forum.xda-developers.com/nook-tablet/general/how-to-installing-aosp-android-7-0-t3578665) and it performs flawlessly for me. No FCs, no freezes, no funny business. It's the best ROM I've run on the tablet (I never ran the stock).
Back when I was running CM 10.2.1 I did an AnTuTu test because someone asked about the speed of the system (which I thought was "fine"). I've never run another one, feeling they are pretty much useless. It seemed to test a great number of things I would never use the tablet for. The real question is "am I satisfied with the performance?". My answer is "yes".
My husband has an HD which I recently upgraded to CM 12. I know from working with his tablet that it is a little more responsive than mine, but I honestly don't care that much. I don't experience lag to any extent that changes my blood pressure and I'm constantly amazed at how well the tablet performs. So that's my test

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