Controlling android OS with directional pad - Off-topic

Hello,
I have a PCB that is communicating with an android handheld via an FTDI chip and USB UART connection.
The PCB handles a d-pad over a serial connection, also has a few other un-mapped hard keys. These button depresses are currently sent up to the android level as a single event command.
What is the best way of having the android OS recognize the d-pad controls natively, as in I would like to map a home button, back, menu etc as well as the d-pad
It seems as though there are already provisions made within the android OS to handle full external keyboards and joysticks etc
If someone has achieved something similar, such as connecting a serial joystick/dpad/keyboard over USB bridge, please chime in.
Thank you for everyones help in advance.

BUMP!!
willing to pay for someone to help figure this out!
$$$$$$$$$$$$

Related

Tilt communication with an Arduino?

Hey all,
I was wondering if it is possible to communicate with an Arduino with a Tilt through the Tilt's USB port? I've just gotten into device application development and I had a cool idea I was wanting to make but the biggest hurdle is how to communicate between the Arduino microcontroller and the Tilt.
For those that don't know what an Arduino is (I feel sorry for you ), it is a microcontroller platform based off of the AVR Atmel168 processor. The version I've got on hand right now is a Seeeduino that has a mini-USB port on-board communicating to the Atmel168 through an FTDI USB-Serial chip (shows up as a serial port when plugged into the computer). It would be great if the Arduino showed up as a new serial port on the phone when plugged in, but I doubt it will be that easy. Does anyone know if the Tilt/Kaiser USB port can host other devices?
If anyone has a suggestion or has tried something like this, please comment. Or if I'm just crazy for thinking the phone can do this, tell me so.
Thanks all!
-Jeremy
USB drivers
Im not sure how much this could help, but it may get you off to a good start http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=480899
i noticed it said serial port in there somewhere, so i hope it helps!
You can have a try with the drivers mentioned above. If this fails, hook a Bluetooth module to your Arduino and forget about wires
When I was waiting for a haircut today, I was fiddling in the task manager and looked at the devices tab. Just thought I'd run these by you all:
Com 8: serialusbfn.dll (\Drivers\USB\FunctionDrivers\Serial_Class)
Com 9: Serial_UART.dll (Drivers\BuiltIn\SERIAL_UART3)
I haved searched around or messed with these yet but what in the world could com 8 be being used for right now?
-Jeremy
P.S. I did see that link and that will be the next thing I'll try, Thanks!
AFAIK there are some internal peripherals that are connected to the main processor through serial ports. That might be those.
Use I2C - you can get at it through the DS2746... when looking at the PCB on the side with all of the metal-enclosed areas, it's on the left, and towards the bottom (IIRC)... should be able to run 4 wires (get a ribbon cable) out the bottom (into the battery compartment)...
I've been considering this seriously... I2C is a damn useful bus, and it's underused in this device (only battery chip, touch screen, and camera control, AFAIK)....
The bus itself is two wires - SDA (data) and SCL (clock), and you'll also need +5v and ground.
Would be nice to hook up a spare ds1621 (you can get these as free samples) or a compass/accelerometer chip

Best way to control a robot for the least $$$?

I have a robot lawnmower, Friendly Robotics Robomow RL500. It's like a Roomba for the lawn, you set it loose and let it go. Problem is, it's not very smart. For one, it gets stuck on occasion, requiring me to check on it regularly and free it if it gets stuck. It also needs to be driven out onto the lawn and turned on, and when it's done I need to go find it and drive it back. Worst of all, there is a part of the lawn that is too narrow for it to function automatically so I have to manually mow that part with an annoying wired controller, and it is much slower than a regular mower so walking behind it at a snail's pace holding a wired controller is very boring.
My idea is to make it so I can put a camera on it so I can drive it via Wifi from the comfort of my home. Somehow I will need to be able to stream video over Wifi and send commands to the robot as well, and whatever device receiving the commands will need to be able to activate the switches on the wired controller.
2 ways I thought of to do this:
1. Use one of my extra Windows Mobile phones as a "brain". They all already have a camera and Wifi. All I would need is the software to stream video over Wifi and a control program to control the robot. Microsoft has a Robotics Studio that may help me to write my own program using VS.NET. None of my phones have a serial port or USB Host controller, so I was thinking maybe I can use a Bluetooth-to-UART board and connect that to some kind of controller to activate the switches on the control panel.
2. Use a WRT54G and run Linux. This will probably cost more because I don't have a 54G. I will also need to buy some kind of camera for it, like a networked camera. It has an RS232 port that can be used to connect to some kind of controller to activate switches on the control panel. I KNOW this solution has been done, because there is a video out there of a 54G-controlled R/C car being controlled via Wifi and streaming video back. I would probably need to write my own program in C in Linux (I don't know C), unless I can find the link to that RC car again and see if that guy will share his source.
Any thoughts on which way is the best way to go?
Jejeje
Try this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaquxmK-kp4

[Q] Can you make your phone act as a RF transmitter?

Hi,
I saw a video recently about how an unrooted N1 can be used as a remote (for Logitech Rouve). I am curious to know how exactly that works, and whether we can develop our own remotes like that?
My guess is, its somehow using RF ... am I wrong in assuming this? I want to know whether there is a way (or, if someone can direct me in the right direction) to make a nexus one act as a RF transmitter by attaching some piece of small hardware (either DIY or bought from somewhere else).
Any help is much appreciated!
Thanks!!
Remote controls of home equipment work by IR.
Nexus doesn't have IR. It can remotely control stuff by connecting through WiFi or BT, and assuming there's SW running on both sides that will make the control possible.
You can't transmit RF in any way, unless it's WiFi or BT. And you can't connect anything to Nexus, unless it's a USB host, or unless you run USB host drivers on Nexus and have a specific supported USB device that you connect.
N1 -> wifi > Rouve > tv

Bluetooth HID development

Hey,
first of all:
I know that this is a problem many are asking for and i passed 2 days searching for an answer, including flashing some ROMs, but nothing seems to fit to my problem.
So i've connected my bluetooth mouse to my Galaxy S phone. This seem to work just fine with 2.2.1 Froyo version. I can move the mouse and click around and stuff - so the phone recognizes the mouse and interacts with it.
My problem is: How do i use this in the app i am writing?
I am developing an app for android, which should find easy usage of a bluetooth mouse. The only two functions of the bluetooth mouse i need are the left and the right mouse click.
A >very< dirty hack might be to use an OnClickListener on the whole screen for the left click of the mouse and the "onBackPressed" Method for the right click of the mouse. Supposingly this would work, but in terms of usability, i don't think this is usable.
Long Story short: Is there ANY way to catch the moment, that the user presses the left or right mouse button of a mouse connected via bluetooth?
If not: Is there any bluetooth device, which makes this easier and also offers two pressable buttons? (in fact, the mouse will be redesigned as a pad, which has exactly two action buttons)
Greetings,
Geki
Hi.
I have the same problem (although i would need it to be a mouse, not a pad)
Have you figured it out, how to do it? I am currently using nasty tricks you mentioned, but this renders back button useless(and menu button as well, if i use middle button too).
Any idea?
just as information:
Bluetooth mouse work just fine with stock 2.3.3 version as well(apart from not being able to bind right button to anything else)

Remix OS carputer build

Hello guys, I'm planning to build my first carputer. 2 years ago I have modified a tablet, Asus zenpad 8, very similar to Nexus 7 in my opinion. Now I want something more.
What I want:
Fully automated pc that works exactly like an android head unit but much better and more flexibility when it comes to external devices like an external DAC with optical output. Actually this is the main reason for not buying an android head unit, didn't find one that works very well with an external DAC. Some other things that I want from this carputer: the compatibility with steering wheel controls, backup camera, fm or even DAB radio, gps, phone calls( via bluetooth), 4G internet and so on. Many of those things are pretty simple to integrate, will talk about them later.
The components:
1. The pc - didn't think about it yet because there are loads of mini pc on the market for good prices. The only problem I'm thinking is the start up on ignition. First I wanted to go for a Remix mini pc but I don't know how could I make it start on ignition and after that automatically play the last song. If I would go for a normal PC, I found a smart PSU which has the possibility of ignition start and stop and puts the computer in sleep mode. That way I will avoid the waiting time for the boot, in fact the computer will be permanently turned on. The only problem I can think of, is the compatibility of this PSU with the android Remix OS. Is it possible?
I've tested the Remix OS and I like it, very quiq, easy to use in car with a touch screen, support all the external devices( wifi, 4g, fm and DAB, external DAC with optical output) and the launcher can be changed. I know I can opt for Windows OS and that way I will be sure that the PSU works but in my opinion windows is not so "mobile friendly", not so easy to use in car.
2. The screen: not so many to talk about, found on ebay some 9" tft touch screens, very good resolution, hdmi connectivity and USB for touch. The best thing with these screens is the AV2 input for the backup camera. The screen automatically switch to this input, has guidance lines, and this way I solved the problem with the camera. And also is quite cheap.
3. Steering wheel controls. Found on ebay the Joycon steering wheel adapter that is compatible with Android. I just have to make an initial configuration and that's it, nothing more, simply works through USB.
4. The other external devices: all of them can be found on ebay for good prices. The only thing that worries me is the bluetooth compatibility. I remember when I built that Asus zenpad tablet, I couldn't find a solution for this. Now my question is, what type of bluetooth adapter should I buy and how do I integrate this in the carputer. And I'm not talking about physical connection, I think I will need some kind of software, app, that knows what to do with this bluetooth adapter.
So, in the end, I would need some help regarding the ignition start, just the hardware part of it, all the other automatic things (launch the app and play the song) can be made with tasker very easy. Also I would need some help with the bluetooth phone calls.
Hope I didn't miss any important thing and I will appreciate any help. Thanks.
yoiedi said:
Hello guys, I'm planning to build my first carputer. 2 years ago I have modified a tablet, Asus zenpad 8, very similar to Nexus 7 in my opinion. Now I want something more.
What I want:
Fully automated pc that works exactly like an android head unit but much better and more flexibility when it comes to external devices like an external DAC with optical output. Actually this is the main reason for not buying an android head unit, didn't find one that works very well with an external DAC. Some other things that I want from this carputer: the compatibility with steering wheel controls, backup camera, fm or even DAB radio, gps, phone calls( via bluetooth), 4G internet and so on. Many of those things are pretty simple to integrate, will talk about them later.
The components:
1. The pc - didn't think about it yet because there are loads of mini pc on the market for good prices. The only problem I'm thinking is the start up on ignition. First I wanted to go for a Remix mini pc but I don't know how could I make it start on ignition and after that automatically play the last song. If I would go for a normal PC, I found a smart PSU which has the possibility of ignition start and stop and puts the computer in sleep mode. That way I will avoid the waiting time for the boot, in fact the computer will be permanently turned on. The only problem I can think of, is the compatibility of this PSU with the android Remix OS. Is it possible?
I've tested the Remix OS and I like it, very quiq, easy to use in car with a touch screen, support all the external devices( wifi, 4g, fm and DAB, external DAC with optical output) and the launcher can be changed. I know I can opt for Windows OS and that way I will be sure that the PSU works but in my opinion windows is not so "mobile friendly", not so easy to use in car.
2. The screen: not so many to talk about, found on ebay some 9" tft touch screens, very good resolution, hdmi connectivity and USB for touch. The best thing with these screens is the AV2 input for the backup camera. The screen automatically switch to this input, has guidance lines, and this way I solved the problem with the camera. And also is quite cheap.
3. Steering wheel controls. Found on ebay the Joycon steering wheel adapter that is compatible with Android. I just have to make an initial configuration and that's it, nothing more, simply works through USB.
4. The other external devices: all of them can be found on ebay for good prices. The only thing that worries me is the bluetooth compatibility. I remember when I built that Asus zenpad tablet, I couldn't find a solution for this. Now my question is, what type of bluetooth adapter should I buy and how do I integrate this in the carputer. And I'm not talking about physical connection, I think I will need some kind of software, app, that knows what to do with this bluetooth adapter.
So, in the end, I would need some help regarding the ignition start, just the hardware part of it, all the other automatic things (launch the app and play the song) can be made with tasker very easy. Also I would need some help with the bluetooth phone calls.
Hope I didn't miss any important thing and I will appreciate any help. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you thought about using a rock 64 single board computer like a Raspberry Pi that Android is really supported something like that could work really well as it has gpio outputs for various functions USB inputs for audio dacs and DAB radio and can work with touch screens or even projectors for heads up.
The truth is I know nothing about raspberry pi, heard about them but nothing more. Can you please explain a bit more? Is it possible to make it automatically turn on/off on ignition? How? Apparently that's the hardest part of the job. I've read on the internet that Remix OS doesn't work very well with stand-by function and if I'll make it to shut down completely, I'm afraid that will take too long to boot back. I was thinking about Remix mini pc and a controller that simulates pressing of the on/off button simultaneously with the ignition but it has to be tested.
So, quickly searched on google about raspberry pi and banana pi possibilities, there are some power supplies for in car use, basically they simulate a shut down from the button with a delay. That looks very good, very easy to do and also very cheap. But, how fast can boot a raspberry or banana pi running Remix OS? Does anyone know?
yoiedi said:
The truth is I know nothing about raspberry pi, heard about them but nothing more. Can you please explain a bit more? Is it possible to make it automatically turn on/off on ignition? How? Apparently that's the hardest part of the job. I've read on the internet that Remix OS doesn't work very well with stand-by function and if I'll make it to shut down completely, I'm afraid that will take too long to boot back. I was thinking about Remix mini pc and a controller that simulates pressing of the on/off button simultaneously with the ignition but it has to be tested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To make it turn off and on with the ignition, just plug it into a 12v line that is powered when ignition is on. Generally the 12v line to your head unit fits that criteria. If you want constant power to keep the device in standby mode, you can connect a relay to an a wire that is powered when the car is powered, then use the relay to short the pins of the standby button.
For boot time, you can achieve quite a bit of improvement by getting the fastest sdcard you can buy.
Thanks for advice. I've searched on youtube how android works with raspberry pi and in my opinion they don't do it very well, I mean it struggles even on youtube playing videos. So, I bought an ssd hdd, 32gb and made some tests on my pc. Found a version of android 7 special made for in car use and I'm quite happy with it until now. This android has a "special" feature, when the power button is pressed the pc shut down without displaying any confirmation message on screen. That means it will work perfectly with an intelligent power supply like m2-atx, m3-atx etc. In the next few days I'll get a new pc, micro atx mainboard so I'll begin the tests on that. Until now I've got a boot time around 30-40 seconds. Is not a bad time but I'll try to remove the unnecessary apps from startup and see what happens then. I'll post some pictures or even videos when I'll have good results. Any advice is welcome. Thanks.
yoiedi said:
Thanks for advice. I've searched on youtube how android works with raspberry pi and in my opinion they don't do it very well, I mean it struggles even on youtube playing videos. So, I bought an ssd hdd, 32gb and made some tests on my pc. Found a version of android 7 special made for in car use and I'm quite happy with it until now. This android has a "special" feature, when the power button is pressed the pc shut down without displaying any confirmation message on screen. That means it will work perfectly with an intelligent power supply like m2-atx, m3-atx etc. In the next few days I'll get a new pc, micro atx mainboard so I'll begin the tests on that. Until now I've got a boot time around 30-40 seconds. Is not a bad time but I'll try to remove the unnecessary apps from startup and see what happens then. I'll post some pictures or even videos when I'll have good results. Any advice is welcome. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check these out http://www.hardkernel.com/main/main.php
yoiedi said:
Thanks for advice. I've searched on youtube how android works with raspberry pi and in my opinion they don't do it very well, I mean it struggles even on youtube playing videos. So, I bought an ssd hdd, 32gb and made some tests on my pc. Found a version of android 7 special made for in car use and I'm quite happy with it until now. This android has a "special" feature, when the power button is pressed the pc shut down without displaying any confirmation message on screen. That means it will work perfectly with an intelligent power supply like m2-atx, m3-atx etc. In the next few days I'll get a new pc, micro atx mainboard so I'll begin the tests on that. Until now I've got a boot time around 30-40 seconds. Is not a bad time but I'll try to remove the unnecessary apps from startup and see what happens then. I'll post some pictures or even videos when I'll have good results. Any advice is welcome. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you get an android head unit?
gtxaspec said:
Why don't you get an android head unit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you didn't read, I couldn't find any that works with an external sound card(DAC). My audio system is quite expensive, made for sound quality, and of course I want the head unit to be as good as possible. An external sound card with optical output I think is the best you can get.
Google search "raspberry pi alternative" theres lots of these little gadgets now adays, raspberry pi 3B is one of the most popular ( and cheapest) but there are more out there that are more powerful & better hardware.. The ASUS Tinkerboard is becoming popular as well I think I may be getting one for a streaming machine.
I've already purchased the PC and ordered the PSU. The price for all those components(+ a 30gb ssd) was under 100£ so not very expensive. Why I went for a pc instead of a single board pc? I don't know, maybe because I have no previous experience with them. Yes is true that is way much bigger than a raspberry alternative and the power consumption as well but I don't mind, maybe in the future when I'll get bored again I will try one of those pc's.
So, I've tried to install the Android X86 64bit (there is one version on internet with a patch that removes the confirmation message when you want to shut it down) on this pc with no success, all I've got was a black screen or a continuous reboot. Found out that Android X86 64bit is not so friendly with AMD cpu's. Should've search for that before buying it. Anyway, tried the 32bit version so that one works very well but I didn't find any with that patch installed. How can I remove that confirmation message when the power button is pressed?
Thanks.
first tests, quite happy with it, still lot of work to do.
https://youtu.be/lNJmRjXG81A
Odroid C2 with android + kodi

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