Hacking PXA270 internal USB HOST

[afarre]

Here you have how to hack a USB host port of PDA Sharp Zaurii among other hacks:
http://www.iral.com/~albertr/linux/zaurus/wireless/

It also demonstrates that USB host lines could exist at mothereboard.

[afarre]

I have been reading a while this long thread where I got my previous link:
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php...=15093&hl=axim

In brief, user Albertr did the same that Bigbob is going to do. He got a broken motherboard, carefully removed the PXA270 and traced the lines.

[themaxx]

I figured it was multilayer, I haven't seen anything in a long time that wasn't (unless it was cheap or chinese )

The reasons for usb are extensive. No there are no bluetooth touchscreens, I looked. I want it because I could use:
keyboard
mouse
touchscreen
external card reader
160gb portable hdd
and afarre's trying to get a webcam to work on it

Can BT do all of those..... at once? I don't know of any BT SD card readers or 160gb hdds. And you're talking running a cf card or onboard usb versus using wireless? Wireless would kill the batteries alot faster. Those enclosures usually need a network setup, dhcp server and what not. If I wanted to use that drive outside of my house I'd have to find a hotspot, and guess at it's IP address. Wireless hdds are out.

Anyways, what I'm going to do (the whole reason I'm so involved in this) is I'm going to vaccum mold a tablet case with a 7" touchscreen LCD. I'm going to set it up so that on the top you could insert the axim (like a thick card) and on the side you would have 2 usb ports and another slot for a removable laptop hdd. That way I would have a laptop (because I could jsut add a usb k&m), a tablet (large screen I could write on, watch movies, play some games), and I'll make a car mount for it and put a BT GPS on the inside.
I could go super-portable (just the axim)
around the house portable (tablet mode)
and school/work portable (laptop mode)
and with the external antenna mod (gps wardriving and navigation)
I'll name it.... Aximformer... or something equally as stupid.
TransAxim... anyways

Ok, so we need to figure out the pins and the traces... knowing one would make the other easier to figure out...
On a side note, are there any empty chip pads on the board? Where they would solder the legs, but there's not chip there? And did we ever figure out what those pads were along the side?

EDIT: Has anyone tried to petition Dell for thier Axim's info? I mean... they stopped production right? What need do they have for a few board diagrams? Just a thought... the Axim would become a hacker's dream if they released that info.

what sort of screen do you plan on using?

dont say psone screen, or **X screen from X dvd player** cause they wont work :-\ guess who already found that out

tell me you found a source of cheap VGA lcd's pleas, . . go on. . . i'll be your friend

**edit**

well ok, they will work, i just cant find a circut to make the 60hz the axim puts out into 15hz that the screens generally require

[afarre]

Here you have how to hack a USB host port of PDA Sharp Zaurii among other hacks:
http://www.iral.com/~albertr/linux/zaurus/wireless/

It also demonstrates that USB host lines could exist at mothereboard.

It seems the link is not working now.
Jus in case I rescued a couple of pictures from my temporary internet files

[Schlachter]

http://cgi.ebay.com/TM-868-8-USB-Tou...QQcmdZViewItem

TM-868
It's a chinese mass-produced electronic, so I'm sure the quality's not -wonderful- but it looks like it'll work. External powersupply (so I can just hook 12v to it and not 120 ac, plus since that adapter's seperate it's not that thick.) and it has a usb touchscreen. I like it, I'll be buying it after I buy the ratoc card. VGA and RCA inputs (so I guess I could make external ports on my transaxim and put other video besides just the axim's on it.)
And it's 640x480, the axim x51v's native rez.

[themaxx]

http://cgi.ebay.com/TM-868-8-USB-Tou...QQcmdZViewItem

TM-868
It's a chinese mass-produced electronic, so I'm sure the quality's not -wonderful- but it looks like it'll work. External powersupply (so I can just hook 12v to it and not 120 ac, plus since that adapter's seperate it's not that thick.) and it has a usb touchscreen. I like it, I'll be buying it after I buy the ratoc card. VGA and RCA inputs (so I guess I could make external ports on my transaxim and put other video besides just the axim's on it.)
And it's 640x480, the axim x51v's native rez.

im after more real estate for the screen, 1024 x 768, cant find many under 15 inch
that are inexpensive

[Ashton]

I really hate beint the voice of reason, but...

that screen is 150, probably 175-200 with shipping. the ratoc card is another 150. the vatteries are gonna be $50 each, that's 100. a HD will run another 100 (counting all the hardware) the cables will cost around 50, then tnere's the time to put it all together. lets err conservativly and say your time is $5 an hour and the time will only be 10 hours, that's 50 again, so...

100 batteries
100 HD
200 screen
200 ratoc
050 cables
050 time
----
500 (and to run everything I'd advise the 128mb upgrade on ram for another 150, but, that's not vital)

$500 dollars to build. Do you know what a new laptop costs? I'll give you a hint, look at the math above... and it would have a LOT better specs...

I *love* the idea, but the cost *has* to come down...

[awdark]

Here you have how to hack a USB host port of PDA Sharp Zaurii among other hacks:
http://www.iral.com/~albertr/linux/zaurus/wireless/

It also demonstrates that USB host lines could exist at mothereboard.

I want the Zarus sooo much more now.

Anyways, I hope.. really really hope this will be done so that I might bring new life into my axim. Which I have been angry at for a while.

[themaxx]

I really hate beint the voice of reason, but...

that screen is 150, probably 175-200 with shipping. the ratoc card is another 150. the vatteries are gonna be $50 each, that's 100. a HD will run another 100 (counting all the hardware) the cables will cost around 50, then tnere's the time to put it all together. lets err conservativly and say your time is $5 an hour and the time will only be 10 hours, that's 50 again, so...

100 batteries
100 HD
200 screen
200 ratoc
050 cables
050 time
----
500 (and to run everything I'd advise the 128mb upgrade on ram for another 150, but, that's not vital)

$500 dollars to build. Do you know what a new laptop costs? I'll give you a hint, look at the math above... and it would have a LOT better specs...

I *love* the idea, but the cost *has* to come down...

this is why ive been looking at alternate screens, but i keep coming up against a problem with sync, if the axim could put out a 15hz sync it'd be ok. But it seems 60 is all its capable of

so if anyone comes up with a 60 to 15 scan converter let me know.

[bigbop]

this is why ive been looking at alternate screens, but i keep coming up against a problem with sync, if the axim could put out a 15hz sync it'd be ok. But it seems 60 is all its capable of

so if anyone comes up with a 60 to 15 scan converter let me know.

I missed something here - why do you need a 15Hz vert sync?

[Schlachter]

Well, first off
150 = ratoc
200 = screen
000 = HD (already have one just lying around)
000 = Cables (again, these are just lying around my house)
000 = Batteries (once more, have a couple that I can use from laptops bought at yardsales)
010 = Plastic to mold
070 = time

So yeah, about 430 for something that fits all of my purposes, without resorting to owning a laptop (I hate having multiple devices when one can do it just as well) plus it'll also have a mount in my car, replacing my stereo.
Granted, I could buy a decient laptop for that price, but I also just think this is cooler.
Now, I'm relunctant to start the project because I really really want native usb, so I can save even more money since I wouldn't need that ratoc card.
If, for some reason, I decide not to fully complete this project, I'll still have a bigger mount for it, with a usb hub, vga out (basically everything the aximzer has, but I'd also put a battery in it as well, to charge on the go)
The touchscreen is really the only thing that might go, depends on my budget...

[themaxx]

I missed something here - why do you need a 15Hz vert sync?

cheaper alternate screens ive been looking at have had rgb inputs, but needed 15 hz sync

[afarre]

cheaper alternate screens ive been looking at have had rgb inputs, but needed 15 hz sync

Could you post a link?