The P2 companion - product 5 requiring minimal development


Binky

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The idea
A P2 case, screen, keyboard, battery, speakers
A PCB more akin to the iCP2: able the charge its own battery, or other devices through USB host, and operate as a BT HID (including touchscreen input). It would act as an external display over HDMI.
Would appeal to productivity people and gaming guys
 


keyboard ---\
nubs -------------------------> microcontroller ------> bluetooth -----------\
touchscreen----/ \---------- Pandora2 or
______________ smartphone
Display <---------- display controller <-------------- HDMI <------------/
 
What you could do with it?
Play multiplayer games with your friends - Just plug in an HDMI cable
Use a dual-screen Pandora (or smartphone) while commuting
Use as an extended keyboard - Perhaps for use as the ultimate scientific calculator?
A graphics tablet/touchpad - even without being plugged in, you could still use it as a touchpad (perhaps in relative vs absolute mode?)
a universal remote/game controller
Charge other devices (including your P2) off a beefy 5Ah (or so) battery
Use as a nicer way of interfacing with your smartphone ((keyboard+handy screen)
Use as extra/better speakers for things
A companion screen for your desktop computer or laptop
An external battery charger
 
Why it wouldn't be incredibly expensive to design:
no sd card slots (please don't start that argument again)
no cutting-edge complicated SOC
Case already designed
much of hardware and software already in place for the iCP2
Would increase order quantity for cases, screen, battery etc
 


Connection: What it does
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HDMI in video from P2 or smartphone to screen
USB host (no data) charge other devices (incl. P2)
USB slave output events from nubs, buttons, keyboard, touchscreen
BT wireless alternative to the above
headset jack relays audio over BT, or from HDMI cable
speakers, microphone (as above)
volume wheel controls sound output
additional speaker(s) same as primary speakers - use slot occupied by SD cards in P2 to avoid case changes
battery provides power when device being used wirelessly (without video input) - charges other devices
 


Things this would be able to replace:

  • external P2  battery charger
  • backup battery for phones
  • travel speakers
  • touchpad/graphics tablet
  • game controller
  • wireless keyboard
  • universal remote
  • second (external screen)
  • the need for a second P2 for multiplayer stuff


Parts that would be shared with the P2:

  • case
  • screen
  • primary speakers
  • USB socket
  • battery
  • lcd cable
  • nubs
  • keymat
  • dpad/face buttons
  • headset jack/volume wheel
 
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klapse

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+1 for a creative, novel idea! I don't know how expensive or doable it would be, but It seems like a completely new product idea.


I wonder what sort of chip would be needed to mate the HDMI input to the LCD screen?
 

EssoAir

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This is a good idea, but it takes the "Pandora" out of it. It seems so vastly different from the P1 that it becones out of the scope of the Open Pandora concept. (thats just my opinion) Honestly, I think this would be a whole new device. If you make it, I'd buy one to support you.


Kickstarter incomming?
 

Binky

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Quote from wikipedia:

The CEC allows HDMI devices to control each other when necessary and allows the user to operate multiple devices with one remote control handset
Which means that you might be able to use keyboard, game control functions without even bothering with bluetooth. - also note that HDMI includes sound, so you wouldn't need more than one cable

As for what kind of chip is needed, it appears to be one/two pins per colour channel, and I recall that modern displays have far fewer input pins than the one in the P1 - this might mean that conversion is trivial...

Having said this, I don't know much about hardware video handling, so am probably completely wrong :rolleyes:

----

@seeejaaaay

I am suggesting that this would run alongside the P2

It would cost relatively little to develop because a huge number of parts would be shared

Its halfway between a pandora and an iCP - and would draw from experience and designs gained from each
 
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TeDaDeS

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First: I think I am not fully understanding the concept, so the following might not be applicable to your idea. Maybe you could explain some more ;-)

A normal smart phone without TV-out will have a problem, the usb port will probably not be fast enough to handle the tv-out signal (ignoring the fact that someone has to make a program to make the phone understand it has to send his video signal to the usb port, if thats even possible hardware-wise).

A P2 could be designed this way, but the device should than be lacking a keyboard for it to make sence and you will have a phone/tablet-like device left.

Without the hdmi out you will be stuck with a regular iCP2 device.
 

FaeMinx

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What Binky is describing is the ICP3.


The picture that formed in my mind is the ultimate controller/peripheral.


To make it the ultimate peripheral, it should have some really beafy stereo speakers included (more powerful than those in the P2 or other handheld devices)... essentially negating the need to lug around portable speakers as well.


It should, of course, also include a headphone jack.


I imagine a significant portion of P2 owners would buy one - imagine the multiplayer possibilities. :) ... It would almost feel like owning 2 P2s. :)
 

Binky

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@ tedades

If you have no way of outputting digital video (and converting it to a HDMI/DVI signal), this would act as a iCP2 + touchpad

I don't really understand what you mean about the keyboard - but I've added some stuff to the first post if it helps.

As FaeMinx said, the idea is to make the ultimate, universal peripheral, while massively reducing development costs by sharing parts with the P2
 

EssoAir

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First: I think I am not fully understanding the concept, so the following might not be applicable to your idea. Maybe you could explain some more ;-)

A normal smart phone without TV-out will have a problem, the usb port will probably not be fast enough to handle the tv-out signal (ignoring the fact that someone has to make a program to make the phone understand it has to send his video signal to the usb port, if thats even possible hardware-wise).

A P2 could be designed this way, but the device should than be lacking a keyboard for it to make sence and you will have a phone/tablet-like device left.

Without the hdmi out you will be stuck with a regular iCP2 device.
Well all Samsung Phones use MHL so thats not a problem for those. Maybe the P2 could integrate MHL?
 

Binky

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^ seems like a good idea - As far as I can tell, this is primarily a software problem.

If you can get off-the-shelf MHL-HDMI adaptors, there would be no reason to add complexity to the superPeripheral
 

TeDaDeS

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I think i understand now, and I do think it would be nice. But wouldn't it be still be expensive?


The screen itself is as expensive as the iCP2 i think?


The battery idea is nice, speakets also. Maybe if the screen is optional it would be cheaper?
 

klapse

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I think i understand now, and I do think it would be nice. But wouldn't it be still be expensive?


The screen itself is as expensive as the iCP2 i think?


The battery idea is nice, speakets also. Maybe if the screen is optional it would be cheaper?
But the screen is an integral part of the product! It is what allows you to use the device in two player mode with a pandora/laptop. Without it, it would be just another bluetooth game controller.


Imagine two people sitting across from each other on a table or on a train: each person has their own controller plus display, which is showing each of them the identical screen while playing a game.


It is a completely new product idea, as far as I can tell.
 

TeDaDeS

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What would they do when there is no second person with a P2 or laptop?


Could you compare it with a WiiU pad, but in pandora Style?


I worry that it would not be that much cheaper than the actual pandora, thus to expensive for most people. People would eventually buy the pandora instead as it could also do stand-alone games.
 
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klapse

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What would they do when there is no second person with a P2 or laptop?
Nothing - the only use is in conjunction with a master device which is running the actual game.


The other two player option would be using a BT game controller and both players looking at the same screen. That would be much cheaper but also much less enjoyable.


The price would probably be pretty high - about the only thing I see making it cheaper than a P2 would be a simpler PCB, and that savings would be maybe 50-100€ per unit (my guess).


Assuming a Pandora2 is produced someday, this idea could be put on Kickstarter with exact cost estimates based on P2 components and produced if enough people fund it. I kind of doubt it, but who knows...
 

Binky

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The screen could only be driven from an external device, but you don't need two people - You could use it to double the screen area of your P2, smartphone or to monitor social networks & other distractions while working on your laptop.

This could, of course be combined with the endless stream of HDMI linux/android sticks or a RPi. Swapping from the superperipheral to a full workstation would be highly efficient.
 

TeDaDeS

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the only way I see this work if the P2 is designed this way from the start. In this case I would say the motherboard should be detachable and replaceable by a battery. That way you could replace the logic of the P2 with no logic and use it as external device.

And it would not cost extra, as all parts are build via the same proces.

If it would require a new board or actual design work the device would probably be to expensive to make I think.

But that kind of goes against your point, which in fact would be a great feature for the P2 itself. And is maybe already possible with the current pandora...

btw. this would also allow you easy upgrading, or swapping a ARM board with a x86 board (if available).

but this might already be the concept Graig was talking about...
 
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