Inexpensive USB (or RS-232) "terminal"

Hi Tim,

On 11/17/2011 12:39 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
> I'm thinking of doing some hobby electronics design, to augment my
> already busy professional schedule (I like punishment).
>
> The gizmo I'm thinking of building would be used out in the field, by
> folks who wouldn't always have laptops or wouldn't want to spring for
> them.

Used laptop: $30
Serial/USB cable: $5

What *I* want is a *monitor* plus keyboard that I can carry
around (since I more often have to deal with "video" than serial
ports (USB or otherwise)

> My preference would be to build the gizmo with a USB interface, set up as
> a modem so that I could just talk to it with a terminal program. But I
> can see some potential users wanting to do this with a separate terminal.
>
> So -- is there anything already made that consists of nothing more than a
> USB host with a terminal, and is reasonably cheap? Preferably it would
> be something that's already sold, that I could just point people to, and
> preferably it'd retail for less than $100. Or should I be thinking of
> either not serving that population (since I mostly want to make these for
> me), or making the thing spit out old-style asynchronous serial?
>
> Suggestions welcome.
>

On Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:19:27 +0100, Olaf Kaluza <>
wrote:

>My new cellphone has HDMI! I dont understand the reason, it sounds
>very childish to connect a TV to a cellphone.

That is a wonderful thing. Which phone do you have ?

While I have used a laptop for several years, I have a docking
stations (23-24" monitor, full size keyboard and a real mouse) at the
main usage places. I only use the lap top own display, keyboard and
touch pad in emergency situations while traveling.

I have no interest in current smart phones, unless there are options
for any decent human interfaces at the main operation places.

wrote:

>That is a wonderful thing. Which phone do you have ?

It is a Nokia E7. It is the best phone now for many reasons:

1. It is the last cellphone Nokia build with all bells and
whistles to suck the money from customers wallet.

2. Nokia is not cool anymore, so it was very cheap.

3. Symbian is not cool anymore. So I have not to worry
about virus, apple, google or other kind of gangster
who are interested in my data.

4. It has a good keyboard for writing email.

5. It can share the internet connection with my laptop.

6. It needs only 4h to delete and destroy every program
that Nokia installs to steal data and other information from
there customer.

There was only a little problem. It was not possible to switch it on
first time without typing your private data. But when I wrote something
like "**** yourself" it said **** yourself is not an acceptable
adress. But ****_ was okay...

>I have no interest in current smart phones, unless there are options
>for any decent human interfaces at the main operation places.

Hm..I think in these days it becomes harder and harder to buy a phone
that is good for talking. :-o

Olaf

In article <a1ckp8->,
says...
>
> wrote:
>
> >That is a wonderful thing. Which phone do you have ?
>
> It is a Nokia E7. It is the best phone now for many reasons:
>
.....
> >I have no interest in current smart phones, unless there are options
> >for any decent human interfaces at the main operation places.
>
> Hm..I think in these days it becomes harder and harder to buy a phone
> that is good for talking. :-o

Managed that only a few weeks ago at a phone shop where they actually
had a section for simple voice and text phones and limited contact
lists. I got one on PAYG as I only spend about 15 pounds a year on
calls/text, new phone was 35 pound of which 10 pounds was the first
balance topup so phone was only 25 pounds.

There was about a dozen models to choose from in a small railway
station phone shop.

Advantage for me is when travelling I do not need anything fancy
if I lose/break it not a big loss. Few people want to steal that
sort of phone.

Model was Nokia E1300

--
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Olaf Kaluza wrote:
>My new cellphone has HDMI! ...
>But I learned that HDMI has I2C. So perhaps we have to think in this
>direction. :-)

The I2C bus is used for DDC/EDID information. It may be very
difficult, if not impossible, to tap into that.
Your HDMI port may also support the CEC (Consumer Electronics Control)
bus. This may be more friendly to hacking, but you'll need to conform
to its 1-wire bidirectional protocol.
--
Roberto Waltman

[ Please reply to the group,
return address is invalid ]

Roberto Waltman <> wrote:

>The I2C bus is used for DDC/EDID information. It may be very
>difficult, if not impossible, to tap into that.

http://www.paintyourdragon.com/?p=43

Someone did it...

Olaf

Olaf Kaluza wrote:
> ...I learned that HDMI has I2C. So perhaps we have to think in this
> direction. :-)

The I2C link is used for DDC/EDID information. It may be very difficult, i
not impossible, to tap into that.
Your HDMI port may also support the CEC bus.(Consumer Electronic Control.)
Using CEC commands may be easier, if you can use the same 1-wir
bi-directional protocol.

--
Roberto Waltman





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