From: newton_at_allaboutjake.com
Date: Fri Oct 07 2005 - 06:18:54 PDT
> If you hit him with developing questions, I'd be surprised if you had to
> wait very long. Unless he'd on vacation.
I actually have been in contact with Eckhart. The next version of the
hardware will have a Class 2 module that is Blunt compatible. (Hopefully).
It will be "always on" when the newton is on, in preparation for Blunt2.
Also, I've simplified the design to the point where its embarrassingly
simple now... just the module, an antenna, and the connector to the
Newton. This is basically what Eckhart was doing all along.
However, in this design, you can theoretically drive the Serial 3 port
from both the external interconnect port, and the Bluetooth module.
"Don't do it" is my solution. It really simplifies the circuit if I don't
have to have hardware on there to disable the internal module. I don't
know any external devices that use Serial 3 anyway.
Don't worry, this is the way SER-001 works now-- technically you can drive
Serial0 simulatanously from both the interconnect and the DIN connector.
Bad, yes, but it hasn't been a problem so far for SER-001 users.
> Range and speed testing would be nice -- e.g. transfer some ebooks that
> together make up two or three MB and see how long it takes over which
> distance (a) unmoved and line-of sight as well as (b) moving the Newton.
Yeah, maybe after the next version is completed, with the Class 2 module.
I'll be interested to know if my antenna design works (well, adequate, or
at all)
> Could you take some snaps of the assempled thing? How much does the
> antenna
> stick out of the case? How'd you deal with the shielding inside the Newt
> (Eckhart wrote something about this in his "old" blog, see archived
> posts at
> his blog).
The snaps are on the bt-100 page. When installed, nothing sticks out from
the Newton. It is 100% internal.
> Could you hook a meter to it to measure idle and operating consumption?
Possibly, but it would be hard on the current design. Maybe for the next
version I'll add a solder-jumper that can be removed so that a meter can
be placed in-line to measure current consumption.
> I think he soldered his chip in there. Your board is all Plug-'n'-Play,
> right?
My v2 design is pretty much Eckhart's idea, but packaged nicely on a
board, plug and play. The bluetooth module is a little bigger than my v1,
and has a metal shield. I might have to shrink wrap the whole thing to
prevent the metal shield from accidentally shorting components on the
mainboard. It will fit, I think, but it will be close, and I wouldn't
want any pressure on the back of the case to cause the shield to flex into
a component on the mainboard.
>>> -- Does it have a green blinky light? ;=}
v2 also will have no external components, LEDs, etc. Actually, with the
new Ericsson module, there aren't any "LED indicator pins" to use. (The v1
module actually had signals to hook up LEDs like you suggest).
>> I don't have an eMate, and I don't know if the eMate has an
>> internal modem slot like the MP2x00
Still can't say, don't have an eMate.
My PCB house is currently not taking new PCB orders. Hopefully they'll be
back online in a week or two. At which point, I'll have a few v2 boards
made for prototyping and development purposes. I'll know more then.
Jake
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