I've got a question I have not been able to find a definitive answer to.
Everyday other day on a blog I read I am seeing someone has created a robot controlled via an application running on a iPhone/Android, using either Bluetooth or Wifi.
But my question is, can an android device function as a wired remote via the usb port?
Is there any IO class for the USB port that can be used to turn on various things and read back various sensor information given the propper platform?
Am I seeking USB Host mode or is that something else?
My goal is to have an android device running an application monitoring various sensors and controlling various other hardware devices with a nice touch screen interface if possible. Since the phone would be located with the control hardware using Bluetooth for this seems silly if I am able to use USB and a cable from the Android Device to the Control Hardware, essentially making the android device the brains.
thanks in advance guys!
Nobody has any feedback on this?
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Hi!
I want to use my G1 to do some special measurements. For this purpose I've created a microcontroller board (Atmel ATmega8) that does that. Now I want to transfer the data the board collected to the Android phone.
Because of the high powerconsumption the G1 has while Bluetooth is on this isn't a real alternative for me - the measurements will last about 2 - 3 hours.
I'm not experienced concerning hardware access within Linux and Android but thought there might be a possibility to gain a kind of low level access to the USB port. I do neither need high bandwith nor real USB functionality - so might it be possible to create an own kind of bus using that interface? Do you have any other idea?
Thank you in advance!
If you use micro linux system, the ones that are like a usb port, a network jack and a vga connecter, you could script some adb commands and have it run every few seconds to upload the data, not an ideal solution. As far as I know the g1 doesn't support host mode. But if you have a micro linux computer in the middle, it could work.
Something like this
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2008/08/27/a-real-space-oddity-arrives-at-pc-pro/
I'm sure there are other ways to do it, maybe check there how to make a serial port thread a few pages back in the dev section.
Just wondering if it is possible to send raw information(1 0/on off, whatever) to say the audio port or the USB port. I would assume USB would be easier to code for, but the audio port would be preferred if possible. The obvious application of this would be for custom external peripherals which would be fun to mess with. If anyones got any info or a link to some docs that would help immensely.
Thanks.
Using Audio to communicate is entirely possible. It has been done for decades over telephone lines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modulation
USB on the other hand is a bit problematic, there's no host support on most android devices (there exist hacks for some) so there's no real way of connecting a USB peripheral to the phone.
Your best shot would be bluetooth I believe. I'm not entirely sure but you should be able to set up a serial connection over bluetooth.
Fulkerson said:
Using Audio to communicate is entirely possible. It has been done for decades over telephone lines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modulation
USB on the other hand is a bit problematic, there's no host support on most android devices (there exist hacks for some) so there's no real way of connecting a USB peripheral to the phone.
Your best shot would be bluetooth I believe. I'm not entirely sure but you should be able to set up a serial connection over bluetooth.
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If Audio is possible then I think that would be the best bet. I just found this bag of IR LEDs laying around from when i was messing with wiimote hacks, so i thought hacking up a little light coming from some port on the device, i could make a remote app for it.
Found some good information for anyone else wanting to make use of the audio port.
http://perceptumvolo.blogspot.com/2010/01/demodulator-updated.html
Using audio is definitely very cool, but for real world use it is too intrusive. You can't listen to music at the same time and all notifications will screw things up. Bluetooth just works and was invented for this purpose.
Hi there
I'm embarking on an ambitious project and i was wondering if anyone could help me by giving suggestions.
I am making my own home automation system, and I already have the necessary hardware to get it up and running, but I want to take it a step farther.
I have this (Use google translate lol) http://cba.sakura.ne.jp/kit01/kit_399.htm kit, which is basically a set of 8 relay switches that can be used to turn on and off mains devices (such as lights, powerpoints, ect) that are controlled by a computer through a DB25 printer port. I also have an old Dell D600 laptop that has said printer port, and the software needed to drive the circuit board. This is all well and good, as everything is working so far, but before I bother to install this thing in my roof and hook it up to control my lights, power points, ect, I was wondering if there is a way to use my android phone (HTC Legend, unrooted ) or tablet (Motorola xoom wifi rooted with Tiamat, o/c to 1.7ghz) to control this board through a computer.
I already have a client that remote controls the computer (splashtop remote), and I can achieve this with some difficulty by remote controlling the computer and using the PC software through my phone/tablet, but I was wondering if there is an android home automation program and its PC client service that supports DB25 printer port pinout settings, so I could directly control the circuit board through the app, like the leading home automation apps already available (minus the extremely expensive proprietary hardware that you need with them). If not, has anyone else considered developing one? If anyone could give me any help on this it would be greatly appreciated.
I've become curious whether any mobile devices with USB ports could be used, with appropriate software, as auxiliary USB keypads or keyboards to another host device? Given the ubiquity of small LCD touchscreen tablet devices now, it seems like an obvious application to develop software that would display programmable keys on a touchscreen and then output appropriate key scancodes or sequences via a USB port to another connected system, in essence making the tablet appear as a USB HID to the host. The software aspect would be somewhat trivial; I've seen software for Windows Mobile touchscreen devices with IR transceivers that allows them to be used as universal remote controls. This would in effect be a USB variant of that type of software.
Is that technically feasible, or is there a limitation to the USB spec or hardware that might prevent it? Is there a host-client aspect to USB that exists outside of software alone?
It seems I need to post this in another area to reach the right audience for my question, but which one?
There's plenty of apps that enable this via wifi or bluetooth, but I haven't seen any that would do it over USB. I don't see why it shouldn't be possible, but it seems no one has coded it yet.
The reason it came to mind is that there are companies selling some surprisingly expensive auxiliary programmable USB keypad devices. With the addition of the necessary software, tablets and similar devices with touchscreens might be poised to erase their cozy little overpriced vertical market. That is, if there's no limitations to USB hardware or drivers that would prevent it.
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
I just bought a TF700. I've never written a single line of code for an Android device. I've done some Linux development.
I want to build an app to control a Zoom HDZ300 AM/FM radio. It can be controlled remotely by simple messages sent to its serial port, but apparently the sending device does need to handle flow control.
The sound output is regular analog stereo. That will go into an amplifier, not my Android.
Does the Android operating system (Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean) allow programmers direct access to the USB or Bluetooth stacks so that one can enumerate devices and send/receive raw data to/from them ?
I am hoping to use the ASUS stand alone USB adapter, a USB hub and a USB serial port adapter to interface to the radio. I'd put a link here to the device, but I'm a newb and newbs are prevented from linking in their first 10 posts.
Does anyone see a problem with doing this ?
How would a Bluetooth Serial adapter work instead ? From the OS point of view, which would be easier/better to use ?
Thanks
I'd also like to connect and use an external USB sound "card". What are the issues with doing that ?
Thanks