Hello folks! I wanted to explain the solution I came up with to the problem of the very lengthy startups on my android car radio.
Your typical car radio is wired like you see below:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X6EY6VJIXNRk8tR3VobmxOdUk/view?usp=sharing
With a OEM radio, your startup is just a few seconds for a modern Linux- or android-based car radio. Even some aftermarket radios like the mainline AVH Pioneer series are up and running in seconds.
Not so much with our favorite android aftermarket car radios. Boot up times are something on the order of 20 to 30 seconds. This isn’t too bad in and of itself, but if you’re the sort of individual that likes to “get up and go” this starts getting very annoying after a while. If you’re refueling your car then start up the motor when finished, that cuts the power to the radio and you witness another 30 seconds before everything is up and running, and that’s before the stereo does its media scan and the audio apps get loaded into the RAM. So you’re almost a minute on your drive before the tunes start.
A straightforward solution is what you see below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X6EY6VJIXNcVFYZG1mamhVN00/view?usp=sharing
I’ve wired the ignition trigger line directly onto the positive. This keeps the radio on at all times. This eliminates the annoying boot up delay, however we run the risk of draining the car battery this way. I have seen discussions on this forum where standby power consumption for aftermarket android head units runs somewhere on the order of 25 mA, all the way up to 300 mA or more. I have not tested this out although it would make for an interesting study. The point is this is a potential problem if you plan to leave your vehicle parked somewhere for an extended period of time. You don’t want your car in the long term parking lot at the airport to have a dead battery when you arrive back late at night from your trip, because the android radio was running off your car battery for the days or weeks you were gone.
If you wish to eliminate the lengthy android boot up time and also save your car battery, allow me to propose the following solution:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X6EY6VJIXNV2pUUmNiN3RLMDg/view?usp=sharing
In this example, I have purchased a battery isolator and a very small auxiliary battery just the power the car radio. This involves the addition of some extra electronics in your trunk, and some extra 4-conductor wiring from this new battery and battery isolator up to the car radio. If you know what you are doing you can do this all in one afternoon, which was my experience.
You’ll need a few things in order to get this project rolling:
A 12V 18-amp-hour battery that is typically used in an uninterruptible power supply. $35:
https://www.amazon.com/ExpertPower-EXP12180-Rechargeable-Battery-Bolts/dp/B00A82A3RK/
Battery isolator:
https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-IGD140HP-140-Battery-Isolator/dp/B001DKRF2M/
or http://www.westmountainradio.com/product_info.php?products_id=iso_pwr
(There’s plenty of different choices here. Look around and see what you like. I chose the IsoPwr unit because it is solid-state diode-based and has no mechanical relay inside it.)
Four-conductor wire:
https://www.amazon.com/16AWG-4-Conductor-Speaker-White-Mediabridge/dp/B0193RRUBM/
Butt splices, and splicing tool.
Fish tape, for running the wire underneath the carpet in the car.
Toolset for removing the seats, center console, removing the radio, etc.
A stiff drink for when the trolls show up. (Just kidding! )
I also purchased a pair of trailer wire extension cables, which are four conductor wires with plugs.
https://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-48145-Wire-Extension-Length/dp/B0002RNSNM/
This works well for keeping the wiring in place in case I need to remove the battery or the radio.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X6EY6VJIXNbGswdW04V010akU/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X6EY6VJIXNTDhfY3hLT2Rlc3M/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X6EY6VJIXNVUc5TXJSMzN2STQ/view?usp=sharing
As you can see in the pictures, I fabricated a wooden stand to retain everything, and I had a plastic battery box laying around from an earlier car stereo installation.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X6EY6VJIXNNElSUDUtOGhDNXc/view?usp=sharing
The procedure is simple, you place the battery and isolator in the trunk and run the wire up to the car radio. You cut the power leads on your aftermarket car wire radio harness, and splicing your four conductor wire. This wire runs all the way and hooks up to your isolator in the trunk, which in turn is connected to the auxiliary battery.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X6EY6VJIXNVE9peGZGZF91MXM/view?usp=sharing
Also, an important point: LABEL YOUR WIRES!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X6EY6VJIXNaVhPVWg4OHlGMGs/view?usp=sharing
You really don't want to mis-wire anything and screw up your car.
An optional switch on the positive line running to the radio prevents discharge of the auxiliary battery, in case you’re parked for an exceptionally long amount of time.
If it seems like a lot of running around to get around a technical limitation on the part of the radio manufacturers, it really is. This was an experimental project on my part to expand my technical prowess in to give me the android car audio experience I desired minus the tire some waiting for the radio to boot up every time I got in the vehicle.
I’ve been running this for a few days now and the result is excellent. I can restart the car after filling up at the gas station, and now there is little delay other than the OS scanning the USB and MicroSD drives. And the radio works almost from the start first thing in the morning, before I even pull out of the driveway.
If you know what you are doing it can’t be beat.
Any questions?
Nice, I thought about this a while back. Quick question, when you turn your vehicle off, the radio stays on? You have to manually turn it off right?
ffwd4490 said:
Nice, I thought about this a while back. Quick question, when you turn your vehicle off, the radio stays on? You have to manually turn it off right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is correct. You turn your radio off manually, with or without the key in the ignition.
The standby current is the question. Some folks that do CanBus monitoring through their radio report large current draw when the radio is in standby mode, but those that don't do canbus seem to see standby current on the order of 80 mA down to about 25mA. It's an ongoing debate.
The separate battery eliminates the worry of draining your main car battery dry.
Make sense?
Yes totally, I've wanted to do this, just not sure if I want always on and manual turn on/off, or the wait... So as usual I do nothing lol. Great write up though! Cheers!!
That seems like a lot of parts and expense for very little gain.
Wouldn't it be easier to just put a switch or a timer on the ign line into the radio?
EDIT:
Like this;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Circuit...-delay-relay-Turn-on-off-switch-/131776109221
So for $3, it will hold the IGN line powered when IGN source is terminated, adjustable for anything between 0.1 seconds and 1 hour. Now when you go and fill up your gas tank, the radio stays on, but if you leave the car parked overnight, it will still do a full bootup the next morning.
EDIT2: This $5 unit is better;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-LED...itch-Relay-ON-OFF-Module-12-24V-/262503313875
1) it will accept a higher voltage range, safe for car 14.5 volt.
2) it accepts a separate power and trigger input, meaning that it is a DIGITAL timer rather than analog timer that is potentially sensitive to temperature.
I didn't think of this for the short term pit stop boot up delay. We already have that solved with the software mod that allows you to keep the Hu powered for 2 hours. For me this would be for the overnight/work shut down.
The problem with the software mod is that only works after the radio has booted.
In my push to start car, I insert the card and the radio starts to boot but when I press the button the power is cut to the radio and it reboots again since the mod wasn't loaded yet.
So one of these mods could solve my problem.
Great,
I have been looking for a long time after this solution.
I want to install this but thinking about the next problem. My power-off function does not work. When pushing the power button, i have a black screen, the leds off the buttons are still active and after pressing the power button the system reboots. Not a perfect sleep or standby modus. If i don't fix this first the extra battery won't be a solution.
I can fix this by adjusting the software?
RK3066 800 x 400 with MALAYSK ROM (12 June)
I think it's absolutely absurd that these head units simply do not have a built in standby power supply keeping them in a sleep state rather than shutting down entirely.
Nine years ago with my atom-based desktop PC installed in the dash, using a dc-dc switching power supply, that desktop computer based infotainment system was able to sleep for weeks on battery power, always instantly resumed to the centrafuse software interface.
doitright said:
That seems like a lot of parts and expense for very little gain.
Wouldn't it be easier to just put a switch or a timer on the ign line into the radio?
EDIT:
Like this;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Circuit...-delay-relay-Turn-on-off-switch-/131776109221
So for $3, it will hold the IGN line powered when IGN source is terminated, adjustable for anything between 0.1 seconds and 1 hour. Now when you go and fill up your gas tank, the radio stays on, but if you leave the car parked overnight, it will still do a full bootup the next morning.
EDIT2: This $5 unit is better;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-LED...itch-Relay-ON-OFF-Module-12-24V-/262503313875
1) it will accept a higher voltage range, safe for car 14.5 volt.
2) it accepts a separate power and trigger input, meaning that it is a DIGITAL timer rather than analog timer that is potentially sensitive to temperature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If i were to do something like the second unit that you posted, how long would you think would be the most amount of time to allow the radio to stay on safely (with the screen off) before it negatively affects the car's battery (either the battery dying, or doing longterm damage to the battery). Thanks!
In fact probably radio should go down after 3 days in stand by. Then battery will still more than fine and 3 days is a long time to no impact slow starting.
I think it's absolutely absurd that these head units simply do not have a built in standby power supply keeping them in a sleep state rather than shutting down entirely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen to that, Brother. I’ve seen extremely fast startups with the AVH series from Pioneer, on the order of 2-3 seconds, but those lack the versatility of these android units and the more recent ones tend to be comparatively expensive.
The “big-label” android units like the NEX series are reportedly buggy, expensive and not terribly friendly towards you running anything else other than a handful of their approved apps. They are not truly universal in their approach, so we are stuck working around the limitations of the current crop of android stereos until better, faster technology shows up on the doorstep soon.
Hopefully "soon" really does mean soon.
Below I'll list a few questions and answers about this modification project, as asked by another member:
=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*-=-*--=
What Rom do you have installed? And what kind of radio do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The radio I have is a Pumpkin Auto KD-C0248. It uses the RK3188 quad core CPU, and it has 800 x 480 resolution on a 7” touchscreen, and it is ultimately manufactured by “Klyde”. You might find here: https://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Universal-Navigation-Steering-Mirror-link/dp/B015PZVRXS/
It works okay, I don’t have a lot of complaints about it, except that I would’ve preferred a volume knob rather than the push buttons for volume adjustment. Strangely enough the volume buttons are on the right hand side of the unit, even though I own a left-hand drive vehicle. This means I have to reach across the screen to push buttons for volume up or volume down. Since I have this wired into the volume controls on the steering wheel this isn’t too big of a deal, but if I did not have the steering wheel controls it would become a real pain.
This model comes with a DVD player, and in retrospect, now having the option of loading music from the microSD card or a USB drive, I realize I no longer need the DVD. It’s somewhat superfluous at this juncture in the technology’s development.
Knowing what I now know, I would instead recommend something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Universal-Muti-touch-Navigation-Bluetooth/dp/B0151KNXJ8/ or maybe this: http://xtrons.com/td695ab-6-95-inch...ayer-with-screen-mirroring-function-obd2.html
In other words avoid radios that don’t have a volume knob. It lacks ergonomics to be driving down the road and having to look over to adjust the volume, and in my opinion it is also somewhat dangerous.
I use the Malysk ROM, the latest version, and I must say it is a night and day difference between the stock ROM and this. It’s a hair slower in the loading (if coming up from a cold boot) but the added bells and whistles more than make it worth it.
This ROM comes with built-in ad blocking as a system setting, five different home screen launchers I can choose from, and a handful of aftermarket music players built-in by default, including JetAudio and PowerAmp (demo).
Note that I am using the android 4.4.4 ROM here. I could download the 5.1.1 android lollipop ROM for this radio, but android 5 is slower than android 4. There is more lines of code involved. See here for further information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUZjOGIV7zg
Additionally, this RK3188 processor is about one third slower than a galaxy S4 CPU (snapdragon 600 CPU). For what we are doing with a radio, android 4 is just fine. If this were smart phone, I’d want the latest operating system instead.
Please see attached pictures: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=68082412#post68082412
Can you switch your radio in standby or off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not yet installed a hard switch, so this is on at all times. When I push the power button on the radio, it goes into a standby mode, fed by the auxiliary battery when the car is off. Boot up is just a few seconds. Because my battery isolator unit works a little bit too well, and because I purchased a small, cheap readily available UPS battery, I have to recharge the secondary battery every few days. I already own a battery charger, but the small size of the battery means it requires somewhat frequent maintenance, and this is a hassle. If I had a larger battery, or a regular car battery in the auxiliary battery box, this would be happening nearly as much.
I also think that my amplifier consume a lot of battery when connecting directly from the main battery. So i want to connect this after the ignition key.
I thought you've had installed a rechargeble battery? Does it recharge when driving the car?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have indeed install the rechargeable battery, is a typical led-acid battery, fully sealed, and these are what is frequently used in UPS’s. It does recharge it a little bit when driving, although not as much as I would like.
How many time do you have to recharge the extra battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figure I have to recharge the battery about once or twice a week, depending on how frequently I am driving, and how far. Again, I have a very small capacity battery in here 18 AHr only, this is about 1/6th the capacity of a regular car battery. So I have to recharge it more than I would like.
I had previously done what I will suggest you when I was running in amplifier in my car, namely I had purchased a much larger battery, what is referred to as a deep cycle marine battery. This means it is specifically used in small personal fishing boats the power an electric propeller motor that won’t disturb the fish.
Here is one example: https://www.amazon.com/100Ah-SOLAR-WIND-CYCLE-BATTERY/dp/B00S1RT58C/
This this battery is meant to go a long time between recharges, and to discharge quite a bit between charges. With something like this in the trunk of my old car, and running a 1200-watt amplifier and (2x) 15” subwoofers in a sealed box, I could go one to two weeks between recharges. I would simply park the car in the garage, hook the battery charger up to the auxiliary battery terminals, let it charge all night while I sleep, then put everything back as it should be and hit the road in the morning. I did this for a few years. It worked fine.
Again, it’s a lot of running around to work around what is, in my opinion, a latent fault with these car stereos, but if you’re serious about your music, and you like the insurance of having an extra battery for jump starts in your trunk, then this is the way to go.
Power Consumption Figures
Addendum 9/3/16:
I wanted to relate that the initial battery size was really not adequate for my needs in this affair. The 18 amp-hour battery would discharge in a matter of days, to the point where it was no longer doing its intended job. I would have to recharge the battery about two times per week. This is not acceptable.
So today I went out and purchased a marine deep-cycle battery with about 500 CCA. I’m not quite clear on the amp-hour rating. This was about $80, plus tax.
More importantly, I went on to eBay and for around $10 I purchased a very small, cheap power meter with a simple wiring set up. I wired this into the output circuit from the battery isolator to the radio, so I could see what the actual power draw is for this set up.
My results are as follows:
At start-up we see about 3 Watts being consumed, 0.25 amperes of current, plus or minus a little bit.
When the radio is fully booted up, the screen is on, and music is playing, we see about 10 W of power consumption.
When the radio is in a standby mode, after you’ve hit the power button and the screen is off and the radio is about as “turned off” as it’s going to get, we see around 1 W of power consumption.
Mind you, this is a RockChip 3188 CPU, and the power usage will be similar across all brands that use this CPU.
As I’ve emphasized earlier, the advantage of this set up with the (now larger) battery is you can run a large amplifier and subwoofers off of it, without potentially taxing your electrical system.
Otherwise if you’re going to run a powerful car radio, you have to buy a larger battery and a larger alternator to go with it. This may not be everybody’s cup of tea.
:good:
Hi - been away from the forums for a three months now - been v busy with work, but was following this thread and really like your attempt here.
It's got be thinking on a few things - especially your last post with actual measurement of power usage.
It's raised a couple of interesting points for me.
The first is effect on your standard car battery if left on all the time. My car battery is a 72Ah, 12V, so please correct me if I'm wrong - but does this make it 864Wh. Therefore, at 1W draw, the car battery would support it for 36 days? Now I imagine that a car battery would need to have a reasonable level of juice in it to start a car so it's not like you could leave it for (e.g.) 35 days and still expect it to start but if you were leaving the device on overnight/out of working hours (i.e. not weeks on end), on this basis it shouldn't really kill your battery.
Further thoughts I had was
1) could there be some kind of software mod to make the power off function on the radio even more power efficient and so it really be a minimal drain on apps. I think this is what QuickBoot does on Cyanogen, but possibly it could be done by throttling the CPU, airplane mode and greenifying the apps. If the power usage was halved etc, then it really could be inconsequential relative to the standard car battery.
2) Maybe a rechargeable 'powerbank' could be used instead of the battery you have. Along the lines of say this 12V 23000mAh one which I think could sustain the head unit for almost 300 hours if 0.08A are drawn or 12V 10000mAh one which I think could do 125 hours if 0.08A are drawn - if the discharge side of this could switch on when the car ignition is switched off, but it plugged into a ciggy lighter (which are only on when the car is on in my car), then it would charge when the car is on and discharge when the car is off. Not sure how feasible/tricky that is.. ,also found this which seems to be able to do the switching required...
Ok, so the newer head units (i.e. with Intel) are much more able to deal with the momentary "off" situation that is caused by starting the engine -- essentially, they have a WORKING shutdown delay, that is effective right from initial power blip.
They also start up a lot faster (around 10-15 seconds FULL BOOT).
I recall an interesting feature that was introduced by Parrot into Asteroid Smart; it had an advanced startup. In the case of the Parrot, it was based on a motion sensor in the unit -- when it sensed you opening the door, it would begin its power up.
Now while these chinese units don't have motion sensors, we could actually do something else that would give it an advanced startup -- hook the ignition switch line into the INSIDE LIGHTS of the car -- you open the door, the lights come on, the radio starts booting, you sit down, stick the key in, start the engine, and guess what? Its booted!
This modification will require a couple of DIODES. Run the inside lights circuit through a diode to the IGN input to the car radio. Run also the car IGN source through a diode to the IGN input of the car radio. Without the diodes, the ignition would turn on the lights, and the lights would power on all kinds of things you don't want powered on.
For an older unit, the same kind of thing would work, IF you combine it with the capacitor shutdown delay hack -- software hacks won't work since the unit won't be booted far enough for the software hack to actually run. And while it might not be enough time to fully boot an older unit, it will at least shave a bunch of time off of it.
Parrot Asteroid --> Android™ 2.3 platform :/
and you shouldn't power your HU from the lights circuit not mentioning that when they are off, the HU would be off too.....
It could be done by using a relay and lights circuit as a trigger, but not as a power source itself.
doitright said:
Ok, so the newer head units (i.e. with Intel) are much more able to deal with the momentary "off" situation that is caused by starting the engine -- essentially, they have a WORKING shutdown delay, that is effective right from initial power blip.
They also start up a lot faster (around 10-15 seconds FULL BOOT).
I recall an interesting feature that was introduced by Parrot into Asteroid Smart; it had an advanced startup. In the case of the Parrot, it was based on a motion sensor in the unit -- when it sensed you opening the door, it would begin its power up.
Now while these chinese units don't have motion sensors, we could actually do something else that would give it an advanced startup -- hook the ignition switch line into the INSIDE LIGHTS of the car -- you open the door, the lights come on, the radio starts booting, you sit down, stick the key in, start the engine, and guess what? Its booted!
This modification will require a couple of DIODES. Run the inside lights circuit through a diode to the IGN input to the car radio. Run also the car IGN source through a diode to the IGN input of the car radio. Without the diodes, the ignition would turn on the lights, and the lights would power on all kinds of things you don't want powered on.
For an older unit, the same kind of thing would work, IF you combine it with the capacitor shutdown delay hack -- software hacks won't work since the unit won't be booted far enough for the software hack to actually run. And while it might not be enough time to fully boot an older unit, it will at least shave a bunch of time off of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oscyp said:
Parrot Asteroid --> Android™ 2.3 platform :/
and you shouldn't power your HU from the lights circuit not mentioning that when they are off, the HU would be off too.....
It could be done by using a relay and lights circuit as a trigger, but not as a power source itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like this line of thinking... so could you set it so if the lights are on OR the ign line is on, then the run that output as the new IGN feed to the radio?
And I might be getting confused here, but I thought the HU takes it power directly from the Fuse board, but the ignition feed effectively triggers it on - or is it actually drawing quite a bit of current from the ignition feed?
Or, sticking with doitright suggestion, how about a motion sensor like http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/motion-detector-kit-n27fl located low so it picks up the driver footwell, somehow reset it though.
Or an electrical contact switch on the driver door that can sense it opening when the ignition is off?
Might be some kind of alternate switch idea which would work?
Mr Bigglesworth said:
Or, sticking with doitright suggestion, how about a motion sensor like http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/motion-detector-kit-n27fl located low so it picks up the driver footwell, somehow reset it though.
Or an electrical contact switch on the driver door that can sense it opening when the ignition is off?
Might be some kind of alternate switch idea which would work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any trigger + relay circuit would be good. No big deal.
Mr Bigglesworth said:
I like this line of thinking... so could you set it so if the lights are on OR the ign line is on, then the run that output as the new IGN feed to the radio?
And I might be getting confused here, but I thought the HU takes it power directly from the Fuse board, but the ignition feed effectively triggers it on - or is it actually drawing quite a bit of current from the ignition feed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is NOT drawing ANY (measurable) current from the IGN line. At most, it is just enough current to activate a BJT. If China decided to spend the extra 0.001 cents, then they used an FET, and the current is zero. All of its current is through the radio fuse, which remains powered up full time, as long as the car's battery is installed and has charge.
Yes, that is what I'm talking about. Just OR it with the inside lights and make sure there is no backflow.
---------- Post added at 02:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:51 PM ----------
Mr Bigglesworth said:
Or, sticking with doitright suggestion, how about a motion sensor like http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/motion-detector-kit-n27fl located low so it picks up the driver footwell, somehow reset it though.
Or an electrical contact switch on the driver door that can sense it opening when the ignition is off?
Might be some kind of alternate switch idea which would work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is what I'm talking about. What do you think causes the inside lights to turn on when you open the door?!!!!
Related
Seeing as being a module developer would involve developing both the hardware and the software, basically giving you almost total control over what you can make (within the constraints of the MDK itself), what kind of module would you build?
Open discussion for anyone really, dreamers and doers alike.
If I had the knowhow and the materials to do so, I think I'd build a solar-charging module to attach to the phone (possibly removing the charger/USB cable module?) so that the phone can be charged on the go.
I'd stick w/ usb charging/jtag module ... Phone's memory blocks would be laid open should one combine the two into a single module option. Solar cells good idea but they take a lot of surface area to generate a substantial/adequate amount of power to run device. I'm interested in seeing the mdk to know what kind of parameters we might be working with either way.
Sent from my HTCEVODesign4G using Tapatalk
When it comes to Solar cells, I honestly hope that this actually inspires the development of solar cells that are transparent - much like the capacitive layer on touchscreens today. That way, the solar cell could cover almost the entire front of the device - and that way not only act as a source of power, but also as a replacement for today's Ambient Light Sensors (what is the abbreviation for that? ALS doesn't come out right...) - since a solar cell could measure the entire amount of light shining on a device, and not just the amount of light on a small area on the fascia, it would be a lot more accurate. Plus, while you probably wouldn't be generating energy while using your phone in the sun (I'm thinking of the law of conservation of energy here), it would make battery life much better, not to mention much more steady, because the brighter your display would have to be, the more energy it would be getting - and that's assuming you're using it constantly, and, oh, I don't know, putting it down to enjoy what is probably beautiful weather at that point. Unless you put it in your pocket, the way I usually do...
My initial response could prove false in some short span of time. I read http://inhabitat.com/researchers-bu...00-times-more-powerful-than-conventional-pvs/ and albeit they have their challenges, making thinner, smaller cells that are more efficient seems plausible. I love research & tech
Rob
Sent from my HTCEVODesign4G using Tapatalk
Instead of a phone id be happier if this project spawned a new class of android devices (not tablets not phones) that with modules could be more standalone camera or camcorder like (maybe this is actually backwards thinking but illustrates we dont have to stick to our current notions), or have more sensors (really just throwing out star trek ticorder) to be used in scientific applications (eg geology, biology, etc, in mind more field work type situations). Maybe scanner, projector, 3d camera, better speakers, sylus/no stylus, stylus capable screen. Different cameras (infra red or whatever more in line with idea of device being a gadget)
I'm actually thinking that this is where this project will actually go. At the very least it'll be a device that you can transform from your "everyday"phone into a specialized powerhouse built for [insert your abstract scenario here] and back again. As I see it, they're bringing the flexibility of the Android OS to similarly flexible hardware. So I think you've got the idea that they're running with, that this will eventually become a "build your own ________ powered by Android" project, not simply a "upgrade your phone pieces" project.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda app-developers app
Yes upgrading phone pieces immediately sounded like a cool idea but probably not immediately pratical (maybe not yet). A device that can become a more specialized device through hardware offers a broader approach that can in the end include upgrade modules being practical. Laptop docks for android phones is similar but wasnt avaiable for all devices. If recall on the droid x2 the kernel and ram was not capable of supporting a moto dock option. Even if this were to expand to a specialized hardware module more like a peripheral, universal support would be difficult. I think all the OEMs would need to get on board. I dunno.
trainman261 said:
When it comes to Solar cells, I honestly hope that this actually inspires the development of solar cells that are transparent - much like the capacitive layer on touchscreens today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wouldn't be good. Solar cells don't CREATE electricity when they are hit by light. They TURN light into electrical power, and it couldn't be otherwise as energy cannot come out from nothing. Photons are absorbed by electrons, which detach from their atom and start moving, generating a current, and the ideal solar panel should have its electrons absorb all the light and let no light back: it should be completely BLACK. Transparent (or white) ones would generate no current.
Gspin96 said:
That wouldn't be good. Solar cells don't CREATE electricity when they are hit by light. They TURN light into electrical power, and it couldn't be otherwise as energy cannot come out from nothing. Photons are absorbed by electrons, which detach from their atom and start moving, generating a current, and the ideal solar panel should have its electrons absorb all the light and let no light back: it should be completely BLACK. Transparent (or white) ones would generate no current.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about the entire back of the phone being a big solar panel?
Gspin96 said:
That wouldn't be good. Solar cells don't CREATE electricity when they are hit by light. They TURN light into electrical power, and it couldn't be otherwise as energy cannot come out from nothing. Photons are absorbed by electrons, which detach from their atom and start moving, generating a current, and the ideal solar panel should have its electrons absorb all the light and let no light back: it should be completely BLACK. Transparent (or white) ones would generate no current.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you understand what I'm saying, I know energy isn't created, and I understand the concept of solar cells - that's specifically what I was referring to when I said that you wouldn't be able to use it in the sun and charge it like that because of conservation of energy - because otherwise there would be more of an imbalance - it would be charging, and shining out about the same amount of light as it is receiving. Of course, stupid me forgot about UV and infrared, which negates that part of my argument . What I meant was that I was hoping that some day there would be a solar cell that could be on top of a screen, and you could still the screen. One option would be semi-translucent - the screen would just have to be tuned a bit brighter, which wouldn't be a problem, either, as most of the light that doesn't make it through the solar cell would be re-captured as energy anyway. The other option - the ideal one - would be a solar cell that would only transform light landing on one side. This definitely wouldn't absorb all the light because of the law stating that light can go back the same way it came, and when I think about it, it probably couldn't work at all, but who knows what science will provide us with in a couple of years - there have been surprises in the past...
Wroleader said:
What about the entire back of the phone being a big solar panel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the current state of technology, that would probably be the best option (plus maybe a bit on the bezel, but depending on the efficiency of the solar panel, that could just be a waste) - We don't have any (semi)-transparent solar panels AFAIK, so they have to be dark like that, so yes, at the moment, the entire back of the phone being a solar panel would probably be the best option.
You mean something like a cell absorbing light coming from side A and letting through light coming from side B? Then sorry, I didn't get it .
Project Ara designs.
I wouldlove to have a pocketable service monitor that has a wide spectrum analysis capability, is frequency agile, and has HEMPT devices in the RF measuring section for ultra low noise figure, high gain, good IP3 and selectivity.
You can exclude the generate function, I prefer a device I can take screen shots of signal paths, attenuation, spectrum purity and bandwidth of measured signals, and be capable of printing the output to a printer via Bluetooth or even WiFi.
AECRADIO said:
I wouldlove to have a pocketable service monitor that has a wide spectrum analysis capability, is frequency agile, and has HEMPT devices in the RF measuring section for ultra low noise figure, high gain, good IP3 and selectivity.
You can exclude the generate function, I prefer a device I can take screen shots of signal paths, attenuation, spectrum purity and bandwidth of measured signals, and be capable of printing the output to a printer via Bluetooth or even WiFi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some day we can have the omni tool. That is ultimately what I hope in the long run ideas like this lead to.
Rear touchpad and e-ink screen
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Research and such
As a budding computer engineer at MTU, I can see this being used for specialized research devices. I can also see somebody building a digital oscilloscope and logic analyzer as modules. No need to get these super expensive bench devices when I can whip out my phone, plug in the wires, and open an app.
I'm nowhere near being an engineer/programmer/etc., but I saw a dongle somewhere a while ago, maybe on Kickstarter, which was like a virtual credit card. You'd plug in which ever card(s) you wanted into the little dongle through your phone via Bluetooth or NFC or something, and all you had to do was swipe the thing over the credit card reader strip on a typical point of sale reader; somehow it created a magnetic field (magnets....how do they work?) and the field replicated the information on your credit card such that it would complete the transaction.
If there was a small module for this that you could plug onto the Ara 'skeleton' which made having a separate thing on your keyring unnecessary, I think it'd not only be a neat feature but also something very practical which might also speed along the use of your phone as a method of payment for goods and services. There's a few different competing NFC services but no universal standard to encourage wide-spread use of NFC (at least not here in the U.S.), but everyone takes cards these days.
Like good ol' days!
Now here is the idea:
*I go to a store.
*I BUY an app/game CARTRIDGE :laugh:.
*Plug it in my ara.
*Enjoy!
Yeah yeah those environmentalists out there will say "why more plastic garbage?" But just think of it like this:
*If the module has inbuilt memory then my phone's internal memory (oh! so precious!) will be saved.
*The apps/games can be as memory hungry as they want to be.
*No more TIME-WASTAGE in downloading GBs of game data.
*People will feel better when they get a piece of hardware for their money!
*Guys from the 90's can showoff their cartridge collections once again in a modern way!
I am very much interested to use such cartridges one day on my ara phone and I will be glad to help anyone who is interested in taking this idea further!
Hit thanks if I helped you!
@gautam360: Single screen Nintendo DS! xD
Not too awe inspiring, but something I would definitely use: USB/Ara Module combo. When on the phone, it mounts just like an SD Card. Slide it out, plug it into a PC, no different than a Flash/Pen/Stick/Thumb/WHATEVERwhocares drive. Formatted as something cross platform. Form factor designed so that you physically can't mount both ends simultaneously.
I would also probably make use of a WiFi Direct module and an IR Blaster module.
At least at first, I expect we will see a lot of modules similar to what showed up with Handspring/Springboard, then a bunch of audio/DJ type stuff like you see for iOS, then more scientific/industrial applications (thermal imager? stud finder? voltmeter? oscilloscope?). Maybe Sound Blaster could make a comeback... Amazon could release their barcode scanner in module form... OneTouch diabetic blood sugar sensors could scan your levels every time you pick up the phone... ThinkGeek could sell an Ara module version of the annoy-a-tron... so many possibilities.
I would use a light meter, that would be nice. Also a Digital Multimeter...
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
October Edition just arrived, 6 months late, but it did arrive and it did work (albeit with the additional Cradle not in the box)
Charged, set up email to send myself the Google Play apk; double clicked it and everything worked fine. Activated my Android and all working well.
Downloaded some apps, inc spotify and mapmyrun. Added a sim card and sd card - not well designed really. The galaxy s5 shows how simple it is to do and retain waterproofing. The Omate, with tiny fiddly screws, rubber bits, non symetrical cover etc was something I hope not to have to do again; which renders my spare battery a bit pointless. I was expecting to pop off the back and swap a drained battery for a charged one, as I can do on a mobile.
However, with battery at 67% went for a 1 hour run and with GPS, Wifi, Data and Bluetooth active (music to BT Headphones and running data being tracked) battery only went down 20% - impressive! and confirmed I can give up the GPS watch...
All good, but definitely some sticking points. Wifi at one point wouldn't re-activate, without a long reboot. The keyboard can drive you insane, especially entering masked passwords - the keyboard can be supersensitive and fire off several characters at once by accident, so you have to start again. The 'show passwords' option doesn't always work.
The navigation seems awkward and inconsistent - i wish there was a back button, the swipe left often triggers an option or menu unintentionally so you have to go back twice and when the same thing happens again, it's not long before you give up and press the home button...
Maybe it's just some getting used to - day 1 and all that!
Overall this is an incredible piece of tech and will be a big benefit to my lifestyle. It requires a change of thinking I suspect, but one that is welcome, so overall I am very pleased with the first impression.
I think the answer to your question about whether you have day 1 frustrations is: yes and no.
I put on Lokifish's latest ROM and did a few other tweaks (principally Daniel Ortiz's recommended GPS fix) and then started from there. I played with the out-of-the-box version for a total of two minutes before I became monumentally frustrated with the sensitivity of the touch screen, and the keyboard seemed to trigger letters even when I was just hovering over the screen trying to make a more accurate 'tap'. Maybe it was placebo effect but the Lokifish ROM seemed to be better calibrated, though I still avoid using the keyboard for anything other than tapping in passwords to get accounts setup.
The first app that gave me an inkling that the TS is a 'keeper' is Runkeeper. (pun!) I'm actually not so much of a runner, but I use Runkeeper on my main device to track my cycling and I log my circuit and swim training data on the web which integrates across the other apps I use to collect and manage fitness data (Withings Body Analyzer, Myfitnesspal, Fitbit). The thought of being able to dispense with multiple tracking apps/devices and perhaps even leaving the big phone at home (the Z1s doesn't have the brightest screen anyway) was one of the main draws of the TrueSmart. But the real 'killer app' feature for me was the ability to use this TrueSmart as an 'all day wearer' *and* have it work in-water to capture swim data. But After six months of waiting (like you) and seeing the not-really-waterproof drama unfold, I was pretty much ready to put this thing on eBay on day 0.
However, Runkeeper/Ride with GPS plus Cyril Preiss' "SWApps" has just about sold me on keeping the device, or at least rekindled my interest enough to see whether its worth pursuing some form of aftermarket waterproofing approach. (currently being hashed out in another thread here)
So in essence I concur with/confirm your findings. I still haven't found out how to get the auto-correct to behave on the keyboard, but I think that's as much about taking a grand-daddy step back to understand how the Fleksy is designed, and how to properly inflect the gestures to keep things from getting out-of-hand (pun!). I remember having *some* of the same trouble when going from the iPhone 4s to the Xperia Z1 (before the Z1s) and that keyboard drove me kuh-ray-zee until I figured out the whole swipe-your-finger-to-spell-the-word thing worked. Then suddenly I wondered how anyone would type on one of these things any other way.
So - I'm coming around to seeing the advantages of the TrueSmart, and more to the point *really* understanding why Lokifish, Cyril, Kurt, Daniel and so many others here see in the platform - and continue to invest time and effort into it.
Oh - and as to the battery drain, I just ran my TS down to 15% and then connected it to a Waka Waka to charge, and while I didn't have it timed it's already back to 100%. Solar powered smartwatch - now we're talkin'. So instead of thinking about a snap-in/out solution for the battery I'm looking at/for a 'gator glip' charger cable or some other light-weight charger connection for the TS (I thought I saw them online somewhere, and OMate was offering them at first - I'd prefer that to the case for workout/outdoor activities where space is a premium). I'm also looking into how to/whether I can set up profiles that are more like "give me what you got" versus "all-day wearer" mode. On the Sony Xperia Z1s there's a "Stamina Mode" which tamps down on battery drain, but can also kill functionality of apps that are not in the foreground (bad news for Panobike cycling cadence meter, etc) so while I have *some* apps exempted from Stamina Mode, when I'm doing a dedicated outing I just switch it off completely - knowing that I'm going to be putting the device on charge by either using one of the portable packs I'm carrying with me - or when I get back to the car.
Anyway, food for thought...
Thanks for the reply, it's good to share tips and tricks!
I saw that Loki has actually abandoned TrueSmart. Frustrations with their updates and lack of support I think.
Primarily for me this watch was a replacement sports tracker, but my hopes for an all-purpose watch are not looking good as the blue-tooth tethering is not working with my S5; it pairs successfully, but doesn't connect, so the TrueSmart Master app is useless.
The TS also doesn't connect to my BT headset for voice, but it did connect with the JayBird headphones (although the cutting out was super irritating).
In Summary - BlueTooth not reliable and will be a deal-breaker as I would have to carry my phone anyway.
Couple with the infuriating keyboard and inconsistent navigation, (I've now tried the LMT dial thing, which also doesn't work properly) I'm losing interest fast - which is a shame as it could be so good.
For charging, my GPS watch uses a clip as you describe. So much better than the cradle which renders the watch inaccessible while it's charging. But why not a simple USB port with a cover, like the S5....(a proper waterproof phone). Even the solar charger will then require carrying two separate items for the TS...
You can set up profiles on an app called Easy Battery Saver - I used it on my last phone and installed it for TS. It works as described and easy to activate/de-activate.
I will keep with the TS a while longer, but I suspect the next Galaxy Gear, which is rumoured to be stand-alone, will be what we are really looking for...
Hope to hear more from you - I will post my next findings on the TS too.
lphovercraft said:
I think the answer to your question about whether you have day 1 frustrations is: yes and no.
I put on Lokifish's latest ROM and did a few other tweaks (principally Daniel Ortiz's recommended GPS fix) and then started from there. I played with the out-of-the-box version for a total of two minutes before I became monumentally frustrated with the sensitivity of the touch screen, and the keyboard seemed to trigger letters even when I was just hovering over the screen trying to make a more accurate 'tap'. Maybe it was placebo effect but the Lokifish ROM seemed to be better calibrated, though I still avoid using the keyboard for anything other than tapping in passwords to get accounts setup.
The first app that gave me an inkling that the TS is a 'keeper' is Runkeeper. (pun!) I'm actually not so much of a runner, but I use Runkeeper on my main device to track my cycling and I log my circuit and swim training data on the web which integrates across the other apps I use to collect and manage fitness data (Withings Body Analyzer, Myfitnesspal, Fitbit). The thought of being able to dispense with multiple tracking apps/devices and perhaps even leaving the big phone at home (the Z1s doesn't have the brightest screen anyway) was one of the main draws of the TrueSmart. But the real 'killer app' feature for me was the ability to use this TrueSmart as an 'all day wearer' *and* have it work in-water to capture swim data. But After six months of waiting (like you) and seeing the not-really-waterproof drama unfold, I was pretty much ready to put this thing on eBay on day 0.
However, Runkeeper/Ride with GPS plus Cyril Preiss' "SWApps" has just about sold me on keeping the device, or at least rekindled my interest enough to see whether its worth pursuing some form of aftermarket waterproofing approach. (currently being hashed out in another thread here)
So in essence I concur with/confirm your findings. I still haven't found out how to get the auto-correct to behave on the keyboard, but I think that's as much about taking a grand-daddy step back to understand how the Fleksy is designed, and how to properly inflect the gestures to keep things from getting out-of-hand (pun!). I remember having *some* of the same trouble when going from the iPhone 4s to the Xperia Z1 (before the Z1s) and that keyboard drove me kuh-ray-zee until I figured out the whole swipe-your-finger-to-spell-the-word thing worked. Then suddenly I wondered how anyone would type on one of these things any other way.
So - I'm coming around to seeing the advantages of the TrueSmart, and more to the point *really* understanding why Lokifish, Cyril, Kurt, Daniel and so many others here see in the platform - and continue to invest time and effort into it.
Oh - and as to the battery drain, I just ran my TS down to 15% and then connected it to a Waka Waka to charge, and while I didn't have it timed it's already back to 100%. Solar powered smartwatch - now we're talkin'. So instead of thinking about a snap-in/out solution for the battery I'm looking at/for a 'gator glip' charger cable or some other light-weight charger connection for the TS (I thought I saw them online somewhere, and OMate was offering them at first - I'd prefer that to the case for workout/outdoor activities where space is a premium). I'm also looking into how to/whether I can set up profiles that are more like "give me what you got" versus "all-day wearer" mode. On the Sony Xperia Z1s there's a "Stamina Mode" which tamps down on battery drain, but can also kill functionality of apps that are not in the foreground (bad news for Panobike cycling cadence meter, etc) so while I have *some* apps exempted from Stamina Mode, when I'm doing a dedicated outing I just switch it off completely - knowing that I'm going to be putting the device on charge by either using one of the portable packs I'm carrying with me - or when I get back to the car.
Anyway, food for thought...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More success with BT pairing
More success today - got the bt headset (MyVoice 312) paired for calls, plus the jabra sport wireless+ bt headphones for music.... both devices paired and switch automatically when powering on and off.
Galaxy S5 also paired, but no joy with the SWAPPS app. I will keep trying with that, but it's actually a low priority since I have a sim for the TS ($10 per month for second sim with same number as primary sim)
Tonight I hope to try the Endomondo app on the TS paired with the Jabras, since they have a special feature that gives realtime data from the app when pushing a button on the headphones.
I can see it's going to take a while with the TS, but the tech is really good and offers a lot of promise. It's all about expectations I guess.
If the BT goes all intermittent again tonight I will be v disappointed as this is a basic but critical feature.
One problem I have had after exercising is that if you hand/fingers are sweaty then the TS goes nuts when you touch the screen - there really needs a sensitivity option (like on the S5)
Any pointers for best option for gaining Root Access to Omate TS? I notice that you have flashed Loki's 'latest' ROM, so presumably you have Rooted and flashed a Custom Recovery??
Best way to proceed--I would be grateful for a 'Heads-Up'.
BTW--I have, today, just received my October Dev Edition 1 GB 8 Gb 2100 Mhz version--and am looking at flashing Loki's ROM 20140328--is that the one to which you are referring?? or, do you have a different device version?
Any pointers--gratefully received.
I can't help you with the technical nuts and bolts as I am going to keep it all simple and hopefully working. No ROM flashes, install PlayStore and get your BT headset working.
Just that alone gives you a mobile on your wrist which is pretty damn cool for checking email, facebook, text, whatsapp and voice calls. Plus spotify, endomondo and maps!
The keyboard is a problem though, being so sensitive. And if it's raining, forget using it at all - not because of the water resistance, but because the screen just goes crazy with the water drops.
I am going to try Google Search/Voice to see if I can use voice commands on it.
Anyone else had luck with using voice?
haybill said:
Any pointers for best option for gaining Root Access to Omate TS? I notice that you have flashed Loki's 'latest' ROM, so presumably you have Rooted and flashed a Custom Recovery??
Best way to proceed--I would be grateful for a 'Heads-Up'.
BTW--I have, today, just received my October Dev Edition 1 GB 8 Gb 2100 Mhz version--and am looking at flashing Loki's ROM 20140328--is that the one to which you are referring?? or, do you have a different device version?
Any pointers--gratefully received.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey guys, I'm like a dev October backer and I get my watch this week-end. I have just started it today and after reading the lokifish topic I don't think it is a good idea for us to use our watches until we flashed a ROM with a secure kernel (the kernel of the 1/8/2100 is unsecure).
If you want to root your TS there is tons of solutions as it i a mediatek chip.
Can you recommend me a BT Headphone to par with my TS.
Blue-rayer said:
Can you recommend me a BT Headphone to par with my TS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Backbeat Go 2 with my TS, I love the "minimalistic" approach to it. When not used I wear them like a necklace (you can attach the earbuds to eachother) and it's not in the way the slightest. It works great for taking phone calls, and I've tried it with both walking, biking and running with no issues. Volume controls, checking battery level, taking calls and such works great from the remote. Battery life is ok:ish, maybe a bit more than 3 hours total listening time. That is if you play music or talk on the phone non-stop, with moderate use (taking a few phonecalls during the day and similar) they last for days.
From what I hear the Backbeat Go 2 is more or less a ripoff of Jaybird Bluebuds X headphone (looks very similar), but the Jaybirds have better battery life, fits more securely in your ear for sporting and such - not that I ever had issues with that. The main thing that made me go with the Backbeat though is that it's about half the price.
Ok thanks. I'm gonna give a look to this.
Headphones
Blue-rayer said:
Can you recommend me a BT Headphone to par with my TS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After going through two Backbeats (not the Go, think it was 903 or something similar) I can state they are useless for exercising with, no resistance to water or sweat.
I then tried a pair of Philips SHB6017/10 and lasted a month before starting to randomly calling strange numbers due to shorting out. I'm not a sweaty person, honest!
Finally settled on Jabra Sport and they're awesome, have been using them for a year now.
Thanks to Amazon who refunded and replaced every single failed headphone, even sending out the replacements before I'd sent in the dead ones.
Cheers,
Andreas
I was actually playing around with the voice commands, you do have to setup loads of Google Apps, like Google search and Maps etc and give it permission to everything but it does work... I highly recommend using Nova launcher as it places the Mic search option right on the home screen.... which launches Google search... "Ok Google" and you're off.... I'm not sure how to get it to recognise OK Google without first having started the search app... Anyway some of my favourite things to ask for....
Take me home.... (Starts maps navigation)
Play some music (starts Google music and tries to play music)
Order Pizza (finds the nearest dominos)
What is iPhone (reads out definition of an iphone)
I know all the reviews said this phone got slightly warm due to the screen, but in my nearly year-long stint of owning this phone, I find that remark to have been grossly misrepresented. When charging, my phone gets extremely hot on the power button. After charging, it takes a good 5-10 minutes to cool off. While the phone is hot, (and I mean HOT,) the phone hiccups, stutters, and can become totally unresponsive. Applications act up, etc.
When I attempt wireless charging with my add-on receiver, things get infinitely worse. I cannot charge with the screen on and data connected.
In my car, I connect via BT to my car, my audio receiver, and my OB2 scanner. That doesn't seem to be a problem, other than BT being sometimes flaky. I have a wireless charger in my car, but I only used it once -- no point. Now, even with my 2.1a charger, I cannot keep my G3 topped-off while using GPS and streaming Spotify. The phone practically melts. Things are better when I'm blasting the A/C on it straight from a vent, (and worse if I try to use my heater in cold months.
Basically this thing is in a perpetual state of overheating. I have had three of these. My last unit overheated so badly that the screen became discolored. You might say that I expect too much from my phone, but my M7 had no issue, and my S5 did not overheat. I had to give up the Sammy for other reasons.
I have made various tweaks in the past in attempt to counter the sluggishness due to heat, but that's dangerous--and likely why my last phone actually failed. I decided to leave that alone and deal with the crippling slowness. Even something as simple as swiping a word on the Google Keyboard becomes impossible.
My question to you guys, is do you notice this burden on a daily basis? Perhaps the average person that doesn't need a charger all day can keep this beast cool? I am strongly considering the S6 because of the reports flooding in of how hot the Snap 810 runs compared to the Exy. What are your thoughts?
I haven't seen this behavior at all. I've had little blips of hotness, but I almost think it's more environmental in some cases. Certainly not while charging, and I routinely leave it plugged in while I'm using it or watching Netflix or something. I'm sure you've thought about this, but are you sure it's not your charger? Does it overheat after a full factory reset (i.e. out of the box)? If not, what specific add-ons and/or ROMs do you use?
SilverZero said:
I haven't seen this behavior at all. I've had little blips of hotness, but I almost think it's more environmental in some cases. Certainly not while charging, and I routinely leave it plugged in while I'm using it or watching Netflix or something. I'm sure you've thought about this, but are you sure it's not your charger? Does it overheat after a full factory reset (i.e. out of the box)? If not, what specific add-ons and/or ROMs do you use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Due to the nature of DC, the charger cannot be the culprit in terms of overheating. Not staying topped off? Sure, but not the heat. The phone regulates all of that.
You are telling me that you can stream Spotify (highest setting for me,) and Google navigation, and your phone doesn't get blisteringly hot? I've been charging on the cable (instead of wireless,) to get my phone up from 93%, with the screen completely off, and it's pretty warm on the power button right now.
I am running stock ROM, (though rooted.) I have used various G3s, various ROMs, completely stock, various chargers, you name it. No matter what, this phone gets furiously hot when the screen stays on. Even using it as a clock on my desk causes it to heat up like no one's business. Streaming a movie causes it to get pretty damn hot. It seems like the environment of the car being warmer, and GPS being used with data is the main culprit. Like the internal heatsinks/paths become overwhelmed.
ScrapMaker said:
I know all the reviews said this phone got slightly warm due to the screen, but in my nearly year-long stint of owning this phone, I find that remark to have been grossly misrepresented. When charging, my phone gets extremely hot on the power button. After charging, it takes a good 5-10 minutes to cool off. While the phone is hot, (and I mean HOT,) the phone hiccups, stutters, and can become totally unresponsive. Applications act up, etc.
When I attempt wireless charging with my add-on receiver, things get infinitely worse. I cannot charge with the screen on and data connected.
In my car, I connect via BT to my car, my audio receiver, and my OB2 scanner. That doesn't seem to be a problem, other than BT being sometimes flaky. I have a wireless charger in my car, but I only used it once -- no point. Now, even with my 2.1a charger, I cannot keep my G3 topped-off while using GPS and streaming Spotify. The phone practically melts. Things are better when I'm blasting the A/C on it straight from a vent, (and worse if I try to use my heater in cold months.
Basically this thing is in a perpetual state of overheating. I have had three of these. My last unit overheated so badly that the screen became discolored. You might say that I expect too much from my phone, but my M7 had no issue, and my S5 did not overheat. I had to give up the Sammy for other reasons.
I have made various tweaks in the past in attempt to counter the sluggishness due to heat, but that's dangerous--and likely why my last phone actually failed. I decided to leave that alone and deal with the crippling slowness. Even something as simple as swiping a word on the Google Keyboard becomes impossible.
My question to you guys, is do you notice this burden on a daily basis? Perhaps the average person that doesn't need a charger all day can keep this beast cool? I am strongly considering the S6 because of the reports flooding in of how hot the Snap 810 runs compared to the Exy. What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A simple solution might just be buying an external charger and spare battery combination and never use the phone for charging.
I have always bought external battery chargers and hot swapped a fully charged battery and put my dead battery on the external wall charger when I go to sleep.
Hope this helps.
(I've been buying Anker chargers & batteries on Amazon with success)
I think you're right. However I likely won't keep this phone much longer. S6 Active or G4 are calling my name...
Hi folks, I had earlier cobbled together a way for battery power to be constantly supplied to the Radio via a second battery and battery isolator device. You can see what i speak of here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...iliary-batter-battery-isolator-radio-t3417196
This is a bit drawn out and expensive, but I put it out there for those that are looking for a direct solution.
Here are other ideas which will work fine instead with less screwing around:
12V DELAY TIMER SWITCH 30 SECONDS SUPPLY MODULE - 10 amps @ 28v DC (?)
https://www.itead.cc/wiki/12V_DELAY_TIMER_SWITCH_30_SECONDS_SUPPLY_MODULE - $10.70
* MZL-10 Delay Timer - 12v 30 amp - Starts timing when ignition turns off
http://www.acdcind.com/mzl-10-delay-timer.html - $72.55
* Powerwerx DC Automatic Power Switch/Timer - 25 amps @ 12V DC
https://powerwerx.com/automatic-dc-timer-power-switch - $69.99
(I've used a Powerwerx battery isolator on the previous project and it works well, no complaints.)
* GERI Newer Version 12V Multifunction Relay Cycle Timer Module - Programmable with Customized Settings (Increased to 18 Modes) - 10 amps @ 28v DC (?)
https://www.amazon.com/Newer-Version-Multifunction-Relay-Module/dp/B00VR1F3LC/ - $15.80
(I have this but haven't tinkered with this yet.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFTVXJpWJQ4 <-- Here it is in action, all 18 functions demonstrated. I think you'd want program #10. http://goo.gl/5WU8Lf <-- Official manual, in chinglish. :-/
Also, maybe:
Power Disconnect Timer:
http://www.poweringthenetwork.com/power-timer/ $$?????
Any of the above would be a good deal for keeping power to the radio while starting the car, and briefly keeping power on while, say, running into the store to get something quick. Great for avoiding annoying reboots while doing quick errands.
Note that will all of the above you'll have a small trickle amount of standby current going to the module. Something to keep in mind.
Any questions?
I guess this depends on your car, with my car during cranking the radio stays on, also most MCUs allow you to set up to a 2 hour delay for standby. So from stock it covers everything you need with no additional wiring or any other parts.
jakejm79 said:
I guess this depends on your car, with my car during cranking the radio stays on, also most MCUs allow you to set up to a 2 hour delay for standby. So from stock it covers everything you need with no additional wiring or any other parts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noted, it does indeed depend on the car. On my car, while cranking all power to the radio was cut, so my old Pumpkin radio with the RK3188 CPU would do a 30-second reboot every time I turned the car off. If I just ran into the store for 5 minutes, or briefly dropped by a friends place to pick something up... another reboot!
And there was positively zero in the system settings or MCU settings for standby mode or anything of the like.
So other options had to be explored, like these above or the 2nd battery with the isolator unit.
It's sad we have to cobble together other workarounds to deal with the limitations of this older technology, but "that’s the breaks" as the older generation would say...
CaptShaft said:
Noted, it does indeed depend on the car. On my car, while cranking all power to the radio was cut, so my old Pumpkin radio with the RK3188 CPU would do a 30-second reboot every time I turned the car off. If I just ran into the store for 5 minutes, or briefly dropped by a friends place to pick something up... another reboot!
And there was positively zero in the system settings or MCU settings for standby mode or anything of the like.
So other options had to be explored, like these above or the 2nd battery with the isolator unit.
It's sad we have to cobble together other workarounds to deal with the limitations of this older technology, but "that’s the breaks" as the older generation would say...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe try looking for a newer MCU? Also you could just tap into a wire that doesn't get cut during cranking (but does when the car is off) for the red ACC wire in the radio loom, IME the radios are pretty acceptable of low voltage during cranking from the draw from the starter so no other mods necessary.
Depends again on the radio and the car. The radio may or may not cooperate in this affair, even with an MCU upgrade.
I wrote about some solutions here earlier:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...iliary-batter-battery-isolator-radio-t3417196
Here's the straightforward illustration.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
The problem with this is if you forget to turn off the radio your battery can go dead. So a manual switch on the ACC line is an option.
Or a switch on a timer, like I show above.
It'd be nice if the radio manufacturers had a large, say, 1000uF capacitor thrown into the back of the head unit enclosure to prevent it from timing out, but that's extra pennies per unit and all that.
Hi,
i have the same problem here, if i go for 5 minutes away from the car it dont shutsdown. so far so good. But when i get back in the car and cranking up the engine the usb 3g Stick stops working. i think its because of the very short powerloss when cranking. that way it dont restarts itself and is then is stuck in some kind of preboot or just hangs somwhere. if have to disconnect the 3g stick and then it takes a minute to get back to normal. anyone got a solution? maybe some kind of capacitor on the powercable to the usb stick? or one of the mentioned delay switches? Thanks!
edibar said:
Hi,
i have the same problem here, if i go for 5 minutes away from the car it dont shutsdown. so far so good. But when i get back in the car and cranking up the engine the usb 3g Stick stops working. i think its because of the very short powerloss when cranking. that way it dont restarts itself and is then is stuck in some kind of preboot or just hangs somwhere. if have to disconnect the 3g stick and then it takes a minute to get back to normal. anyone got a solution? maybe some kind of capacitor on the powercable to the usb stick? or one of the mentioned delay switches? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Consider two options -
External - fit diode and capacitor to ACC power line. This is described elsewhere in the forums with instructions and component values.
Internal - solder capacitor (value approx 47uf 25v) to internal acc line zener diode anode side of ACC line. - view schematic in my sig to deduce how to do this.
Both options use a capacitor to delay turn off when cranking
thread bump.
I just got a android unit (mtce) for an audi A4. OEM radio got a ''no key radio ON'' feature. (about 1hr)
I'm looking to get this feature back, in that exact sequence :
Starting with radio ON and Engine ON
1- Stop engine, remove keys
2- headunit shut-down immediatly
3- Press power button (in that case a timer button), headunit ON for 1hr.
All these devices are almost what I'm looking for, but the step No2...
I need a kind of external button to power ON the headunit with no keys, independently from the ingnition key.
possible? arduino project?
Hello all
I'm thinking on developing an external power source based on lithium cells for my unit. The idea is to avoid the boot delay when the car is not used for some hours. The external power source will power the unit only when the car is not active.
- Does anybody knows what is the average consumption of a MTCD unit with no-music / no-screen active?
- Is there a way to power only the Android Module? Or a way to send a HW signal for he unit to go to "sleep" (but NOT turn off)
Thanks !!!
I also want to do this.
I have some spare cells that can use.
I think it should use less than 500 mAh with the screen off
maxiauer said:
Hello all
I'm thinking on developing an external power source based on lithium cells for my unit. The idea is to avoid the boot delay when the car is not used for some hours. The external power source will power the unit only when the car is not active.
- Does anybody knows what is the average consumption of a MTCD unit with no-music / no-screen active?
- Is there a way to power only the Android Module? Or a way to send a HW signal for he unit to go to "sleep" (but NOT turn off)
Thanks !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not necessary, with appropriate MTCD MCU and ROM version these units indefinitely sleep, consuming only 5mA, and immediately resume when powered on.
Suggest a search of the forums for all the info you might need.
marchnz said:
Not necessary, with appropriate MTCD MCU and ROM version these units indefinitely sleep, consuming only 5mA, and immediately resume when powered on.
Suggest a search of the forums for all the info you might need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 to that, i run a mtcd unit and a dual dash cam system (auto off at 12v) and they run fine over night without issue, when dash-cam shuts down stereo will easily not drain battery even after few days.
My Xtrons branded model came with a loop of wire with a quick disconnect on the main power loom. If I connect them, the unit will remain powered on after the keys are removed from the ignition. If disconnected, the unit will power down after a few seconds. (Still can't work out how to change this length of time though). What I'm thinking of doing is installing an inline switch so I can power the unit down fully if required when I know the car isn't going to be used for a while.
So, if the consumption is so low, in "normal suspended conditions", then the answer to the problem would be to keep the unit powered by the battery, but also keep on sensing the current to make sure it is really suspended and not consuming too much. My concern is that I do like to test new apps and ROMs in beta stage quite frequently, and I don't want to have any nasty surprise one morning because one app/ROM had a bug and kept draining the battery.
Another point to add is a timer, so after N days without starting the engine the unit is killed to protect the battery.
Anybody knows an easy way to get the unit to suspend when the power to the yellow cable gets off, but to not switch off? In the Androit 8 ROMs I use (Malaysk) the maximum timeout allowed before switching-off is 1 hour. Any easy way to modify this? (I'll do some research on my side also).
I'll post the circuit here as soon as I have some time to implement it
Kr
Max
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...iliary-batter-battery-isolator-radio-t3417196
I did exactly what you speak of here. Look over the details I show and the instructions.
I'm willing to sell the battery isolator unit that I bought for this project. With the newer radios I don't need it.
maxiauer said:
So, if the consumption is so low, in "normal suspended conditions", then the answer to the problem would be to keep the unit powered by the battery, but also keep on sensing the current to make sure it is really suspended and not consuming too much. My concern is that I do like to test new apps and ROMs in beta stage quite frequently, and I don't want to have any nasty surprise one morning because one app/ROM had a bug and kept draining the battery.
Another point to add is a timer, so after N days without starting the engine the unit is killed to protect the battery.
Anybody knows an easy way to get the unit to suspend when the power to the yellow cable gets off, but to not switch off? In the Androit 8 ROMs I use (Malaysk) the maximum timeout allowed before switching-off is 1 hour. Any easy way to modify this? (I'll do some research on my side also).
I'll post the circuit here as soon as I have some time to implement it
Kr
Max
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This issue previously discussed in depth and answered.
Consumption, regardless of how many apps installed, is always 5mA in standby. From this it would take months to deplete the average car battery.
Instead of guessing, work it out