Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 47

New Module - the Springboard Doubler!!

As I look at my VDX with the VisorPhone installed, it occurs to me that there is room on the back below the phone battery area to mount another sprongboard module!!

Hence - a suggestion for a module - the Springboard doubler!!
- so I can have my phone and another module available at the same time.
- it's an really thin expansion module which fits into the existing springboard slot, extends tightly down the back of the Visor - and offers TWO springboard slots: one stacked above the other on the back.
-- the lower module would go in upside down so any top mounted controls could be accessed from the bottom.
-- would have to be removed for battery changes since the second module would cover the battery door - but that's a minor inconvenience!
-- probably one of those items that costs about $.50 to manufacture [ once designed] and would sell easily for $19.95!!

Makes the VDX a bit thicker and heavier - but:
- I could have my phone AND GPS at the same time; or,
- the phone and a minijam!!

Someone, please, take my concept & run with it! I'ts yours: I give it away! Just give me a crack at one of the betas!!

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

This topic pops up every few months... While it's a nice idea, I don't think it's technically possible.

As I understand it, the Springboard slot only provides 1 hardware interrupt line, making it impossible to share modules since the CPU wouldn't be able to determine which module needs attention.

__________________

God bless America, my home sweet home...

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 58

Unless somebody came up with a software-based solution for sharing hardware resources like VMWare (http://vmware.com)... but I really don't think a Dragonball processor with 8 megs of RAM (or even a hacked Visor with 16 megs) would be able to handle it without a significant loss of performance, if at all.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 47

Thanks for rain - Parade Called Off! [nt]

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 38

Well, you could put a switch on it, so it just toggled between
the two modules. That way, you wouldn't have to be constantly
swapping modules, just flip the switch. Internally, it would just
be a double pole, 64 throw switch!

Expanding on the idea, the switch could be transistorized to be
under software control somehow. That way only 1 module is active
at a time, but the decision is made in software. Perhaps the
switcher device snoops on the traffic with the active module and
toggles when some customized event sequence is detected.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 380

What would that do except make the unit larger?

when you switch one module off, that is eqivalent to removing it. The OS is going to remove the installed software from the module and install the software from the new module.

This is exactly the same as removing the first one and plugging in the second. The whole goal of having two modules at once is to use them both at the same time. Say, you are using a modem and storage cards simultaneously, you could download stuff directly to storage. This would never work with a switch.

At this point, you don't have any increased functionality, only increased size.


BTW - it's still impossible to use two cartridges simultaneously. I am just illustrating why it would be nice to be able to do it.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 38

>What would that do except make the unit larger?

If you had read my post, you would see that I said:

>>That way, you wouldn't have to be constantly
>>swapping modules, just flip the switch

I personally don't like life-testing the connectors on all my
modules that I frequently remove and re-insert.

>Say, you are using a modem and storage cards simultaneously, you
>could download stuff directly to storage. This would never work with
>a switch.

Yes, but you could download to RAM, click the stylus on a
(hypothetical) LauncherIII tool icon (to switch modules), and
then transfer it to FLASH.

I have a GPS module, which uses large maps, and a MemPlug. I
often need to download maps from the MemPlug, and then use them
on the GPS module. The 'switch' for me would be far from useless.
The apps that would disappear when I switch to GPS would be the
MemPlug PiMover, PiBackup, etc. apps, not the maps I had just
downloaded.

By making the switch under software control, perhaps HackMaster,
I could even do the switch with the stylus.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 380

I did read your original post and that's what I said, no new functionality - only new complexity. There is nothing different about what you described that isn't already done by switching modules. I understand about not wanting to wear out the connector, but based on the short lifecycle of a PDA (for most people it is less than two years. For me, less than six months), there is virtually no chance of wearing out the connector.

To me, it is easier to do one operation, take the module out and slap in the other module. Your way would mean that I would have to run the launcher, find the program to switch modules and start it. Once it is running, select the switch function. This in addition to carrying something that is as large as an IPAQ with the PCMCIA adapter.

You would (questionably) gain a small amount of convenience for a signifigantly larger device. About the smallest that I could see it being is the size of the Visor and about a quarter of an inch thick. I think that this is way bigger than most people would want to carry for the very slight gains.

If you think this would be successful, go for it. I've been wrong before and will be again (just ask my wife ). This post is just my opinion.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 447

It's a good idea, but like MarkEagle said, it's impossible with the current Visors without adding a lot of circuitry. Plus, most users (read: People without many modules, unlike us Power Users) wouldn't benefit from it.