USB host mode
 

Hi all,

got my n800 from amazon a few days ago. loaded os2008 on it, and heaps of great apps. used flasher to get it into rnd mode, and got root. I got the usb into host mode using the sysfs interface.

So my problem is that I never modified any usb cable or anything like that. I just got a female to female connector from frys and hooked up my usb thumb drive to it directly. It works fine, but the last time I tried it with my cousin's usb thumb drive. It didn;t work and I noticed a burning smell. The n800 works fine still. The Nokia cable smells a bit, but it might just have smelled like that from the begining or something. Basically when I unpluged everything, the smell went away from the n800 but the tip of the nokia cable smells a bit funny.

Anyways, everything still works fine. I'm just wondering if I need to modify a usb cable for safe use in host mode? Why? I'm no ******, but im definetly no hardware person or enthusiast. I just want to read my usb thumb drives.

I just tried it again, with the mini usb from my camera, and my normal thumb drive that's always worked and copied a bunch of files. No smell, no problem. Is there anything wrong with what im doing?

Re: USB host mode
 

Let us Assume that you went:
Nokia-->supplied cable--> USB female to female connector--> thumb drive.
Your Nokia put's out something like 100Ma.
from http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2003p154id78044.htm

Thus the thumb drives should be good up to 500ma.

I would be careful of your cousin's usb thumb drive, because you never know where it might have been stuck. :)
Don't Panic
Rome wasn't burned in a day.

Re: USB host mode
 

Thanks man.

I ended up realizing, that the stock nokia cable just has a really weird smell to it. No problem with my other mini usb.

It seems like people are soldering their cables to make the host usb automatically work or something, is that the reason?

Re: USB host mode
 

So noone answered me. Why are people modifying / soldering usb cables?

Re: USB host mode
 

They are doing this so that when they plug in the cable or dongle, it automatically switches the N800 into host mode without having to do it via software. I really dont understand how it works, but it seems to me that there is some sort of pinout/wire modifying. I came upon a thread that had this information in it a couple of days ago

http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...st+mode+dongle

hope that helps somewhat

Re: USB host mode
 

yes to make the usb host mode automatically work w/o running a script (echo ... > /sys/...) to put the N8x0 to usb host mode. If you have one of this

http://i9.ebayimg.com/02/i/07/8a/73/ag_1.JPG

(from http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-GENDER-CHANG...QQcmdZViewItem )

then you need a script to make N800 become usb host.

Re: USB host mode
 

OK so I got Host mode to work. But there is something odd.... I can use my logitech wireless keyboard no problem. But I plug in a memory card ( or multi card reader) it just gives me the " device not compatible " bit and then the "File system" error comes up and that is the point where I should see the card in the system manager.... but I don't. Now the card reader has power going to it via a power link from a 2.5 in hard drive ( If you need a photo I can upoad one) but it is powered none the less and still will not work...... Any ideas. I am groming this since I have a self-powered 20gb hard drive and I think that along with what is in it should work nicely.

Edit: I got everything to work now I am going to try GPS on it with my Delorme Earthmate ( I hope I can find my LT-20 model as it takes alot less power to use) But if not I have the Eartmate power pack for the PalmPilot it should work on this as well.