An idea for an alternate adapter-gadget-thing: I've heard random rumors of battery-powered USB hubs before. Seems like a nice N800 accessory would be a 'backpack'; a custom case to clip under the kickstand of an N800, with a mini-usb cable and power cable coming out one end (to connect the N800), and inside a bank of, say, 3 9V batteries, the powered hub, and a charging adapter. Hours of runtime, 4 powered USB ports, and a handy brick-like form-factor (which probably would bother some people a lot more than it would bother me.) I don't expect you're interesting in fabbing up some backpacks, jolouis, hence putting it back here rather than the new adapter thread.
yes, there are battery powered usb hubs, and rechargable usb power sources. I'll just go search zaurus forum at oesf.org as they were discussed there.
Well my initial success with host mode was a bit premature it seems.
Some of the time a device is detected just fine and accessed with no problems. I have a USB hard disk and hub that shows up in file manager as well as additional devices plugged into the hub.
However from time to time one of two things happen...
No indication of device being plugged in at all, including "lsusb".
Get a device unrecognised warning followed by a no filesystem warning. N800 locks up and reboots.
What sort of connector/cable are you using shenson? I had a similar problem when I started out with a home-made USB female A to female A gender bender; the tablet didn't recognize things, it would bring up weird messages, and just generally got really mad. A device would work once, then not again, etc.
Went out last weekend and grabbed a proper factory gender changer and decided to mod up my USB cable for OTG host mode while I was at it, and since then I haven't had any problems with anything that I've connected: they all just work as you'd expect.
Shenson:
I've done a few tests:
Tools :
- 4-5 pins soldered cable.
- 4 ports hub
- Portable battery (output:5v.Can charge the n800 with it)
- Hub power adapter
- 80 Gb 2.5 HD
* Using the portable battery to power the hd or the hub with the hd attached, made the "unrecognised device", and then the "unknow filesystem" appear, but *nothing else*.No reboot,tho.
* Using the Hub power adapter for powering the hd, or the hub with the hd attached, made both messages appear, but the filemanager opens successfully.
So: if you get both messages, but the hd doesnt get mounted, maybe the hd is not being properly powered.My portable battery doesnt provide enough juice for the hd *sigh*
hi all! im writing this lines with my new keyboard a4tech kls-5up mini usb keyboard!works perfect with my n800!if you want a small like notebook keyboard i suggest you go and get this keyboard!! It rocks!!! i connected the keyboard with a home made usb cable!!it swithces automaticaly to usb host mode!just join pin4 with pin5 on the nokia side cable and it works!cheers all!
I've now got a USB A female to female gender changer which I'm using with the original Nokia cable. The result is much more reliable than the other adapter but some oddities remain.
If I plug the cheap card reader in I get device not recognised, no filesystem but no crash, no LED lights on the card reader either.
The second time I plug it in it lights up and is accessed normally.
I have a wireless USB dongle I'm also testing. With that there is no obvious effect, no message no LED nothing.
However after that nothing seems to work. The card reader no longer produces any message at all. I need a reboot to get the functionality back.
Check out the wiki, USB Host mode on the N800 using OS 2008..Very easy howto.. Its so much easier than modding your own usb cable..
I followed the directions from 2nd part,Another Simple Method of setting the N8X0 with OS2008 to host mode - Status Bar Switch..
Freakin Rocks... Becareful with your adapt/usb cable plugged into nokia,
I've come close to killing the usb port...
I have a wireless USB dongle I'm also testing. With that there is no obvious effect, no message no LED nothing.
However after that nothing seems to work. The card reader no longer produces any message at all. I need a reboot to get the functionality back.
Almost surely the wifi stick requires more current (much more) than the ~200ma that the n800 can provide, so, to avoid damage to the usb port, it is cut off until you reboot.
