SD cards - format (normal/mini/micro) multiplexing, power of SDIO: DVB-H (TV), Bluetooth, scanner... in SD (normal) cards

Robert Michel openmoko at robertmichel.de
Tue Dec 5 03:30:21 CET 2006


Salve!

This weekend I saw a DVB-H receiver in normal-SD format from nxd:
http://www.nxp.com/acrobat_download/literature/9397/75015581.pdf
*franky* Well I'm not keen to have TV receiving power with my mobile 
- especialy when DVB-H is in the discussion that I have to pay a fee 
to my GSM operator to see a terrestical broadcast
- It would be nice for weather cards - but TV not focusing on my
region and not on the next 2 hours...
  So I would prefer LongWave MediumWave DRM.org to get the latest
  news and wether informations for free and remember Digital Radio
  Mondeal could transmitt data as well - when Videotex + a wethermap
  is possible to get via radio - where is the need for seeing TV live?
  Sports? - I would prefer to see this with my friends in a pub.
  Local weather news via GPRS or DMR (digital PMR). News maybe
  downloaded (as diff) as txt and converted to audio with mbrola
And a free broadcast medium like mediumwave DRM for free asisstant GPS
data would be very fine (and could power up DRM popularaity)
But not TV, nor DRM broadcast will be the focus on my mail.
  (I would think about wireless mailbox systems at train stations,
   in hotels or camping places - in trains, buses or plains - to download 
   (for free) the recording  of last news broadcast, the latest wether 
   forcast... instead of making every mobil to a receiver and than the
   need to do timed recordings to have the latest news on demand)


SDIO is technicaly it is an very interesting point - like compact flash 
SD could be used for more than just memory. 

So I joined an interesting talk about the DVB-H card 
- the softwaredevelopment will be done for the mobile producer
- some parts are not equal from the view of the mobile producer
  their DVB-H solution is better then...
- they do softwaredevelopment for linux devices
- to sell a few (less then 100.000 in a period) are not interesting for 
  the  DVB-H card producer
- the DVB-H card producer dislike contact with end consumers - (When
  I started to talk about a used modificatable phone like a PC)

At that point the conversation started to become difficult - 
no not because I mentioned that TV on a mobile is in my eyes not
so important - no the Neo1973 does absolutly not fit into classical
mobil device "view of the world".  It was also not explainable that
when I spend 120 Euro for mobile hardware each year, but do not buy
a new one after 2 years but e.g. a DVB-H card for my device the same
sales with hardware would be made - but on higher level of products
and with more use for me.

I feel a dogma - the user has to throw away his phone after 1-2 years.
Why not making phones upgradable?

As I heard, it would be possible to shrink the size of a DVB-H receiver
up to mico SD format - but there is no genious concept for the antenna
problem. My idea: Do you know the small Wi-Fi antenna connectors on mini-pc
boards? When a phone should be upgradable, I would spend a SD card slot
inside under the battery lid and place there a mini antenna connector
to connect the already build in (cheap) antenna.

- DVB-H powerconsumption (or just video playback) is still a problem 
  - the network operator dislike high power consumption what would
  reducse the possibility to make phone calls

###############################################
# Will the Neo have full support of SD SDIO ? #
###############################################
see:
http://www.sdcard.org/sdio/index.html  
http://www.sdcard.org/sdio/Simplified SDIO Card Specification.pdf 

Then Bluetooth, Wifi, Scanner adapter would be possible
to use (be considering the risk due non open source driver)

So again, having a full size SD slot would be "nice" as also
to have 1-3 additional slots multiplexed by a small circuit 
(like with the GSM-SIM cards)

I could imagine a nomal size SD card with one embedded ARM9 processor
with flash and ram and one micro SD slot for more memory. This second
processor could speed up grafic things inside the neo, or it runs a
seperate system and export it with free-nx (based on no machine nx) 
tothe Neo.
This could be also work for protect commercial software by running it
on a not so open/hackable linux or bsd  (e.g. navigation system with
expensive encrypted map data)

Or with a "little more" commerical interrest - embedded DRM
receiver/encoder with less size, cost and power consumption then
DVB-H needs would be already on the market.


Sorry when this mail sounds a little disapointed - of course the 
technicaly potential of DVB-H is cool and FIC should think about
to open the Neo1973 for developing with a normal SD adapters to 
encrease the potential of the OpenMoko/Neo1973 plattform and to 
encourage the third party hardware producers to offer drivers for 
linux, but does this play a role for the v1 of the Neo1973?

I think it will take a time until the the Neo1973 will reach a
critical mass that third party solution producer will recongnize 
Neo1973 owner as market - but wouldn't a normal SD adapter speed
this up?

IMHO FIC should think about the topic SD DVB-H reciever, and other 
SD SDIO devices - when OpenMoko/Neo1973 will be long term strategie
...

Excuse me, I'm very tired, greetings
rob


PS: DVB-H could become IMHO interesting when it will used to
broadcast assisted GPS data - but DRM mediumwave should be give
a better supply and would be the better choice.













More information about the community mailing list