USB host successes

Michael Shiloh michael at openmoko.org
Tue Aug 26 04:24:49 CEST 2008



Joel Newkirk wrote:
> I've been playing around with USB host mode for a couple weeks now, and
> wanted to itemize my results.  (previously touched on some of this in one
> of the USB keyboard threads and on my blog)  Any questions just ask, but I
> mostly envision this as a thread where we can post results of various USB
> hostmode tests. (to hopefully make their way onto the wiki after some
> consolidation, cross-checking, and editing)
> 
> 
> The needed cable arrived just before I flashed to 2008.08 - 2007 didn't
> acknowledge keyboard, and ethernet wasn't in my hands then, other results
> here apply to both 2008.08 (currently Raster's image upgraded via Zecke-dev
> feeds) and 2007.02 versions.
> 
> 
> 2gb thumbdrive - automounts, reads & writes fine.  ('Plain' Sony
> thumbdrive, no encryption or compression, VFAT)
> 
> keyboards - most work flawlessly when plugged in (3 out of 4 tested),
> including automatically disabling software keyboard.  (Thanks Raster!!) 
> The one tested that did not work is a Dell multimedia keyboard with 2-port
> USB hub and volume knob as a second USB device - it also states that it
> draws 1.5A, so I was unsurprised when it didn't power up.
> 
> Canon S410 Elph digital camera - (self-powered) lsusb shows the device, no
> drivers installed.  (I'd like to be able to transfer pix from the camera to
> the Freerunner)
> 
> Epson printer - (self powered) device is visible in lsusb, no driver
> support installed/configured on my Freerunner yet...
> 
> Logitech webcams (Quickcam Communicate STX and Quickcam Chat [IIRC]) -
> device visible in lsusb, but gspca and usb-video kernel modules are
> unavailable ATM.
> 
> Netgear wifi adapter - powers device, lsusb shows it, no support enabled in
> kernel AFAIK. Not really necessary on GTA02, though there are some
> scenarios to utilize dual wifi, especially if at least one supports Wifi
> Master mode. (iwconfig refuses on built-in wifi so presumably driver
> doesn't support, at least - I'd love to get madwifi going, but suspect the
> SDIO interface leaves us unsupported there since they won't even support
> USB wifi devices with the same chipset as a supported PCI wifi card)
> 
> Ethernet 10/100 adapter - arrived today, works perfectly.  Plugged into
> ethernet then USB, and Freerunner powers device, establishes ethernet link
> on eth1, and picks up IPs and routing.  Perfect, beautiful, and painfree. 
> Pinging Google less than 7 seconds after plugging in.
> 
> 
> That last one, ethernet, just made my Freerunner an indispensable network
> diagnostic tool. :)  (now I just need tshark/wireshark, ettercap, handy
> things like that)  I'm likely going to order a second, see if there's any
> way I can position the Freerunner mid-cable with the two ethernets bridged,
> and sniff traffic. ;)  (obviously would be limited by USB 1.1 bandwidth but
> probably still useful - the question is really whether the Freerunner can
> power a hub and two adapters)


I will add this to the wiki right away, and correct as the discussion 
continues. This info is too good to lose in the mailing list (although I 
guess you could say it's not much worse than getting lost in the wiki, 
and perhaps better, since the mailing list archives are more easily 
searched than the wiki).

Michael




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