Realistic plan for our own FreeCalypso phone

[Yury S]

Hi there. Hello MF!

Is it possible to

1/ run the operating system without a battery?
2/ use phone with another battery?

- ys

Mychaela Falconia писал 2016-11-20 19:25:
> Paul van der Vlis <paul at vandervlis.nl> wrote:
> 
>> Another idea is to produce a board what fits into an existing case, 
>> e.g.
>> by swapping the mainboard of a cheap dumpphone. In this way we could 
>> use
>> some parts of the phone I would think, like the battery, antenna or 
>> the
>> display.
> 
> Naturally this approach was my first idea during all of these years
> that I've been wanting a FreeCalypso dumbphone - so yes, of course I
> have thought of it.  But I don't think it's going to work, for several
> reasons:
> 
> * We need to use a particular type of LCD: a 176x220 pixel LCD module
>   with a 16-bit parallel interface.  And of course the electrical
>   interface to the LCD module has to be *documented*.  No problem if
>   we are shopping around for the LCD module on our own, but trying to
>   reuse whatever unknown LCD happens to already be in some cheap
>   dumbphone would be a non-starter.  And each LCD module is slightly
>   different mechanically, hence the chances of a board designed with
>   our own choice of LCD module fitting into a case made by someone else
>   for some other LCD are nil.
> 
> * I intend to have a specific set of buttons: 21 buttons on the main
>   keypad in the same arrangement as Mot C1xx and Pirelli DP-L10 (also
>   matches TI's D-Sample), and 3 side buttons similar to the Pirelli
>   and the D-Sample handset.  None of the case reuse candidates I have
>   considered over the years perfectly matched this desired button set;
>   at best we could have the 21-button main keypad but give up the side
>   buttons - but I would really like to have the button set no worse
>   than Pirelli and D-Sample.
> 
> * External connectors: we need to bring out a mini-USB charging+data
>   port and a 2.5 mm analog headset jack to the outside of the phone.
>   Once again, none of the case reuse candidates I've considered over
>   the years fit the bill.
> 
> And then of course there would be other ugliness: all existing phones
> have cameras but ours won't, hence the camera hole would be empty; all
> existing phones have uSD card slots but ours won't, so yet another
> unusable case hole, etc.  Ditto for the 2nd SIM slot on the many
> currently made dumbphones - no corresponding capability on the Calypso.
> Of course having unused extra holes that will stay open is not as bad
> as not having fitting holes for the things we do need, but all of the
> other problems listed above will still kill the idea before we get to
> the point of deciding what to do with this or that hole.
> 
>> Or we could use a board what fits into the case of some standard
>> hardware like a Raspberry pi or Arduino. I've tried it here with an
>> Olinuxio Lime2 case, and it fits into my pocket.
> 
> This idea makes even less sense.  Where would the display go?  Where
> would the keypad and other buttons go?
> 
> In any case, I already have my mind set on the plan which *I* consider
> workable, and in situations like this one I feel that it is my place
> as the Mother of FreeCalypso to set these kinds of key design 
> decisions.
> The plan is as follows:
> 
> 1. Build the first development version of the phone board in such a
>    way that all of its functionality can be exercised on a bare board
>    without any case: LCD module mounted in a way that doesn't require
>    a case for securement, buttons directly on the board, everything
>    else via connectors.  Use this arrangement for handset firmware
>    development: UI, battery management etc.
> 
> 2. Once all circuit functionality has been validated and the full fw
>    support has been developed on the bare board (easily a year or two
>    after the board itself has been made), then either build a case
>    around the as-is board, or respin the board to fit whatever case
>    design is targeted, be it our own or someone else's.
> 
> And even the first step of this plan (building the bare development
> version of the handset motherboard) would only begin some months after
> we get the FCDEV3B built: remember, we still have to build our *first*
> board (the FCDEV3B, the one for the crowdfunding campaign is running
> right now), this board won't have any LCD or buttons at all (it's a
> modem, not a phone), and only *then* we'll be able to start on design
> of our next board for UI etc development.
> 
> I am going to post an update regarding the FCDEV3B next.
> 
> M~
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