Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Why not get one that Linux already has drivers for such as...

• Sitecom CN-105

• Sweex KB100050

• Startech.com USB2VGA

See http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=260863
and http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/HowTo/AddVGAAdapter

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Hey Guys,
is there really any reason to be fidgeting with USB host mode? After all, I would hate to have wires coming out of my n800 while i was walking around. I was thinking of getting one of those nice bluetooth hard drives. Stick it in my pocket and go. What otehr device would you want to add to the n800?

Don't get me wrong though;hacking for hacking's sake is great fun and more educational than most other forms of entertainment :)

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Don't forget that OTG support is still optional, wich means you do not have to use it even if its possible. (:
For example you can use OTG support to add a usb mass storage device to your N800, usb keyboards, Sensors or even a wifi usb stick with a better chipset.
The possibilities are countless and this whole nifty thing is still in an early state. :)

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I think I found another possible cable: https://serialio.com//store/product_...2de18220188139

This one looks about the length I want too (it's short)

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

no, there are other ways to do things, but I like this way because it's cheap. If I had$$ I'd buy a 'My Book World Edition 1TB Network Drive'. Not to mention extra mass storage is handy when you don't have wifi acess (again too cheap to have a data plan).

That looks like a winner t3h! I have a non-otg cable like that, It's nice that you don't have flash drives hanging off the usb port or 3' of cable.

FYI, if anyone cares.
I tried a USB docking station w/external power. The USB hub worked fine with USB mass storage. The PS2 mouse and keyboard did not. Neither did the USB keyboard through the PS2 connector.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

The n800 connector is mini b, not mini a.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

So is there a 100% working OTG adaptor with a short cable (like the USB-A adaptor that Amazon has)?

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

slill haven't figured out one problem. how to get the keyboard to 'wake up' the screen.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

That may be "impossible"... I'd assume that N800 turns off the USB port power when in sleep, thus how the keyboard can operate?

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Maybe look into the very old threads. I believe there was a fix for this on the 770 in the early days when everybody was hacking around with USB host...

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Cable? No. http://www.twstore.com/gcusbafxm.html looks like the right thing in adapter shape, though. Unfortunately they aren't shipping beyond the US, so I'll have to locate something similar on that side of the pond...

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I bought some of these cables:

http://www.datapro.net/products/usb-...m-m-cable.html

They work fine for my full-speed mini-B application.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

A cable would be better i think, to avoid killing the usb socket in the N800.

hostman: have you tried this cable with an usb hub with a mini usb socket? I know a shop here in Hungary where I could buy a cable like this (very expensive :( ) but I would only buy it if it worked with a hub. So: N800 - cable - hub - usb device.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I bought the Amazon csble and removed most of the metal shielding (top and sides). Works like a charm!

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Why did you remove them?

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I have not tried that specific cable with a hub (I don't have any hubs with a mini-B downstream connector). I have, however, used a similar cable (mini-B to A-female to standard USB cable) to connect to hubs, etc. You can make either of these pretty easily; just cut up a couple of cables with the ends you want, and solder the colored wires together.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I have a 5p mini usb cable and I found only 4 cables + shield. As I understood I need 5 cables to make a proper OTG adaptor.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

This is the reason we need USB support on the tablets"
http://www.mensup.fr/usbwine/

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

yeah sure http://ugly.plzdiekthxbye.net/small/s232.gif

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I would be VERY VERY interested if someone managed to get VGA output working via USB. Please post if you do!

I can see a "docking station" for my N800 already; keyboard, HD, 100TX ethernet connector and VGA monitor connected through a powered USB hub... oooh, ahh...

PS: I got a keyboard working for the price of a female-female USB-A gender changer from Radio Shack (or The Source as they are called now in Canada).

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Ditto from maplins in the UK. Quick and easy, and combined with a cheap roll-up keyboard (yay aldi!), a damn sight cheaper than a new BT keyboard :)

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

did anyone try this? we have a maplins nearby, I already have a nano usb keyboard for my zaurus so I'm hot to test!

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

following on my previous post, did you find a gender changer that also does the slave-master USB switching?

thanks

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

It looks good, but is not wired correctly to make mode autoswitching work.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I have built the required cable. See http://www.harbaum.org/till/n800_usb for details.

BTW: I have switched the my forum view to some simple theme and the simple theme is missing lots of buttons e.g. the one to return to the more complex themes which would have allowed me to add real links ...

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I got 2 from Maplin last week a "USB A F-F" and "Mini-USB to A F" adpt. both work but they are not auto sensing so you have to manually edit the mode file.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

as BOFH stated, these aren't auto-sensing. I don't believe a USB gender-bender can be as they're 4 pin, not the pre-requisite 5 pin. Maplin sell mini-usb plugs for those who like soldering (or 'soddering' for all american readers :p ) but these are also only 4 pin :(


But it should be easy to write a .desktop file to swap between modes, shouldn't it? I'll have a go and post something if I get it to work

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

thanks for that; I guess a simple desktop applet would be OK in lieue of auto-switching. I can't believe that Nokia didn't learn from the 770 to put in the right connector - the Sharp Zaurus 1000,3x00 and 6000 were all done "properly"- earlier versions couldn't have done host mode anyway - I've gently pushed my zaurus host connector into the n800 port and I could imagine that the adaptor could be gently hammered and dremelled to fit!

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Has anybody tried the Flasher options:

After a clean flash of 2008 on my N800, I enabled R&D rebooted and then ran the --enable and got a msg that my N800 is now in HOST mode.

But when it boot (even after a reboot) playing a usb device in did nothing {using a A-miniF adpt (4 pin)}.
The mode file was still idle, anybody know what this does or is it for some factory level mode like the ColdBoot option?

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

another confirmation :

OS2008 + N800 + custom cable (pin 4 and 5 shorted)


and the N800 switch instantly to Host.

worked with USB drives, Canon A60 camera and compact flash reader.

didn't try any keyboard

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I have found a good link to dive into the topic (pdf warning):
http://www.usb.org/developers/ontheg...mechanical.pdf

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

if you search this forum you will see that i already explained how usb otg works and what you have to do to make it work automatically!cheers!

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

I'm going to build my own cable (looks easy enough) to short pin 4/5, but in the meantime since I didn't have one to sacrifice I decided to just try it with a home made "gender-bender" (as opposed to Bender-the-offender); I simply took two female USB A jacks that I had from an electronics store and soldered them together pin-to-pin to make the adapter. I then plugged the USB cable that came with the N800 into one side, and a usb keyboard on the other. Manually set the device into host mode (running the latest "official" OS 2008 release), but nothing happened. The screen came up and said "Usb device not supported" as everyone says it should, but then, nada. Doing a cat of the mode file simply reports a_idle, and dmesg doesn't seem to show any useful information.
Is there something I'm missing here? Does a store-bought changer swap TX/RX or something? I'd like to have this working as a test before I spend my time destorying a few more USB cables for the auto-switching...
Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Frmo what i read the n800 has 200mah output, might not be enough to run a keyboard - if so you need to power it somehow

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

not all usb keyboards work! try a Genius usb keyboard! i have one and it's working perfect!

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

Hey, for debugging, try:

dmesg -c

in console. You should be able to see what's going on exactly. It may be you need a kernel module for the device you're using. I haven't had any luck with an Apple USB keyboard I tried, but everything else has worked. Had to use CDC-ACM class driver for a USB-Serial device.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

http://www.minidisc.com.au/iaudio-x5...ble-p-958.html
....this wouldnt work....?

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

In all probability, the male end is probably mini-A, since the OTG standard specifies it that way (i.e., mini-A for the host end) IIRC. In any case, you can remove part of the metal shielding off that end and it will fit snugly into the N800 socket. There is a reference somewhere stating that all the metal shielding should be taken off, which would make the plug not fit well into the N800. If you remove the top and sides off the metal shielding, you will be home free.

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

actually the Cowon X5 only has a Mini USB B connection, so unless the A one fits in it...

Re: N800 USB Host Mode Experiment
 

will the usb cable hack also work for micro usb which is used by n810?