Re: [M100] Android TV TDPP Box

[kurt . mccullum]

That part is already done. You only have to give the new version permission 
once. I'll post that soon

Kurt

On Mar 31, 2018 11:44 AM, Josh Malone  wrote:
>
> That's really good news. I'd love for the Android mComm to auto-launch 
> when the serial device is attached. As it stands this requires lots of 
> tapping on my part, partly because it's constantly re-asking for 
> serial device permission :( 
>
> On Sat, Mar 31, 2018 at 2:11 PM, Kurt McCullum  wrote: 
> > I’ve been working on my stand alone Android TV TPDD box. Initial tests are 
> > very promising. I have managed to tweak mComm so that whenever a USB to 
> > serial adapter is inserted into an Android TV Box (Or phone), mComm starts. 
> > I’ve added an AutoStart checkbox to it to tell the software to go into TPDD 
> > mode. What this allows me to do is have a very inexpensive Android TV box 
> > act as a stand-alone TPDD drive. The only cables hooked up to the box are 
> > power and the USB serial adapter. The device is running Android 6.0.1, has 
> > 1Gig of ram (Of which 512mb is being used by the system) and 8 gigs of 
> > storage (Of which 3.25 gigs is being used by the system). What I end up 
> > with 
> > is a 4.75GB TPDD emulator. To put that in floppy disk terms, that equals 
> > just under 50 thousand TPDD1 floppies or just under 25 thousand TPDD2 
> > floppies. All enclosed in a 4”x4”x1” square. More than enough for anyone I 
> > would imagine. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Current issues that need to be ironed out are as follows. 
> > 
> > 1.   No current way two automatically switch between TPDD and Virtual 
> > modem mode. Not a huge issue and I think I may be able to solve this 
> > eventually. 
> > 
> > 2.   If you unplug the TV box and then plug it back in (Or reboot) with 
> > the USB to serial adapter plugged in, mComm tries to start but doesn’t work 
> > properly. I’m working on this in code and hope to have a solution soon. 
> > 
> > 3.   If you don’t have WiFi or Ethernet enabled, there is no way to set 
> > the clock. So the system time starts at 1/1/1970. Not sure there is 
> > anything 
> > I can do about this one but it is what it is. 
> > 
> > 4.   Only FTDI and Prolific serial adapters are able to autostart mComm 
> > when plugged in. Sorry, but I don’t have any other kinds and since those 
> > are 
> > the big two, I figure it’s not a huge deal. 
> > 
> > 5.   Injecting TS-DOS or TEENY requires 4 lines of BASIC code rather 
> > than a couple button pushes on the screen. Since there is no screen, this 
> > is 
> > how it has to be done. 
> > 
> > 6.   It’s not mobile. That’s just the reality of the power supply. 5v 
> > 2amp. REX or your Android phone should be used for this. Or if you are 
> > lucky 
> > enough to have a NADSBox, then you don’t need any of this. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > That’s all for now. I’ll keep everyone up to date on the progress. I plan 
> > to 
> > post how to build one yourself, but if there is interest I could put these 
> > together and offer them for sale. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Kurt 

Re: [M100] Android TV TDPP Box

[Kevin Becker]

This is really cool.

On Mar 31, 2018, at 2:11 PM, Kurt McCullum  wrote:

I’ve been working on my stand alone Android TV TPDD box. Initial tests are
very promising. I have managed to tweak mComm so that whenever a USB to
serial adapter is inserted into an Android TV Box (Or phone), mComm starts.
I’ve added an AutoStart checkbox to it to tell the software to go into TPDD
mode. What this allows me to do is have a very inexpensive Android TV box
act as a stand-alone TPDD drive. The only cables hooked up to the box are
power and the USB serial adapter. The device is running Android 6.0.1, has
1Gig of ram (Of which 512mb is being used by the system) and 8 gigs of
storage (Of which 3.25 gigs is being used by the system). What I end up
with is a 4.75GB TPDD emulator. To put that in floppy disk terms, that
equals just under 50 thousand TPDD1 floppies or just under 25 thousand
TPDD2 floppies. All enclosed in a 4”x4”x1” square. More than enough for
anyone I would imagine.



Current issues that need to be ironed out are as follows.

1.   No current way two automatically switch between TPDD and Virtual
modem mode. Not a huge issue and I think I may be able to solve this
eventually.

2.   If you unplug the TV box and then plug it back in (Or reboot) with
the USB to serial adapter plugged in, mComm tries to start but doesn’t work
properly. I’m working on this in code and hope to have a solution soon.

3.   If you don’t have WiFi or Ethernet enabled, there is no way to set
the clock. So the system time starts at 1/1/1970. Not sure there is
anything I can do about this one but it is what it is.

4.   Only FTDI and Prolific serial adapters are able to autostart mComm
when plugged in. Sorry, but I don’t have any other kinds and since those
are the big two, I figure it’s not a huge deal.

5.   Injecting TS-DOS or TEENY requires 4 lines of BASIC code rather
than a couple button pushes on the screen. Since there is no screen, this
is how it has to be done.

6.   It’s not mobile. That’s just the reality of the power supply. 5v
2amp. REX or your Android phone should be used for this. Or if you are
lucky enough to have a NADSBox, then you don’t need any of this.



That’s all for now. I’ll keep everyone up to date on the progress. I plan
to post how to build one yourself, but if there is interest I could put
these together and offer them for sale.



Kurt

Re: [M100] Android TV TDPP Box

[Josh Malone]

That's really good news. I'd love for the Android mComm to auto-launch
when the serial device is attached. As it stands this requires lots of
tapping on my part, partly because it's constantly re-asking for
serial device permission :(

On Sat, Mar 31, 2018 at 2:11 PM, Kurt McCullum  wrote:
> I’ve been working on my stand alone Android TV TPDD box. Initial tests are
> very promising. I have managed to tweak mComm so that whenever a USB to
> serial adapter is inserted into an Android TV Box (Or phone), mComm starts.
> I’ve added an AutoStart checkbox to it to tell the software to go into TPDD
> mode. What this allows me to do is have a very inexpensive Android TV box
> act as a stand-alone TPDD drive. The only cables hooked up to the box are
> power and the USB serial adapter. The device is running Android 6.0.1, has
> 1Gig of ram (Of which 512mb is being used by the system) and 8 gigs of
> storage (Of which 3.25 gigs is being used by the system). What I end up with
> is a 4.75GB TPDD emulator. To put that in floppy disk terms, that equals
> just under 50 thousand TPDD1 floppies or just under 25 thousand TPDD2
> floppies. All enclosed in a 4”x4”x1” square. More than enough for anyone I
> would imagine.
>
>
>
> Current issues that need to be ironed out are as follows.
>
> 1.   No current way two automatically switch between TPDD and Virtual
> modem mode. Not a huge issue and I think I may be able to solve this
> eventually.
>
> 2.   If you unplug the TV box and then plug it back in (Or reboot) with
> the USB to serial adapter plugged in, mComm tries to start but doesn’t work
> properly. I’m working on this in code and hope to have a solution soon.
>
> 3.   If you don’t have WiFi or Ethernet enabled, there is no way to set
> the clock. So the system time starts at 1/1/1970. Not sure there is anything
> I can do about this one but it is what it is.
>
> 4.   Only FTDI and Prolific serial adapters are able to autostart mComm
> when plugged in. Sorry, but I don’t have any other kinds and since those are
> the big two, I figure it’s not a huge deal.
>
> 5.   Injecting TS-DOS or TEENY requires 4 lines of BASIC code rather
> than a couple button pushes on the screen. Since there is no screen, this is
> how it has to be done.
>
> 6.   It’s not mobile. That’s just the reality of the power supply. 5v
> 2amp. REX or your Android phone should be used for this. Or if you are lucky
> enough to have a NADSBox, then you don’t need any of this.
>
>
>
> That’s all for now. I’ll keep everyone up to date on the progress. I plan to
> post how to build one yourself, but if there is interest I could put these
> together and offer them for sale.
>
>
>
> Kurt