Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
greyhound716
Memberzbird,
This shouldn’t be the issue, but have you flashed to the most recent firmware? I’d recommend doing that and doing a reset of the default settings in eeprom. If you still get this odd behavior, it might be a hardware issue.
Steps to update firmware are at http://www.synthetos.com/wiki/index.php?title=Projects:TinyG-UpdateFirmware. I don’t recall the “reset to default” command, but I think it’s on the help menu.
-MattMemberUnfortunately, I think this means that while your kernel knows about USB host stuff, the ICS Android components aren’t enabled on your device. You might want to follow up with the Cyanogen Mod forums to see if there are plans to provide this support, or if it should be working. The fact that the platform doesn’t let you get the app from Google Play seems to confirm this. Sorry!
The app is still usable by you using the network support (connected to either my helper java program or tgFX), but it looks like the app itself won’t work for you until Cyanogen provides support for USB host mode.
-MattMemberFabrice,
I’ve added an activity to the USB service app that will help with testing. This means that the app will be visible in the launcher as well as work “behind the scenes” for the main app. When you run this app, it will bring up a text screen with two buttons – search and connect. If you press search, it will enumerate all of the USB devices it thinks are attached and display their product and vendor IDs. When you press connect, it will attempt to connect to the first device that it found with the right signature, enumerate the endpoints, and tell you the result.
You can press these buttons as many times as you want, trying to plug and re-plug devices in to see what changes. I’m concerned that the problems you are having relate to the beta nature of the ICS implementation for HP, but hopefully you’ll see a pattern that works.
You can download the new test version from https://github.com/mattstock/android-tinyg/TinyG%20USB%20Service%20v13a.apk/qr_code. If you want, send me a screenshot of the data you get after playing around, and I’ll see if I can dig any deeper.
-MattMemberI think I see part of the issue. The USB diagnostic tool does not “declare” that it uses the USB host features and I do – that means that Google Play can filter based on that and the reported capabilities of your device/Android version. For some reason, your device doesn’t think it has USB host support, but it appears that it supports at least some of the API.
I looked back in the thread and found your system info. Since you have ICS and clearly the other app works, I suspect the problem is somewhere in my code.
I’ll put together an app later today to see if we can track it down.
MemberI think you might be on to something with the version levels, etc.
Unless Alden or Riley object, let’s keep this in the thread – if you’re having the problem, chances are someone else is as well.
The only requirements for the USB app are Android 3.1 or greater. In theory, if you were able to install the USB diagnostic app from Google Play, you should be able to do the same for the TinyG app.
Can you send me details on your device (name, version of android)? I’ll see if I can put together a diagnostic app to see what’s going on.
MemberFabrice,
We’re getting closer. 🙂 If you can see the TinyG in the USB diagnostic tool, you will be able to use the app.
I think the current problem is that you’re running older versions of the at least one of the apps. Last night I updated Google Play so that it had v1.3, but not github.
You can get them from Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.csgeeks.TinyG and https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.csgeeks.TinyG.USB.
You can also download the apks you need directly from github: https://github.com/mattstock/android-tinyg/downloads.
Install BOTH of the apks. Then give it a try.
-MattMemberNew versions (v1.3) of both the USB service and the TinyG app are up on Google Play. It’s still a work in progress, but I believe the gcode upload is working well, and it should be a bit easier to use now. Please give it a try and let me know if you run into any problems. I was able to put it through several dry runs of a 660 line gcode file without any apparent problems on USB. I have also tested the network version, but not as extensively.
Time permitting, I’m going to do a live test tomorrow.
-MattMemberI’m putting some final touches on a version that is much more robust – doesn’t crash when the device isn’t attached, provides helpful warning messages, etc. The code is up on github, and I’ll put up new apk’s tonight for eval.
I have some rudimentary gcode file upload code working, but it’s not ready for prime time.
-MattMemberFabrice,
I think I know what’s going on. I didn’t put up any guard rails in the app, telling you when certain options are/aren’t available. I’m going to spend some time doing that and I’ll probably have a test release for you to try when you have some time to look at it. You’ve already pointed out a couple of weak points there, so thanks.
-MattMemberFabrice,
I saw this during my lunch break, so maybe you still have time to play around before you have to leave town.
If you see it with USB device info, you’ll probably be ok.
USB support for the app is done via another helper app “TinyG for Android USB Service”. It’s not up on Google Play as yet, but you can download it from github at https://github.com/mattstock/android-tinyg-usb/TinyG USB Service.apk. I suspect you’re getting an error like “can’t start service” because it’s not installed.
Once the app is installed (it won’t show up on the default app list), you connect as follows:
1. Bring up TinyG for Android, press menu and choose Settings.
2. Option 3, choose USB as the driver type.
3. Exit the app.
4. Connect your USB cable.
5. Start the app, press connect.You should get the permissions prompt at this point.
If it still doesn’t work, let me know and I might give you a test program to try out.
-MattMemberI managed to get a fair amount done tonight. See http://randommusicdesign.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-tinyg-for-android-app-demo.html for a summary of the features and a new video of both USB and network connectivity. I’ve also published the main app to Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.csgeeks.TinyG. I’ll do the USB one soon, but both are up on github with all of the code anyway.
Riley/Alden, I used some of your photo and icon materials in the app. I figured it would be helpful to keep a consistent style. If you’d rather I put something else together, please let me know.
MemberI don’t know much about it, just was reading some of the FTDI spec docs to learn a little more about the USB interface. It appears that the PID and VID can be set in the internal eeprom using USB commands. See bottom of page 34 in http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/DataSheets/ICs/DS_FT232R.pdf. It appears that as long as you use the FTDI VID, they will give you a free block of PIDs if you ask nicely. I suspect getting a VID would require going through the USB trade group and paying a lot of money – not really worth it IMO.
-MattMemberThe USB mode seems to be working fairly well – I’m getting some spurious junk in the sr responses every so often that I have to track down. Doesn’t impact functionality.
I’ve uploaded binaries to github for both the base TinyG for Android app that supports network connections via tgFX, and the USB Service which allows direct connection for Android 3.1 and up using USB host mode. See https://github.com/mattstock for details. I want to do some additional tweaking to make things more robust before I publish to Google Play.
I’m having trouble getting decent video – focus issues on the tablet screen. It’s very cool though – this is exactly why I bought the TinyG.
-MattMemberI got the USB serial code working! It’s going to take me a little while to integrate my testing code into the TinyG app itself, but now that I know how to set the line control settings, it’s mostly a matter of writing the correct buffering code. libftdi was a huge help.
Fabrice, do you have your TinyG yet? If so, are you willing to give the code a test run? Should be ready in a day or two.
-MattMemberCool. The difference between bluetooth and USB I suspect isn’t very high at a programmatic level. If blueterm exports a service I can use to talk to it from another activity, it might be worth supporting as another “endpoint.” I don’t have a bluetooth chip right now though, and frankly I’m concerned about gcode file transmissions/flow control and interference. It’s taking me a little longer to refactor the code to support talking to a service in another android app, but I believe I should have something soon. The learning curve on the deep Android stuff has been steep, but the code is getting cleaner the father I go.
Some things I’m working on:
Broadcasting of TinyG status info – any activity can listen and get data.
Messaging to send TinyG commands – works between apps, which is needed for USB.
Common abstraction for network and USB drivers – makes adding more features easier.
Display and edit machine parametersOnce I get the current feature set working reliably with network (again), I’m going to get the rest of the USB stuff together. The hardest part of this is actually having the user select which USB device to use!
I’ll do a longer demo video once I get the network part functioning. More when I have it.
-
AuthorPosts
