Success !!! Android on the Jetbook

[gr8npwrfl]

I made a major breakthrough today !!

I got the signon screen up and running on the jetbook running Android 2.0 !

Now I have to figure how to get the multi-touch touchscreen working then we are styling.
I have no way to input commands to the jetbook at this time. I am digging into the usb driver for the dragonball processor that is used in the jetbook to see if I can turn on the USB host, If I can get that running I will be able to control HID devices like keyboards and mice.

[daffy4u]

Does the Jetbook have a touch screen or are you installing a touch screen onto the Jetbook casing? I thought it was all buttons.

[Kralik]

Wow, fantastic!

[gr8npwrfl]

No the jetbook does not have a touchscreen, I am looking for one like they install on the netbooks that has a serial controller. I am just having a hard time trying to find one.

This will allow me to run all the apps that are available for Android 2.1 !

If I have to I will write a button driver so that a touchscreen is not needed.

Instead of trying to do that on the jetbook. I will tack a series of buttons to a Beagleboard that has:

* Over 1,200 Dhrystone MIPS using the superscalar ARM Cortex-A8 with highly accurate branch prediction and 256KB L2 cache running at at 600MHz
* OpenGL© ES 2.0 capable 2D/3D graphics accelerator capable of rendering 10 million polygons per second
* HD video capable TMS320C64x+ DSP for versatile signal processing at up to 430MHz

Expansion capability and power options to satisfy your imagination:

* DVI-D for connecting digital computer monitors
* Compatibility with a huge collection of USB peripherals including hubs, keyboards, mice, WiFi, Bluetooth, web cameras, and much more
* MMC+/SD/SDIO interface for memory or wireless connectivity
* S-Video out for connecting your NTSC or PAL television or wearable visor
* Stereo audio in and out for a microphone and headphones or speakers

I already have Android running on this and by mimicking the jetbook keys I can debug the driver.

This would allow a functional version of Android to run along with:

FBreader
Mobireader
PDF reader
TXT reader

As well as more than 200 Free Android apps to run on the jetbook. There is even a webbrowser and email client already running on Android.

I have even contemplated taking the Beagle Board and hooking up two 5 inch REFLECTIVE color panels that hinge and fold to make a unit that folded would be the size of the jetbook and yet when opened would make a 10 inch screen that was 640 x 960 resolution.

But I want to get a version of Android that other people can tinker with here without modifying their jetbook.

A lot of work yet, but when I compiled the system and got the sign in screen on the jetbook it made my day.

[daffy4u]

I see. Great project. Good luck!

[GhostHawk]

Interesting idea!

[youssef]

if you can do this then it will be the end of the ectaco firmware,

did you try it on jetbook or jetbook lite ?

[gr8npwrfl]

I am using an original jetbook.

I am going out to buy a jetbook lite so I have something to read. Also once I have the software done then I can test it on the lite.

I have a new jtag device coming so I can take apart their boot flash routine. I am only able to install Android because I use the jtag interface to flash my device. ( I did save their boot loader )

For other people to use my ported Android, I will have to fool the jetbook flash loader to loading my code and then flashing the device with Android.

This will make it so a person can flash Android to their JB or JBL and try it out. If they don' like it or want to send the unit in under warranty they would flash back to the original jetbook firmware. We can not expect Ectaco to support an OS they did not put on the unit.

I have done the same thing for years on my Motorola Cell phones, Iphones, Ipods, and routers and other devices.

Once we are on Android, we can use FBreader that is written in java, and you will be able to have any fonts, any size text, hyperlinks, soon annotation, and many other features. There are also already programs that do PDF files with reflow, text reader programs, read excel data files, and so many things we only wish we could do.

Porting Android is not really that hard, we could even end up with a Sony or Kindle that runs Android.

I am working on a prototype of the type of e-reader device I WANT.

I want an e-reader with a 10 inch screen that fits in my pocket.
Two of the COLOR jetbook 5 inch screens with a small seem down the middle that folds and protects the screens when not in use. That runs reflective TFT when you are reading books at 768 x 1024, but a backlight that can be turned on when you want to read in the evening. Multi-touch screen and USB Host. I can drive a printer, keyboad, mouse, graphic tablet, and even an external HDMI big screen tv. In book mode power needs to last 20 hours without the backlight. Wireless and ability to teather through the usb to your existing cell phone. Java enabled browser so I can go to ANY ebook site and download and read any ebook I want. Play videos and load any other Android app that other talented programmers come up with.

I already have two 4 inch color reflective tft screens and a 600Mhz cpu board that has USB host, HDMI output, 2d,3d video acceleration 128 meg of flash and 256 meg ram, SD/MMC card interface. Putting it together now.

Have to work out how to have two touch screens on two displays work at the same time as one unit so the screen can fold.

[Ron46]

Wizard, Your Android project is really interesting. I wish you every success and will be one of the first to try it out.

[SciFiGal777]

I also think this is interesting!

[mitchwah]

Very interesting indeed! I wish you luck on your project.

[Begemot]

This is great news indeed, nice progress!

However, i have a question about CPU on Libre/jetbook.

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/LCD_..._Reader_Matrix
says it is ARM9 200Mhz (ie ARM instruction set)

You say it is Dragonball, which implies 68000 instruction set, does it not?
EDIT: Answering my own question http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freescale_DragonBall
it appears newer versions of Dragonball are based on ARM9 and ARM11.

Obviously, since you got a custom image running on it, you are right.

Still, which exact CPU is it?

[bob1xxx]

LOL crazy S%&T man LOL, next thing you know someone going to come up with a app to control predator drones with a jetbook LOL

[mazer]

So there was never any progress on this?

It is a shame because this is so exciting

[theinternetftw]

Yeah, any progress? This sounds fantastic, I'd happily crack my jetbook open and make a JTAG cable to see this.

Hell, if a wall was hit making the JB interface/run well with android, has there been enough progress on the boot front to run OpenInkpot?