Michael Mrozek (EvilDragon) 1. The GP32 started it all (2001) - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

GP32, the Pandora and the Pyra – past, present and future

• f OpenSource-(Gaming)-Handhelds

Michael Mrozek (EvilDragon)

• 1. The GP32 started it all (2001)
• Originally closed source, commercial handheld made by a small

company from Korea

• Using standard

SmartMediaCards: Hacked and opened up for homebrew by the community

• 2. The successor: GP2X goes Linux (2005)
• As the GP32 better thanks to the homebrew community, GPH

decided to focus on OpenSource, not locking down the community

• GP2X was the most successful

OpenSource dedicated handheld out there

• 3. The split: Gaming handhelds and a mini PC suited for

gaming (2008)

• Created by former community

members and distributors of the GP2X, the Pandora is born

• A

mixture

• f a

gaming PC and a miniature PC opens a lot more possibilities – for gamers, developers and business users

• 4. The Pandora
• Created based on ideas from the community
• Core team consisting of fjve people – scattered all over the world
• First OpenSource handheld to run a Linux desktop with standard

libraries

• Production issues (partly due to inexperience) lead to huge delays
• Release was planned end of 2008 – in reality it happened in 2010.
• The project nearly died thanks to one of the core members but has

been saved and resurrected by the others and the community.

• Production running stable since 2011, over 7000 units sold and

delivered

• End of Life 2014 (Some parts are impossible to be sourced)

• 5. Technical Details
• Processor: OMAP3 Cortex A8 with 3D SGX GPU
• Bluetooth + Wifj
• Memory: 512MB internal NAND and 512MB RAM
• 4,3” 800x480 touchscreen
• 2 SDXC Card slots (up to 2x256GB)
• Mini USB Port, USB2.0 Host Port
• Analog TV Out, Serial out
• Keyboard, Gaming Controls
• Huge replaceable battery with more than 10 hours usage time

• 6. Pandora main uses overview
• Play classic games via an emulator (consoles, computers,

handhelds, DOS)

• Play native Linux games and ports / remakes
• Use as general purpose mini PC (Internet, administration, offjce

suite, Music production, etc.)

• Develop and compile directly on the system
• Both suited for normal users (no Linux experience needed,

everything pre-installed, easy package manager available) → Large community has developed around it, consisting of all kinds of difgerent members (devs, musicians, users, gamers, etc.)

• 7. Things that can be improved
• Small NAND: Special Linux distribution needed (OpenEmbedded)

→ a lot of work to keep up-to-date (you can run OS from SD Card) → But: Own, easy to use package format has been created

• CPU is a bit slow for demanding tasks
• Not enough RAM for proper desktop usage
• HDMI port missing
• Keyboard can't be seen in the dark
• Screen resolution is less than 800x600 (which is what a lot of Linux

programs use as minimum resolution)

• Case / Nub quality
• Some closed-source drivers (Wifj, SGX)

• 8. Things that are great
• Size, battery life, combination of keyboard and gaming controls
• Standard Linux system: Easy to port programs and games to
• Analog volume wheel
• Standard I/O ports
• Open, free, fmexible, no registration needed, unbrickable design
• PND-System (incl. PNDManager):

Uses SD-Cards for programs System is not afgected if SD Card is lost / broken Easy to handle both directly on the system or from any PC

• Standard hardware: Software is being optimized to run

perfectly on the system

• 9. Pyra
• Internal storage: MicroSD Card and 8/16/32GB eMMc
• CPU upgraded to OMAP5 Cortex A15 (about 8 times as fast)
• RAM upgraded to 2GB
• Standard HDMI port
• Backlit keyboard (brightness can be adjusted in software)
• 5” 1280x720 LCD T
• uchscreen
• Better nubs, Case designed and produced in Europe (Greece)
• Standard Ports: USB2.0, Micro USB3.0 OTG, Micro USB Debug /

Charging Port, USB2.0/eSATA combo port

• Working with European companies to ensure quality and faster

turnaround in development / production

• … but still some closed-source drivers (at least SGX)

Keep what's good Improve what can be improved Learn from the past to improve development / production.

Operating System:

• Standard Debian ARM with optimized packages to support

hardware features (acceleration, power saving, etc.)

• User-Friendly default setup
• Include useful Pandora-Developments as standard (OpenGL

Wrapper (glshim), PND-System, etc.) → We provide our own repository with Pyra-optimized / specialized stufg on top of the standard Debian repository Goal: Not to create a custom distribution. Stick to main Debian as close as possible and ofger improvements

• n top

Case:

• Designed and manufactured in Greece, based on the Pandora

case and community input and my ideas Current status:

• Basic design fjnished, now being optimized together with the

PCB designer

• Some things will still change (LCD, Battery, etc.) as we haven't

decided on those

Keymat:

• Keymat is

currently being designed

• transparent

silicon keymat with plastic caps glued on top

PCB:

• Pyra has 3 PCBs:

Mainboard, CPU board (replaceable!), LCD-Driver board Current Status:

• Mainboard Layout is mostly fjnished, currently being tweaked

together with the case designer

• LCD Driver PCB layout is mostly fjnished as well
• CPU PCB: Size and location of parts fjnished.

Layouting will start this month

Follow the development: Development happens in the public! See how everything takes shape. Learn about production, issues, solutions with our blog posts and forum answers.

http://www.pyra-handheld.com/

T witter: EvilDragon1717 Forum:

http://boards.openpandora.org/

Sales, availability, ordering, Price?

• Preorders won't start before everything is ready for mass production

(means: Working prototypes with cases!)

• Price: Not fjxed yet, probably about 500 EUR
• First batch exclusively available from my own shop, distributors will

be setup worldwide after that

• At least 1000 units need to be preordered
• Kickstarter? Maybe – to increase popularity and ofger stretch goals
• Availability? Most probably sometime 2015!

Thanks for listening :) All kind of support (ideas, donations, development, sharing) is welcome!

Get the Pandora, more OpenSource handhelds and Retro stufg:

https://www.dragonbox.de/