The XO Computer for Navigation

[phiggins]

When I first got my XO I tested it on the boat running from the inverter and found it to draw about .8 amps. I'm planning to hard wire it in direct to 12V in the next few days so I'll let you know the results.

Paul

[phiggins]

Today it was pouring rain at the boat but had excellent AIS reception. I was getting targets 35nm away. I found the bug in my program that was preventing me seeing some targets on the radar screen.

Paul

[phiggins]

Seems these XO's are not as rugged as they were advertised. I accidently got some rain water leaking onto the navigation table right onto the XO's keyboard. I was able to start it up but the keyboard wouldn't work at all even after I dried it out for a day using a fan.

I did some google's and found that there seems to be a lot of problems with the keyboard, not as robust as they told us. So I went and bought a wireless keyboard and mouse. The first one I bought didn't work at all but the second worked perfectly (Logitech).

Never did like the small keyboard anyway (you can justify anything if you try hard enough).

Paul

[Maren]

Originally Posted by phiggins

Never did like the small keyboard anyway (you can justify anything if you try hard enough).

That's good, I have been looking to justify a new keyboard myself. I really am impressed with what you have been able to do with the XO.

[agkirk]

Paul, I assume you are aware of one persons keyboard replacement effort at:

Installing a USB Keyboard into an OLPC XO Laptop, Phase I - Instructables - DIY, How To, tech, offbeat - Entry

and

Finishing the Job: Installing a USB Keyboard into an OLPC XO Laptop, Phase II - Instructables - DIY, How To, tech, offbeat - Entry

Sorry to hear of your problem.

Alan

[phiggins]

Alan,

Yes thanks I did see that article and read in through and decide it wasn't that easy but I might give it a try. There are some advantages to having the small keyboard. The big keyboard does take up a lot of room on my small navigation table.

One thing I want to try with the wireless keyboard is to run the XO as a tablet PC with the screen folded onto the original keyboard. With it like that it would be neat to mount the XO on a swing out arm. Anyone seen a support arm like that? I saw PC screens mounted that way at my bank.

Paul

[dacust]

Originally Posted by phiggins

Alan,

Yes thanks I did see that article and read in through and decide it wasn't that easy but I might give it a try. There are some advantages to having the small keyboard. The big keyboard does take up a lot of room on my small navigation table.

One thing I want to try with the wireless keyboard is to run the XO as a tablet PC with the screen folded onto the original keyboard. With it like that it would be neat to mount the XO on a swing out arm. Anyone seen a support arm like that? I saw PC screens mounted that way at my bank.

Paul

Paul,

Try RAM Mounting Systems, Inc.

They ain't cheap, but they're really rugged. Given how light the XO is, I bet the laptop mounts would be very steady for you application.

-dan

[idpnd]

Originally Posted by phiggins

Alan,

Yes thanks I did see that article and read in through and decide it wasn't that easy but I might give it a try. There are some advantages to having the small keyboard. The big keyboard does take up a lot of room on my small navigation table.

One thing I want to try with the wireless keyboard is to run the XO as a tablet PC with the screen folded onto the original keyboard. With it like that it would be neat to mount the XO on a swing out arm. Anyone seen a support arm like that? I saw PC screens mounted that way at my bank.

Paul

I have been following these discussions and the seafarer thread, + I've only tried seafarer. It seems from you photos above that you prefer seaclear 2 + wine. Is that so? Could you explain your preference?

Thanks

[phiggins]

Thanks dan that is sort of what I was looking for. I also found this:
15" to 25" Desk Mounts - Lee Valley Tools

Idpnd,
One reason I like Seaclear II because it works both on Linux and XP. I plan to use my PC/XP as backup to the XO/Linux and its nice to use the same navigation program. Also, SeaClear just works so well under wine on Linux . I have yet to find anything that doesn't work on SeaClear under wine on Linux. It even seems more responsive than the native Linux navigation programs like SeaFarer and Mariner.

And SeaFarer had a lot of problems when I first tested it. I believe they actually used my asigps_sim program to get it working properly. I asked them to notify me when they had the problems fixed but never did hear from them. One good feature about SeaFarer that SeaClear didn't have was the Tides.

Paul

[phiggins]

Went to the boat yesterday to check out how to mount the XO as a tablet. Found my wireless keyboard wouldn't work. Tried the wireless keyboard on my PC and it worked OK so I started fiddling with the XO and when I pressed the CTRL key on the original keyboard it did a Lazarus and came back from the dead. Now both the original keyboard and the wireless one work.

Strange.

[agkirk]

Paul, Just a reminder that the two game pad buttons work well to scroll web pages and through e-mail on Opera. The right pad up-downs a page at a time or top-bottom using the left-right arrows. The left pad seems to work a line at a time. Beats the arrow or touch pad most of the time. Might be useful if you go to the tablet layout.

Alan

[phiggins]

Thanks for the tip Alan. I'll give that a try.

I bought one of those Articulated-Arm Desk Mount :
15" to 25" Desk Mounts - Lee Valley Tools

to mount my XO while its in tablet position. Here are some pictures of it.

I'm thinking of trying one of those multi-port USB hubs so I don't have to run all 3 USB cables up to the XO, just one.

Paul

[dacust]

Paul,

That looks great. With a USB hub and the wireless keyboard/mouse it's a clean installation. Can you adjust the swing tension on the are to keep it from swinging back and forth with the roll? I'm thinking I might be able to use one of those on my boat.


-dan

[phiggins]

Dan,

I looked at the tension on the arm today and there doesn't seem to be a way to adjust it. It might cause the arm to sway in heavy seas. I would move the arm to the position in the 3rd photo and put a bungee on it.

I tested the USB hub and plugged all 3 USB cables into it and it works great. Now I have just one USB cord running up the arm with the power cord.

One thing I'm wrestling with is how to attach the XO to the plate at the end of the arm. In the photos I have just used masking tape to hold it on to test it out. I could take the keyboard apart and drill holes in the bottom but I don't think there is any room under the keyboard for screw heads. I also was thinking of 4200ing a piece of 1/2 plywood to the bottom of the keyboard and screwing into it. If you think of something else let me know.

Paul

[dacust]

Originally Posted by phiggins

One thing I'm wrestling with is how to attach the XO to the plate at the end of the arm. In the photos I have just used masking tape to hold it on to test it out. I could take the keyboard apart and drill holes in the bottom but I don't think there is any room under the keyboard for screw heads. I also was thinking of 4200ing a piece of 1/2 plywood to the bottom of the keyboard and screwing into it. If you think of something else let me know.

Paul,

I would agree with your reluctance to screw through the case. Even if you have room, screwing through unreinforced areas if the plastic is asking for cracks and failures.

Only thing I'd wonder about (and you've probably already considered it) is if you paste a piece of plywood on it, would that be in the way if you ever have to open it up? And would it cause any problem with heat transfer? A clue that it might depend on air flow across the bottom for cooling, it would have feet to create an air gap. Of course, it might have feet anyway. I've never seen an XO so this is blind speculation on my part.

If you decide those aren't a consideration, then it sounds like a good idea. Otherwise, putting vertical strips might let you accomplish the same thing but allow air flow, and the strips could be positioned to not block any case screws (if present). Might take more than 2 strip to be secure enough for your comfort. Less weight might make the arm more stable.

Just thinking on the fly...

-dan