[RabidRat]

When you said you were testing with a USB cable, were you connecting the controller board direclty to the USB cable, skipping the USB hub?

If so, how can I determine the pin-out of the controller board? I've been trying to find a spec sheet for hours to no avail.

Right now I'm just trying to determine if my touchscreen works or not; I'm not sure if I'm just hooking the wires up backwards.

[RabidRat]

n/m, got it =)

hmm not sure i'm entirely happy with how it responds yet either; gotta play around with calibration..

[Deldotb]

Great! I'm glad someone else has done it and can see what I mean. It does work much better with a stylus than a finger, and I really am thinking it works better connected to the internal USB bus. Are you using Ubuntu or Windows on your's? I had Ubuntu 8.10 running on it before I reinstalled the Dell Remix.

[Deldotb]

Originally Posted by UnaClocker

Selling the instructions/how-to guide... Eh.. Good luck.. Don't be surprised if someone else comes out with a how-to later on, and publishes it freely, like the guide that you followed for the internal USB hookup.. Might kill your sales. So don't go investing too heavily in that.

No, I will give the instructions away of course. Selling them goes against my open source philosophy.
What I was thinking about was selling a kit with all the parts one would need. Of course, now that I've stated it someone else will do it in 5 minutes! :-) Gotta love the Internet...
And I also will probably sell the entire computer, not the instructions. I was intending to sell it before I even started this project.

[strider_mt2k]

Good idea leveraging the USB port on the WWAN connections too.

Combine that with creative use of the wireless select switch and you could turn the touchscreen on and off via software!

[Deldotb]

Originally Posted by strider_mt2k

Good idea leveraging the USB port on the WWAN connections too.

Combine that with creative use of the wireless select switch and you could turn the touchscreen on and off via software!

That's another good idea. I've still been wishing for a good wiring schematic for the Mini...
You know, while we're in there it might not be a bad idea to somehow put a switch for the WiFi and/or Bluetooth, a manual switch, that is. I guess I just like the old-school ways still.

[Deldotb]

OK, guys. I have a preliminary, fugly install guide on my slow-ass website. The pictures are HUGE, but I'll trim those down too.
I will update it with the new pictures of the pin 36/38 internal USB soon.
http://dellmini.restmass.net


Suggestions/questions welcome at mini9_at_restmass_dot_net (scrambled for spam)

[strider_mt2k]

Thanks, it's your project that's getting the creative juices flowing here!

Member and uberdude acabtb is developing a small circuit that will allow one to switch a 5 volt line on and off using the 3.3 volt Wireless Select Switch lines. He's beta testing it I believe, so he should be announcing it's release soon.

I've always thought the vents on the access cover could nicely host a small slider switch if it was mounted properly.
Sometimes old tricks are the best tricks.

I like the writeup, but prepare for your site to be pummeled. I have a feeling it will be getting a lot of reading!

EDIT
I just tipped Gizmodo and Hackaday to your work.
Engadget had it first, but now your writeup is available, so there's more to read!

[Deldotb]

Unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage, $90/year. The speed could be better. :-(

bluehost.com

Not pimping them.

[yorgle]

Why didn't you tap into the USB lines from the missing WWAN connector like the gps, thumbdrive, etc mods?