[chbot] Low cost WiFi, serial adaptor, tiny Linux

[Volker Kuhlmann]

On Tue 27 May 2014 07:46:47 NZST +1200, Mark Atherton wrote:

> http://www.dx.com/s/264680

Cool stuff.

Issues:
The main board schematic is missing, only the connector board one is
provided.
All the software is mickeymouse only.
Configuration is by BUI, so the software is preloaded.
There is no website, the manual file is on a file sharehoster site.
There is no software to upload.
Upload instructions and s/w are absent.
Source code is absent, in violation of the GPL (assuming this thing runs
Linux).
If it doesn't run Linux, it runs some proprietory stuff and is of little
tinker value and can only be used as a black box as-is, where-is. (I
would not open my house up to wireless like that.)

If you can solve the software problem, maybe.

> If that is a bit large, how about
> https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/vocore-a-coin-sized-linux-computer-with-wifi

Better. Open hardware, open source, so kills the no-name even at twice
the price.
Be aware though that the OS runs as an add-on/afterthought on
the wireless chip. And that could be the problem, there's no datasheet.

http://telecommunicationnews.net/2010/11/08/ralink-announces-rt5350-the-world%E2%80%99s-first-802-11n-router-on-a-chip-for-emerging-wlan-aprouter/

http://www.ralinktech.com/en/
Website no longer exists, Ralink has been bought by Mediatek.

The chip's page is here:
http://www.mediatek.com/en/products/connectivity/wifi/home-network/wifi-ap/rt5350/

No info available, not even a blurb.
Good luck with getting datasheets out of mediatek...

Somehow, if it's a proper open source project (to be verified), source
code and a means to upload it must be available.
Ah, it runs openwrt, which has support for the wifi etc hardware
included.

The developer's blog with much more info, including how to upload
openwrt, is here:
http://vonger.cn/

Volker

-- 
Volker Kuhlmann
http://volker.top.geek.nz/	Please do not CC list postings to me.