Author Topic: Pdaxrom On Sigmarion Iii (Read 33538 times)

Xromer · « **on:** April 20, 2006, 06:15:27 am »

I saw this very interesting hardware. It' s based on the PXA 255 400Mhz and has a lot of features.
It has a 800X480 Display 5" width and WCDMA support.
Now i'm wondering if there' s a problability to have it working on PdaXrom.
As i see it should be only a driver issue because tha CPU it' s an ARM one.
But display it' s more readable and it has a bigger keyboard than Zauri and the WCDMA integration too.
It doesn' t cost really much . It should be an interesting Notebook subtitution.:-)
Check it out!
Let me know what you think.

tovarish · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2006, 07:21:37 am »

the first problem would be to run linux os on it. people have managed to run linux on ipaqs and mda pro. pdaxrom basically just needs a working xserver (over simplification maybe).

ArchiMark · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2006, 10:44:06 pm »

Hi Xromer,

I had a Sig3 about a year ago...very nice piece of hardware!

Very slim and light, with very nice size display and keyboard.

If only I could have put Linux on it I would have kept it.....

From what I learned, there is Linux available for the Sig2 in Japan, but it never got very far I think for the Sig3...don't know why....

However, without Linux I found it to be of limited value as you're stuck with only using older WinCE apps....not much support for them as they are considered 'older models' unsupported by their makers...

HTH,

Mark

Xromer · « **Reply #3 on:** April 21, 2006, 08:17:14 am »

Right, now i ordered it, because searching on the Internet i found there' s a distribution who made drivers for it.
It' s called PocketLinux, it was an old project. As i see there are many voices of it under Linux.
The programs for WinCE 4.1, i saw that are the same for PPC2003.
Yes i know, one of the Microsoft' s pleasure is to make old things unusable leaving them wihout software.
But, from now, i see that i may have all the Drivers and Tools to make SIG III works on WinCE.
And it will be a good exercise to make it work under Linux especially for PdaXrom.
From now i choose it as a Car Stereo substitution.
I will put an amplifier and connect the Sig III to it.
I saw that Pc Car Stereo suites cost a lot more than SIG III and you have to buy 2 things:
A motorized CAR LCD and a WinCe PC.
With SIG III it' s all in one and you have the keyboard too.
After that think it with PdaXrom working, i think could be the best compromise between Notebook and PocketPC.
I made a Linux installation on a Jornada 720, that has nearly the same features.
It works great!!!! Because you have like a dual boot, yo can use WinCE and make Linux boot from it.
Linux on my 720 is perfectly stable and the Installation remains stable and boots very fast as it' s only on the 1 GB CF i put in it. I have not to be afraid of any data lost.
That' s why i think that SIG III with Linux could be excellent and i think it' s possible.
It' s only a question of Kernel drivers, like Touch Screen, keyboard etc.
As the CPU it' s an ARM one and the kernel already exists and embedded systems use nearly the same hardware as there are not so many fabricants.
When it will arrive i'll check the internal hardware and see if drivers already exists and sure i'll try to install Linux.
I' ll make you know.
BYEZ!

chiark · « **Reply #4 on:** April 21, 2006, 09:04:49 am »

GOod luck - I've got a sig3 and the hardware is fantastic. It'd be great to see how you get on with this. I believe it's got flash ROM rather than just a ROM, so you should be able to do something with it.

Best of luck!

Antikx · « **Reply #5 on:** April 21, 2006, 11:10:41 pm »

Xromer: good luck on getting Linux running on your new SIG III. It looks like a really neat piece of hardware. Please keep us updated.

Xromer · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2006, 04:30:46 am »

Quote

Xromer: good luck on getting Linux running on your new SIG III. It looks like a really neat piece of hardware. Please keep us updated.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=124145\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Offcourse as my skill in C is growing i have a lot of projects in mind.
The main prob is having time to discuss with other developers in realtime.
This is what i' m going to do today and tomorrow, especially with the GPE guys.
Sure i will keep you updated with all the things i' m doing.
I'm looking forward to my SIG III. I'm already searching for kernel issues and data specifications to find what chips are in my toy.
BYEZ!

cmonex · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2006, 02:26:58 pm »

Quote

Offcourse as my skill in C is growing i have a lot of projects in mind.
The main prob is having time to discuss with other developers in realtime.
This is what i' m going to do today and tomorrow, especially with the GPE guys.
Sure i will keep you updated with all the things i' m doing.
I'm looking forward to my SIG III. I'm already searching for kernel issues and data specifications to find what chips are in my toy.
BYEZ!
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=124174\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

yay, hope you can make it! i'm content with WinCE on my sig3 (many new ppc apps will run on it, not just the old hpc apps), but it would be fun to have the option for linux too.

sig3 is one of my fav's so it would be really cool if this project works out.

is there a linux driver for the ATI video chip in sig3? hope so..

don't forget usb host either.

Xromer · « **Reply #8 on:** April 24, 2006, 11:46:31 am »

Right guys, as you are so kind to seek me in all the thing i have in mind, now i would like you to help me.
The first thing is to know deeper about hardware composition of this tool.
Anyone who knows about the real chips names and trademark would be very in help.
I only know about:
CPU 400 Mhz PXA 255
NTT Docomo chipset including WCDMA and Hard Line Modem, is it right?
Touchscreen 800X480 made by???
Sound?
Video Card? ATI? what' s the name of the chip?

So i can begin to search for kernel drivers, it' s the main issue.
If the WinCE OS is in ROM like the Jornada 720, it' s only to load the kernel with the WinCE tools.
Compiled the kernel it' s always and ARM PDA, so you can use all the other packages like PdaXrom Feeds.
BYEZ! And THX you all again.

cmonex · « **Reply #9 on:** April 29, 2006, 12:49:48 pm »

hmm, ok, i'll try to find the info for you, i can't answer all this right now

there's no "hard line modem" though if you mean the dialup 56k type.

the OS is in ROM but the rom is flashable! however i have no idea how to flash CE back if it is needed by any chance.

did you get any new info meanwhile btw?

Xromer · « **Reply #10 on:** May 02, 2006, 10:36:57 am »

Quote

hmm, ok, i'll try to find the info for you, i can't answer all this right now

there's no "hard line modem" though if you mean the dialup 56k type.

the OS is in ROM but the rom is flashable! however i have no idea how to flash CE back if it is needed by any chance.

did you get any new info meanwhile btw?
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=125096\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Unfortunately my Sigmarion stucks in my customs in the Airport, so i haven' t yet tried it.
But what you told me about the flash it' s a good starting point.
Now, i remeber when i flashed my Ipaq, i backuped my old PPC 2002 rom and took it back to sell the device wihout any problems.
Tools to do this exist already on the Internet, so the only BIG PROBLEM are the kernel drivers.
That' s why am asking about the devices manifacturers of the Sigmarion chips.

cmonex · « **Reply #11 on:** May 02, 2006, 07:54:58 pm »

OK.. let me know when it arrives...

searching for info...

btw if the default japanese stuff is disturbing you too much, i can send you a link to the full english translation.

Xromer · « **Reply #12 on:** May 05, 2006, 04:54:41 am »

Quote

OK.. let me know when it arrives...

searching for info...

btw if the default japanese stuff is disturbing you too much, i can send you a link to the full english translation.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=125494\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

WOW!!! Finally it arrived!!!! It' s a very beautyful tool!!! Now, i think i have to umount the SIG to see how is internally done, it would be better to find informations on the Internet, but there aren' t.
Yes the Japanes CE doesn' t really fit for me, i would be glad if you could tell how to put an English translation.
THX!

Xromer · « **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2006, 03:18:17 pm »

Right, finally i got all the internal specifications.
How you can see from the image these are the chips present in the SIG.
1 CPU PXA 255 400 MHZ
2 16MB ROMS from Macronix for the WinCE OS
1 4 MB Flash from ST Micro for the working memory
2 32MB DRAMS from Infineon as internal RAM
1 ATI IMAGEON 3200 with 8 MB RAM Samsung Chip
1 NEC COMET Asic Chip
1 Wolfson WM9705 Audio Chip

So, this is what i think about the kernel issues.
Ths CPU is the normal CPU target of PXA supported by linux, so there will be no problems about this.
The ATI Imageon 3200 is a powerful CPU for embedded systems these are specs.
And cmonex: yes, this Graphic CPU is already supported by linux, as in the ATI SPECS PAGE is said.
The problems for now are about the NEC Asic and Wolfson Audio Chip, i' m searching for the linux drivers about those.
We will see.
Byez!!!

P.S. Informations taken from here

Xromer · « **Reply #14 on:** May 07, 2006, 04:16:02 pm »

Ok, all it' s right about chipset but ATI Chip.
The Chip is the Imageon 4200 as in the serial code over the chip.
Now i tried to start a linux kernel with HaRET and other tools, but it went up with a Japanese message i couldn' t understand.
So the first big problem is a full conversion of WinCE, i tried the instructions in this page, but i had problems and it didn' t work.
Any help with the WinCe translation?

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Author Topic: Pdaxrom On Sigmarion Iii (Read 33538 times)