Kyocera KR1 is Linux Based

Michael · Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 9:23 pm Post subject: Kyocera KR1 is Linux Based

For those that are wondering about what OS the KR1 is based - we have been told it is Linux based.

This is interesting, as it allows some possibilities,

For example, perhaps StompBox functionality in the KR1 body. Not only is that cool - but may even be possible.
_________________
EVDO :: EVDO News :: EVDO Antennas :: Buy Verizon :: Buy Sprint :: EVDO Amplifier

Scott · Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 10:03 pm Post subject:

Well if it uses Linux code it would fall under the GNU public license (GPL), requiring that the source code be publically available, right?

Michael · Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 10:06 pm Post subject:

Interesting.

I know that Tivo is linux based and did a quick search and sure enough, they offer the source:

http://www.tivo.com/linux/linux.asp
_________________
EVDO :: EVDO News :: EVDO Antennas :: Buy Verizon :: Buy Sprint :: EVDO Amplifier

hammer32 · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 22

Stompbox-like functionality (GPS tracking in particular) would be great! I'd buy KR-1's for all of our company cars!

Michael · Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 8:57 pm Post subject:

I am going to talk to the Kyocera guys about this.

It would be SO SIMPLE for them to add a single program and it could make the KR1 into a complete replacement for a StompBox, with the following features:

- support all EVDO Cards
- KR1 costs much less
- could easily work with GPS via built-in USB
- easy to make it work with GoogleMap for instant location of a mobile KR1 in a vehicle.

We have been supplying StompBoxes to OZOcar in New York for the last 5 months, and I think they would switch to KR1s. They would sell tons of KR1s by adding the Linux program GPSd - that is all they need to do. Probably take someone a DLink or Kyocera 15 minutes to do it.
_________________
EVDO :: EVDO News :: EVDO Antennas :: Buy Verizon :: Buy Sprint :: EVDO Amplifier

hxmiller · EVDO User Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 46

Dlink has released the source for some of it's Linux based routers under the GPL. Maybe this will happen when the DI-725EV is release.

I see signs that the KR1 is a cousin of the DI-604.

tz1 · Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:26 pm Post subject:

It is definitely linux.

You can even get a shell at 38.4KBaud off one of the serial ports (the internal com1), and from there enable telnetd. I haven't yet found a way to permanently enable telnetd, but have some ideas.

It is realtek rtl865x based. It runs off romfs though so you can't easily change the filesystem, and the web frontend is one huge application (all the pages are embedded within the exe). NFS is there, but I haven't found a mount that works with it. It has dos filesystems.

The rest is a fairly stripped busybox but it has ash. And of course the network stuff. The USB is limited to serial (and does dumbly treat mass storage or things that are not serial as serial). The diagnostic port is serial (115kb), but to the USB connector.

It does check the signal strength before connecting EVDO but it seems to be hidden.

hxmiller · EVDO User Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 46

tz1 · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:46 am Post subject:

There aren't any pins. But the connector is for something like a standard 10 pin header for a serial connection on a PC, but the pins are for the other (I forget which is DTE/DCE, but the standard male coming out of a PC will connect without twisting if you just extend the wires).

tz1 · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:03 am Post subject:

tftpd works "out of the box", and I assume it is the firmware update mechanism.

It defaults to /var/tmp and needs the permissions of files there set correctly to read, but ping.txt, ip.txt, and cardinfo are there and you can do a get, and you can do a put as well, so you can easily get things on and off the card.

tz1 · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:33 pm Post subject:

My camera phone isn't good at close-ups, but here is a pic with the pins labeled.

http://homepage.mac.com/tz1/.Public/kr1com1.jpg

Scott · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:24 pm Post subject:

Is this the 10 pin header pad you're talking about tz1?

click for bigger image

(oh wait.. I get it.. your pic aspect is with the mainboard standing vertical. man... I was starin' at that pic and it just wasn't makin' sense... good thing I wear glasses. duh.)

tz1 · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 9:36 am Post subject:

Yes, that 10 pin header. If you look at the FCC pictures, you will see that it has a connector-header over it so you can plug in standard PC motherboard serial cables (noting null modems or gender-benders might be required).

And the 12345-abcde is correct - it corresponds to the diagram in my earlier post.

I don't know if the other RS232 pins are live (DCD, etc), but 2,3, and 5 by themselves work.

If you picture a RS232 DB9 female connector with it's sockets/pins 1-5 directly above 1-5 on the board, with wires going down on the three pins above, you have my connector.

tz1 · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:18 am Post subject:

The "other" serial header - the one nearer the right edge is another port which uses an echoing program to the control port of the EVDO card when it comes up. If I attach to that one instead, bitpim recognizes the brew-ish filesystem (including things like the PRL list) with the "generic CDMA modem setting" and the com port just like it does when I insert it directly into my PC. That port (or pins 2 and 3) is what goes to the "data" pins on the "diagnostic" connector - the not really USB port in back which is plugged.

Scott · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:37 pm Post subject:

Ok, so it looks like the USB-styled data port is/was for running diagnostics with the variety of EVDO cards.

As for the 'com1' port, are you using a Win box, Linux or ? to connect? Any particular terminal apps?