[ale] need 5" android tablet / phone for obd car instrumentation

Ron Frazier (ALE) atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com
Mon Sep 16 21:44:40 EDT 2013


On 9/16/2013 9:03 PM, Alex Carver wrote:
> On 9/16/2013 18:01, Alex Carver wrote:
>> If a cheap tablet doesn't have Bluetooth then it likely won't have USB
>> On-The-Go which is what you would need to run a wired USB dongle (i.e.
>> host-mode USB that you normally find on a desktop).  This is a hardware
>> limitation, it requires a very specific USB chipset inside the device.
>> It's not something that can be added by using a simple cable (USB-OTG
>> cables are just adapters to change the size and gender of the cable, no
>> electronics exist in the cable.)
>>
>> Not even all phones have USB-OTG.  Search Google for tablets with
>> USB-OTG and you'll find a very small list.  The Samsung Galaxy and Note
>> series have it.  The Google Nexus series have it, too, for some of the
>> Nexus versions.  Beyond Samsung and Google, one Acer, one Asus, one
>> Huawei, one Sony and one Toshiba have it, too.[1]
>>
>> Additionally, not all of the devices will have the right USB stacks
>> loaded to use the device (most do but some have limitations).
>>
>> [1] from a quick Google search
>> http://www.lok-it.net/usb-otg-compatible-phones-tablets/
>
> Nevermind, I see you had OTG listed in the requirements.  Still, good 
> luck finding OTG on a device that lacks Bluetooth.  BT is the more 
> likely thing to implement on a device over OTG.  The demand for OTG is 
> low unless you're paying for a high-end device.
>
>

You may have a point there.  That list you found may come in handy.  
When I first started looking at tablets for my first purchase a year 
ago, I couldn't believe that any of them DIDN'T have "host" mode.  It 
just seemed self evident to me that you'd want to attach memory sticks, 
mice, keyboards, etc.

I guess a bluetooth adapter would be ok if it shuts off within minutes 
or seconds after the car is turned off.  I don't want anyone hacking 
into my engine while I'm in a parking lot though.  A guy at an auto 
parts store told me more advanced obd scanners can unlock the doors, etc.

Sincerely,

Ron


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Ron Frazier
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