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DIY cellphone

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Re: DIY cellphone

#11

Post by dan1234 »

rtpg wrote: post #6
abbot2 wrote: post #4

"Cellular connectivity is provided by the SM5100B GSM Module...". Meh. No way a DYI. It's like you assemble your desktop PC from pieces like motherboard and power supply and say that you built a DYI PC.

Sure, but it would be a cool project to build up a nice phone environment using this module. If anything, this would be more akin to saying "I'm using hardware features on my microprocs to do this neat thing". Not amazing engineering. On a related note, does anyone know if we can get these modules to do data? Or if there's a cheaper version of these modules?

The GSM module supports GPRS and TCP/IP via AT commands[1] so it should be possible to get some data going.

[1]https://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Cellular%20Modules/CEL-0...

Re: DIY cellphone

#12

Post by anigbrowl »

abbot2 wrote: post #4

"Cellular connectivity is provided by the SM5100B GSM Module...". Meh. No way a DYI. It's like you assemble your desktop PC from pieces like motherboard and power supply and say that you built a DYI PC.

True, but PC assembly vs black box computers spawned an entire industry and and have kept component prices low even for end consumers. I had to replace a hard disk recently and am still bemused by my ability to purchase a new server-grade 2TB drive for $125.

Re: DIY cellphone

#13

Post by spullara »

abbot2 wrote: post #4

"Cellular connectivity is provided by the SM5100B GSM Module...". Meh. No way a DYI. It's like you assemble your desktop PC from pieces like motherboard and power supply and say that you built a DYI PC.

DIY

Re: DIY cellphone

#14

Post by ck2 »

Didn't a marketing company recently put live messages into a magazine page using a single chip gsm solution?

Yeah here it was: http://creativity-online.com/work/cw-live-twitter-feed-in-pr...

I vaguely remember people changing out the gsm sim or making calls on it.

Ah nevermind, it was a fullblown android phone, not a single chip solution: http://mashable.com/2012/10/02/ew-has-smartphone-inside/

Re: DIY cellphone

#16

Post by _b8r0 »

frazerb wrote: post #10

How to shrink a basestation into a Raspberry Pi. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCcKgrzbix4 It's not the handset, but rather the basestation. But the concept is similar. I saw this working. It works. And there are open-source versions of the handset software too, although not as mature as OpenBTS.

Actually what these guys don't mention is that the Raspberry Pi is plugged into a relatively huge USRP, because that kind of blows their whole "Look how tiny it is" PR out of the water.

Re: DIY cellphone

#17

Post by fosk »

rtpg wrote: post #6
abbot2 wrote: post #4

"Cellular connectivity is provided by the SM5100B GSM Module...". Meh. No way a DYI. It's like you assemble your desktop PC from pieces like motherboard and power supply and say that you built a DYI PC.

Sure, but it would be a cool project to build up a nice phone environment using this module. If anything, this would be more akin to saying "I'm using hardware features on my microprocs to do this neat thing". Not amazing engineering. On a related note, does anyone know if we can get these modules to do data? Or if there's a cheaper version of these modules?

I would suggest the ADH8066 GSM module instead, which also includes a SIM socket on the back, and makes things a lot easier. And it's cheaper too.

Edit: And you can easily use it for data.

Re: DIY cellphone

#18

Post by alan_cx »

XorNot wrote: post #5
abbot2 wrote: post #4

"Cellular connectivity is provided by the SM5100B GSM Module...". Meh. No way a DYI. It's like you assemble your desktop PC from pieces like motherboard and power supply and say that you built a DYI PC.

You did in that case. It'd be ridiculous to try and build a cellphone, the not use the all-in-one chip solutions that are out there.

The all in one chip virtually is the cell phone. Its like buying a house, fitting the doors and windows and claiming you built the house.

I cant see this as DIY at all, but equally, its not a bought phone. More kit phone than DIY phone.

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