Modular phone

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A number of manufacturers produce modular components suitable for embedded systems. Some of these components are suitable for a hobbyist to put together a modular phone. This page is intended as a starting-point for building an OpenMoko compatible phone.

The major problem with this approach is that the resultant phone tends to be larger than a normal phone.

This is because though they may be designed to be compact, internal connectors add lots of volume compared to a PCB, where everything can be in one unit.

Component Suppliers

Possible configuration 1

Component Provides Link Cost (USD) Weight (g)
Gumstix Verdex XL6P Processor, motherboard, RAM, 64MB flash gumstix.com 169 8
Goliath-GPS-vx GSM, GPRS, EDGE, GPS, touchscreen controller, 3D accelerometer, audio gumstix.com 279  ?
Gumstix wifi module WiFi gumstix.com 80  ?
microSD breakout board microSD connector [1] 15 5
PSP LCD 480 x 272px LCD [2] 69 50

[3]

Nokia BL-6C 1070mAh battery ebay.com 5 15g [4]
Battery holder/circuitry xx xx 20  ?
Case 12*7*.2cm(back)+26*2.5*.2cm(edge) +3.5*12*.2 =37cc rapidobject.com (based on recommended minimum thickness) 98 90-140
Speakers .2W per channel of stereo sound [5] 5 16
Microphone Microphone and mic amp [6] 5 1
Audio amplifier xx xx 10  ?
Total xx xx 500 180

Prices will be reduced, if we as the OpenMoko community buy in bulk.

Capabilities wise, this compares well with the Neo - there is no accelerated graphics and the screen resolution is smaller (although Gumstix have a 4.3" LCD to be released Q3 2007), but it does have EDGE and a faster processor. Otherwise specs are similar.

From Sketchup models supplied by Gumstix, the size will be around 120 x 67 x 20mm. This is the smallest cuboid into which the main components (motherboard, WiFi, Goliath, screen) will fit. The case will add approx. 2mm to this - battery, microSD and other components should fit into voids between the main circuit boards.

Weight information will be included here as soon as the specs are released by Gumstix.

Where relevant, all components listed have Linux kernel modules supplied by their manufacturer.

Other resources

Home Brew Mobile Phone Club have a site devoted to build-it-yourself mobile phones, based upon Gumstix motherboards. They have schematics, case designs and details of suitable components from many sources.

Retrieved from "http://wiki.openmoko.org/index.php?title=Modular_phone&oldid=12753"
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A number of manufacturers produce modular components suitable for embedded systems. Some of these components are suitable for a hobbyist to put together a modular phone. This page is intended as a starting-point for building an OpenMoko compatible phone.

The major problem with this approach is that the resultant phone tends to be larger than a normal phone.

This is because though they may be designed to be compact, internal connectors add lots of volume compared to a PCB, where everything can be in one unit.

Component Suppliers

Possible configuration 1

Component Provides Link Cost (USD) Weight (g)
Gumstix Verdex XL6P Processor, motherboard, RAM, 64MB flash gumstix.com 169 8
Goliath-GPS-vx GSM, GPRS, EDGE, GPS, touchscreen controller, 3D accelerometer, audio gumstix.com 279  ?
Gumstix wifi module WiFi gumstix.com 80  ?
microSD breakout board microSD connector [1] 15 5
PSP LCD 480 x 272px LCD [2] 69 50

[3]

Nokia BL-6C 1070mAh battery ebay.com 5 15g [4]
Battery holder/circuitry xx xx 20  ?
Case 12*7*.2cm(back)+26*2.5*.2cm(edge) +3.5*12*.2 =37cc rapidobject.com (based on recommended minimum thickness) 98 90-140
Speakers .2W per channel of stereo sound [5] 5 16
Microphone Microphone and mic amp [6] 5 1
Audio amplifier xx xx 10  ?
Total xx xx 500 180

Prices will be reduced, if we as the OpenMoko community buy in bulk.

Capabilities wise, this compares well with the Neo - there is no accelerated graphics and the screen resolution is smaller (although Gumstix have a 4.3" LCD to be released Q3 2007), but it does have EDGE and a faster processor. Otherwise specs are similar.

From Sketchup models supplied by Gumstix, the size will be around 120 x 67 x 20mm. This is the smallest cuboid into which the main components (motherboard, WiFi, Goliath, screen) will fit. The case will add approx. 2mm to this - battery, microSD and other components should fit into voids between the main circuit boards.

Weight information will be included here as soon as the specs are released by Gumstix.

Where relevant, all components listed have Linux kernel modules supplied by their manufacturer.

Other resources

Home Brew Mobile Phone Club have a site devoted to build-it-yourself mobile phones, based upon Gumstix motherboards. They have schematics, case designs and details of suitable components from many sources.