Presentation about the Openmokast project and the Openmoko platform that was used as the base component. Presented at the fosslc.org event "Free/Open Source Mobile Development: An Introduction" in Waterloo, Canada

1. Openmokast: The
open broadcasting
software stack
for mobile devices
Presented at osbootcamp YYZ1 (Mobile embedded development
conference ­ Waterloo, Canada)
by Jean­Michel Bouffard
<jean­michel.bouffard@crc.ca>

2. Summary
Broadcasting to handheld problem
✔
The Openmoko platform
✔
Implementing open mobile broadcasting in the
✔
Openmokast project
Conclusion
✔
2

3. Broadcasting to handheld problem
Typical mobile phones only support applications that
✔
use the network operator controlled infrastructures:
CDMA2000 ­> 1X, EV­DO
✔
GSM ­> GPRS, EDGE, 3G
✔
For this reason, innovation in mobility is difficult
✔
Broadcasting networks and applications have
✔
traditionally been ignored by network operators and
mobile devices manufacturers
ATSC-M/H
3

4. Broadcasting to handheld problem
The solution to mobile innovation is to create open
✔
phone project based on open source software
www.android.com www.openmoko.org www.trolltech.com
4

5. Broadcasting to handheld problem
Each project implements a complete software stack
✔
with a middleware for mobile services
www.openmoko.org www.android.com
www.trolltech.com
5

6. Broadcasting to handheld problem
No stack supported broadcasting!
✔
The Openmokast project was launched to support the
✔
creation of independent broadcast­enabled handsets
by studying the specific requirements for mobile
multimedia broadcasting (MMB) applications in the
context of the previously mentioned open platforms and
by integrating corresponding software building blocks
into them
6

7. The Openmoko platform
­ Why?
The Openmoko project was selected for preliminary
✔
development for many reasons
Completely open software stack based on Linux
✔
Only hardware components with open API are part of the
✔
devices
The complete specs and the CAD files for of the devices were
✔
released under a CC license
The hardware engineering process is openly discussed in the
✔
project's mailing lists and wiki pages
The community is largely involved in the software development
✔
and good communication was established over different online
collaboration tools
7

8. The Openmoko platform
­ What?
The Openmoko project was initiated by FIC and
✔
Openmoko, Inc. in novembre 2006
The project covers two main areas
✔
Hardware devices design and engineering
✔
Software development
✔
The mission of the project is to “free your phone” by
✔
allowing users to
Add and modify the software to their needs
✔
Add new hardware components
✔
Have full access to the phone capabilities
✔
8

9. The Openmoko platform
­ Hardware
Openmoko released two different devices so far
✔
A preliminary developer preview, the Neo 1973
✔
The current stable device, the Neo FreeRunner
✔
Neo 1973 Neo FreeRunner
codename GTA01 codename GTA02
(released July 2007) (released July 2008)
9

10. The Openmoko platform
­ Hardware specifications
High resolution touch screen 2.84” (43mm x 58mm)
✔
480x640 pixels
128MB SDRAM memory
✔
256 MB integrated flash memory (expandable with
✔
microSD or microSDHC card)
microSD slot supporting up to 8GB SDHC cards
✔
Internal GPS module
✔
Bluetooth
✔
802.11 b/g WiFi
✔
400Mhz ARM processor
✔
2 * 3D accelerometers
✔
2 LEDs illuminating the two buttons on the rim of the
✔
case (one bicolor [blue|orange] behind the power button,
1 unicolor [red] behind the aux button)
Tri­band GSM and GPRS
✔
USB Host function with 500mA power, allowing to power
✔
USB devices for short periods
10

11. The Openmoko platform
­ Software architecture
The typical software stack
✔
for embedded devices can
be represented in Layers
as depicted here
The middleware layer
✔
provides:
The standard services offered
✔
to the applications by the operating system
The communication link between the applications
✔
The middleware assures:
✔
Compatibility of the applications that uses the platform
✔
Interoperability between the applications
✔
11

12. The Openmoko platform
­ Software architecture
12

13. The Openmoko platform
­ Software architecture
Middleware services for Openmoko
✔
High level
✔
✔ Usage, Event, Preferences, Context, Telephony,
Networking, PIM
Low level
✔
✔ Device Control, GSM
Defined and
implemented under the
FSO Framework at
FreeSmartPhone.org
13

14. The Openmoko platform
­ Distributions
The official Openmoko distribution is OM2008.12
✔
illume window manager
✔
opkg package management system based on the Itsy Package
✔
Management System for embedded devices
14

15. The Openmoko platform
­ Distributions
Distributions can be
✔
classified in three groups
OM Inc. driven
✔
OM Community driven
✔
Non­OM driven
✔
OM community has
✔
generated a large
contribution
Other less significant
✔
distributions were also
successfully ported for OM
devices
15

16. The Openmoko platform
­ Applications
Development for OM is really active in the community
✔
Main sources to find OM applications:
✔
Openmoko wiki's master application list for the Openmoko
✔
smartphones
✔ http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Applications
114 applications listed in 13 categories
✔
opkg ­ A software directory for Openmoko phones
✔
✔ http://www.opkg.org/
79 applications listed in 10 categories
✔
Because OM2008.x is a full featured Linux based system
✔
including a full X server, almost any Linux application could be
rebuilt and packaged for the distribution
16

17. The Openmoko platform
­ Applications examples
Numptyphysics
✔
Drawing puzzle game
✔
Use a physics engine
✔
specifically written for games
TangoGPS
✔
Fast and lightweight mapping
✔
application
Uses the FreeRunner hardware
✔
✔ GPS for real­time positioning
✔ Wifi connection for maps updates
Uses maps data from the
✔
Openstreetmap project
17

18. The Openmoko platform
­ Is it for you?
The Openmoko project is still a “work in progress”
✔
Intended audience
✔
Linux users
✔
Software developers
✔
And ultimately, general consumers (the project is not there yet)
✔
Usability
✔
GSM voice calls functional but voice quality could be improved
✔
SMS messaging functional
✔
Wifi networking functional
✔
GPS functional
✔
Multimedia capabilities such as audio/video playout unstable
✔
Buggy Sleep/resume capabilities, hence battery life is limited
✔
18

19. The Openmoko platform
­ Possibilities
Neo FreeRunner
Platform of choice for:
✔
+
Debian
FOSS embedded development
✔
+
✔ Supports virtually any available high end Accton 802.11b/g
wifi card
software technology from the
=
“Linux world” Portable network security
✔ Advanced hardware capabilities testing platform
Embedded system integration
✔
✔ Available hardware specifications
enables easy modifications
OM is not a phone, it's a portable Linux computer
✔
that just happen to have phoning capabilities
19

20. Implementing open mobile broadcasting in
the Openmokast project
Openmoko was selected as the first development
✔
platform for the project
The missing parts:
✔
Compatible (SDIO, USB or ???) broadcasting receiver
✔
Linux drivers for the receiver
✔
Broadcasting stack to control the receivers and access the
✔
data
Applications to decode the multimedia streams
✔
Nice integration inside the Neo FreeRunner
✔
20

21. Implementing open mobile broadcasting in
the Openmokast project
Compatible broadcasting receiver
✔
MTECH UDR­A3L T­DMB/DAB (Digital Multimedia/Audio
✔
Boardcasting) USB Receiver for PC & Laptop
Capable of receiving high quality audio and video mobile
✔
broadcasting services
Fully compliant to ETSI EN 300 401 (Eureka­147)
✔
RF frequency range:
✔
Band III: 174 to 240MHz
✔
China band III: 168.160 to 221.568MHz
✔
L band: 1452 to 1492MHz (UDR­A3L)
✔
Transmission mode: all modes with auto detection
✔
Channel decoding: single channel decoding
✔
Decoding capacity:
✔
Audio service: up to 384Kbps
✔
Video service: up to 1.5Mbps
✔
RF input connector: 50 ohms RF SMA connector
✔
21

22. Implementing open mobile broadcasting in
the Openmokast project
Linux drivers
✔
Analysis of the communication between the USB receiver and
✔
its default Windows software was achieved using a USB sniffer
application
The communication protocol was reimplemented on Linux
✔
using:
✔ libusb­0.1 user space USB driver
✔ “libusb_augment” extension
22

23. Implementing open mobile broadcasting in
the Openmokast project
Broadcasting software stack
✔
Based on a software previously developed at CRC
✔
C/C++
✔
User interface uses GUI library GTK+
✔
Control interface:
✔
✔ Text console
✔ Telnet console
✔ DBus interface org.openmokast.Receiver
Data interface:
✔
✔ Standard UDP/IP or HTTP streams
Decoder applications
✔
Any technology that can use either of the control/data interfaces
✔
23

24. Implementing open mobile broadcasting in
the Openmokast project
24

25. Implementing open mobile broadcasting in
the Openmokast project
Openmokast software stack in action
✔
25

26. Implementing open mobile broadcasting in
the Openmokast project
The integration into the Openmokast device required
✔
the design of a case extension based on the released
CAD from Openmoko, Inc.
26

27. Implementing open mobile broadcasting in
the Openmokast project
Extension prototypes were manufactured with a 3D
✔
printer by Cimetrix (http://cimetrixsolutions.com/) at an
acceptable cost
27

28. Implementing open mobile broadcasting in
the Openmokast project
Final Openmokast prototype
✔
28

29. Conclusion
More information at:
✔
Openmokast ­ Resources for Open Mobile Broadcast Devices
✔
http://openmokast.org
Openmoko ­ Open. Mobile. Free.
✔
http://wiki.openmoko.org
opkg ­ A software directory for Openmoko phones
✔
http://www.opkg.org/
✔
29

30. THANK YOU
30