Android companion to driver station
 

Not sure if this is correctly filed, I am a labview guy and so don't frequent this part of the forum, please move if in the wrong place.

I am interested in writing a companion app for the driver station. Basically, from the programming perspective, I'd like to have all these extra buttons and read outs on the DS, but I don't really need them there all the time. I'd love it if there was a way to connect to android over USB, and run an app there to show the data.

My question is how should I go about connecting to the PC from the tablet using preferably only USB. I have seen examples of using ADB to port forward from the PC localhost and just talk TCP from the tablet to the PC, but I have to imagine that there is a more elegant solution. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Re: Android companion to driver station
 

I'm curious how you envisioned this actually helping more then the laptop/driver station by itself. There is an effort to port the ds to Android, as a replacement.
I would think that sticking to tcp/ip for comms would be the most flexible. It would allow wifi as an option. (non competition for the wifi) I'm just finding it hard to imagine why this is useful in any way, as the laptop doesn't need to be held, has plenty of cpu power, and a big screen.

Sent from my AT100 Using ForumTouch for Android

Re: Android companion to driver station
 

The usefulness is besides the point. I am between projects at the moment and this one was in my folder of not entirely bad ideas. I thought about TCP, but I'd really rather use USB if at all possible.

Is there no good way to open a communications link between a PC and android over USB?

Re: Android companion to driver station
 

This might be a question to ask on XDA-developers

http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=564

Re: Android companion to driver station
 

I was just very curious about your plan on how to actually use this.

In either case, adb creates a network connection via USB. Development/debugging is then routed through this. Apparently, both the phone and the computer receive IP addresses to use this new connection. This requires that the phone be set into USB debugging mode, and the appropriate drivers installed. It seams like someone else asked a similar question here:

stackoverflow...tcp-connection-from-phone-to-debugging-host

This is why I suggested choosing TCP/IP for your comms stack. It is then usable over this USB debugging connection, Ethernet, WiFi, etc. Good Luck. Keep us posted on your progress, I'm curious how you would use this.

Re: Android companion to driver station
 

okay, so I should just code it to talk IP and then forward that port over USB? That sounds doable.

To be quite honest, I have no idea what I will use it for yet. I got a tablet for a birthday a while back and I am now looking at what can I connect it to. I'm thinking maybe something that is the equivalent of the netconsole...

Re: Android companion to driver station
 

I must apologise, for that I slightly misspoke. You need to enable USB tethering on your Android device for this network connection to be setup. (ADB does not play a role here, but can use it though) I was able to ping, and send simple communications over this connection.