Project ARA Developer Edition Specs and Photos: What We Know.

[Garrett Kinsman]

(Previous post got all messed up. I keep running out of data rations and have to navigate the cows, autorickshaws and alleys of Bangalore to find a Data Recharge shop) Here is the properly formatted post:

Everyone here's some epic shots from the big reveal. From these shots we can roundup what we know. Enable images for some awesome Shots. Compiled From:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWW5mQadZAY&feature=youtu.be

http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/20/watch-google-io-atap-session/

Specs:

Measuring the USB C port. and knowing it was designed in the USA we can guess the dimensions:

2.75x5.75x.4 Inches (Hefty)

We can assume a 1x2 is roughly .9x1.8 in. Can anyone back these dimensions up? With a sharp back on the device, this is going to feel very harsh in the hand (Rounded edges make the device feea softer and smaller)

11 Gigabit Unipro module interface 

1/3 energy outpus of USB-C at 5V (Whatever that means) as USB C can support up to 10W at 5V, up to or 100W at 20V. Average smartphone uses around 5W, making the Unipro Interface a power guzzler if understood correctly. 

Module makers on Board:

Samsung

Sony 

E-ink

Panasonic 

Toshiba

FLIR?

Gotenna! Huge fan- even if their EE and ID is junk. (Too many parts and high costs) I count 8 major flaws with their ID. I'm a fan of their competitor RoamPod, which has a much better radio (I've studied both EE internally)  Today GoTenna uses MERS frequencies which aren't available outside the USA. Will get very interesting if they can get lower costs and use frequencies in countries that truly lack connectivity. GoTenna is a hard sell in a country where Verizons' low frequency, spread spectrum CDMA LTA penetrates even the most remote of forests. It is very hard finding areas out of service these days. 

Notes that Google Soli may make a 60GHz "Radar" module with gigabit wireless and diagnostic capabilities. Today they market Soli as a "Gesture Control" system, but it is capable of X-ray like imaging and unheard of data transfers. Her's the original researchers talking about what is actually possible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL6pUTlhU0w  From what I understand they are now at ATAP/X 

Scroll down for the best shots:

 

 

 

 

And here's the "Money Shot" (Sorry if that's politically incorrect we are huge fans) with USB C!

And finally the production Version. Very slick:

Final notes that the device looks very nice. They even worked in the EPMs, "Okay Google, Eject camera" and the camera ejects hands free. From what I can tell is the device is designed in SOMA San Francisco. While looking very nice, the rear edges will feel very harsh in the hand. Curved modules will feel much better, and I encourage any designers to throw Google's design guidelines in the trash and build modules that feel amazing in hand.

Will be awesome to see this evolve... I want to hear your thoughts 

[Mike Trieu]

The new EPM design is somewhat reminiscent of the DRAM SO-DIMM socket in that the spring pins force the module to pop up when not secured with a secondary mechanism, in this case, the EPM instead of a spring latch. I haven't checked the website yet, but it does make me wonder if there will be a new MDK released for this spiral. Also, have they abandoned the capacitive data interface in favor of traditionally mated pins? How does this affect the durability of the solution?

[Mike Trieu]

Hmm, just read The Verge piece:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/24/11748428/google-project-ara-modular-phones-iot-store

Sounds like they've completely nixed the EPMs (Sorry, Ara Knaian) in favor of nitinol actuators.

[Garrett Kinsman]

Yes I think they were super gung-ho about EPMs, which is awesome. New technology is always exciting! Not sure if this wall be Called spiral 3 or Spiral 2.2. I would love to see contactless data interconnects someday. I think that's what apple uses on their "smart" connecter for iPad.

As for durability, I'm sure I'll mange to break it somehow although I do not want to. I'll be testing mine in a developing country, I'm on my 3rd iPhone 6s Plus. Time to switch to android again, I'm quite tired of phones that are designed to break. It is quite possible to design a durable phone, although most manufacturers don't want to. For example the shatterproof Droid turbo and the iPhone use the exact same glass from Corning, but the droid is thicker and shock mounted, making it almost impossible to break. In regards to iPhone I call it "anorexia of design".

In the case of Ara, the interconnects could be made waterproof with a tiny overmolded seal, but from the demos I haven't seen anything like that yet. Although I have t had an up close look yet. It would be fun to experimented with waterproof module design as I'm sure it is possible! I seriously miss my old ruggedised android phones. iPhone 6s is quite waterproof, but the thin screen makes it break on ANYTHING, only adding to the global e-waste problem. At least they got me to buy three phones, congrats Tim Cook.

Looking forward to 3D printing some shock mounted cases for iPhone.

Do you break phones easily? Do you hunk here's a need for waterproof devices? I'd like to see Ara end up in developing countries as the ability to swap radios will have very interesting implecations for global connectivity!