Big news from the FEZ (.NET Micro Framework-based development board) community today. FEZ forum member Blake took up Gus Issa’s challenge ($500 to the first person to get FEZ working as an Android Open Accessory) and posted video + code.
I made a sample app using the normal Android development process, put it on my Nexus S (running normal OTA Android 2.3.4), and plugged it in to my FEZ Domino. Now I can turn on LEDs and push buttons and everyone has a good time. They connect together and you have a bidirectional byte stream
https://github.com/bcr/NetmfAndroidOpenAccessory is the .NET Micro Framework code.
https://github.com/bcr/HelloFez is the Android code.
This is a big step toward what PT predicted in his earlier post, Why Google Choosing Arduino Matters and is This the End of “Made for iPod” (TM)?, when he challenged Microsoft/NOKIA/Skype with: “Quick, Ballmer, get out there and talk about this and how it’s the next accessory platform for Windows Phone 7. “
TinyCLR.com Forum – Android Open Accessory











Pretty cool. But for the love of God . . .
http://x.co/XD6K
Try them
Blake has scored some instant fame on the FEZ forum with this code. Expect to see fellow FEZzers run with it, myself included.
Big kudos to Blake for putting this together. We’re lucky to have him in the .NET Micro Framework community.
It’s cool to get this working on the closed source, patent-licensed FEZ boards. The next step is to enable 32-bit makers to build cool phone accessories with open source hardware and open source software. Android has opened the gate for a long tail of phone accessories; let’s see if we can do this with other phone platforms too!
Anyway, great job Blake! [And congrats to the Arduino community for inspiring the Android ADK.]
Chris
Secret Labs LLC
http://www.netduino.com
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