Fona: Difference between revisions
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== Overview == | |||
I am tired of the distraction represented by my smartphone. | |||
I am tired of feeling like it watches me all the time. | |||
I'm building my own phone. | |||
The turning point was a deal on a free additional line from Ting. This means | |||
I can keep my current phone operational while I develop the new one without incurring an additional monthly line charge. Talk minutes won't change since I never talk. :-) It won't be a smart phone so we will probably | |||
stop using WhatsApp messaging. BT keyboard maybe? Don't want to go back to SMS. We'll see. First it has to | |||
function as a phone. It could take a year to get it that far. | |||
Adafruit sells breakout boards called FONA | Adafruit sells breakout boards called FONA | ||
* [https://www.adafruit.com/product/3147 FONA 3G] has a GPS receiver, about $80 -- I got this one. | |||
* [https://www.adafruit.com/product/3147 FONA 3G] has a GPS receiver, about $80 | |||
* [https://www.adafruit.com/product/2542 FONA 808] 2G + GPS, $50 | * [https://www.adafruit.com/product/2542 FONA 808] 2G + GPS, $50 | ||
* [https://www.adafruit.com/product/2636 FONA 808], shield format $50 | * [https://www.adafruit.com/product/2636 FONA 808], shield format $50 | ||
* [https://www.adafruit.com/product/1963 FONA MINI] $45 2G only, FM radio | * [https://www.adafruit.com/product/1963 FONA MINI] $45 2G only, FM radio | ||
2G is going away next year so that pretty much leaves the only first one. | |||
These are all accessory boards, meaning you probably want to hook it up to a controller | These are all accessory boards, meaning you probably want to hook it up to a controller | ||
like an Arduino for instance. | like an Arduino for instance. | ||
Adafruit also sells the [[Particle Electron]] 3G board too, in fact I have one of those, | |||
but it's NOT an accessory board and I am not excited to learn how to program it right now. | but it's NOT an accessory board and I am not excited to learn how to program it right now. | ||
Maybe later. | Maybe later. | ||
== How do I get it hooked up? == | |||
Follow [https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-fona-3g-cellular-gps-breakout/pinouts this guide]; here are my own notes. | |||
More docs here: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-fona-3g-cellular-gps-breakout/downloads | |||
=== Step 1, power it up and activate the card. === | |||
I can connect a UART cable, the phone antenna, and pop in the SIM card, and zingo! Off we go. More or less. | |||
I need to collect together | |||
* Fona 3G | |||
* Headers for the Fona, perhaps I dont want to solder them on just yet | |||
* Ting SIM card | |||
* Micro USB cable | |||
* Li-Ion battery | |||
* Ear buds | |||
* GSM antenna | |||
* A breadboard | |||
Optional | |||
* 8 ohm speaker | |||
* electret microphone | |||
* GPS antenna | |||
* A UART - USB adapter | |||
I did get enough of these parts together on a breadboard to activate my Ting SIM card and confirm the board works. | |||
There is support for a keypad on the chip, unfortunately AdaFruit did not bring them out to the breakout board. | |||
Probably you could build a flipphone using this chip if you did your own board. | |||
[[Category:Telephones]] | |||
[[Category:Messaging]] | |||
Latest revision as of 16:26, 27 October 2021
Overview
I am tired of the distraction represented by my smartphone. I am tired of feeling like it watches me all the time.
I'm building my own phone.
The turning point was a deal on a free additional line from Ting. This means I can keep my current phone operational while I develop the new one without incurring an additional monthly line charge. Talk minutes won't change since I never talk. :-) It won't be a smart phone so we will probably stop using WhatsApp messaging. BT keyboard maybe? Don't want to go back to SMS. We'll see. First it has to function as a phone. It could take a year to get it that far.
Adafruit sells breakout boards called FONA
- FONA 3G has a GPS receiver, about $80 -- I got this one.
- FONA 808 2G + GPS, $50
- FONA 808, shield format $50
- FONA MINI $45 2G only, FM radio
2G is going away next year so that pretty much leaves the only first one.
These are all accessory boards, meaning you probably want to hook it up to a controller like an Arduino for instance.
Adafruit also sells the Particle Electron 3G board too, in fact I have one of those, but it's NOT an accessory board and I am not excited to learn how to program it right now. Maybe later.
How do I get it hooked up?
Follow this guide; here are my own notes.
More docs here: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-fona-3g-cellular-gps-breakout/downloads
Step 1, power it up and activate the card.
I can connect a UART cable, the phone antenna, and pop in the SIM card, and zingo! Off we go. More or less.
I need to collect together
- Fona 3G
- Headers for the Fona, perhaps I dont want to solder them on just yet
- Ting SIM card
- Micro USB cable
- Li-Ion battery
- Ear buds
- GSM antenna
- A breadboard
Optional
- 8 ohm speaker
- electret microphone
- GPS antenna
- A UART - USB adapter
I did get enough of these parts together on a breadboard to activate my Ting SIM card and confirm the board works.
There is support for a keypad on the chip, unfortunately AdaFruit did not bring them out to the breakout board. Probably you could build a flipphone using this chip if you did your own board.
