Dashticz - Tablet Hardware

[niekbruggeman]

Hi all,
I think I've read most of the Dashticz forum in the past months. Time to start a topic.
I would like to explore which hardware you guys use for the presentation of Dashticz in your home.

Let me start. I'm using Dashticz for something more than a year now but did not find the ultimate tablet yet....
Hoping this topic will inspire me and others

TELCAST tPad x89 (AliExpress) (7.8" )
+ Cheap china tablet
+ Windows 10, browser independent.
- With screen on, Battery runs out faster than charger can charge.
Conclusion: Not usable as Dashticz tablet.

HP PRO Tablet 408 (8")
+ Cheap
+ Windows 8
- With screen on, Battery runs out faster than charger can charge.
Conclusion: Not usable as Dashticz tablet.

Ipad 2 or 3 (9,7")
+ Stable design
- Low resolution.
- Custom customization options low.
- With screen on, battery keeps full charge for longer periods of time.
Conclusion: Somewhat usable, but not optimal

Microsoft Surface RT 32GB (12")
+ Cheap
+ High resolution
+ Connected to AC battery is bypassed (like a laptop)
- Windows 8.1 not updatable (due locked down ARM CPU)
- Only Internet Explorer 11 as browser
- Due lack of Internet Explorer updates lots of small bugs (spontaneous crashes)
Conclusion: Definitely usable, can be somewhat unstable.

I would like to hear your setup!

[JimmyH1969]

Hi, i'm using a Lenovo Tab 2 in a frame and installed the Fully Kiosk Browser. When a motion detector detects movement around the tablet i switch on the screen.

lenovo2.jpg (73 KiB) Viewed 6466 times

[EdwinK]

I just use a cheap (about 100 euro) Lenovo tablet. I still don't have any sensors on it, so it's on 24/7

The tablet died some time ago, and 'support' is very hard to get.

[devros]

I would love to see some e-ink display (monochrome or 3 color) in tablet size with touch screen support. Connected to raspberry or something similar. That would be best device imho. Of course with simplified interface for e-ink.

[ArieKanarie]

When a motion detector detects movement around the tablet i switch on the screen.lenovo2.jpg

How did you achieve this? With an external motion sensor, and how do you switch on the screen then?
Or with an app combined with the camera?

[JimmyH1969]

Yes, i use a external motion sensor and send a command to the tablet where fully kiosk browser is running, like:

Code: Select all

http://192.168.1.25:2323/?cmd=screenOn&password=password

Fully Kiosk Browser listens on port 2323 for commands. screenOn is one of them. You can also use the internal camera if the tablet has one ofcourse

[checkingnl]

i found a nexus 10 with pogo charger which is fine charging and not emptying. However the fullscreen chrome some time crashes , can't figure out what is causing this, played too much with settings and daydream options (i really would like it to show picture slide show when not being controlled after hour orso). Kiosk browser is also not an option as there i can't make the chromecast player to work.
I'll keep playing around and might flash a lineageOS image to see if things will be more stable.

[Bigted]

Jailbroken iPad 2 that allows me to use a kiosk browser and disable the slide to unlock security, only downside is if it runs out of battery I have to connect it to a PC to rejailbreak it

[biggles]

Define cheap. I am using an Ipad 1 at the moment. Big downside is that dashticz crashes after 5 minutes. Ipad is completely default with no other apps running. Before that i was using a second hand Asus ipad 10" that did the job, although is was a bit slow on refreshing the screen.

[niekbruggeman]

Yes, i use a external motion sensor and send a command to the tablet where fully kiosk browser is running, like:

Code: Select all

http://192.168.1.25:2323/?cmd=screenOn&password=password

Fully Kiosk Browser listens on port 2323 for commands. screenOn is one of them. You can also use the internal camera if the tablet has one ofcourse

Very nice option! Definitely going to look in to that.

[niekbruggeman]

Define cheap.

TELCAST tPad x89 (AliExpress) (7.8" ) --> 50 Euro
HP PRO Tablet 408 (8") --> 50 Euro
Ipad 2 or 3 (9,7") --> 150/200 Euro
Microsoft Surface RT 32GB (12") --> 80 Euro

[MsbS]

I considered getting an Amazon Fire HD8 because of the charging dock. Pick up the tablet, do your switchy-switchy, put it back to charge. Kind of like a big Harmony remote. Does anyone use a setup like that?

[ronald89]

Hi, i'm using a Lenovo Tab 2 in a frame and installed the Fully Kiosk Browser. When a motion detector detects movement around the tablet i switch on the screen.lenovo2.jpg

Looking very nice! I'm planning to buy a Lenovo tab as well. Just like the topic starter, I played for quite some time with Dashticz and it's about time now to put it on the wall

Do you maybe have more pictures of how you mounted the tablet inside the frame? And did you use a regular picture frame or was it custom made by yourself?

Thanks!

[hoeby]

What are you all do about the battery inside the tablets?
They are allways on a charger?

I am not using dashticz, but my own dashboard, the idea is the same.
Because i dislike the idea that it is Always on the charger, i am running it on a fanless msi pc with a 13.3 inch waveshare screen.
Tried to run the screen with the pi which also runs domoticz. But chromium on the pi puts the processor sky high.

one view of my dashboard, i am working with slides for devices.
After 4 minuten not touching the screen it will go to screen-off page. When touching it, this will be the first page which pops-up

[biggles]

Just got myself a second hand Lenovo Tab 2 and did the same as JimmyH did. I installed Fully Kiosk browser on it. The price of the tablet was 65 euro. Working great sofar.

[JimmyH1969]

Hi, i'm using a Lenovo Tab 2 in a frame and installed the Fully Kiosk Browser. When a motion detector detects movement around the tablet i switch on the screen.lenovo2.jpg

Looking very nice! I'm planning to buy a Lenovo tab as well. Just like the topic starter, I played for quite some time with Dashticz and it's about time now to put it on the wall

Do you maybe have more pictures of how you mounted the tablet inside the frame? And did you use a regular picture frame or was it custom made by yourself?

Thanks!

Sorry, missed this one. Not sure where you are from but in Holland we have a shop called "Hornbach". I just went up there with the tablet and picked a frame i liked. They messured it and a week later it was finished, costs where something like 25€. You just need a smaller mini-usb plug for charging it, because the original is to big and wont fit in the frame. I cut an old mini-usb connector until it was something like 1cm small so when inserting it, it sticks 5mm out the tablet. I mounted it on the wall using the regulair mounting holes in the frame.

[JimmyH1969]

Just got myself a second hand Lenovo Tab 2 and did the same as JimmyH did. I installed Fully Kiosk browser on it. The price of the tablet was 65 euro. Working great sofar.

You can also use the internal camera for switching the tablet, but in my case it's pretty close to the TV and that kept switching the tablet on. In complete darkness the camera did not seem to work, thats why i used a already installed motion detector. In Fully Kios Browser you can specify how the browser must react when it crashes (that will happen sometime ). I made sure it will restart the browser when it's not working anymore.

[ronald89]

Sorry, missed this one. Not sure where you are from but in Holland we have a shop called "Hornbach". I just went up there with the tablet and picked a frame i liked. They messured it and a week later it was finished, costs where something like 25€. You just need a smaller mini-usb plug for charging it, because the original is to big and wont fit in the frame. I cut an old mini-usb connector until it was something like 1cm small so when inserting it, it sticks 5mm out the tablet. I mounted it on the wall using the regulair mounting holes in the frame.

Thanks! Hornbach is my favorite DIY shop
Will have a look there to see what they can do.

[jaaap]

I picked up a second hand Galaxy tab 2, but it is a bit slow in the handling (swiping, turning on etc. I flashed lineage 13.0 onto it). Especially with fully kiosk, it is unbearably slow. What are your finds on the handling speed?

Verstuurd vanaf mijn POCOPHONE F1 met Tapatalk

[jake]

I picked up a second hand Galaxy tab 2, but it is a bit slow in the handling (swiping, turning on etc. I flashed lineage 13.0 onto it). Especially with fully kiosk, it is unbearably slow. What are your finds on the handling speed?

Verstuurd vanaf mijn POCOPHONE F1 met Tapatalk

When I started with Dashticz I bought a second hand Tab 3 and also flashed it with the latest and greatest OS. I had the same result, unbearably slow behaviour with Dashticz. I tried several custom ROM's and finally decided on a slightly improved ROM from the original Samsung Android version. Now dashticz runs fine.
So return either to the original Samsung ROM or a custom ROM from the same Android version.