PineBook Pro revision 2.2: Wishlist for the hardware issue fixes

[KC9UDX]

Also, you can put holes in your bottom cover already. I have long planned to do this. Don't know when I'll get round to it.

[dsimic]

That's a very good point!  The only issue could be the rather long distance between the PCB and the back cover, which would make it a bit hard to accurately poke the buttons using a pin or something similar, without accidentally touching something else on the PCB.  The buttons should be much closer to the back cover for the pinholes to work safely.

[KC9UDX]

That's a very good point!  The only issue could be the rather long distance between the PCB and the back cover, which would make it a bit hard to accurately poke the buttons using a pin or something similar, without accidentally touching something else on the PCB.  The buttons should be much closer to the back cover for the pinholes to work safely.

That is why the toothpick in our knife is non-conductive. 

[dsimic]

That's a very good point!  The only issue could be the rather long distance between the PCB and the back cover, which would make it a bit hard to accurately poke the buttons using a pin or something similar, without accidentally touching something else on the PCB.  The buttons should be much closer to the back cover for the pinholes to work safely.

That is why the toothpick in our knife is non-conductive. 

After removing the back cover of my ISO PineBook Pro a couple of times to use the switch that disables the eMMC module, your suggestion about drilling a few holes in the bottom cover seems increasingly more reasonable.

[KC9UDX]

That's a very good point!  The only issue could be the rather long distance between the PCB and the back cover, which would make it a bit hard to accurately poke the buttons using a pin or something similar, without accidentally touching something else on the PCB.  The buttons should be much closer to the back cover for the pinholes to work safely.

That is why the toothpick in our knife is non-conductive. 

After removing the back cover of my ISO PineBook Pro a couple of times to use the switch that disables the eMMC module, your suggestion about drilling a few holes in the bottom cover seems increasingly more reasonable.

If n is the number of times the cover gets taken off before I get annoyed enough to drill the holes, I must be at n-1 

[dsimic]

Another nice-to-have feature in the next revision of PineBook Pro would be inclusion of the "SPI disable" switch on the main board, similarly to the already existing "eMMC disable" switch.  That would make debugging and recovery of SPI U-Boot installations a lot easier.

[wdt]

Post 11
On topic, how about small holes over emmc and serial switches, with flush rubber plugs?
There is a button, to short SPI clock, unfortunetly not very reliable
Maybe needs a 'wiggle' press?
(but, if you are not sure that what is about to be flashed (to SPI) is not 99% likely to be good, DON'T do it)

[KC9UDX]

This machine should be the kind where you can find out if the software is good by trial.

That button should be a switch, and all the switches should be accessible without removing the bottom cover.

[josmo]

That's a very good point!  The only issue could be the rather long distance between the PCB and the back cover, which would make it a bit hard to accurately poke the buttons using a pin or something similar, without accidentally touching something else on the PCB.  The buttons should be much closer to the back cover for the pinholes to work safely.

That is why the toothpick in our knife is non-conductive. 

instead of  tiny holes  for  "toothpick" access to the emmc switch maybe  square inch access port cut out and a screw in cover plate  like a lot of laptops have for their ram  and drive access?     ..not so new of an

[KC9UDX]

Cover plus screws is a good idea but costly compared to small holes with rubber plugs.

It would be handy to be able to replace the eMMC without taking the bottom off, though, wouldn't it?