[Will it be possible to support USB Wifi adapter's?]

[jwilds73]

Ok I know this device doesn't come with Wifi built in but I wonder can it or will it be able to support a wireless usb wifi adapter? I'm guessing maybe though I don't know much about anything like this. If it can support this would it be possible to play against another player on another GP2X? I mean can you link up to another GP2X over a wifi connection? I assume this is the way the PSP connects two players together. I just imagine the possiblities if something like this becomes possible. :D

[rokobungi]

if the hardware is compatible with the SD wireless cards it's possible there might be a firmware update that will let it use them. but I don't think it will be possible to use a usb device for wireless communication.

[semicolo]

The gp2x hasn't usb host capabilities, it means it can only be plugged into a computer as a device, but one can't plug devices in the gp2x (like hard disks, network adapters ...)
It's because of the main chip they used, they didn't want to add another chip for usb hosting.

[jwilds73]

If it's indeed a chip issue as you said (and I believe you on that) then that sucks. It would be nice if it could host the usb device instead of just plug into a usb connection. I wish it was just a OS issue but I understand what your saying about the chip not being a host chip.

[Kaivalagi]

The USB feature on the GP2X is hooked into a USB 2.0 Device controller called the 'NetChip 2272' which provides slave only operation (as mentioned above) but there is also a USB 1.1 Hosting capability through the GP2X's main chip, the MMSP2 'MP2520F' developed by MagicEyes. This USB hosting IO isn't hooked up to the USB connector though :(

This means USB hosting (and therefore Wi-Fi connectivity etc etc) may not be totally ruled out if someone figures out how to provide USB hosting through the EXT port, and updates the Linux OS accordingly :) Easy to suggest, really hard to do!

I think a 'Mr Nigel Brown' is possibly going to develop and make a breakout board for the GP2X's EXT port, hopefully this will open up the possibilities a bit, check on his website here (http://www.nigelibrown.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/gp32/index.htm) for any updates...
(no news there at the time of posting this)

Links (courtesy of the marvellous GP2X Wiki):
http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/NetChip_2272
http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/MP2520F

Also, good MP2520F architecture diagram here:
http://www.mesdigital.com/english/Products/product_mmsp2.asp

One think I am unclear about though, and please someone let me know, Nigel Brown maybe, is whether the EXT port provides access to all the functions of the 'MP2520F' or that it is limited in some way by the design of the PCB that the MP2520F is mounted onto? :confused: Does that make sense??

Sorry for blabbing on but I had to share what 'I THINK' I have figured out from digging around for info...:)