========================
Asus "Transformer" TF101
========================
:CreationDate: 2011-07-15 17:54:21
:Id: SW/tf101
:tags: - software
- hardware
- keyboard
Some time ago I bought an `Asus TF101`_, together with its keyboard
dock. It's a nice gadget: recent Android, updated often, fast, good
screen, and the keyboard (which includes an additional battery) allows
to use it like a laptop (mostly).
Of course, I had to modify it my way :)
The operating system
====================
I installed the alternative image `PRIME`_, that looks to me to be
well supported, and has minimal changes w.r.t. the stock Asus one. It
obviously provides ``root`` access.
The keyboard
============
It could not be one of my computers without a `Dvorak
keyboard`_. Searching the 'net it's easy to discover that the files
that describe the physical keyboard layout are
``/system/usr/keychars/asusec.kcm`` and
``/system/usr/keylayout/asusec.kl``. The format of these files is
quite easy to understand, although I still have some questions. Sadly,
not having the source code for Android 3, we are left to guess. `My
changes`_ are simple enough.
.. note::
Mine is a UK model. It's possible that TF101 sold outside the UK
have different keyboards; I'm pretty sure that the US one has one
fewer key. Don't use my modifications without checking first!
Since the keys are of different sizes / shapes, I couldn't just move
the keycaps around. So, I wrote a `LaTeX file to print key labels`_, I
printed it on adhesive labels (Avery L7165, 8 on an A4 sheet), I
painted the sheet with transparent spray, I cut the key labels, and
attached them on the keys. It works. (The "esc" key is below the
"back" key, on the left of "1").
ConnectBot and the physical keyboard
------------------------------------
Most Android applications have no problems with the physical keyboard,
ma some get confused by complicated keys like "control" or
"escape". In particular, `ConnectBot`_ completely ignores them. Since
in a terminal emulator such keys are *very* useful, I looked around
for a version that supported them. I found a couple of them on GitHub,
but they were a bit behind w.r.t. to the main ConnectBot development,
so I forked `"my own" version`_. If you want, you can `get it from
GitHub`_.
.. note::
There's very little of mine: I took two branches other people had
written, merged them, and updated the project files. If it works,
it's thanks to the original authors; if it breaks, it's my fault.
The battery
===========
The internal battery in the tablet lasts several hours of continuous
use; with the light use I make of it, I only have to charge it every
couple of days.
There was, though, a rather strange problem: the battery inside the
dock was not charging. This became particularly obvious with the
latest version of `PRIME`_, which includes a charge indicator for both
batteries. On the 'net you can find quite a few threads about charging
problems, but I was very intrigued when reading a `tear-down`_:
there's a battery disconnection switch!
I opened the dock, flipped the switch, closed everything up again, and
now the battery charges perfectly. No, I don't know if they sold it to
me that way, or if it magically flipped itself.
The cable is short
------------------
The cable that Asus sells in the box, to connect the power supply to
the tablet, is very short. A normal USB extension does not seem to
work: you need a USB 3.0 extension, because some the 5 additional
wires is used to carry the higher voltage needed to charge the
battery.
.. _`Asus TF101`: http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_Pad/Eee_Pad_Transformer_TF101/
.. _`PRIME`: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1052380
.. _`Dvorak keyboard`: /SW/my-layout/
.. _`My changes`: http://www.thenautilus.net/cgit/tf101-dvorak-keyboard/commit/?h=dvorak&id=67bbe0db664ff57a0cb0a770f8b92fda9c50a152
.. _`LaTeX file do print key labels`: http://www.thenautilus.net/cgit/tf101-dvorak-keyboard/tree/tasti-tf101.tex?h=keycaps
.. _`ConnectBot`: http://connectbot.org/
.. _`"my own" version`: https://github.com/dakkar/connectbot
.. _`get it from GitHub`: https://github.com/downloads/dakkar/connectbot/Connectbot.apk
.. _`tear-down`: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1120114&page=2
