External USB Storage

[AndrewLong]

Hi all,

Is there a way to access an external mass storage device from the USB port of an Android phone? I have a project I'm working on, but I'm stuck on that part.

The goal is to plug my DSLR into the phone's USB (I made a specific cable to do just that) and access the pictures from the phone, then with my phone running an FTP server app broadcasting over Wi-Fi, access the pictures on my camera from my computer.

DSLR---usb cable---Behold II---wifi----Computer

I'm stuck on accessing the files on my camera from Android. Is this even possible?

 

[Chroma]

USB Host isn't offically supported on Android..yet

Their was a dude who put a home-brewed host on a Droid a while back. My guess is that as Android starts getting bigger in the tablet market, we'll see some more ports on these tablets.

Put your vote in, google's been listening in on this:
Issue 738 - android - I hope Android will implement and support the USB host feature - Project Hosting on Google Code

 

[Eugene]

Last time I messed with USB you couldn't have be port be device and host, it required different hardware so you have to have two ports.

 

[sitlet]

maybe i don't understand what you are trying to do, but if your end result is to get the pictures from the camera to the computer, why not just plug the camera into the computer?

 

[Chroma]

maybe i don't understand what you are trying to do, but if your end result is to get the pictures from the camera to the computer, why not just plug the camera into the computer?

My speculation:
He's doing gigs at a center with wi-fi. he wants to take photos and peridocally send them to his phone for the phone to send it down to his computer. But this is exactly what eye-fi cards do, so I can't be right.

 

[AndrewLong]

USB Host isn't offically supported on Android..yet

Their was a dude who put a home-brewed host on a Droid a while back. My guess is that as Android starts getting bigger in the tablet market, we'll see some more ports on these tablets.

Put your vote in, google's been listening in on this:
Issue 738 - android - I hope Android will implement and support the USB host feature - Project Hosting on Google Code

Ahh, exciting! Thanks

Last time I messed with USB you couldn't have be port be device and host, it required different hardware so you have to have two ports.

That makes sense, I figured it might come down to hardware and not just software.

maybe i don't understand what you are trying to do, but if your end result is to get the pictures from the camera to the computer, why not just plug the camera into the computer?

Well yes, but I essentially want the storage on my camera to be wireless -- I could get the pictures off from anywhere within a wireless network, through the phone.

For example, if I have a certain photographic setup where I can't move the camera without ruining the shoot (location, positioning, ect...), I would still be able to get the pictures off without physically moving the camera, just by plugging in my phone and grabbing them from a PC through wi-fi.

 

[AndrewLong]

My speculation:
He's doing gigs at a center with wi-fi. he wants to take photos and peridocally send them to his phone for the phone to send it down to his computer. But this is exactly what eye-fi cards do, so I can't be right.

Exactly! Except this is all for fun -- I'd rather try and create something neato with Android than just snag an eye-fi card.

 

[Chroma]

Exactly! Except this is all for fun -- I'd rather try and create something neato with Android than just snag an eye-fi card.

Well, I've always looked for headache free simplicity, but kudos for trying for innovation!

 

[Pale_Flyer]

android now had hosting, it is all software, and someone did something similar a little while ago with a Nexus One. he turned it into a workstation.