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Best Embedded Linux Development Kits?
curious-embed asks: "I'm currently involved in a project which is moving towards using Linux in an embedded environment. However, I am having a lot of trouble finding a reasonably priced dev kit to tinker with and move towards something more production ready. Linuxdevices.com has a guide The Linux-friendly Embedded SBCs Quick Reference Guide but most of the listed manufacturers won't talk to you unless you are buying 100+ kits. I'm specifically looking for something ~$200 with USB/Audio/Video that is Linux friendly. Ideas anyone?"
I've not used it myself, but tonight at our local LUG in Raleigh there's going to be a presentation on White Dwarf Linux. From what I've heard they have a pretty nice embedded linux setup as well as some neat embedded hardware platforms they target out-of-the-box.
WWJD? JWRTFM!!!
Unfortunately, "embedded" covers everything from headless PCs controlling industrial systems to system-on-chip devices that need to run on the same battery for 3 years.
On the large end, as others have suggested, you can just use a standard PC for development and prototyping. At the other extreme, you're probably going to want to just buy a packaged system like a uCdimm -- LinuxDevices has a good list.
In the middle, though, I've had good experiences with the OpenBrick; it's basically just a low-env VIA EPIA system, with onboard graphics, Ethernet, USB, etc. I actually ran one for lightweight web and MP3 serving for about a year, with it stuffed in between stacks of books on a shelf, and just the network and power cables running out the back.
O'Reilly has a book out by Karim Yaghmour called "Building Embedded Linux Systems". (ISBN number: 0-596-00222-X) I'm about half way through it now, and it has answers to most of the stupid mistakes I made early on involving tool-chain setup. The book's worth the price just for that chapter.
I'm also in the early stages of a project using Linux in an embedded system. I'll probably be going with either a PC/104 or ARM7 based solution.
It's good to use your head, but not as a battering ram.
Here it is at Amazon.
If you need USB, audio and video, just build a mini-itx computer. Cheap, small, and it's a fully functioning computer. The VIA EPIA 5000 is only 7 by 7 inches, pretty small, while it's bigger counterpart is still only a few inches bigger. Plus, you can get small cases, fairly cheap memory, optical drives like CD burners, DVD, etc, thin versions of the optical drives, hard drives, and more. If you need so much functionality, then mini-itx is better.
If you're concerned about paying SCO's license fees ($32 for embedded devices, $699 for single CPU's), don't worry: that offer expired October 1. You're in the same boat as the rest of us, buddy!
I'm programming the ARM7 Eagle dev board at work right now.
It's great for quick prototyping - has flash, RS232s, network and all.
They sell it for ~$400.
When the prototype is done, I just hand it over to my hardware collegues;
they trim it down to matchbox size.
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