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New $149 NetBSD Single Board Computer Port
An Anonymous NetBSD User writes "NetBSD now supports a new ARM board, the Technologic Systems TS-7200. The TS-7200 is a low cost ($149!) mass produced embedded single board computer that runs on less than 2 watts of power."
Makes me want to build a new firewall/ssh server. Now what interesting thing to mount it in...
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TS-7200 Single Board Computer 200 MHz ARM processor for Linux ARM9 processor with MMU 32 MB SDRAM 8 MB flash drive (16 MB optional) 10/100 Ethernet Compact Flash 2 USB host ports 2 COM ports 20 DIO PC/104 expansion bus Optional A/D and RS-485 Optional 802.11b WiFi
I've recently been looking at small / quiet form factor boards from places like Mini-ITX - I'm embedding an X terminal into my glass topped dining room table.
I've had it with desktops; time for the X table top.
The computer itself seems like a steal for the specs they're claiming but their prices on CF flash are more than a little silly. You can get Sandisk Ultra II 512MB for $60 from any online meta-retailer and these guys are offering an unknown 512MB CF card for $145.
I've seen this kind of thing from several of these kinds of suppliers and I don't quite get it. They don't seem to realize that things like flash are fully commoditized and are still thinking they can get away with a 100% markup...
Oh well, if they can actually sell CF at those prices, then they deserve the money. Kudos for such a sweet, low power, inexpensive computer either way.
Regards,
Ross
it does give us more choice, but not too significant.
This looks like a nice SBC, but I am really happy with my little Soekris'. With case, the 4501 is cheaper than this ARM board (the board alone is more expensive) and has three ethernet interfaces.
Comparable to VIA's Eden-N at 2.5w at half the size.
I'm pretty sure NetBSD has already got an x86 port too...
An extra $50 can buy a lot more technology elsewhere.
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is this quite similar to the hardware that runs in the Linksys WRT54G linux based router?
Would be nice to be able to run netbsd on it.
Here are some ARM based boards to compare:
Microcontrollershop.com
Here is a similar Atmel board but this is only 8 bit and $153. Atmel Ethernut Board
8MB or 16MB flash with 32MB ram on a 32 bit processor is a good deal in the world of small low powr computers. (but still expensive compared to x86 desktop)
Good story; this is what I like to see from Slashdot is links to interesting products.
"Lack of technical competence coupled with the arrogance of power, as usual, leads to no good end."
If you want to go cheaper, got fo an NSLU from Linksys (http://nslu2-linuxorg). It's a 100 dollar ARM board w/ Ethernet, and two USB ports. It comes running Linux, but there has been some work with getting NetBSD running on it according to the mailing lists. It's a 233MHz ARM, 32MB RAM, 8MB Flash. It also has 1 1/2 serial port which you can solder on with little effort. The 1/2 serial port is only pinned out for an RX, no way to transmit with it, so it's kinda useless in that regard.
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I have to wonder what basis you have in assuming Technologic will "make damn sure that NetBSD works flawlessly".
I _hope_ they do a good job but my experience with TS-Linux tells me not to be surprised if they don't.
This SBC looks really great for a project I might be taking up, but there is one problem.
I need it to be able to withstand operating temperatures as low as -40C, since it will be outside in the winter (and later this week, it will be -38C here, so it really does need to handle -40C).
I suppose some sort of heater in the enclosure would be one way to deal with it, but I'd love to know if this board or a similar one could handle the temps without any extra effort.
I have to ask, how much traffic are you firewalling with the 266 chip?
;-)
and of course, given much thought into selling your own brand of firewalls?
It's getting to the point where we shouldn't hear about the architectures NetBSD supports, but rather, the ones it doesn't. ;)
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Looks like the Via motherboards use around 10 watts watts because of all the heavy video stuff on them (they are intended for media centers etc). On the other hand the ARM chip has no floating point processor. I've been looking for a small, low-powered board that can run an Ogg Vorbis encoder, which uses lots of floating point. Nothing looks attractive yet.
For $30 on their site it says you can get an "extended temp range" which is -40 to +85 C. That's -40 to +185 for you non-metric people.
Designing a good solar power system is not a trivial task. Obviously you need panels, but there are polycrystalline and mono, the mono being nicer but more expensive. There's the weatherproofing: you need a strong covering that is quite transparent over a wide colour range - even UV, and something that will not decay over time, nor allow water to bead. The support mechanism needs to be strong, and provide maintenance access. Photovoltaic cells are much more efficient when cold, so ventilation is important, but with ventilation comes weatherproofing woes.
Next problem is that the sun moves across the sky, and for maximum efficiency you want to track it, which can be done in one of several ways. Many people use a motor to tilt the panel, on at least one axis, though two is better. This of course requires some power, some mechanical and electrical systems which cost more and are subject to breakdown, and some controlling logic. Another method is to use pseudo-mirrors (I say pseudo because they only have to reflect the light energy, not the image, so there are different priorities in design of the mirrors) made of polished metal. These have the advantage of concentrating more light to the cells, but this advantage can be wasted if you reach the light saturation point of the photovoltaics, or heat them up too much. These mirrors require mechanical and electrical systems, but are also subject to interference or even damage from wind.
Then there's the charging system: photovoltaics rarely put out the voltage you want, and that voltage varies with the temperature and the amount of light hitting them. Pretty much every electricity consuming device has its own expectations in terms of voltage and current, so there needs to be some power electronics involved, along with controlling logic. And as soon as you get to some decent current, these become large and expensive pieces of silicon.
Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of photovoltaics, I am just trying to show that, if you want to do it the right way, there's a lot more involved than putting a PV cell on your roof and connecting it to the power leads of your embedded system. I learned all this when I was building rooftop server for a wifi mesh networking system using MIT's roofnet software. The problem is, not much funding was available.
If you are in the market for something like this, try a Gumstix (www.gumstix.com). They are 200/400 mhz xscale boards with 4 meg of flash and 64 meg of ram, running 2.6 linux kernel. They have 2 serial ports, usb client, bluetooth, MMC card, GPIO. I believe the new versions with ethernet and CF slots are getting close to competion. They are also TINY and consume around 100mw going full blast (at least that is my experience). They also provide a toolchain and everything needed to build your own kernel. Very cool.
Check them out!
Alright, what you need is a plastic case, like a millitary ammo case. You drill a few small holes for the cables (don't expose the ports!) and some silicone putty to seal it up. Before you deploy this, make sure it's air-tight by removing the board and heating it in the oven for a few minutes and seeing if the expansion of gas is contained (it will 'pop' when you open it; if it doesn't, try again. Put the board back in, toss a few big packs of silica gel in there (you can buy milspec silica packets that are the size of an iPod) an seal it up.
Don't use moving parts, and keep the thing from vibration and direct sunlight when it's out in the field.
Oh yeah, use a silicone lube on the rubber gasket that lines the opening, it will last a LONG time that way.
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