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Linux Computer in USB Key Form-Factor
PMBjornerud writes "A start-up located in the French Alps near Grenoble is readying a tiny ARM-based Linux single-board computer (SBC) in a USB key form-factor. Calao's USB-9260 USB key-sized SBC measures 3.3 x 1.4 inches (85 x 36 mm). It is based on an Atmel AT91SAM9260 processor, an SoC (system-on-chip) powered by an ARM926EJ-S core clocked at 190MHz. The SoC targets "advanced applications such as GPS application processors," according to Atmel. Here is a Spec sheet PDF. With a 10/100 Ethernet port, firewall usage springs to mind. Other interfaces are 2 USB host ports and room for an expansion card. Which should allow some creative uses. "
I think the only advantage of this particular linux usb key is it's size. Otheriwse, the gumstix are a helluva lot more powerful and almost as small (think size of a gumstick). Anyway, gumstix also has a variety of expansion boards. I'm waiting for the gsm module so I can make something off the OpenMoko platform or a cobbled together iPhone.
This seems like the ultimate in upgradable technology -- just unplug an old one and plug in a new one. Put this in a car as the on-board computer, then you could pull it out and plug it into another machine to perform diagnostics or upgrade software. This seems extremely useful to me.
21st-Century-Citizen
The Gumstix may have a higher clock, but they use the XScale microarchitectrue. The 926 is the same architecture, but the microarchitecture has superior performance, particularly with regard to memory access. I'd be interested to see real world benchmarks between the devices.
With Ethernet on one end, USB2 on the other and stacks of ARM9 power?
I bet that security researchers turn it into some kind of network analysis tool before I can say "whippit".
And then the hackers get their hands on it.....
I bet your there are waaay more uses for a sexy little gizmo like this then the manufacturers realize.
Opensolaris? No... seriously, does it?
These guys have inherited the old BlackDog & K9 platforms. Rather than ARM, it uses a PowerPC core. New models coming soon:
http://echoidentity.com/
I disagree. I presume the device can run with only power (ie standalone). If so, and if it was cheap enough, stick one of these inside a Linksys WRT54GL case, attach it to an ethernet port, and you have a very nice parental filter dansguardian box. The Linksys itself isn't powerful enough to run dansguardian (not enough ram), but this device has sufficient ram. Or it could be used to augment the capabilities of linksys itself, like to do a PBX, or something.
Yeah, except that all gumstix products put Ethernet on a daughterboard using a Hirose connector that's a complete non-starter in a severe high-vibration environment.
This thing still uses an RJ45 connector which means it still can't be used in such a severe environment in its off-the-shelf form, but it's much easier to desolder a connector and solder a jumper cable to something like a MIL-C-38999 and pot the whole thing in epoxy than try to ruggedize those Hirose connectors (hopeless).
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
Saw one at a trade show a couple years back - using one of the dime-sized disks for memory.
Appears as a drive to the system and launches a full-screen window displaying its own X server's screen buffer when plugged in (to a Windows, BSD, or Linux box).
Has enough power storage in a capacitor to automatically save state when suddenly unplugged - so you can just pull it out, take it somewhere else, plug it into another box (perhaps with a different underlying op system), and pick up right where you left off (cursor position, keystroke, and all).
Was intended to be licensed to manufacturers and to sell for $100 for kids to carry between school, library, and home. I think they eventually got a model to market for $125 with a flash drive.
Don't recall the name right now (a somewhat simian word) but there have been a number of stories about it on Slashdot.
The one in THIS article isn't it. Doesn't seem to have any mass storage onboard.
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
It's already been done: http://www.yoggie.com/
That actually seems doable:
1 7-port self powered USB hub
7 of these keys
7 ethernet cables
1 8-port switch
Connect the keys to the USB hub for power
Connect the ethernet cables from the keys to the switch
Connect your workstation to the switch
Not sure which Beowulf supporting OS runs on ARM though.
You realize that USB is the most CPU-intensive bus around?
You would be better off assigning two IP addresses to two aliases on the device and using the one ethernet jack.
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...