Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 13:18:53 -0400 From: Gunther Schadow <gunther@aurora.rg.iupui.edu> To: freebsd-small@freebsd.org Subject: are there any *inexpensive* SBC with just the right features? Message-ID: <397885FD.40281ADE@aurora.rg.iupui.edu>
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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------ADEC4B19C44D3E45116E99D4 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi, in my quest for SBCs for some PicoBSD setup, I ran into difficulties. Most of these devices are pretty expensive to start with, some aren't even particularly small, and most are mis-fitted in terms of features. For my purpose of course. What I would *like* to find is: - CPU i486 or i586 100 - 200 MHz is just fine - VGA is *not* required at all, instead I want - on board Ethernet 10/100 at least one interface, some would even need two - one or two SIO ports, one or two LPT ports. - CompactFlash ram (PCMCIA type is probably best at this time for it's easier to interoperate with.) - IDE disks are not needed (if CompactFlash works and can be booted from.) - really small form-factor - low power consumption - low heat production - simple power requirements (e.g., 12 V DC only) (so that it can be fit into a small box with a simple external AC adapter.) - low price <= $300 including i486 CPU, 32 MB RAM and 8 MB CompactFlash RAM. What do you think? Is this list flawed? Any chance to find something like it? My plan is to assemble some set of 20 or more of such boxes to deploy in an IPv6/IPsec networking project for gateways, printer drivers, and all kinds of stuff. Plug and play no maintenance. I imagine the following problems: - without VGA, debugging of system startup sequence will be a pain in the butt (nothing happens and you don't know why...) - the PCMCIA-based CF card is not the typical thing found on SBCs. Most have DiskOnChip kind of setup which is not too robustly supported by FreeBSD at this point. Furthermore DiskOnChip would raises a bootstrapping problem, i.e., how to get the first image onto the chip without one of those computers running already... - noone will put 2 Ethernet interfaces on board and stacked PC104 cards turn into an unwieldy form-factor and PC104 is quite expensive - the simple power requirement might be a problem ... I don't want the AC adaptor be larger than the computer, don't want to mess with multiple voltage (5V and 12V) and AC/DC output stuff as is common in desktop PCs. - my wishlist looks like custom - and custom is expensive. Anyone please offer any thoughts? regards -Gunther --------------ADEC4B19C44D3E45116E99D4 Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="gunther.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Gunther Schadow Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="gunther.vcf" begin:vcard n:Schadow;Gunther tel;fax:+1 317 630 6962 tel;home:+1 317 816 0516 tel;work:+1 317 630 7960 x-mozilla-html:FALSE url:http://aurora.rg.iupui.edu org:Regenstrief Institute for Health Care;Dr. McDonald, 5th floor adr:;;1050 Wishard Blvd;Indianapolis;Indiana;46202;USA version:2.1 email;internet:gunther@aurora.rg.iupui.edu title:M.D., Medical Information Scientist fn:Gunther Schadow end:vcard --------------ADEC4B19C44D3E45116E99D4-- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-small" in the body of the message
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