freebsd-arm Digest, Vol 205, Issue 2
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Today's Topics:
1. where to start? (Anton Shterenlikht)
2. Re: where to start? (Bernd Walter)
3. Re: where to start? (Torfinn Ingolfsen)
4. Re: where to start? (Mark Tinguely)
5. Re: New S3C24x0 patch (Andrew Turner)
6. Re: where to start? (Anton Shterenlikht)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 14:57:29 +0000
From: Anton Shterenlikht <me...@bristol.ac.uk>
Subject: where to start?
To: freeb...@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <20100302145...@mech-cluster241.men.bris.ac.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I've been using fbsd on i386, alpha, ia64 and sparc64.
I'd like to see what fbsd ARM can do for me.
I can see some systems here http://www.simtec.co.uk/,
but not sure what is possible to do with those.
For example, can I have a graphical thin client
built on ARM? This would be a box with some keyboard
and a mouse, with full ports tree on some disk, and with
X server running. Of course there must be a good
ethernet connection to the server. Does this make
sense at all?
Or what about a portable ARM computer to be used
for making presentations, something one can use
instead of a laptop?
Perhaps I'm asking the wrong questions alltogether..
many thanks
anton
--
Anton Shterenlikht
Room 2.6, Queen's Building
Mech Eng Dept
Bristol University
University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TR, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 331 5944
Fax: +44 (0)117 929 4423
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 17:14:05 +0100
From: Bernd Walter <ti...@cicely7.cicely.de>
Subject: Re: where to start?
To: Anton Shterenlikht <me...@bristol.ac.uk>
Cc: freeb...@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <20100302161...@cicely7.cicely.de>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
On Tue, Mar 02, 2010 at 02:57:29PM +0000, Anton Shterenlikht wrote:
> I've been using fbsd on i386, alpha, ia64 and sparc64.
> I'd like to see what fbsd ARM can do for me.
A very good question.
I don't know every available arm board, so other may want to corrrect
me here.
> I can see some systems here http://www.simtec.co.uk/,
> but not sure what is possible to do with those.
>
> For example, can I have a graphical thin client
> built on ARM? This would be a box with some keyboard
> and a mouse, with full ports tree on some disk, and with
> X server running. Of course there must be a good
> ethernet connection to the server. Does this make
> sense at all?
I pesonally would just take an Atom based system.
Atom Systems are widely supported and easily available with many
different feature sets.
There are arm systems with VGA headers, but my impression is that
those are just more exotic than existing x86 hardware.
> Or what about a portable ARM computer to be used
> for making presentations, something one can use
> instead of a laptop?
There are many PDA classed arm systems.
I don't know which of them (if any) we support.
The main problem with them is that you spend a lot of time to
get them running, just to see that the vendor has upgraded to
a new hardware release.
I personally see arm as a good architecture for home automation
controllers, small routers and such.
Using self build hardware or hardware which is available over
years without major changes, so you are not wasting time to get
everything running.
At least some of them are less power hungry than x86 alternatives.
My own boards for example include an ethernet switch and take power
in the 1.5W to 2.6W range, while small x86 systems typically are
in the 5W to 20W range.
I've build my boards exactly to the features I needed and
if I need something else I can produce a new PCB on the existing
design, e.g. add an FPGA for special purpose, or high speed ADC
with special sensors.
If you are not into self building boards you can easily source
one of those many arm systems which have almost every pin routed to
a header.
If you want mainstream features then it is probably best to stay
with mainstream hardware, since it has better availability and support.
--
B.Walter <be...@bwct.de> http://www.bwct.de
Modbus/TCP Ethernet I/O Baugruppen, ARM basierte FreeBSD Rechner uvm.
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:23:07 +0100
From: Torfinn Ingolfsen <tor...@broadpark.no>
Subject: Re: where to start?
To: freeb...@FreeBSD.org
Message-ID: <20100302222307.c7253...@broadpark.no>
Content-Type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII
On Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:14:05 +0100
Bernd Walter <ti...@cicely7.cicely.de> wrote:
> There are many PDA classed arm systems.
> I don't know which of them (if any) we support.
Would the SmartQ V5[1] be supported by FreeBSD
It would be nice if it was possible to exchange the (useless) WinCE
partition on this device with a FreeBSD partition. Yes, even if FreeBSD
would be (almost) useless at first. :-)
References:
1) http://en.smartdevices.com.cn/Products/V5/200912/30-45.html
--
Torfinn
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 17:30:56 -0600 (CST)
From: Mark Tinguely <ting...@casselton.net>
Subject: Re: where to start?
To: freeb...@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <201003022330....@casselton.net>
ARM is a family of cores. Within each ARM core version there are several
implementations with their own the buses/devices that surround the core.
Each chip family is a major port.
As mentioned, the core ports that exists - for example the SheevaPlug,
Linksys NSLU2, and the old Gumstix (PXA255), make great small stand-alone
applications server, routers.
Besides the PDA, smartphones, there is an ARMv7 handhold called the Pandora
(http://www.open-pandora.org/) running Linux. IMO, it would take some serious
money to support it under FreeBSD.
--Mark Tinguely
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 12:34:40 +1300
From: Andrew Turner <and...@fubar.geek.nz>
Subject: Re: New S3C24x0 patch
To: freeb...@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <20100303123...@fubar.geek.nz>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
I've posted a new patch at [1] taking into account the changes suggested
to me either via this list or privately.
Andrew
[1]
http://fubar.geek.nz/files/freebsd/s3c2xx0/freebsd-s3c24x0-20100227.diff
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 09:54:15 +0000
From: Anton Shterenlikht <me...@bristol.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: where to start?
To: Mark Tinguely <ting...@casselton.net>
Cc: freeb...@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <20100303095...@mech-cluster241.men.bris.ac.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
On Tue, Mar 02, 2010 at 05:30:56PM -0600, Mark Tinguely wrote:
>
> ARM is a family of cores. Within each ARM core version there are several
> implementations with their own the buses/devices that surround the core.
> Each chip family is a major port.
>
> As mentioned, the core ports that exists - for example the SheevaPlug,
> Linksys NSLU2, and the old Gumstix (PXA255), make great small stand-alone
> applications server, routers.
>
> Besides the PDA, smartphones, there is an ARMv7 handhold called the Pandora
> (http://www.open-pandora.org/) running Linux. IMO, it would take some serious
> money to support it under FreeBSD.
I think ARM is not for me.
many thanks
anton
--
Anton Shterenlikht
Room 2.6, Queen's Building
Mech Eng Dept
Bristol University
University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TR, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 331 5944
Fax: +44 (0)117 929 4423
------------------------------
End of freebsd-arm Digest, Vol 205, Issue 2
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