[MLB-WIRELESS] hilltop BSS box with lotsa PCMCIA Slots - How ? Where?

[Donovan Baarda]

On Fri, Aug 23, 2002 at 09:32:06PM +1200, Steve Wright wrote:
> 
> Anyone up-to-speed on embedded hardware ?
> 
> Where can I source an x86/ARM/Other low-power box, with 4 (minimum) 
> PCMCIA slots, that'll boot a 2.4.x Linux Kernel ?

Build your own?
http://www.via.com.tw/en/VInternet/mini_itx.jsp
http://www.mini-itx.com/

These are i386 boards using low-power C3 and VIA Eden processors in a
17cmx17cm form-factor (no fan, low power, 533~800MHz). They have everything
onboard (including NIC, 5.1 sound, DVD capable TVout etc), single PCI slot.
Most of that is not relevant, but the important thing is you can get these
for under A$250, and that includes everything including the CPU. The other
important thing is Linux drivers exist for all the onboard peripherals.

The hard part would be 4 PCMCIA slots. I _think_ you can get 4xPCMCIA PCI
cards, (2x2 at rear, another 2x2 at front via ribbon). You can also get
2xPCI risers for the single PCI on the MB, so you can put two 2xPCMCI PCI
cards in if you need to.

These boards are used by traverse in their micro-serva products. The
MicroServa's themselves are not that cheap compared to a full PC (about $600
for PSU+case+MB), but they include everything in a nice compact case. Even
if you don't go the MicroServa route, Traverse sell all the kinds of bits
you would need, including riser cards and CompactFLASH<->IDE interfaces (a
64M IDE HDD on FLASH for under $115). Actually, you will probably have
problems fitting 4xPCMCIA into a microserva anyway.

http://www.traverse.com.au/

You _could_ go down the PC104 path. These are even smaller stackable boards
using a stackable ISA interface. You can get all sorts of MB's, peripherals,
etc in this formfactor, ideal for embedded systems. _However_, you will pay
heaps for them (think normal PC x 10), the processors are typicaly 586-133
and under, and only ISA between boards. There is also compact PCI, but I
never really followed it much so I'm not 100% sure of it's cost/limitation
etc.

I personaly love ARM processors. However, probably the only boards you could
get using this processor would be eBay Netwinders, or development kits.
Development kits can sometimes be got at a bargain, provided you can
convince someone who makes them you are a serious developer considering
using 1000's of them. The peripherals available on a Developers kit will
probably be more targeting DSP applications, so you might get a built in
PCMCIA, but you'd probably have to design your own peripherals board to add
anything else.

If you find anything cool, let us all know :-)

-- 
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