Project Pengachu

From OpenSource

Open source hardware PDA with Linux preinstalled.

Contents 1 Motivation 2 Design Goals 3 Hardware Detail 4 Built-In Networking 5 Software Applications 6 Hardware Reuse 7 PDA System Architecture 7.1 Four reusable main modules 8 External links

[edit] Motivation

• Educational applications (e-books, CS lessons, etc)
• People need quick access to news, weather, Web, or digital books
• People need peer-to-peer voice or data connectivity, especially in infrastructure-poor places

[edit] Design Goals

• Small, cheap
• Long battery life
• Peer to peer ad-hoc wireless TCP/IP networking
• Free software, open hardware
• Complete software development environment on board
• Reusable design for embedded computing (to enable TTT!)

[edit] Hardware Detail

• Open hardware and software (no big SW license fees!)
• Simplified backplane bus using 1Mbps SPI for low cost
• On-board power management for long battery life (50mW while decoding MP3s)
• 128x64 pixel onboard LCD, possibly VGA or NTSC output in next version
• Projected system cost in volume O($50), easy to integrate into a cheaper few-chip solution

[edit] Built-In Networking

• Standards-based (TCP/IP)
• Everything peer-to-peer:
• Wireless LAN: 900MHz, 1mW, 200Kbps peering or hub-and-spoke internet gateways
• RS-485 wired LAN: 1Mbps multidrop. Ethernet consumes too much power, Cat-5 cable is too expensive
• Easy transition between connected? or detached modes

[edit] Software Applications

• Software Footprint: < 1MB!!!!
• Web browser, full TCP/IP software suite, NFS, web server, etc.
• Native or cross-compile -- either way a full software development environment: vi, emacs, C and Scheme
• MP3 audio and IP telephony support in hardware
• Browse or navigate with onboard buttons and wheel; write code with external keyboard/mouse

[edit] Hardware Reuse

• Cheap embedded controller for tasks bigger than a PIC can handle
• Embedded routers, wireless gateways, data loggers, process controls, info displays, toasters, thermostats, robotic pets, ?
• Everybody owns all software IP through GNU Public License (hardware is ML licensed)
• Design is scalable through Motorola ColdFire 50MIPS solutions or Verilog 68K models

[edit] PDA System Architecture

[edit] Four reusable main modules

• Processor core containing Motorola Dragonball, 8MB flash, 8MB DRAM, running Linux
• Mothercard containing audio DSP, 200Kbit/sec TDMA/FDMA data radio, backplane bus controller, and up to 64MB removable flash
• Removable user interface board
• Docking station containing battery charger, serial port, keyboard port, RS-485 multidrop network

[edit] External links

• http://web.media.mit.edu/~rehmi/pengachu
• http://opencircuits.com