cheap RTEMS/PowerPC platform [was: Re: Open Desktop Workstation]

[Raquel and Bill]

Missed the Kuro box, but would that really be an appropriate target  
for this OS (honest question)?


On Aug 24, 2005, at 11:52 AM, Raquel and Bill wrote:

> That is not an entirely accurate accounting.  The ODW is a complete  
> machine (in a case with PSU, graphics card, memory, hard drive,  
> cables, etc.) with all the I/O you could want.  The others are just  
> boards.
>
> The earlier comparison to the MacMini would be more appropriate.   
> The difference is the ODW has three PCI and one AGP slot and plenty  
> more expandability.  You can upgrade the CPU card, graphics card,  
> or memory on the ODW, for example.
>
> The ODW is also support multiple operating systems.  We thought  
> RTEMS could be one of them.  We are even willing to provide FREE  
> hardware to developers that are interested in supporting the port.
>
> We joined the list and made the initial post because we had an  
> inquiry from a customer that wanted to have RTEMS running on the  
> platform.  Is there any interest?
>
> Hope that clears things up!  :-)
>
> Bill
>
> On Aug 24, 2005, at 11:42 AM, Karel Gardas wrote:
>
>
>> On Wed, 24 Aug 2005, Joel Sherrill <joel at OARcorp.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>>> Hmm i have no idea what the mentioned hardware cost, so i can't  
>>>>> answer
>>>>> that question. But apple's mac mini is about 500USD which isn't  
>>>>> that
>>>>> expensive, when you want a general PowerPC.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> The problem is that IIRC it does not even provide serial port  
>>>> which is needed for serial console. Pegasos seems to provide one  
>>>> RS-232.
>>>> BTW: Anobody here get RTEMS working on MOAB or CerfCube?
>>>> http://www.tamsinc.com/3011/index.htm
>>>> http://www.intrinsyc.com/products/mob_ref_sys/cerfcube_405_ep/ 
>>>> index.asp
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> The Avnet evaluation board for the Coldfire that had a BSP submitted
>>> recently is inexpensive.  Do they have any PowerPC boards like that?
>>>
>>> The PegasusPPC mentioned CHRP.  The EP1A and MVME2100 appear to be
>>> CHRP.  Would one of the existing BSPs come close to working?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> True, let's list here the market choices for the reference:
>>
>> 1) Pegasos Open Desktop Workstation:       $799  (Freescale 1GHz  
>> G4/512MB RAM/80GB disc)
>> 2) Avnet AMCC PowerPC 440GX Eval. Kit:     $749  (AMCC 440GX  
>> 533MHz/256MB RAM/32MB FLASH)
>> 3) TAMS MOAB 3011 (board/chasis/doc + CD): $650  (AMCC 405GPr  
>> 400MHz/64MB RAM/128MB FLASH)
>> 4) Avnet Freescale MPC885 Evaluation Kit:  $499  (Freescale MPC885  
>> 133MHz/64MB RAM/16MB FLASH)
>> 5) Intrinsyc CerfCube 405EP for Linux:     $399  (IBM 405EP/32MB  
>> RAM/32MB FLASH)
>> 6) TAMS MOAB 3011 (eval. board only):      $399  (AMCC 405GPr  
>> 400MHz/64MB RAM/128MB FLASH)
>> 7) Synology NAS DS-101g+ :                 $300  (Freescale MPC  
>> 8241 266MHz /64MB RAM/16MB FLASH)
>> 8) Buffalo Kuro-box HG:              somewhere between (7) and (9)  
>> (Freescale MPC 8241 266MHz /128MB RAM/4MB FLASH)
>> 9) Buffalo Kuro-box:                       $160  (Freescale MPC  
>> 8241 200MHz /64MB RAM/4MB FLASH)
>>
>> where (2)-(6) seems to be "true" embedded solutions with proper  
>> boot monitors (RedBoot, U-Boot, PPCBoot, etc.) and serial  
>> consoles, (1) is more like general system ala PowerMac and (7)-(9)  
>> are cheap NAS solutions sometimes hackable to contain serial  
>> console etc. (like now popular Linksys NSLU2 for XScale platform).
>>
>> As my target hobby price (RTEMS/Linux/real-time is just hobby of  
>> mine) is around $200, I will probably end with one of NAS  
>> solutions or an old second-hand PowerMac. Anyway, my current  
>> strategy is wait and see, since I expect PowerPC prices to fall a  
>> little bit after recent IBM's move to more "open" PowerPC licenses  
>> and also after enter of new game consoles into the market (XBox/ 
>> PS3), not talking about usual price-fall of new PowerPC-based NAS  
>> like DS-101g+.
>>
>> BTW: RTEMS does not run on any of the choices above, although it  
>> might be probably easily ported to some of them (PPC405 etc.)
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Karel
>> --
>> Karel Gardas                  kgardas at objectsecurity.com
>> ObjectSecurity Ltd.           http://www.objectsecurity.com
>>
>>
>
>