x88x
10-06-2009, 05:31 PM
I don't know how new this actually is, but I ran across the Bifferboard earlier today:
http://bifferos.bizhat.com/
It's very tempting because it provides the low power-usage that you want in an embedded system (consumes ~1W), but is still the familiar x86 architecture. Additionally, it's only ~$46 each (~$41 each if you buy 5 or more). There are even writeups by people who have gotten it running Debian, Slackware, and Gentoo, so even familiar software :D
I had been planning on doing an embedded system sometime soonish with a Beagleboard (http://beagleboard.org/), which is more powerful, but costs ~3x as much, consumes ~2x as much power, and is ARM-based (not a bad thing, I'm just more familiar with x86). I'm thinking I might try this instead.
The sad thing is that this would about compare in performance to the $1400 P-166 Compaq that my parents got back in '98.... :facepalm:
http://bifferos.bizhat.com/
It's very tempting because it provides the low power-usage that you want in an embedded system (consumes ~1W), but is still the familiar x86 architecture. Additionally, it's only ~$46 each (~$41 each if you buy 5 or more). There are even writeups by people who have gotten it running Debian, Slackware, and Gentoo, so even familiar software :D
I had been planning on doing an embedded system sometime soonish with a Beagleboard (http://beagleboard.org/), which is more powerful, but costs ~3x as much, consumes ~2x as much power, and is ARM-based (not a bad thing, I'm just more familiar with x86). I'm thinking I might try this instead.
The sad thing is that this would about compare in performance to the $1400 P-166 Compaq that my parents got back in '98.... :facepalm: