arm-netbook August 2016

arm-netbook@lists.phcomp.co.uk

54 participants
78 discussions

Future case idea: subnotebook/PDA with QWERTY keyboard
by Sam Pablo Kuper 04 Oct '16

04 Oct '16

It would be great to have a housing for the EOMA68 that is of a similar form factor to one of these devices: - DragonBox Pyra [1] - Openbox Pandora [2] - HTC Universal [3] or even: - HTC Dream [4] That is, an enclosure that can fit in a pocket, and has: - Hardware QWERTY keyboard - Touchscreen (resistive, ideally) that opens out from the keyboard - TRRS audio I/O - USB OTG Something like a miniature tablet PC, essentially. Bonus points if it is also "ruggedized": waterproof, shockproof, etc. Likewise if it incorporates a trackpoint or similar, for using the mouse cursor without needing to touch the screen.[5] Goes without saying that it should be licensed as a Free Cultural Work[6], i.e. under GPLv3 or suchlike. Why would it be great? Well, traditionally, people using a PDA had to synchronise their information between their desktop or laptop and the PDA, e.g. via a cable or IrDA[7] or Bluetooth. Now lots of people do this via "the cloud", but that just means going via someone else's computers, so unless that system is implemented on a zero-knowledge basis using client-side encryption basis, then whoever else's computers are being used also gets to see the information. That might be really private stuff, like contacts and appointments and correspondence. With EOMA68, that problem would be solved: while out and about where a laptop would be too bulky but a PDA wouldn't, just have the EOMA68 card in the PDA housing. When at a desk, put it in the desktop or laptop housing. No need to sync! That means: - No loss of privacy - Less need for energy-intensive data centres - No need to have two computers when one would do (less e-waste) - No worries about race conditions due to data getting updated on desktop and PDA before syncing. - No headaches, essentially! Is anyone working on such an enclosure and PCB? spk [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonbox_Pyra [2] https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/the-day-the-pandora-goes-even-more… [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Universal [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Dream [5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4t9Ys8wI6k#t=4m45s [6] http://freedomdefined.org/ [7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_Data_Association

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EOMA68 Power Specifications
by Joseph Honold 31 Aug '16

31 Aug '16

I'm reading the eoma spec at elinux and there is limited information regarding the power requirements. It states "*a maximum of 3.5 watts should be respected" and "**Type II Cards should not exceed an average of 3.5 watts power consumption" and "*must adjust accordingly and stick within the 4 watt heat dissipation budget". Is there a minimum requirement for supply current that must be available to the cpu card from a housing/device/socket for compatibility with multiple cpu cards (3.5 or 4 watts)? What is the A20 cpu card power consumption (average/peak)?

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3D on a 100% Libre Laptop
by David Philipe Gil 30 Aug '16

30 Aug '16

What do you think is needed to get 3D Acceleration on a 100% Libre ARM laptop

2 1

Re: [Arm-netbook] Keyboard
by Raphaël Mélotte 30 Aug '16

30 Aug '16

Ok, I understand it a bit better now. Thank you :-) I'm starting to realize I have been using laptops for years and I know nothing about how they works. 2016-08-29 21:52 GMT+02:00 Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton <lkcl(a)lkcl.net>: > --- > crowd-funded eco-conscious hardware: https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68 > > > On Mon, Aug 29, 2016 at 8:15 PM, Raphaël Mélotte > <raphael.melotte(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Of course ! I forgot the touchpad actually had an lcd. It will be so > great > > to be able to have some of those displayed right below the keyboard ! :-) > > I just saw the power button that's connected to the STM32F072 when > looking > > for something else. > > If I got it right, PCB1 receives the CPU card and powers PCB2 > > nope. PCB3 powers PCB2, which (through the STM32F) controls the > Battery / Power IC on PCB3, through which power to PCB1 is controlled. > > yes it literally has to be that complex because EOMA68 power is > "OTG-like" i.e. may be *TWO-WAY*. so the STM32F072 is responsible for > monitoring (through I2C in communication with the Battery / Power IC) > what is going on, also receives notification about power provision > from the EOMA68 Computer Card, and makes decisions whether to put the > Power IC into "OTG Host" or "OTG Client" power modes. > > look up the datasheet on the bq24193 for details. > > > which contains > > the STM32F072. Does that mean that a CPU card have to be plugged in in > order > > for the STM32F072 to be powered ? > > incorrect. the STM32F072 is powered continuously it can never be > powered off (short of opening up the laptop case and physically > disconnecting the battery). > > l. >

2 1

Keyboard
by Vincent Legoll 29 Aug '16

29 Aug '16

Hello, First, congrats on the campaign success ! I tried searching the ML archives & rhombus site, but couldn't find it. Is the laptop's keyboard only option the Keyboard: Chicony P/N MP-03756GB-5287. Or can a backlit one be substitued easily? I.e. No other HW redesign... Or maybe the laptop case can be modified to allow placement of a few leds around the screen that would get light on the keyboard. I had this on an old T42p and it was better than nothing. That would make the laptop better suited to night use. Wdyt? -- Vincent Legoll

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RGB/TTL interface
by Louis Pearson 28 Aug '16

28 Aug '16

I have been trying to figure out how exactly the RGB interface that the eoma-68 standard supplies works. Or, in other words, what you would need to be able to connect it to a screen. The info that I have managed to find makes me think this would connect directly to a LCD or TTF screen's ribbon cable. Is there a description of what is provided with this interface somewhere?

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Will EOMA68-A20 be sweatshop-free?
by Sam Pablo Kuper 27 Aug '16

27 Aug '16

Let me start by saying I realise that Luke (& undoubtedly others) have already put a *lot* of sweat into EOMA-68, and will likely be working some very long hours in the months ahead. I also realise that even with the tremendous success of the first CrowdSupply round, the volume of production is minuscule compared to Apple, Acer, Dell, etc, and hence also the risk of exploiting contracted workers will be lower - even if only because fewer workers will be assembling EOMA68 hardware. Nevertheless, low resource use; reusability; repairability; RYF compliance... these are necessary properties of an ethical computer, but not quite sufficient ones. Avoiding slavery, indentured labour, etc, and ensuring electronics supply chain workers are able to live decent lives, is surely an equally important part of building ethical computers. With that in mind, are there any plans for Rhombus Tech or other EOMA-68 producers/partners to work with organisations such as these? http://electronicswatch.org/en/ http://chinalaborwatch.org http://www.sacom.hk http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/lang--en/index.htm I suppose that the ideal thing would be for some sort of ethical sourcing requirement to be written into the EOMA-68 standard ;) - spk

5 14

Wikipedia article
by Sam Pablo Kuper 27 Aug '16

27 Aug '16

Congratulations on exceeding the funding threshold! EOMA68 now has a stub-class article on the English Wikipedia. It could do with being expanded, with references to reliable sources as per Wikipedia policy. Probably Luke shouldn't do that, to avoid conflict of interest, but it would be great if others chipped in with the effort :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EOMA68

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WonderMedia SoCs
by Dima Krasner 27 Aug '16

27 Aug '16

Hi everyone, I'm Dima (more info about me at dimakrasner.com) and I'm new here, so ... hi. For years I've been following the ARM scene, since I'm very interested in libre hardware projects. Chinese ARM netbooks with WonerMedia chips (8850, 8880, etc') are very common in sites like AliExpress and Ebay and they're pretty darn cheap. Performance, RAM amount limit and decoder performance should be reasonable, compared to other cheap ARM boards. I see the WM8950 has been evaluated, but the wiki doesn't say what's wrong with it. As far as I can tell it's yet another Mali-400 board. Upstream kernel has partial support for newer WonderMedia chips, but there is a small community at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/vt8500-wm8505-linux-kernel and as far as I know older ones (like the 8650) should work to some degree with current upstream kernels, some rotten code floating around multiple kernel trees needs to be upstreamed (possibly, after refactoring) and there is an old, public U-boot fork, at least for the 8650. As far as I see, these are technical ecosystem issues that can be solved by a small group of volunteers with kernel, upstreaming and embedded development experience, even without any vendor support. Therefore, if the 8650 still under mass production, it could be an EOMA68 candidate. Although I understand while the A20 is preferred to WonderMedia chips (it makes life easier on the software front, probably more than any other non-x86 SoC), I wonder, what makes them unacceptable in RYF hardware? Is there any technical issue that I've missed? Cheers, Dima

2 1

99%
by Alexander .S.T. Ross 27 Aug '16

27 Aug '16

heh "we are the 99%" ...for now heh ;) Soon to be "We are the 101%+" :D Congratulations luke! Well done every one :D.

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arm-netbook August 2016