Discussion:
Not a New NanoNote: ELLO 2M
Paul Boddie
2016-06-09 16:44:11 UTC
Permalink
Hello,

I thought I'd post this and get flamed anyway. Someone brought the following
Crowd Supply project to my attention very recently:

https://www.crowdsupply.com/knivd/ello-2m

The NanoNote connection is somewhat tenuous but still interesting: it's an
open hardware design, has a keyboard and screen (and thus isn't yet another
"headless" single-board computer), and it uses a microcontroller in the MIPS-
based PIC32 family as its CPU. It isn't at the same level of sophistication as
the Ben, but I guess it shows off some interesting common aspects of how such
products are designed and made.

The whole PIC32 phenomenon is interesting to observe. Although we're talking
about things with relatively little RAM - 128K or 512K in this case - they
tend to have more RAM than the average ARM microcontroller (and obviously much
more than the ubiquitous AVR stuff turned out by Arduino, Adafruit and so on).
That's been enough to let people run Unix variants like RetroBSD on PIC32
boards:

http://retrobsd.org/wiki/doku.php

Another Crowd Supply campaign that was also pointed out is this one:

https://www.crowdsupply.com/soniktech/zamek

That one seems to want to play in the Anelok space. ;-)

Paul

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Werner Almesberger
2016-06-10 02:06:53 UTC
Permalink
Post by Paul Boddie
they
tend to have more RAM than the average ARM microcontroller
Hmm, let's see. Package QFN or VTLA (that seems to be QFN that goes
all the way to the corners, clever), 28-36 pins, in stock at
Digi-Key, unit price per 100 units, ...

USB Flash RAM Part name Package Cost
- 128 kB 32 kB PIC32MX150F128B 28-QFN (6x6) 2.74
PIC32MX150F128C 36-VTLA (5x5) 2.80
256 kB 32 kB MKL17Z256VFM4 32-QFN (5x5) 2.36
64 kB PIC32MX170F256B 28-QFN (6x6) 2.98
device 256 kB 32 kB MKL27Z256VFM4 32-QFN (5x5) 2.63
OTG 128 kB 16 kB MKL26Z128VFM4 32-QFN (5x5) 2.14
32 kB PIC32MX250F128B 28-QFN (6x6) 3.06
PIC32MX250F128C 36-VTLA (5x5) 3.33
256 kB 64 kB PIC32MX270F256B 28-QFN (6x6) 3.22

So PIC32 win in this segment by having twice as much RAM as the
Kinetis L series if you need > 32 kB of RAM (an no USB), or even
four times if you need > 16 kB of RAM and USB OTG (and not just USB
device).

Where a Kinetis L with the same amount of RAM and roughly the same
number of pins exists, the PIC32 have less Flash and are more
expensive.
Post by Paul Boddie
https://www.crowdsupply.com/soniktech/zamek
That one seems to want to play in the Anelok space. ;-)
Ah, they're getting closer ! Still self-flagellating with AVR, but
this one now has a battery. No RF, though. Crypto seems to be a bit
wobbly.

The little "joystick" is cute, but I wonder how convenient it is.
I played with that critter and found it less convenient than
buttons. With the joystick, Zamek has five switches (X+, X-, Y+, Y-,
push) instead of the three of Anelok (up, middle, down), though.
Pity nobody took up the slider challenge.

- Werner

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Cristian Paul Peñaranda Rojas
2016-06-10 02:41:30 UTC
Permalink
I'm for the Pocket chip as for now.

Cristian Paul
Post by Werner Almesberger
Post by Paul Boddie
they
tend to have more RAM than the average ARM microcontroller
Hmm, let's see. Package QFN or VTLA (that seems to be QFN that goes
all the way to the corners, clever), 28-36 pins, in stock at
Digi-Key, unit price per 100 units, ...
USB Flash RAM Part name Package Cost
- 128 kB 32 kB PIC32MX150F128B 28-QFN (6x6) 2.74
PIC32MX150F128C 36-VTLA (5x5) 2.80
256 kB 32 kB MKL17Z256VFM4 32-QFN (5x5) 2.36
64 kB PIC32MX170F256B 28-QFN (6x6) 2.98
device 256 kB 32 kB MKL27Z256VFM4 32-QFN (5x5) 2.63
OTG 128 kB 16 kB MKL26Z128VFM4 32-QFN (5x5) 2.14
32 kB PIC32MX250F128B 28-QFN (6x6) 3.06
PIC32MX250F128C 36-VTLA (5x5) 3.33
256 kB 64 kB PIC32MX270F256B 28-QFN (6x6) 3.22
So PIC32 win in this segment by having twice as much RAM as the
Kinetis L series if you need > 32 kB of RAM (an no USB), or even
four times if you need > 16 kB of RAM and USB OTG (and not just USB
device).
Where a Kinetis L with the same amount of RAM and roughly the same
number of pins exists, the PIC32 have less Flash and are more
expensive.
Post by Paul Boddie
https://www.crowdsupply.com/soniktech/zamek
That one seems to want to play in the Anelok space. ;-)
Ah, they're getting closer ! Still self-flagellating with AVR, but
this one now has a battery. No RF, though. Crypto seems to be a bit
wobbly.
The little "joystick" is cute, but I wonder how convenient it is.
I played with that critter and found it less convenient than
buttons. With the joystick, Zamek has five switches (X+, X-, Y+, Y-,
push) instead of the three of Anelok (up, middle, down), though.
Pity nobody took up the slider challenge.
- Werner
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Werner Almesberger
2016-06-10 02:47:22 UTC
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Post by Cristian Paul Peñaranda Rojas
I'm for the Pocket chip as for now.
You mean this one ?
https://getchip.com/pages/pocketchip

"THE HARSH LIMITATIONS OF PICO-8 ARE CAREFULLY CHOSEN"

Hmm, this sentence may come in handy some day ... ;-)

- Werner

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p***@kristianpaul.org
2016-06-13 19:26:30 UTC
Permalink
Yep
Post by Werner Almesberger
You mean this one ?
https://getchip.com/pages/pocketchip
"THE HARSH LIMITATIONS OF PICO-8 ARE CAREFULLY CHOSEN"
Hmm, this sentence may come in handy some day ... ;-)
- Werner
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