Chip the $9 computer raises almost $1.5 million so far


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In case you haven't seen it. Chip the $9 computer has raised almost $1.5 million so far.

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598272670/chip-the-worlds-first-9-computer

 

At that price I am sure that it will be lacking for some functionality.

 

Jack, just a thought any ideas in the queue for an add on shield or something to this one maybe to tie in to the papilio platform? Sounds like over 28,000 customers already.

 

Sounds like they want to be the next raspberry pi...

 

Chris

 

 

EDIT: corrected my math

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Hey, I actually backed that project, it looks pretty cool and I want to get my hands on one of them. It would be good to make a Papilio addon board that lets it be extended. We have some time, it will be a year before it is shipped I think, maybe I should upgrade to the kernal hacker level so I can get an early prototype.

 

Jack.

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Yeah I was thinking the same thing. As soon as something like that becomes popular people will be trying to extend what it can do past its abilities.

 

I have to admit for the price it looks like a lot of functionality. I am suprised they can sell so cheaply.

 

I have never bought a kickstarter myself. I have been tempted a few times though.

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I suspect we'll start to see more and more of these dirt cheap computers based on smartphone chipsets. The chips are made in huge quantities which drives the prices down and they're becoming more and more integrated. I do hope the market doesn't get too fragmented though, the software is the difficult part and the fewer different platforms there are, the more focus there will be on developing for any given one.

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Honestly...

 

I have a Parallella. A super $99 FPGA/CPU.

Never used it, and it's so damn hard to use it, and power consumption is so high I will probably just sell it.

Cheaper chips and designs will be, like james1095 says, popping up daily. That does not mean that they are actually useable (I am currently struggling with ESP8266, due to lack of documentation).

 

Although C.H.I.P. is an Allwinner ARM, and quite well supported in Linux.

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Alvie,

I too have a parallela. I agree with you 100% that it is hard to use. The documentation is also so fragmented between older and new versions and changing the fpga side from ISE to Vivado and all.

 

I didn't actually buy it for the FPGA, but rather for the epiphany multi cores for a work project related to parallel parsing algorithms. I still hope when I get enough time that it will work out in that area.

 

Good info on the ESP8266. I kind of wondered about it. It looked like it might be nice for some simple things but I haven't taken the plunge on one of those yet. Maybe I am just waiting for the developer side of things to get somewhat stable.

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It has a little help from a small, cheap CPLD (not many GPIO on the module), but otherwise yes, ESP8266 is driving everything.

 

You can buy ESP8266 with ceramic antenna for about $2.5 each, in small quantities. Google for ESP-07.

 

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/10pcs-ESP8266-serial-WIFI-model-ESP-07-Authenticity-Guaranteed-WIFI-module/32264981572.html

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While we're off topic, I've been quietly working on an i/o board for the parallela. Those samtec connectors suck (expensive and hard to buy) so much but I couldn't help myself.

Feature list is

- usb to serial ftdi chip

- 8 leds

- 4 buttons

- lcd interface

- level converters on all i/o

- arduino style expansion connector

- i2c wired out to arduino

- fan connector

- xilinx jtag connector (2mm)

- arm jtag connector (2.54mm)

- userled (from core, the rest of the i/o is fabric)

I doubt there is any market for this but I will likely sell boards to cover the proto costs.

I just sent rev 1.1 off.

Images attached.

post-36934-14328805306_thumb.jpg

post-36934-143288054632_thumb.jpg

post-36934-143288056073_thumb.jpg

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Alvie,

Man those are really cheap! I will have to order a few of them just to have on hand when a need arises. Thanks for the link.

 

Tom,

That looks like a nice board. Unfortunately I bought the server version which does not come with the samtec connectors attached. Of course I could possibly add them, but as you said I have heard they are expensive.

 

Thanks,
Chris

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@Tom: cost ?

I may get my hands on one of those. Then I may be able to use parallella. :)

Will sell them close to cost (pcbs are $25 for 10), so probably $3 each plus postage. I also have some spare connectors - I bought 10, plan to sell 6 to recover the cost of the 10 - need 2 per board. I think it works out to about $8 each unfortunately, they suck so much.

I need to prove the design some more, I did v1.0 late last year but family stuff has slowed v1.1 until now.

I've proved the leds, xilinx jtag and usb serial on v1.0 - the i2c and buttons are a no show due to dumb schematic errors.

Cheers,

Tom

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Alvie,

Man those are really cheap! I will have to order a few of them just to have on hand when a need arises. Thanks for the link.

Tom,

That looks like a nice board. Unfortunately I bought the server version which does not come with the samtec connectors attached. Of course I could possibly add them, but as you said I have heard they are expensive.

Thanks,

Chris

Yeah, I have one of each, Since only two are used I plan to remove two from one and place them on the other board. The connectors you are missing are a little cheaper and stocked by digikey. For some reason they only stock one side so I had to buy the ones I bought somewhere random like avnet for more money and expensive shipping.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Will sell them close to cost (pcbs are $25 for 10), so probably $3 each plus postage. I also have some spare connectors - I bought 10, plan to sell 6 to recover the cost of the 10 - need 2 per board. I think it works out to about $8 each unfortunately, they suck so much.

I need to prove the design some more, I did v1.0 late last year but family stuff has slowed v1.1 until now.

I've proved the leds, xilinx jtag and usb serial on v1.0 - the i2c and buttons are a no show due to dumb schematic errors.

Cheers,

Tom

Hello Tom,

 

this is really cool. I would like to buy one. Wold you inform us here when ready ?

 

thanks,

Filip

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  • 4 weeks later...

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