I'm considering a layout for a daughter board that would connect via
the expansion header. My plan is to make the dimensions identical,
with matching mounting holes and the mating connector aligned with the
expansion header to allow stacking. Will future revisions of the
Beagle Board maintain the same dimensions and location of the
expansion header, or will these change as the board is revised &
updated?
In other words, if I do a physical design that matches with rev B4
currently shipping, is it a dead-end product when future revisions
show up at Digi-Key?
The next revision, Rev C, will definitely be the same dimensions. It will be used for the next several thousands of boards. I cannot commit that future versions will have the same exact dimensions as there a numerous requests for additional feathres. At this point we have no definite plans for a version past Rev C, but that can always change.
Two things in mind (different areas of my own interests):
* Audio synthesis & production peripheral, consisting of several
channels of high-quality audio codecs using the McBSP channels, along
with user interface elements like low-res ADCs for knobs & sliders,
quadrature encoders & buttons (using SPI or GPIO) and character-based
LCD interface as well as LED drivers. This would allow Beagle to be
used in powerful stage/studio equipment based on Linux/Jack virtual
instruments & effects.
* Software Defined Radio card including FPGA and RF/IF ADCs/DACs.
There's already a project under way on the beagle-sdr mail list to do
this which I'm following with considerable interest, but I have some
alternate ideas about how to handle it. I like Xilinx FPGAs - they
prefer Altera. I'd like to go with simple low-cost ADC/DAC interfaces
while the consensus there seems to be to use a more complex and
expensive DDC/DUC chip. My goal here is something low-cost and
minimally functional, while theirs is more focused on backward
compatibility with existing RF interfaces.
All blue-sky at the moment, but I'm trying to get a feel for where the
platform is going. Since I'm waiting for Rev C before investing in
Beagle hardware I was curious if I should wait for it before starting
to do initial design work. Sounds like that won't be necessary.
Thats definately peaks my interest... mind sending me some info about
the project? McBSP / jack (is that a linux distr, or just saying like
a patch panel - something akin to propellerheads reason but hardware
based?
Jack is a patch-panel environment for Linux which allows routing &
patching of audio & MIDI data. It is not hardware-based. That combined
with plugin hosts like LADSPA and JOST or others would provide a
virtual synth & effects environment that could handle fairly complex
audio processing chains. My thought was to provide the hardware
necessary to enable high-quality audio I/O beyond that available with
the built-in codec already on the Beagle board, along with user
interface elements that would allow real-time control of the plugins
with minimal external hardware. I envision using the Beagle's video
outputs (either s-video and/or DVI-D) to setup patches & presets which
could be accessed in a live environment thru simpler character-based
LCD and knob-button interfaces for realtime control. Alternatively,
for those willing to cart along a video display, a more graphics rich
realtime environment would be available.
This all presupposes that the audio processing software currently
available on x86 systems could be ported over to the OMAP35xx
processor without taking too great a performance hit. Alternatively,
for those willing to make the investment, ARM NEON optimizations or
the on-board DSP could be brought into play to handle some of the more
compute-intensive tasks. Understand that this would entail a
considerable amount of effort to customize or develop from-scratch
virtual synths & effects which would likely not be portable to other
environments though.
Just some brainstorming on things that would be possible in the audio/
media environment that are not in the usual 'set-top-box' niche.
The next revision, Rev C, will definitely be the same dimensions. It will be used for the next several thousands of boards.
At the moment the beagleboard is not available on digikey;
i've asked them when it will possible to order it again, but they didn't
know.
Do you know when it will be available again?
And, if you know, when it will be released Rev C?
We will be shipping at least 200 boards per week to DigiKey starting next Friday and have shipped 400 over the last week. This has been communicated to DigiKey on several occasions. It seems that there has been an issue in their computer system that does not let them handle periodic deliveries against a placed order. D/K has assured us that this has been taken care of. We will know if this is true next week. The bottom line is they they DO know when they are coming, they just needed to figure out how to make it show up in their system
We will be shipping at least 200 boards per week to DigiKey starting next Friday and have shipped 400 over the last week. This has been communicated to DigiKey on several occasions.
[CUT]
Thank you very much for the explanation!
I've just placed an order to DigiKey; I'll wait for a confirm from them.
I want to thank you all for the work that you are doing!
Hi,
Is there other way to obtain the beagle board except for Digikey?
I am in China, and always is refused to place a order for beagle
by Digikey since they think that the shipping to China violates
American export regulation .
I just want to do some open source develepment( musb related things ),
and do not do something realted military or security product.
Can you give me some good suggestions?