Questions about hardware versions

GoogleGroups
1

Hi Everybody,

I’m new on Beagle Community so my questions will be more for HW versions of BeagleBoard.
Are there any plan to add new features to board such as;

  • replacing DVI output with HDMI (with / without HDCP protection)
  • adding USB hub (as an example SMSC USB2503A)
  • adding eth IC or at least usb-eth converter to internal USB hub

Cold you help me about these ?

Thank you,
Bora

2

There are no plans to add HDMI, USB Hub, nor Ethernet to any revision of Beagle. The cost impact to do this would be too great. ll of these can be added via na expansion card if needed.

Gerald

3

I'm new on Beagle Community so my questions will be more for HW versions of BeagleBoard.
Are there any plan to add new features to board such as;

* replacing DVI output with HDMI (with / without HDCP protection)
* adding USB hub (as an example SMSC USB2503A)
* adding eth IC or at least usb-eth converter to internal USB hub

Thank you,
Bora

Hi Bora,

There is no official plan for adding the suggested devices to the BeagleBoard.
I’m however currently looking into creating a daughter card with some of the suggested devices.

Something like:
1) USB-hub
2) Ethernet
3) USB -> (e)SATA
4) MMC Connector for expansion port
5) RTC (i2c - battery backed up)
6) Temperature sensor (i2c)
7) Some extra GPIO’s/LEDs
8) Maybe a level translated I2C/SPI port(s)?
9) Anything else needed by anyone?

I expect the card to have same form factor as the Beagle, and being able to mount under the BeagleBoard… I currently can't tell the exact timeline of this project (within the next couple of months I though expect), but would like anybody possible interested to give me a hint. In case enough persons seem interested, I might be able to give it a little more focus and pull in the timeline more than first anticipated… :smiling_face:

With respect to HDMI you would need a Rev C board (available end March) in order to access the LCD signals externally. However the "main problem" with HDMI is that the chips are pretty difficult to buy in small quantities and you need to be HDMI licensed, which added a onetime fee of around $5.000 (AFAIR) which might be hard to cover for a 100+ board quantity...

Best regards
  Søren

4

Hi Søren, Gerald,

Thank you very much for detailed explanation. I do understand that cost problem specially for HDMI. For me having extra video outputs is important. Maybe it would be good to have different daughter boards and keep main board simple, such as;

  • one for video outputs containing L/F audio, ,Scart, YPbPr, HDMI, etc…
  • one for indicators such as IRBlaster, VFD, leds
  • one for SATA, MMC,

For sort term, I would only propose adding some indicators, maybe IR or VFD to your dauther board.

Best Regards,
Bora

5

Hi Bora,

Just to be clear.

VFD:

Wikipedia gives me two choices, which are in my opinion both non-obvious J

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_fluorescent_display

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-frequency_drive

IR Blaster:

Is this an IR transmitter or an IR receiver, or both?

Or just an interface to some external electronics?

Could you please post a link/a little more information?

Best regards and thanks

Søren

6

Every part added to the Beagle makes the Beagle cost more which means the price will go up. We do not want to raise the price of Beagle much higher than it is already is based on community feedback. Creating daughtercards is the option to be used.

Gerald

7

Søren,

I was talking about vacuum florescent display. if you use Pt6311, I can write a kernel module (including user space APIs) to use VFD.
For me IR receiver will be more effective and adding these two indcators will increase usability of BeagleBoard in consumer elec. projects.

I found these two links and these extensions might be usefull for some applications,

http://shop.embedded-projects.net/product_info.php/info/p143_ICradio-Stick-2-4G.html
http://shop.embedded-projects.net/product_info.php/info/p73_Wireless-ICradio-Mini-2-4G–RS232–TTL-.html

Best Regards,
Bora

8

Both the IR and VFD can be attached using USB.

regards,

Koen

9

...

I’m however currently looking into creating a daughter card with some of the suggested devices.

Something like:
1) USB-hub
2) Ethernet
3) USB -> (e)SATA
4) MMC Connector for expansion port
5) RTC (i2c - battery backed up)
6) Temperature sensor (i2c)
7) Some extra GPIO’s/LEDs
8) Maybe a level translated I2C/SPI port(s)?
9) Anything else needed by anyone?

you could consider:
serial connector on the board
please keep an external i2c connector (maybe use an i2c port expander
for the additional GPIO.
wifi would be nice (yes, i know it can be done through usb, but it
sticks out substantially.
perhaps bluetooth
IR send/receive functionality (of course supported by lirc)
maybe i2c light sensor

FM

10

> Something like:
> 1) USB-hub
> 2) Ethernet
> 3) USB -> (e)SATA
> 4) MMC Connector for expansion port
> 5) RTC (i2c - battery backed up)
> 6) Temperature sensor (i2c)
> 7) Some extra GPIO’s/LEDs
> 8) Maybe a level translated I2C/SPI port(s)?
> 9) Anything else needed by anyone?

Hi Frans,

Thanks for the suggestions. A couple of questions/comments from me...

serial connector on the board

Serial connector from where? The expansion Serial or the onboard serial
which currently goes to a 10 pin header
- Just with a DB9 plug instead of the 10 pin header? Which level should the
serial have - RS232 or 1.8/3.3/5.0V?
I have considered a 3-port USB hub here as well in order to have only one 1
USB cable from the PC to the card delivering both USB-device connection as
well as a serial port.

please keep an external i2c connector

Basically my item #8 - Which voltage?

maybe use an i2c port expander for the additional GPIO.

Basically my item #7 - Which voltage?

wifi would be nice
(yes, i know it can be done through usb, but it
sticks out substantially.
perhaps bluetooth

I'm considering this, but I guess this might/will be another add-on card
with RF-components.
Something like: WLAN/BT/ZigBee/FM etc... That being said - I'm a little
concerned of the price of these compared to the "commercially" available USB
solutions...

IR send/receive functionality (of course supported by lirc)
maybe i2c light sensor

OK - Good additions - I will check these as well

Thanks
  Søren