I am not suggesting 'throwing away' anything. But as we look at going forward into a new generation is something we might consider.
Going to a SBC that is really a mini-desktop mobo is probably generating more problems than it is worth. So doing something 'else' might be a more practical solution. What the 'else' is, is up to brighter minds than mine. As you mentioned, some of the 'desktops' available today are 'encrusted' with more ports of various flavors than are productive for EMC2 type of use. I do believe we will have a number of 'hand-me-down' system available for a number of years. But before the source of 'good stuff' dries up, we need to figure out what to do. No action is required today. I was just wanting folks to start thinking about it, for when the 'no legacy port' days do eventually come. Even it is more than a few years away. Jon Elson wrote: > Jack Coats wrote: > >> For a different approach... Open source controller hardware with >> attached display. >> <snip> >> >> Another option might be to get one of the 'single board' Linux machines, >> use it to run >> EMC, and do AXIS on a 'display computer'. This might make it easier to >> do the 'port' and still >> keep the 'real EMC2' on hardware without display (or sound). It could >> use either USB or >> Ethernet attachment. >> >> I could even see running Axis (or equivalent) on one of the little palm >> top computers, and EMC on >> an 'attached controller box'. >> >> Yes, there is some hand waving and daydreaming in this, but one day we >> need to start thinking this way. >> >> > My main question is "Why?" Why throw away years of effort that has > produced a VERY powerful and flexible framework that WORKS? > Is there a real time patch set for that "single board" Linux machine? > Without that, it is worthless for our purposes. Why need TWO computers, > when one works fine? Think of all the debugging and logging hassles > when you don't have hard drives on these computers, which would be the > case on many of the single board embedded systems. > > I certainly don't see the need for a move in this direction, yet. > Maybe, in the future, desktop PCs will be so horribly encrusted with > bluetooth and other wireless "crap", variable CPU speed, battery and > thermal management that they will be forever unable to do anything in > real time. We may have to develop a hardware compatability list of our > own, testing specific models for RT performance, parallel port > compatability, etc. > I can recommend a few models myself, I've been using off-lease Dell > Optiplex boxes with good results. > > > Jon > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge > Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes > Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world > http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
