Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 05:37:43 +0100 From: Miernik <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [LIB] CPU Motherboard
On Tue, Dec 02, 2003 at 05:31:32PM -0800, PhotoEngineering wrote: > > > >Could we start a public project on this mailing list to design the > >schematics of the mainboard, that interested participants (who want to > >order on of the 200 mainboards), can propose design changes, patches, > >etc? > > I'm sorry but it would be too expensive for me at this time. On the order > of 10,000 main boards I could afford it but not for 200. It won't cost you anything more. I'm not asking you to produce a different version for different people. Maybe you misunderstood me. I'm only asking that you release the schematics of he board to the public before you make it, so people can contribute, fix bugs, etc. You may use their suggestions, or not if you don't like them. But it won't make your project more expensive. It may only help. You where writing about the cost of BIOS for example. If you release your board design under GPL or something similar, me or someone else from the LinuxBIOS hackers will port LInuxBIOS to the board, so you don't have to buy expensive licensed BIOS from AWARD or Phoenix. > >What chipset do you plan to use on the mainboard? > > I plan on using FPGAs Did you see this: http://www.opencores.org/projects/ Here is an open-source PowerPC board: ftp://www.openh.org/openHfiles/gemppc/Mechanical_Form_Factor_0-2.pdf ftp://www.openh.org/openHfiles/gemppc/rev0-2_picture1.jpg ftp://www.openh.org/openHfiles/gemppc/ The cost is 138.20 USD As I understand from the mainling list, they didn't do hundreds of these, only a few. They use IBM PowerPC 405GP processor on this board: http://www-306.ibm.com/chips/techlib/techlib.nsf/products/PowerPC_405GP_Embedded_Processor When it runs at 200 MHz, has a bogomips of around 198. That's an equivalent of Intel Pentium 100 MHz. > >PCB, and then people could manufacture mainboards in their own > >countries. It would also make possible to have different versions of > >the board, like some might want to have CF sockets, others additional > >USB. So they could modify the design by themselves, and produce the > >board they need in a PCB printing shop. > > Too expensive. But that's the problem of the person which will order etching 1 copyof the board, and not yours. You are just releasing the design, it won't cost you anything more. > From what I understood this didn't work. It did work, people actually did build these. But not much people are interested in 486 mono CGA computers :( -- Miernik ________________________ jabber:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________/__ tel: +48608233394 __/ mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] No Iraq war http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/iraq/invadeIraq082702.html Please call the White House +1-202-456-1111 or fax +1-202-456-2461 and say no! ************************************************************** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives -------TO UNSUBSCRIBE------- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe --------TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST------ Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest **************************************************************
