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CPU's and boards for hobbyists?

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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>>>>> Erik Holter <erikbholter@hotmail.com> writes:

	[Cross-posting to news:comp.arch.embedded, just in case.]

[...]

 > Or maybe someone just enjoys soldering their own computer and the
 > feeling when it's booted for the first time (if it boots...)?

	Well, as long as 8-bit architectures are concerned, my current
	preference are AVR MCU's.  The pro's are that one'd need only a
	power source, and a resistor (for the /RESET circuit) to start
	the thing up.  (And a TTL serial port to program it; e. g.,
	either MAX232 / MAX3232, or perhaps CP2103.)  The die typically
	hosts a number of peripherals as well, such as one or more
	USART's, a two-wire (I2C) interface, a few timer/counters, an
	analog comparator, and an ADC.

	Depending on the chip, the cost may be in the $2 .. $5 a piece
	range.

	The cons. is that these employ the Harvard architecture, and
	thus implementing a "conventional" 8-bit OS on such an MCU would
	be challenging at best.

	(And why, I've just ordered an Arduino Uno rev. 3 board.)

 > That is kind of challenging to achieve for most people with a
 > dual-core 64bit system...

	I'd like to note that the difficulty of the task is not strictly
	related to the number of cores.  For instance, you'd only need a
	suitably programmed serial flash chip (and a RESET circuit;
	e. g., a button) to start a 40-core S40C18 MCU.

	My guess is that there're MIPS64 MCU's upon which it's similarly
	easy to build one's hobby projects, but I have no first-hand
	experience with those.  (Perhaps someone could suggest a model?
	TIA.)  Thus, it's not the bitness, either.

[1] http://www.intellasys.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=75

 > "How real" is an interesting question, but it does not affect the fun
 > of making the kit work.

	Agreed.

[...]

-- 
FSF associate member #7257

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Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Erik Holter <erikbholter@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-10 03:21 -0800
  Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Ivan Shmakov <oneingray@gmail.com> - 2012-11-12 11:35 +0700
    Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Torfinn Ingolfsen <tingo@home.no> - 2012-11-12 17:59 +0100
      Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Ivan Shmakov <oneingray@gmail.com> - 2012-11-13 21:51 +0700
        Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Erik Holter <erikbholter@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-13 07:26 -0800
          CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Ivan Shmakov <oneingray@gmail.com> - 2012-11-15 15:25 +0700
            Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Simon Clubley <clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> - 2012-11-15 12:56 +0000
              Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? jeffj@panix.com (Jeff Jonas) - 2012-11-16 08:42 -0500
              Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Ivan Shmakov <oneingray@gmail.com> - 2012-11-21 01:03 +0700
                Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? stephenXXX@mpeforth.com (Stephen Pelc) - 2012-11-20 18:29 +0000
                Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Simon Clubley <clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> - 2012-11-21 14:33 +0000
                Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Mark Borgerson <mborgerson@comcast.net> - 2012-11-21 20:11 -0800
                Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Simon Clubley <clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> - 2012-11-22 12:53 +0000
            Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Ole Christensen <ole2@oboj.net> - 2012-11-15 23:21 +0100
              Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Ivan Shmakov <oneingray@gmail.com> - 2012-11-16 16:27 +0700
                Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Ole Christensen <ole2@oboj.net> - 2012-11-17 17:02 +0100
            Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Wilf <wilfredk@live.com> - 2012-11-22 16:51 +1100
              Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? Ivan Shmakov <oneingray@gmail.com> - 2012-11-22 23:59 +0700
            Re: CPU's and boards for hobbyists? lynchaj <lynchaj@yahoo.com> - 2012-11-23 12:44 -0800
        Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> - 2012-11-13 09:33 -0600
          Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Ivan Shmakov <oneingray@gmail.com> - 2012-11-13 23:13 +0700
            Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> - 2012-11-13 17:08 -0600
              Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers billg999@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) - 2012-11-14 01:44 +0000
    Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Anonymous <nobody@remailer.paranoici.org> - 2012-11-12 18:09 +0000
  Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Torfinn Ingolfsen <tingo@home.no> - 2012-11-12 20:38 +0100
    Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Ivan Shmakov <oneingray@gmail.com> - 2012-11-13 09:22 +0700
      Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers Erik Holter <erikbholter@hotmail.com> - 2012-11-13 02:28 -0800
        Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers billg999@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) - 2012-11-13 12:54 +0000
          Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers davidmylastname@acm.org (David Griffith) - 2012-11-14 04:28 +0000
            Re: Kickstarter project for new P112 kits need more backers billg999@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) - 2012-11-14 11:31 +0000

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