[aprssig] Re: Smart TNC's vs. KISS and computers was (no subject)

[John Ronan]

> VIA Computer makes a series of tiny highly-integrated all-in-one PCs,
> the EPIA Micro-ITX motherboards that are only about 8" square.  These
> devices were originally intended for use in home multimedia systems and
> automotive entertainment systems as Windows-based MP3 players, etc.
> These boards already have a Celeron-equivalent 600 MHz or 1 GHz CPU
> soldered onto the board, video, sound, serial and parallel ports, PS/2
> kbd/mouse support, HDD and FDD controllers, an on-board compact flash
> connector, and a slot for a single 168-pin DIMM ram module and a single
> PCI expansion slot.  Several of these boards use low-power FANLESS 
> CPUs,
> and have FOUR (!!!) real serial ports (no more  USB-to-serial dongles!)
> and TWO Ethernet ports.  The power connector is the standard ATX-type
> molex.  An optional header that snaps directly onto the power connector
> contains an DC-DC converter that will run these devices directly off 12
> VDC at about 1 amp.
>
> The total cost, including 256MB of ram is about USD $200.
>
> Note that for DigiNed-type operation, these boards can boot and run DOS
> from a flash card plugged into the motherboard CF socket (the
> motherboard BIOS treats the CF socket like a hard disk and makes it a
> bootable device.).  Around here, at least, 512MB CF cards now sell for
> around USD $40.   [And to think I once paid USD $1000 for a 200MB hard
> disk!)
>
If anyone is interested, I've being doing exactly this recently, i.e. 
building a cf based linux distribution.  Its built around the cqure 
linux wireless access point distribution/build system.  I've gotten to 
the stage where I think I know what I'm doing, so I've stopped and I'm 
documenting how I got this far. Its for work so I'm being paid to do it 
:) I'm using M10000 boards.

Regards
de John
EI7IG


--
John Ronan <jronan at tssg dot org>, +353-51-302938
Telecommunications Software &  Systems Group,  http://www.tssg.org