SheevaPlug v2 - Hardware Requests

[fillibar]

Just my $.02, I hope that when they make the next version of the sheevaplug (hopefully sales will justify that) that they will actually open up all the capabilities of the processor. The kirkwood we have in there now is able to do so much more than what they have implemented on the board. I am not saying they need to put the actual interface connections on the board, but maybe terminal strips or such. With SATA, tons of GPIO, a second Gigabit Ethernet, Sound, Video, and more there are plenty of options even using the current chip. The box has enough free room in it too (especially without the dev board itself).

That being said, what HARDWARE features would people like to see in a next generation version?

[yellowbug]

eSATA or USB3.0 would be perfect, USB2 interface might not be so sufficient for HD video stream.
And a little bit more usb interfaces if possible. usb-hub made a bloody mass.

[tmk]

I'd like to see as many of the hardware features exposed as accessible pins/headers as possible.

The current model, with 2 gig-e ports, one or two more USB ports, and easy access to i2c/gpio pins would be perfect.

I realize that the GPIO pins are sort of available, but I had to work hard to get at them. (finally managed, see: http://openplug.org/plugforum/index.php?topic=104.msg647#msg647)

Perhaps expose the sata pins as well, but usb2.0 gets you most of the way there.

I can say for certain that USB is fine for HD video (max bitrate ~20mbit/sec = 2.x mbyte/sec). I use a USB tuner for OTA HDTV and it works great. Wouldn't complain about 3.0 support tho

-tmk

[Raúl Porcel]

Well, you already have that kind of stuff in the openrd.
http://www.marvell.com/products/embedded_processors/developer/kirkwood/openrd.jsp
http://globalscaletechnologies.com/p-21-openrd-client.aspx

[jlpoole]

Well, you already have that kind of stuff in the openrd.
http://www.marvell.com/products/embedded_processors/developer/kirkwood/openrd.jsp
http://globalscaletechnologies.com/p-21-openrd-client.aspx

It looks like GlobalScale Technologies has a hot product, currently the SheevaPlug is back-ordered to the tune of 4 weeks.  Their website has:

Note: We are currently fulfilling all back orders.
Any new orders  placed after April 01, 2009, will take 4 weeks for delivery.

I just placed my order for the openrd client:
Sub Total:    $199.00
Shipping: (FedEx Ground Service)    $9.63
California SalesTax:    $17.41
Total:    $226.04

The link above is not something that is exposed when you visit GlobalScale's website and click "Products"; in fact, the only thing that appears when you click Products is the SheevaPlug and it back-ordered status.

Note: GlobalScale's website is still developing, I had SSL certificate problems, and the shipping window for ordering displayed raw XML.

Given how things change instantly on a web page, I'll post here the specifications blurb from GlobalScale's website as it appears when I placed my order:

OpenRD-Client"
   - Compact, Low Power, Scalable, RoHS Compliant, Fan less Reference Design for End Applications

eInfochips’ offers “OpenRD-Client” as reference design, which is compact, scalable, low power, RoHS compliant and fan less, allowing one to levarage Open Source development. The reference design is powered by Marvell’s high end 88F6281 general purpose integrated controller.

OpenRD-Client is the same hardware as OpenRD-Base, except OpenRD-Client has additional components and extra capabilities. Thus, OpenRD-Client is superset of OpenRD-Base. OpenRD-Client is best suited for wide range of applications supporting bulk storage, faster connectivity, higher throughput and performance at lower power. It adds a 2D-GPU(Graphics Processing Unit) with a VGA Connector and additional I/Os for expanded capabilities. An "Embedded Client System" solution can be readily assembled with a GbE connectivity, an onboard 2.5" SATA connector and enclosure.


Major advantage of eInfochips’ "OpenRD-Client" is that, it come as complete reference design, which includes board layout designs, software, manufacturing diagnostic tools and documentation to assist customers with product evaluation and production. Hence, the reference designs will help enthusiastic developers and hobbyists to uncover and realize innovative product solution based on Open source platforms.


One can use this reference design to explore the growing market in Education, Home/Enterprise, Financials, Digital Imaging, Industrial Control, Medical / Healthcare and Point Of Sale (PoS).  Students can use this board to learn and explore new innovative technology without being restricted to expensive hardware kit, consuming very high power. Learners can showcase their creative efforts on this board and get global recognition from various events. Developers have complete freedom to develop their product exactly as per their specifications and can also collaborate with open source community on realizing new innovative applications.

Thus, this board is extremely useful for those, who would like to take advantage of open standards and applications.
Target Markets for OpenRD-Client:

    * Education
    * Home
    * Enterprise
    * Financial market
    * Digital imaging
    * Industrial Control
    * Medical / Healthcare.

Package Contents:

    * Board
    * AC Adapter
    * CD/DVD (including Brochure, Quick Start Guide, Installers and Users Guide )
    * Aluminum Enclosure

   
About Marvell CPU
Ask a Question
Get a Quote
Shipping Policy
Conditions of Use
Warranty & Returns

[jlpoole]

My email Sales Receipt contained an amendment to the sale: "Note: we are currently fulfilling all back orders.  Any new orders placed after April 01, 2009, will take 4 weeks for delivery".

Also, I found a more definitive specs page:

   

 

 Features
   

 Benefits

High performance Marvell® Sheeva™ up to 1.2 GHz

   1. 16/16KB I/D 4 way set associative L1 caches and unified 256KB 4-way associated L2 cache
   2. 32 bit and 16 bit RISC architecture
   3. Compliant with ARMv5TE architecture
   4. Includes MMU to support virtual memory
   5. 64 bit internal data bus
   6. Branch prediction unit
   7. Supports both Big

   

Provides high performance and flexible design for a broad range of embedded applications

DDR2 SDRAM Controller

   1. 512 MB DDR2-800 SDRAM in 2 banks of x8 devices
   2. Up to 800 MHz data rate

   

Enables cost effective designs, wide range of high bandwidth DDR2 SDRAM

SATA Host controller with integrated Marvell 3 Gbps SATA  PHYs
   

Provides Storage Interface for NAS, set-top-box, media servers and RAID applications

Cryptographic engine which provides hardware acceleration to encryption and authentication algorithms

   1. Implements AES, DES and 3DES encryption algorithms
   2. Implements SHA1 and MD5 authentication algorithms

   

Boosts performance for security applications such as VPN routers

USB 2.0 host with integrated PHY, host or device
   

Allows easy field upgrades

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) Media Access Control (MAC) with GMII and RGMII support
   

Enables greater data throughput

Fully Integrated System-On-Chip (SoC)
   

Lower total system cost while optimizing performance, with reduced total system chip count and board  real estate

MPEG TS interface12
   

Enables easy integration with video decoders and encoders

S/PDIF and I2S audio In/Out interface1
   

Provides digital and analog audio interface

TDM SLIC / CODEC interface12
   

For applications such as VOIP Gateways

Comprehensive software and hardware support with Linux board support packages
   

Fast time-to-market and reduced development cost

Note :

   1. Interface with '1' indicates that output pins are multiplexed
   2. Interface with '2' indicates that this is the feature of Marvell SoC and validation of this feature is pending.

System Components

 

CPU

    * High performance Marvell® Sheeva™ up to 1.2 GHz
    * 16/16KB I/D 4 way set associativeL1 caches
    * unified 256KB 4-way associated L2 cache
    * 32 bit and 16 bit RISC architecture, Compliant with ARMv5TE
    * Supports both Big & Little Endian
    * Includes MMU to support virtual memory

   

On Board Memory

    * 512 MB DDR2-800 SDRAM in 2 banks of x8 devices
    * 512 MB NAND Flash

Power Requirement

    * 12 volts power supply

   

Power Monitoring

    * SM Bus

Storage

    * SD Card
    * SATA & eSATA Ports for HDD and Optical Storage Devices

   

Graphics

    * VGA support up to 1280x1024 at 60 Hz

On Board I/O :

    * 7 USB 2.0 Port with integrated PHYs
    * 2 GbE Ports with GMII and RGMII support
    * SATA/eSATA Ports with integrated Marvell 3 Gbps SATA  PHYs
    * UART with RS232/RS485 interface
    * USB interface with Debug supports JTAG & Serial Console
    * Audio In/Out Interface
    * Header Connector for TDM Port for Optional Phone/Line interface

   

Operating System:

    * Linux 2.6.22.18 & Fedora 8.0

 

[bfmorgan]

I just ordered the openrd from globalscale. I can't wait, low power and cool.

[JohnHughes]

I just ordered the openrd from globalscale. I can't wait, low power and cool.

Personaly I like the looks of this product: http://globalscaletechnologies.com/p-5-product-5-with-variants.aspx

[bfmorgan]

Someone has too much time on their hands.

[edmc]

To get this thread back on topic :-)

I'd like to see an internal-encased SD Slot.  Sure, the externally-accessible SD Slot
has it's uses... but some may want to "secure" the SD Card in the unit entirely.

[lilhasselhoffer]

I have a few requests.
If you browse through the specifications document on the CPU you see that there's a tun of features not being utilized.  I'd love to see the following:

Mbit ethernet port
SATA port
PCI-Express port

Having all of these features enabled would make, quite possibly, the greatest router ever.  The SATA port would allow an onboard hard drive (or SSD/CF card depending upon adapters), the PCI-E port would offer the perfect functionality for a wireless routing setup, and the additional Mbit ethernet interface would allow the thing to connect directly to the internet (acting as a hardware firewall).  If you consider the features are already embedded in the CPU, there's no reason not to use them.

Finally, I've got to say the addition of a displaylink chipset would be nice.  It would allow those of us who are noobs (sigh) to set the thing up with minimal difficulty, and offer stand alone functionality.

[Raúl Porcel]

I have a few requests.
If you browse through the specifications document on the CPU you see that there's a tun of features not being utilized.  I'd love to see the following:

Mbit ethernet port
SATA port
PCI-Express port

Having all of these features enabled would make, quite possibly, the greatest router ever.  The SATA port would allow an onboard hard drive (or SSD/CF card depending upon adapters), the PCI-E port would offer the perfect functionality for a wireless routing setup, and the additional Mbit ethernet interface would allow the thing to connect directly to the internet (acting as a hardware firewall).  If you consider the features are already embedded in the CPU, there's no reason not to use them.

Finally, I've got to say the addition of a displaylink chipset would be nice.  It would allow those of us who are noobs (sigh) to set the thing up with minimal difficulty, and offer stand alone functionality.

http://plugcomputer.org/plugforum/index.php?topic=207.msg1195#msg1195

[ckiick]

I'd like to see something in the opposite direction of most of the suggestions here. Don't make it more complex, make it simpler.  Build in a multi-port USB hub, and let me connect whatever devices that way.  If I need storage, I'll plug in a USB memory stick, or a disk drive.  There are USB ethernet  adapters, wifi, bluetooth, and so on.

With just USB ports, the plug ought to be even less expensive and use less power.

[bobicanprogram]

I'd love to see the plugcomputer combined with the Homeplug (ethernet over home electrical wiring) technology: http://www.homeplug.org/home

bob

[dattaway]

Wish list I'd pay 3x the money for...  I can dream:

A CPU with a FPU,
perhaps a FPGA,
a few analog IO ports to go with that FPGA,
and let's savagely violate the USB spec on output power with a full ampere of current.