Thanks for the fast response, okay I think I have to ask in another way. Do you plan to include the folling elements: - UCB1400 (Sound, Touchscreen, etc) - Bluetooth (at least to a connector) - Ethernet - Wireless - CF - SD - IrDA - USB-Host - USB-Client - LCD Support - Battery Charging Module (Li-Io) I think we could designe the board in away that we can either connect directly a lcd or we can connect an extended graphic board with the 2700G. The same goes also for the Battery Charging Module, Do you use the reference schematics from Intel? Do you make any prereleases of your layout? Which CAD tool do you use? Eagle? Cheers J Steve Wiseman schrieb: >20/09/2004 16:54:10, freesurf > wrote: > > > >>Now I would like to know if somone has written a requirement of >> >> >balloon 3.0? > > >>If not, wouldn't it be a good idea to write one? >> >> > >you could.. but it's unlikely to be a good use of your time. > >The spec for balloon3 looks roughly like: >Rework Balloon2 to support PXA27x, with all the required changes >to memory and power supplies. >Use the space freed up to add new toys, make the board more >manufacturable, while maintaining compatability with Balloon2, >and not losing any features of Balloon2. > >(Balloon2 featurelist is: (and probably ought to be on >balloonboard.org somewhere) > >-----8<------------------------8<--------------- > > >>Intel Strongarm SA1110, to 206MHz >>Rom, to 32Mbyte (really just trying to be boot rom) >>Ram, to 256MByte >>Nand-flash, to 2GByte, including 16-bit interface variants. >>SmartMedia card, to whatever the limit is today >>Codec (16bit, 44KHz, stereo in & out) >>2W per channel power amp (class D, so efficient) >>3 serial ports (2 at 12V, one at 5V) >>Reset and power control. >>LCD interface (including bias voltage generation) >>LEDs & inputs for debug. >>GPIO connectors for easy attachment of various hardware that >> >> >doesn't need full bus speed > > >>USB two slave ports (to attach to a PC) and 2 host ports (to >> >> >attach >peripherals) > > >>CompactFlash socket >>Power supply takes 6-42V - ideal for automotive use OR... >>Single 5V supply (local supply voltages derived on-board) >>Whole address / data / control bus buffered and sent to docking >> >> >connector on back of board. > > >>10*5.5cm (credit card, extended by 1cm on long side) >>Most functionality available with components only on one side of >> >> >the >board (but if you > > >>do want to put things on the bus, you populate the back of the >> >> >board). > >The licensing is open hardware - all manufacture data is >available, and you can make >(or have made) and sell as many as you like. However, I am _not_ >resleasing the >design files, so that it's difficult to generate thousands of slightly >different variants. The >plan is that Balloon is a component - if you want it to do >something else, then you plug >it in (just like a CPU) to a board of your design - for which >template design files are >available. >This is all trying to make sure that the one version of the board is >made in sufficient >volume to get the costs down as low as possible for small-volume >hackers. > >--8<---------------------8<------------------------- > >And that's it... the board space is the major constraint. If I end up >designing in something that you don;t want, then don't fit it... If I >end up leaving off something that you do want, then build (or pay >to have built) a plug-in board with that function on it. If you >choose, release the design as a favour to others. > >The spec is a pile of compromises, and, until it's (nearly) finished, >I'd rather not make any firm commitments. If you've got requests, >now is definitely the time to mention them. No guarantees, but if >you don't ask, then I won't know that you want something... > > > >>What are the goals of balloon 3.0? >>- low power? >>- compact? >>- easy to build? >>- cheep to built? >> >> > >All of the above. they're not mutually exclusive. (Well, except the >compact and easy to build terms). >Balloon3 is only expected to be easy to build _compared to >Balloon2_. It's never going to be something to be hand soldered - >the BGA packages rule that out - I just want to reduce the >assembly cost. > > > >>Some mention in the list that it would be a good idea to nake >> >> >modular board. > > >>E.g. >>- We could make a seperate board with the graphic chip >> >> >2700G. > > >>- Or a peripheral board with different interfaces >> >> > >Sure - feel free. I'd be delighted if you (or anyone else) made >boards to suit whatever purpose you fancy. I'll help where I can >(but I'm unlikely to respond quickly to requests to design boards >that aren't generally useful / open sourced, unless bribed). > > > >>- Extendable memory (RAM/FLASH) like on PC mainboards >> >> > >Very tricky. The sockets take up a vast amount of space, which is >something that is in short supply. There's nothing to stop you >fittingmore ROM on the expansion bus - in either NAND or NOR >formats, or attaching an IDE interface. You can also fit SD, MMIC, >CF or USB drives, or fit a CF network card and net-mount as much >storage as you like. >Adding RAM is tricky. Balloon3 is likely to move to RAM in BGA >packages, which rules out the 4-deep stacking of chips which >Balloon2 allowed (but which nobody used). >If anyone knows where to get low-power SDRAm in TSOP >packages, that would be useful information - I really would rather >not use BGAs for the RAM. It's faintly possible that I could lay out >for both, but I suspect it'd be tricky. > > > >>Can anyone give me a brief statement about the project. Where >> >> >we are today? > >Today, Balloon2.05 exists, is proven, and ready to go, either build >it yourself, or buy a built one. > >Balloon3 is coming, with prototypes planned by the end of the >year. I hope to have the design finalised before that. However, I'm >not burdened with spare time right now. > > > >>I would really like to help. >> >> > >Cheers. Balloon3 is coming along Ok - if you want to start >developing motherboards to plug it (and, therefore, balloon2 >boards) into, that'd definitely be fair game. > >Steve > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Balloon mailing list >Balloon@balloonboard.org >http://balloonboard.org/mailman/listinfo/balloon > > >