Note the Meanwell supply that I use with the Trimble Thunderbolt GPS Disciplined Oscillator. It's rated at 3A at 5V (15W) which is what you want to run with the BB-xM. I hear you can use 2A supplies.. but 3A is guaranteed to run everything. 1A will not work. No matter what you read.
Here is a picture of the BB-xm running the TI (arowboat) image of Android Froyo 2.2 .. It's cool.
The graphics on the flat panel (big) monitor there is a 3D demo that TI put on the image. It ain't too bad.. it does show what the device is capable of. The Android distro though thinks it's on a phone screen so the resolution is a bit limited.
I'm a little disappointed that video tends to crash the thing under the Android native apps. A sure bet is to try to watch a YouTube video.. Ironic isn't it? After about 15 seconds it crashes the system fairly hard.
So even though I'd still like to learn how to write an "Android app" I'm thinking that I may be looking for a different Linux distro for Ham Radio and/or SDR use. (Maybe Angstrom. Ubuntu is reported to be sick with the Beagle-xM unless you do a kernel patch...)
Interestingly enough a certain ARRL Midwest Division Convention probably will have a class on the BeagleBoard XM on August 5th (Friday)... at the Clarion Hotel in CR. look at http://convention2011.cvarc.rf.org for details... We hope to push this as a ham SDR embedded platform-- it has a lot of potential for little financial outlay.
Tomorrow is the ND and OK QSO parties.. I need both confirmed for WAS (and ND on eQSL for eWAS)... so I need to get to bed and work at least five stations from each state this weekend.
I worked OK last weekend but I suspect I'll need to turn a card around to get confirmed from that station. I'm cheap, I try to avoid spending the $0.10 for the envelope, $0.40 for postage and $0.20 for the card or thereabouts. I'll save that for DX. So ND and OK stations.. use LOTW and eQSL.. please?!?
I will be interested in following how your work with the beagleboard pans out, particularly with SDR applications. I've been on the fence for about a year over whether to purchase one.
ReplyDeleteBTW - I recently stumbled across a related project, the pandaboard. It's based on a dual-core ARM-Cortex A9 processor. There seems to a DSP with some level of programmability on-chip.
Best of luck,
Tim - KA1OS
Tim, I am aware of the Pandaboard.. it's probably a better deal for the money as it has 2x the RAM, wifi built on, and a faster ARM processor with similar DSP. The problem is that it is next to impossible to get one.
ReplyDeleteThe Collins ARC (or at least a few of the members) is/are trying to get a SDR platform going and the company has several BB-xm's around for employee use. Therefore it made sense for me to settle for the BB-xm as it's more than fast enough. (It also draws slightly less DC power as well, so it's a smart compromise.)
Actually it's interesting... since I started to play with it, I realize there is a place for small embedded SDR (like the SDR-Cube), this higher grade unit and even the high end PC as used in the Flex radios. The main reason is that at 15W draw, this board wouldn't make a good QRP rig on a battery, but would make a better dedicated box with controlled latency than what plagues the Flex Radios.
I did also get a Narcissus build of Angstrom running-- except /dev/audio and/or /dev/dsp seems to be broken on that build! I am still on the quest for a working build for ham SDR use but unless I can get audio fixed Angstrom might be out. Too bad as otherwise it's not too bad. It even had FLDigi as a package.. if it worked you would have seem a post with a picture of a PSK-31 QSO. Maybe on the next build of Ubuntu?
I'll write it all up when I get it going. I suppose I should do the Android write-up now, but the instructions from IBM and TI really are adequate. The Angstrom ones remind me of the early days of Linux (like 1992) in that there isn't enough documentation out there and there are thousands of people asking questions.. so it's hard to find info with Google that is up to date and accurate.
The -xm is also a bit annoying as most info is on the original BB, and although most applies the -xm is different enough that it's annoying to sort though, especially when you are tired! :O)
I'll keep this up to date as I progress with it.
Fred