Linaro 13.03 Release with Linux Kernel 3.9 and Android 4.2.2

Linaro 13.03 is now available, and features Linux Kernel 3.9-rc3 and Android 4.2.2. This month, Linaro has released their first Origen Quad Android image, as well as Tiny Android build for Arndale. The ALIP image listed in the download page is still based on Ubuntu 12.11, but as doc Bormental noticed earlier this month, the latest ALIP Quantal 13.03 image is available for download at https://releases.linaro.org/latest/ubuntu/quantal-images/alip. Some development tools (gcc, g++, vi, make..) are now included in Android, so you can develop and build natively from your Android device. Linaro has kept on cleaning the Linux kernel ARM tree for Exynos and ST Ericson SoCs. More work has been done on big.LITTLE for both IKS and HMP, as well as ARMv8 OpenEmbedded, and an initial GRUB port on ARM UEFI is now available. Here are the highlights of this release: Automation and Validation A simple CLI tool for communicating with […]

Mini PCs (MK802+, UG802, GK802 & iStick A200) Linux Performance Comparison

Ian MORRISON (linuxium) has tested Linux with several mini PCs powered by different processors. The main point of his tests was to evaluate the performance difference between running Ubuntu 12.04 natively, or in a chroot in Android using tools such as Complete Linux Installer. I previously tried Linux on Android in ODROID-X, and found the applications start time when running from an low-end SD card pretty dismal, and the graphics performance poor.  Ian had a different approach, and decided to use a subset of Phoronix Suite benchmarks to compare different hardware / software combination and posted the results in “mini PCs” G+ community. There’s a lot of data, and analyzing the results is not really straightforward without spending some time looking at the data. In this post, I’ll explain how the tests have been conducted, explain the results and try to draw a conclusion. Mini PCs and other Hardware Under […]

Ubuntu 11.10 Image for Hi802 / GK802 is Now Available for Download

About 2 weeks ago, Jasbir released an Ubuntu 11.10 image and installation instructions for GK802 and Hi802 mini PCs based on Freescale i.MX6. I could only find time to give it try yesterday and today. I’ll provide the steps I followed to install the image, and my quick first impressions of the stability and performance of this image. Installation Instructions I mainly followed the instructions provided by Jasbir, and run GParted to increased the partition size on my micro SD card. The image is for a 8 GB micro SD, but those instructions should work on 4GB SD card and greater, as the rootfs partition is only 3GB large. Download the Ubuntu 11.10 image, uboot, as well as the kernel image and modules in a Linux PC:

Copy the image, uboot and the kernel to the micro SD card by typing the commands below:

Replace /dev/<sd_device> by your […]

Are You a Student? You Could Win a Toradex Colibri NVIDIA Tegra Kit and Up to $20,000

Toradex has launched the “Embedded Design Challenge”, a global design challenge for students and enthusiasts with a background in Research & Education. All you have to do is to submit your proposal, and if it is selected you’ll receive a free Toradex Colibri NVIDIA Tegra Kit (worth 250 USD) to realize your project. Toradex did not mention whether the kit is based on their Tegra 2 or Tegra 3 modules, but I assume they’ll provide “Toradex Colibri NVIDIA Tegra Kit” composed of Colibri T20 CoM (Tegra 2 + 256 or 512 MB RAM+ 512 MB / 1 GB Flash) and the Iris carrier board. This kit can run either Windows Embedded Compact 7 or Linux. You can find more information about the kit and associated resources on a previous post. To apply, you’ll need a resume (PDF), a proof of your enrollment with an educational institution (e.g. copy of your […]

iWave Systems Launches RainboW-G12M-Q7 SoMs Powered by TI Sitara AM389x/DM816x Processor

iWave Systems, an embedded systems company based in Bangalore, India, has unveiled new Qseven Modules powered by Texas Instruments Sitara AM389x/DM816x ARM Cortex-A8 microprocessor clocked up to 1.5 GHz. Rainbow-G12M-Q7 modules target applications such as Single-Board computers, network and communication processing, industrial automation, human machine interface (HMI), medical electronic devices, video surveillance systems and interactive Point-of-Service (PoS) kiosks. Here are the modules specifications: CPU – TI AM389x/DM8168 ARM Cortex-A8 based Sitara Processor operating up to 1.5 GHz Memory: 1GB DDR3 SDRAM 128 MB NAND Flash On-Board Micro SD slot  230-pin Qseven Edge Connector: 1x PCIe v2.0 1x HDMI 1.3 2x SATA LVDS channel 1 x USB 2.0 Host | 1x USB 2.0 device I2S Port SD/SDIO SPI & I2C ports  Expansion Connector: Gigabit Ethernet HD Video IN/OUT Ports Analog Video OUT Audio IN/OUT ports UART, GPIOs Form factor –  Qseven R1.20 compatible (70mm x 70mm) Temperature Range –  0 to […]

$89 Compulab CM-iGT CoMs Feature AMD G-Series APUs

Compulab, an Israeli company specialized in embedded computing, has recently introduced computers-on-module based on AMD G-Series APUs that will sell for as low as $89 per unit (for 1k orders) depending on selected features and options. The module is available in commercial, extended and industrial grades, and supports up to 4GB RAM, and 32 GB Flash. Here are the specifications of these modules: CPU  – AMD G-Series Processor: G-T16R single-core @ 600MHz, G-T40E dual-core @ 1GHz or G-T56N dual-core @ 1.65GHz GPU – Integrated GPU Radeon HD 6250 supporting the following standards: DirectX 11, OpenGL 4.0, OpenCL Video Processing Unit – UVD 3 engine with native H.264, VC-1, MPEG2, and DivX, 1080p Blu-Ray playback support System Memory –  2GB – 4GB DDR3-1066, 64-bit Storage: On-board BIOS flash, 1MB, reprogrammable On-board SSD, up to 32GB, MLC, through SATA interface Interfaces: Display – Up to two DisplayPort interfaces, up to two HDMI […]

BDD Group Announces AllWinner A10 Computer-on-Module

BDD Group (Black Dragon Development Group), a US based technology startup, has recently announced an AllWinner A10 Computer-on Module (CoM) targeting the industrial embedded market with support for Linux, Android and WinCE operating systems. The company did not provide complete specifications for the CoM/SoM, and they basically listed A10 specifications and added an RTC: SoC – AllWinner A10 ARM Cortex-A8 CPU + Mali-400 GPU VPU – Support for 2160P video decoding, 3D video decoding, various codecs such as VP8, AVS, H. 264 MVC, VC-1, MPEG-1,2,4, etc, and H.264 HP video encoding up to 1080p @ 30 fps or dual-channel 720p @ 30 fps. Display Multi-channel HD display Integrated HDMI 1.4 YPbPr, CVBS, VGA Multiple LCD interfaces, including CPU, RGB, LVDS up to Full HD Memory 32-bit DDR2/DDR3 up to 2GB SLC/MLC/TLC/DDR NAND up to 64 GB Boot Devices – NAND Flash, SPI NOR Flash, SD Card,USB RTC – Real time […]

Linaro Connect HK Greg Kroah-Hartman Keynote: “I Don’t Want Your Code!”

If you are a developer interested in getting your code into mainline, Greg KH keynote at Linaro Connect 2013 Hong Kong is probably worth a watch. In this presentation entitled “I Don’t Want Your Code! Linux Kernel Maintainers, why are they so grumpy?”, he first describes the large amount of patches they receive (7.28 patches per hour for kernel 3.8.0), gives some statistic about developers and companies involved with the kernel (about 20% is done by individuals), tells the audience they should submit the kernel code during SoC emulation/simulation stage, so that it’s accepted and ready to use when customers get the silicons (like Intel does), and quotes Intel and IBM executives saying “Working upstream saves time and money”. He then moves on what he does not want to see (and gets a lot): patch series with missing patches, email signature saying it’s confidential (since Linux development is done publicly, […]

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