Say hello to Wakame Computer

[madscientist]

Hello Everyone.

I'm doing my best to complete this completely open hardware computer project. Basically it is an Allwinner A13 processor working together with an onboard usb hub, an usb to ethernet chip, sound output and input, and super vga output provided by 3 pcm to analog independent converters.

This project could be built should some small issues get resolved, i am publishing actually an Altium 2009 workspace under GNU LGPL licence, so everyone can see it, study it, manufacture it and modify it, keeping changes published in the workspace repository.

The goals i have in mind is to achieve a small but powerful enough computer able to run small gnu/linux desktop distributions in offices, as appliance or machinery controller wherever needed , as multimedia set top box for TV or whatever purpose it may be suitable for.

Those are the reasons i'm looking for volunteers willing to see this project and join into this effort aiming towards a new open computing platform.

The board page is located at: https://www.openhardware.io/view/251/Wakame-Single-Board-ARM-computer#tabs-comments

A website is also available here, you can get the latest files here too:

https://www.openhardware.io/view/251/Wakame-Single-Board-ARM-computer#tabs-comments
Thanks for your attention.

[NeverDie]

@madscientist Not to throw cold water on the idea, but why is it needed? Aren't there already enough SBC's around, like the Pi for instance? There's a lot to choose from that are already finished. What makes this stand out from all the rest?

[dbemowsk]

@NeverDie I agree, there is Raspberry Pi, Orange Pi, Banana Pi, Beaglebone Black, and I don't know if the old Sheeva Plugs are still out there, but that is an old one.

[madscientist]

A lot of fruit flavoured ones, maybe we could give seafood a try

[Yveaux]

@NeverDie how about for the fun of it? To learn from? To experiment?

[NeverDie]

@Yveaux said in Say hello to Wakame Computer:

@NeverDie how about for the fun of it? To learn from? To experiment?

Well, sure. Go for it. I'm just wondering if there's more to it than that.

Also, in my somewhat dated experience, it's not as easy as you might think to get linux to run on these things. It tends to require some custom patchwork that's non-trivial. That's what seems to sink most of them. I mean, consider the orange pi for instance.

[madscientist]

Maybe it's just a matter of using the proper firmware as bootloader, like uboot or some openfirmware like image in the rom chip, then calling the linux os from a usb unit.