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Tiny Linux computer fits portable applications
By Warren Webb -- EDN, 5/27/2004
Targeting small, price-conscious embedded devices, Gumstix Inc recently introduced a single-board-computer family based on Intel’s PXA255 processor with Xscale technology. The 20×80×8-mm Gumstix boards feature 64 Mbytes of SDRAM, 4 Mbytes of flash, the Linux operating system, and a Multimedia Card/Secure Digital slot. The Gumstix boards also provide general-purpose I/O pins, serial ports, a USB 1.1 client, and an I2C bus (Picture). The installed software includes a “busybox” implementation with Web server that allows users to establish a network connection over any of the USB or serial ports. Stackable for easy custom-board add-ons, Gumstix boards draw less than 250 mA at 400 MHz draw power from three AAA batteries.
The Gumstix’s 4-Mbyte flash comes with a u-boot loader, an operating system based on Version 2.6.4 of the Linux kernel, and a root file system. With the Linux kernel, source code, and cross compiler, users can develop applications on a host PC and then load them to the Gumstix board for testing. The 200-MHz Gumstix board sells for $109, and the 400-MHz version costs $139. The company also offers tiny stand-alone computers based on the Gumstix design.
Gumstix Inc, www.gumstix.com.
