[Arm-netbook] Single-Core Cortex A9 1ghz, ECC DDR3 RAM available soon

[Baybal Ni]

Hello everyone,

I'm glad to hear that we advanced in negotiations even that little. In
my opinion, just getting started is already good invariably of how we
do it. Starting with entry level mainstream SoC is completely OK. We
can scale up it later as many times as we want.

About the price. Almost all of SoCs nowadays score the same on
openness and features. The main price factor today is "core
architecture * MHz * nCores", rather than feature set. So this is
scaleble as well.

On 13 August 2011 10:39, Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton <lkcl at lkcl.net> wrote:
> On Sat, Aug 13, 2011 at 5:58 PM, Gordan Bobic <gordan at bobich.net> wrote:
>> On 08/13/2011 02:46 PM, Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton wrote:
>
>>>   ok, right.  continuing on the discussion of upcoming and/or available
>>> Cortex A9 systems, i heard back from one of the CPU manufacturers
>>> (can't say which one), and they are sampling a new CPU next month.
>>> rough spec:
>>>
>>>   * Single-Core Cortex A9, 1ghz
>>>   * MALI 400MP 3D
>>>   * SATA-II
>
>>> would anybody else be interested to see a small panda-like board (4in
>>> x 3in or so) or other type of board be brought into existence based
>>> around this CPU?
>>
>> Depends on the cost. Freescale are pretty competitive in this arena with
>> iMX53.
>
>  yeah.
>
>>>   if so, what would you be prepared to do to make that happen and,
>>> also, what retail price would you be prepared to pay for it?
>>
>> Based on the competition maybe $170 for a 2GB one if it has ECC RAM.
>
>  ok - good to know.
>
>>>   bear in mind that the CPU's manufacturer has:
>
>>> * a general understanding of and respect for free software licenses
>>> including the GPL.
>>
>> What about GPU drivers supporting all the recent Xorg ABIs? I'm not an
>> OSS faschist who demans everyting be OSS - I am prepred to overlook the
>> OSS-ness of drivers and detailed documentedness of the GPU if the
>> drivers are of decent quality, feature-complete and continuously supported.
>
>  it's MALI 400MP-based.  the git repository with the linux kernel
> already has the mali "shim" linux kernel driver added: that means that
> the libGLES.so.2 proprietary "system library" should work, and the
> xorg x11 driver just happily sit on top of that.  i don't forsee any
> problems, but at some point in the next few days/weeks i'm likely to
> have to test this out (using a demo unit which has the precursor
> processor in it).  it's currently all running android so i'll have to
> hack together a debian armhf for it.  deep joy.
>
>>> they also have a "system library" for the on-board Video CODEC DSP,
>>> which those who understand the subtleties of the GPL will appreciate
>>> qualifies for an exemption under the GPL, even though it's
>>> proprietary.  they've released an example application which utilises
>>> libffmpeg (enhancements to use their "system library" have already
>>> been made) and is a working video player.
>>>
>>> for the freedombox to fulfil its sponsor commitments (bearing in mind,
>>> as we know, the freedombox project is not a hardware project despite
>>> the word "box" being in the name of the project but they still have to
>>> deliver a number of actual physical boxes to the pledgeware sponsors),
>>> i'd say that this CPU and the fact that its manufacturer respects the
>>> GPL fits the requirements far better than the chosen marvell-based
>>> plug computer.
>>
>> That would depend on the quality of the current drivers/libraries that
>> aren't OSS and the ongoing support for them.
>
>  yeah - proprietary's a bitch, whichever way you look at it.  you
> wouldn't believe the fun and games i'm hearing about how these SoC
> vendors are having a blast with adobe flash... they have to wait in
> line for adobe to bother to compile up flash... with *their*
> proprietary hardware video extension libraries!  what a hoot.
>
>  anyway, leaving that aside: there are two areas of
> stupidity^H^H^H^H^H^Hproprietary.  a) hardware-accelerated CODEC
> library b) MALI-400MP.
>
>  the first: well... you just have to trust them.  and, once you've
> seen a lowly single-core processor smoke a dual-core intel processor
> at 1080p30 video playback, you've seen it all.  it works, or it
> doesn't.  and, if it works, it will _stay_ working.
>
>  the second: you have to trust and put your faith in ARM (with their
> stupid deal with MediaTek).  Hallelujah, brothers: _every_ CPU
> manufacturer using MALI is in the same boat.  so that means Samsung
> Enyxos, Telechips, AMLogic - everybody.
>
>  bottom line: it's not a nice situation, but tough titty, we have to
> keep the pressure up.
>
>>> perhaps the freedombox project might like, if nothing else, to use
>>> this CPU as leverage to accelerate marvell out of their self-imposed
>>> stupor by threatening to pull the plug (ha ha) if they don't get with
>>> the C21st?
>>>
>>> please bear in mind that there is a window of opportunity lasting a
>>> couple of weeks in which i can potentially persuade the CPU designer
>>> to come up with a demo / engineering board that would actually be a
>>> useful saleable product in its own right...
>>>
>>> ... and that i can *only* do that if there is a demonstrable need for such.
>>
>> The problem is that this board would be in direct competition with this:
>> http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=IMX53QSB
>
>  no it's not.  he says... *reviews spec*... yes it is! :)  that has a
> lovely SATA interface as well.  and 10/100 ethernet.
>
>  and, freescale are actually on the ball these days in terms of free
> software support etc.
>
>  [ um... freedombox people... tell me... why was the shitty little
> NDA-loving armv5 marvell sheeva guwwu pwug chosen over the
> freedom-respecting really rather dishy little IMX53QSB?  i realise
> it's good to break marvell of their paranoia habit but even so... ]
>
>> It does have an advantage in terms of A9 vs A8 and ECC, though.
>
>  yes.  even with the linaro improvements to gcc i'd say that the A9
> still is a step up (superscalar out-of-order instruction execution).
>
>>> so, if you would like an affordable 1ghz Cortex A9
>>> panda/beagle/imx53qsb-esque/plug-computer board with 1 or even 2gb of
>>> DDR3 ECC RAM, with SATA-II and 10/100 Ethernet as well as the usual
>>> other interfaces including some GPIO pins, *and* where the usual
>>> battle with the CPU manufacturer over GPL violations and NDAs has
>>> completely gone, now is the time to speak up and say so.
>>
>> I would love to see this succeed - ARM boards with more RAM and more
>> importantly ECC RAM is something we definitely need in this arena.
>> Unfortunately, I just committed to getting a load of Freescale boards of
>> similar spec so I won't be needing any more for a long time to come.
>
>  *shrug* ah well can't win 'em all. so, you _would_ be in... but you
> personally don't need them :)  and, by the time you do, things will
> have moved on.
>
>  ok - anyone else?
>
> l.
>
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