[Arm-netbook] Debian GNU/Linux on tablet hardware

[Michelle Konzack]

Comments on the "Adventures of Luke",  ;-)

Hello Rob,

I  am  currenly  in  contact  with  17  Enterpises  in  Asia  which  are
manufacturing TablePC, PanelPC  and  Mainboards  and  I  have  the  same
experience as Luke.  The fool each other.

Regarding the GPL-Violations, I had to contact the the "Chinese  Chamber
of Industry" in Germany which took over the GPL-Violation.  So,  I  have
created some trouble for SOME chinese (not very big) manufacturers.


I am Electronic Engineer and Programmer and try to  build  two  TabletPC
(8" and 12" with capacitive Touchscreen) and a PanelPC (19" AUO G-Series
with resitive Touchscreen) using ARM1176J-ZFS, Cortex A8/A9.

Why?

I need OutDoor TabletPC and LowPower Industrial PanelPC.

Since April I have solved the Problem with the Marvel Discovery  MV78200
(1200 MHz) and after I have burned 4 Mainboards (each 2500 Euro materiel
and soldering) I hade to send the for mainboards to Marvel/USA and  they
have cheked it directly.

I say FUCK!  Anything was right, BUT, two address lines to the DDR2  RAM
where 2,8mm to short and one 3,2mm to long.  It created interferences!

Now the 5th Mainbaord is working since April 2011...

The problem is now, manufacturing 1000 Mainboards for a PanelPC using:

1)  Marvel Discovery MV78200 (1200 MHz, Dual-Core)
2)  1 GByte DDR2
3)  2 x MiniSDHC 32 GByte (it support SDXC too and this is, WHY I had to
    choose the "MiniSD"and not "MicroSD")
4)  2 GigaEthernet
5)  3 x USB 2.0
6)  2 x SATA 2.0
7)  Useing an FTDI2232 for JTAG and UART for easier flashing
8)  2 x PCIe Port (x4 or Quad 1x)

    a)  1x PCIe 4x  =>  Marvel SAS/SATA Controller (8 Drives)
    b)  1x PCIe 1x  =>  USB 3.0 2-Port Controller + two 4 Port Hubs
    c)  1x PCIe 1x  =>  NVidia TFT/HDMI Grafik Driver
    d)  2x PCIe 1x  =>  PCIe Device controller
                        (I use it like a 8051 with MANY I/O-Ports)

cost arround 280 Euro including my development costs and excluding  VAT!
The advantage this Mainboard is that I know the hardware and can install
Debian GNU/Linux ARMEL.

If you realy think you can get a full featured computer for 149US$ which
allow you t install whatever you want, forget it!

I have te same Experienc ad Luke and it is frustrating!

It does not mather in which  Asian  country  (China,  Hongkong,  Taiwan,
Corea, Malaisia, Singapur, Pakistan) you go, they will fool you  in  all
directions!

However, I was switching on 2011-05-23 to my new location in Germany and
running  into  the next  problem  with  the  french  authorities   which
confiscatd my Truck including my whole Electronic Lab (~80.000 Euro)  an
the shortly before buyed Microchips  (1000x  Marvel  Armada  300,  2000x
Marvel Discovery MV78100, 200x Marvel Discovery MV78200, 10000 DRR2 RAM,
2400 NAND Flash, PMICS, Grafic Chips, etc.)

Currently I am more or less Jobless... and can not do anything anymore.

However, if someone is interested Mainboards for industrial  PanelPC  or
TabletPC, please let me know.

I will restart my development shortely (need to survive  next  3  month)
and have created for each Project a mailinglist...

Note1: I evaluate following Microcontrollers:
         1)  TI Sitara AM 3517
         2)  TI OMAP 3530
         3)  TI OMAP 4430           (if TI does not lower the equiremens
                                     for developers, forget this µC)
         4)  Marvel Armads 100
         5)  Marvel Armada 300
         6)  Marvel Discovery MV78100
         7)  Marvel Discovery MV78200 (Dual-Core)
         8)  Marvel Kirkwood 88F6281 (same µC as the Seagate DockStar)
       I have ALL Development Kits (>18.000 euro) here and not only  the
       inexpensive Evaluation Kits. So I think, it is time to earn money
       with it.  :-S

Note2: I have signed the hell of NDAs with Texas Instruments and Marvel,
       which does NOT mean, I can not have GPLed drivers...

Thanks, Greetings and nice Day/Evening
    Michelle Konzack

-- 
##################### Debian GNU/Linux Consultant ######################
   Development of Intranet and Embedded Systems with Debian GNU/Linux
               Internet Service Provider, Cloud Computing
                <http://www.itsystems.tamay-dogan.net/>
                  <http://www.debian.tamay-dogan.net/>

itsystems at tdnet                     Jabber  linux4michelle at jabber.ccc.de
Owner Michelle Konzack

Gewerbe Strasse 3                   Tel office: +49-176-86004575
77694 Kehl                          Tel mobil:  +49-177-9351947
Germany                             Tel mobil:  +33-6-61925193  (France)

USt-ID:  DE 278 049 239

Linux-User #280138 with the Linux Counter, http://counter.li.org/
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