[Arm-netbook] EOMA68 interface update proposal: -GbE, +USB3.1, +GPIO

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

On Thu, Sep 3, 2015 at 2:28 PM, Hrvoje Lasic <lasich at gmail.com> wrote:
> Depend really on your target market. For any application that your product
> need to be any kind of server ethernet is kind of better, more relaible
> compared to wifi.

 well, USB3 ethernet is going to be reliable (and fast).  even USB 3.0
is 5gbit/sec and GbE is 1gb/sec.  and i had to take off SATA because
it was adding extra cost.

> If your target audience is not that kind of application, or at least not in
> majority I guess you got it right. Just question any kind of paradigm.

 it's not the majority, for sure.

> Another angle is that at one moment you have to stop developing and ship
> product, even if not perfect. Again, you decide.

 yehh very true :)

>
> On Thursday, September 3, 2015, Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton <lkcl at lkcl.net>
> wrote:
>>
>> ok, soo...
>>
>> i've been following the updates to USB3 (10 gigabit speeds now with
>> USB 3.1). in combination with:
>>
>> * the development of both the tablet and the laptop not having room
>> for an ethernet port
>> * the development of lower-cost SoCs not really having ethernet
>> * the fact that the ethernet components cost around $2 when the SoCs
>> themselves are around $2 to $4
>>
>> ... i'm coming to the conclusion that Ethernet should be removed, and
>> the 9 lines used to
>>
>> * increase the USB3.0 allocation (4 wires) to USB 3.1 (8 wires)
>> * this would leave 5 spare pins for GPIO.
>> * at least two of those should be EINT-capable GPIOs
>>
>> this would make it possible to redesign the tablet PCB to a more
>> "standard" one - removing the need for the I2C GPIO chip for example.
>>
>> if there are any products that need ethernet, it can be done as a USB2
>> or USB3 compliant external IC.
>>
>> the IC3128 PCB can be reduced down to around a $12 BOM, the EOMA68-A20
>> PCB can be reduced by a further $2.50.
>>
>> any thoughts or objections, much appreciated the input.
>>
>> l.
>>
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>
>
> --
> Hrvoje Lasić
> Vulpes d.o.o.
> Gračanska 120a
> 10000 Zagreb
> Croatia
> tel +385 1 6152 706
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> lasich at gmail.com
> hrvoje at vebbu.co
> www.vebbu.co
>
>
>
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