[Arm-netbook] Open source Allwinner R40 circuit diagrams

[joem]

On 2018-05-13 22:07, Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton wrote:
> On Sunday, May 13, 2018, joem <research at enemygadgets.com> wrote:
> 
>> > SK Hynix H5TQ4G83AFR = 512M x 8
>> > 27 RMB that means EIGHTEEN dollars just in RAM ICs.   that's if you
>> > can get hold of them.
>> 
>> RAM continues to be a problem to source.
> 
> 
> I did tell / warn you.... :)

Hmmm... wonder what Allwinner and everyone dependent on DDR3 is
going to do / need to do with their working CPUs that are going
to get supported for the next 10 years or so.


>> KiCAD version of R40 server board on a go slow pace at the moment -
>> https://hellosemi.com/hypercube/pmwiki.php?n=Main.KiCADServerBoard
>> (Some errors have left the power lines crossed in multiple places.)
>> Also can't seem to raise Allwinner (no replies). Probably manage 
>> without
>> tech support for now.
> 
> 
> Yehh thats not a surprise, are you placing an order for 100k units? 
> Then
> they might reply

Softbank has now a similar all customers are too small policy - they 
invest
only in No.1 startups now. No.2 takes
such a long time to become No.1 they can't be bothered.
So they would never have invested in Google, Amazon, Microsoft,
Alibaba, Apple etc when they were operating out of their garages then I 
assume.

So you know Softbank acquired ARM. Now they are thinking of
selling to pay for all the debts piling up around them.
Complete disaster for ARM and everyone else I can only assume.
But China has secured a position against ARM failure by insisting on
forming a joint venture unit in China with 51% control.
Good thing they did! :)

What Allwinner should do is have two teams - one for small customers
and one for large. Otherwise the pressure to go elsewhere
or make own chips grows and grows.
Its not that expensive now - MOSIS -  https://www.mosis.com/


>> In the mean time, been doing other KiCAD boards.
>> A blue pill (ST clone of Atmega Arduino) -
>> https://hellosemi.com/hypercube/pmwiki.php?n=Main.
>> HypercubeBluePillSTDuinoBoard
>> 
>> 
> You seen the board i did , right? Stl470?

No seen it yet -  I did a google search  - can't find it.

> Akso can fund st cimmunity link
> for you they should be a long way along by now. Small form factor v
> cgallengung to get cost down.

?

>  2 layer st arduino clones are really tough to do

The ones I do are not verbatim clones so the pin mappings are completely
different and easier on layout. The pins go to FPC which has resistor 
patch panel
that allows any CPU pin to be patched manually to any FPC pin :)
The peripheral boards remain the same pin always and has
no patch panel. This means when boards blow, throw away faulty 
peripheral board
and replace with new one using FPC. If CPU board blows, then repatch a 
new board and its good to go with FPC connectors to connect to 
peripheral boards.

JoeM
Twitter - https://twitter.com/HelloHypercube