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See also: FlashDriveEditor, Computer, Hardware
Processor Modules for the USB Flash Drive Editor 
Ricardo's concept: A ‘processor box’ based on a $3 microcontroller (microprocessor with built in RAM, EEPROM, timers, USB interface, sound interface, etc), ideally off-the-shelf not designed by us, with lots of USB ports. The EI Labs Linseed for $100 looks good. Perhaps they could package their board in a case, with some USB connectors.
Processor options
Cheap $3 microcontroller module (uP with RAM, EEPROM, USB, sound, etc). Very low power.
The Linseed by EI Labs. $99 Linux-on-a-chip. Check power consumption.
Also, look at the list of processors on the Computer page.
Gumstix
 Gumstix has a waysmall 200 complete computer for $129.00 that includes a 200MHz Intel XScale® PXA255, 64MB RAM memory and 4MB Flash memory, 2 serial ports, a USB client - mini-B socket, Linux 2.6 and more, and uses Standard 3.5V - 6V input (power adapter included). Volume pricing is available for orders of 120 or more units. There is a Gumstix software development kit. There is also a wiki with a page on using it with displays. Power: the WaySmall 200Mhz uses a maximum .12 Amps and when idle, 0.03-0.04A. Li AAA batteries should power the gumstix for about 6 hours, with average use, according to some customers.
AVR Microcontroller
Peter Kaminski helps
Atmel AVR picopower processor, running on 0.4 milliamps active, 0.1uA standby.
Hook up a microcontroller (especially one that understands USB or LCD displays), a keyboard, and an LCD display. Question: character-based display or bitmapped?
MMC/SD FAT16 read/write project
FAT16 File System Driver for CompactFlash
Atmel Corporation - AT90USB647
Atmel Corporation
AVR Microcontroller Projects - The Netherlands - AVR Learning - LCD @ AVR
Electronic circuits based on AVR microcontrollers
LCD displays, HD44780 compatible, alphanumeric
Embedded SD Card/MMC card
AVR Butterfly MP3
Peter Fleury Online: Interfacing a HD44780 Based LCD to an AVR
Priio Store
AVR Programming & development tools. (CDK4AVR)
SourceForge.net: Files
AT90USBKEY
Crystalfontz - CFAH4004A Series Pricing
HD44780-based LCD Modules
http://www.myke.com/lcd.htm
Peter Fleury Online: Build your own AVR Starter Kit
lf231, Hardware: Programming the AVR Microcontroller with GCC
PAK-VII App Note
The processor costs about $10, so could be a good choice for the Includer. It supports Linux and has built in 160KBytes of RAM, USB Host, graphics mode LCD Controller, SPI interface for character mode LCDs, Java Acceleration so we would have a wide range of Java apps without compilation, etc.
This is the Atmel AT91SAM9261 product details page...
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=3638
This Taskit STAMP ready-made processor board costs 99 Euros or $150. It does everything we want - Linux, USB Host, LCD, etc.
http://www.taskit.de/en/products/stamp/index.htm Board details. Click the photo for an enlarged view.
https://ssl.kundenserver.de/taskit.de/xtc/index.php?cPath=23&language=en Prices and complete evaluation kit.
http://www.kwikbyte.com/KBAT9261.html Computer based on the AT91SAM9261.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/kimssuccess/message/16 Message about KBAT9261.
In the same family as the AT91SAM9261, with Linux, USB Host, LCD. Adds Ethernet, Camera Chip CCD Interface, and bi-directional SDIO for SD Memory Cards and peripherals. Less RAM though, at 96K Bytes. The AT91SAM9261 may be a better choice, for the larger 160K Byte RAM.
In the same family as the AT91SAM9261 and AT91SAM9263, with Linux, USB Host, but no built-in LCD Controller. Less RAM though, at 16K Bytes. The AT91SAM9261 may be a better choice, for the larger 160K Byte RAM and built-in LCD Controller.
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=2983
This board below is a Free Open Source Hardware Single Board Computer, designed by a columbian graduate.
The Free ECB AT91 V1 is a Single Board Computer made by emQbit. It is a Free Open Source Hardware design. You can buy it or build your own. In our case, we could use it as it stands in conjunction with an intelligent LCD display with built in controller, or modifiy the board design to use an AT919261 processor, with built-in LCD Controller.
Emqbit Wiki about the products...
http://wiki.emqbit.com/products
ucDot.org article...
http://www.ucdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/31/218205&mode=thread
LinuxDevices.com article...
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6698241512.html
Schmartboard easy-to-solder carrier-board for Microcontrollers The Schmartboard is a carrier board for surface mount chips.
This board would be good for producing prototype Includers, perhaps the first 10 or so. It's $44.95 and the Atmel AT91SAM9261 is about $10. Later, for production quantities of Includers, we can have our own PCB made at a much lower price, with the processor professionally fitted.
Please watch this video on the Curious Inventor site, which led me to the Schmartboard site. It covers surface mount soldering techniques and mentions Schmartboard toward the end, about 8 minutes in.
http://www.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Soldering/101
The Schmartboard is a carrier board for different types of surface mount chip-packages, QFP, BGA, etc. The design makes soldering devices to the boards easier than ordinary PCBs in 3 ways :-
1. The board has 'channels' or troughs for the legs on QFP, etc.
2. The tracks in the channels are pre-tinned (coated) with solder.
3. The board has solder-guards between legs to stop soldering joining 2 legs.
For Quad Flat packs with legs, you just place the chip on the board, heat the solder in each channel and push it toward the legs.
For BGA (Ball Grid Array), as found on the AT91SAM9261, there are balls of solder under the chip (217). You have to use the method shown in the video :-
1. Apply paste flux to the square chip area on the top of the board.
2. Tape the chip to the top of the board with masking tape.
3. Solder the through-holes underneath, to melt the solder balls into plated-through holes.
Products page.
http://www.schmartboard.com/index.asp?page=products
BGA (Ball Grid Array) carrier-board, for Atmel AT91SAM9261 - $44.95.
http://www.schmartboard.com/index.asp?page=products_bga
This page has a good video of how to solder BGAs and Recommended Solering Eqpt.
http://www.schmartboard.com/index.asp?page=resources_howto
Microcontrollers (computer-on-a-chip with RAM, EEPROM, etc) Microcontrollers by Atmel (such as the AVR range)
http://www.atmel.com/
Microcontrollers by Microchip
http://www.microchip.com/
Everex The 1.5GHz Via C7-D processor board uses 20 watts maximum and as low as 2 watts idling and is available for $60 through ClubIT. It is used in the gPC.
Linux-on-a-chip computer board for less than $100 Andrius
I came across a manufacturer of a Linux-on-a-chip computer
board called the 'Linseed', which is under $100 in large quantities.
It looks almost ideal for the Flash Drive Editor.
It's produced by EI Labs, Bangalore, India
http://www.eilabsindia.com/
See the rest of this article at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/mendenyo/message/336
for the specification and my assessment.
ricardo
England
10-Sep-2007
Sources of ideas for electronic technology
Microcontroller hobbyist sites. Hobby electronics websites like www.avrfreaks.net often list microcontroller and USB modules and have example projects.
eBay Industrial Automation and Control section
This section has a lot of microcontroller chips and modules and displays etc. This provides us with the names of manufacturers.
http://business.listings.ebay.co.uk/Electrical-Test-Equipment_Industrial-Automation-Control_W0QQsacatZ42899QQsocmdZListingItemList
- FlashDriveEditor=Ideas for Microcontrollers (a computer-on-a-chip with RAM, EEPROM, etc), if we go for a custom-designed processor for the FlashDriveEditor.
- FlashDriveEditorTask=Identify candidates for microcontrollers, focusing first on sufficient functionality (preferably able to run Linux, but also weaker microcontrollers), then on power consumption, then on price (because we can always push the price down later).
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