xAP & DreamPlug

["patricklidstone" <patrick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The DreamPlug is a new sheeva-plug alike, but packed with a host more
inter=
faces including bluetooth, WiFi (client or AP), optical out, analogue
audio=
in and out, a pair of gig ethernet ports, SSD slot and a pair of USB ports=
. Like the sheeva plug, it is ARM based, and draws 5W from the wall. I
thou=
ght it showed promise as a home controller, and ponied up for one about a
w=
eek ago. Distributed by New-IT in the UK for around a =A3100. http://www.ne=
wit.co.uk/shop/proddetail.php?prod=3DDreamPlug

First impressions: docs are really awful, riddled with inconsistencies
etc.=
It seems impossible to get validated to join the New-IT forum. But actuall=
y, that doesn't matter, because the basics are the same as the sheeva
plug,=
which is pretty mature.

Cross compiling for the ARM is potentially a headache to set up, but
global=
scale (the manufacturers) provide a pre-configured gnu gcc compiler that
wo=
rks out of the box - I had my xAP code up and running in under an hour,
inc=
luding the time taken to create a debian VM on my PC in which to run the
cr=
oss compiler.

The hardware appears to do exactly what it says on the tin. Measured power
=
at the wall is indeed 5W or less. USB-to-serial adapters were
automagically=
recognised when connected - which is handy as a lot of my old HA stuff is =
serial based. The power supply arrangement is a bit odd, and potentially
an=
achilles heel. The main unit takes 5V, which is supplied by a slide on car=
tridge. The cartridge can then be fed with mains power either through a 3
p=
in adapter (like those commonly found on mobile phone chargers these days)
=
or via a mains lead using a figure 8 adapter on the cartridge.
Mechanically=
, this doesn't all fit together very tightly and may well lead to
unintende=
d power interruptions. The saving grace, and something that's also useful
f=
or bodgineering, is that with the 5V cartridge removed, a normal barrel
soc=
ket is exposed, so you can fall back on a conventional wall-wart
arrangemen=
t or supply 5V from somewhere else (e.g. vehicle battery or similar).

All in all, I think it's value for money. I'm looking forward to playing
wi=
th some of the more esoteric stuff like bluetooth, and seeing how far I
can=
stretch the CPU - asterisk and a media player may be a step too far, but i=
t has to be worth a go ;-)

Patrick





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