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Re: xAP & DreamPlug
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There are various options which basically boil down to 'some kind of
linux'=
.
By default, the unit ships with Ubuntu Jaunty (I think!). It is definitely
=
a
good replacement for/brings up to date my original EPIA 1000 based
xAP-in-a-Box - perhaps marginally less horsepower (not discernable in
practice), uses 1/4 of the energy, and is physically no bigger than a
typical home router.
Patrick
On 10 May 2011 10:06, anthony bohana <anthony.bohana@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks Patrick that shows promise, do you know the OS it runs on or am
I
> asking a stupid question.
>
>
>
>
> On 10/05/2011 09:11, "patricklidstone"
<patrick@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> The DreamPlug is a new sheeva-plug alike, but packed with a host more
> interfaces including bluetooth, WiFi (client or AP), optical out,
analogu=
e
> audio in and out, a pair of gig ethernet ports, SSD slot and a pair of
US=
B
> ports. Like the sheeva plug, it is ARM based, and draws 5W from the
wall.=
I
> thought it showed promise as a home controller, and ponied up for one
abo=
ut
> a week ago. Distributed by New-IT in the UK for around a =A3100.
> http://www.newit.co.uk/shop/proddetail.php?prod=3DDreamPlug
>
> First impressions: docs are really awful, riddled with inconsistencies
et=
c.
> It seems impossible to get validated to join the New-IT forum. But
actual=
ly,
> 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
> globalscale (the manufacturers) provide a pre-configured gnu gcc
compiler
> that works out of the box - I had my xAP code up and running in under
an
> hour, including the time taken to create a debian VM on my PC in which
to
> run the cross compiler.
>
> The hardware appears to do exactly what it says on the tin. Measured
powe=
r
> at the wall is indeed 5W or less. USB-to-serial adapters were
automagical=
ly
> 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
> cartridge. The cartridge can then be fed with mains power either
through =
a 3
> pin adapter (like those commonly found on mobile phone chargers these
day=
s)
> or via a mains lead using a figure 8 adapter on the cartridge.
Mechanical=
ly,
> 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
sock=
et
> is exposed, so you can fall back on a conventional wall-wart
arrangement =
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
> with 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
> it has to be worth a go ;-)
>
> Patrick
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>=20
--=20
Escape to the country! Our characterful cottage in Cornwall is available
fo=
r
holidays and short breaks. www.bakecottage.co.uk
*
*
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There are various options which basically boil down to 'some kind
of li=
nux'. By default, the unit ships with Ubuntu Jaunty (I think!). It
is d=
efinitely a good replacement for/brings up to date my original EPIA 1000
ba=
sed xAP-in-a-Box - perhaps marginally less horsepower (not discernable in
p=
ractice), uses 1/4 of the energy, and is physically no bigger than a
typica=
l home router.<div>
<br></div><div>Patrick<br><br><div
class=3D"gmail_quote">On 10 May 2011 10:=
06, anthony bohana <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a
href=3D"mailto:anthony.bohana@b=
ohanatech.com">anthony.bohana@xxxxxxx</a>></span>
wrote:<br><bloc=
kquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #cc=
c solid;padding-left:1ex;">
=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20
<div>
<br><br>
<font size=3D"4"><font face=3D"Calibri, Verdana,
Helvetica, Arial"><span st=
yle=3D"font-size:11pt">Thanks Patrick that shows promise, do
you know the O=
S it runs on or am I asking a stupid question.<div
class=3D"im"><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On 10/05/2011 09:11, "patricklidstone" <<a
href=3D"mailto:patr=
ick@xxxxxxx"
target=3D"_blank">patrick@xxxxxxx</a>>
wrote:<br>
<br>
</div></span></font></font><div
class=3D"im"><blockquote><font
size=3D"4"><=
font face=3D"Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><span
style=3D"font-size:1=
1pt"> <br>
=A0<br>
=A0<br>
=A0=A0=A0<br>
<br>
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. <a
href=3D"ht=
tp://www.newit.co.uk/shop/proddetail.php?prod=3DDreamPlug"
target=3D"_blank=
">http://www.newit.co.uk/shop/proddetail.php?prod=3DDreamPlug</a><br>
<br>
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 p=
lug, which is pretty mature.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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
unint=
ended power interruptions. The saving grace, and something that's
also =
useful for bodgineering, is that with the 5V cartridge removed, a normal
ba=
rrel socket is exposed, so you can fall back on a conventional wall-wart
ar=
rangement or supply 5V from somewhere else (e.g. vehicle battery or
similar=
).<br>
<br>
All in all, I think it's value for money. I'm looking
forward to pl=
aying with some of the more esoteric stuff like bluetooth, and seeing how
f=
ar I can stretch the CPU - asterisk and a media player may be a step too
fa=
r, but it has to be worth a go ;-)<br>
<br>
Patrick<br>
<br>
=A0<br>
=A0=A0=A0<br>
<br>
</span></font></font><font
face=3D"Arial"><span
style=3D"font-size:8.5pt"><=
font color=3D"#747575"><br>
</font></span></font></blockquote>
<br>
=20=20=20=20
=20=20=20=20
<br>
<div width=3D"1"
style=3D"color:white;clear:both"></div></div>
</blockquote></div><br><br
clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br><font
color=3D"#009900"=
>Escape to the country! </font>Our characterful cottage in
Cornwall is avai=
lable for holidays and short breaks.=A0<a href=3D"http://www.bakecottage.co=
.uk"
target=3D"_blank">www.bakecottage.co.uk</a><br>
<span style=3D"color:black"><div
dir=3D"ltr"><div><div style=3D"word-wrap:b=
reak-word"><font
color=3D"#888888"><div><div><span
style=3D"border-collapse=
:separate;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;font-st=
yle:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;lin=
e-height:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word=
-spacing:0px"><span
style=3D"border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);fo=
nt-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;=
font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-indent:0px=
;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><div
style=3D"wor=
d-wrap:break-word">
<span style=3D"border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:Helv=
etica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:norm=
al;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:=
none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><div
style=3D"word-wrap:break-wor=
d">
<span style=3D"border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:Helv=
etica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:norm=
al;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:=
none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><div
style=3D"word-wrap:break-wor=
d">
<div><div><div
style=3D"margin:0px;text-align:left"><span
style=3D"font-siz=
e:medium"><font size=3D"3"><span
style=3D"font-size:11px"><b><span style=3D=
"font-size:medium;font-weight:normal"><span
style=3D"border-collapse:separa=
te;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;font-style:nor=
mal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-heigh=
t:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacin=
g:0px"><span
style=3D"font-size:12px;text-align:right"><div
style=3D"margin=
:0px;text-align:left">
<font style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"
color=3D"#888888">
</font></div></span></span></span></b></span></font></span></div></div></di=
v></div></span></div></span></div></span></span></div></div></font></div></=
div></div></span><br><br>
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