[ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Trenton D. Adams]

I'm thinking of playing with some audio as well as USB connections with
windows.  I was wondering if anyone here might know a good cheap
development board for things like that.  It would be nice to have a
hardware MP3 codec I possible.

Trenton D. Adams
Embedded Developer
Windows Developer
Extreme Engineering Ltd.
Calgary Alberta.

RE: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Gary Thomas]

On 23-Jul-2001 Trenton D. Adams wrote:
> I'm thinking of playing with some audio as well as USB connections with
> windows.  I was wondering if anyone here might know a good cheap
> development board for things like that.  It would be nice to have a
> hardware MP3 codec I possible.
>

I know nothing of cost, but here are some choices:

  * Cirrus Logic EDB7212

  * Any ARM/SA11x0 based platform:
      Assabet (from Intel)
      iPAQ    (from Compaq)

RE: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Trenton D. Adams]

  > On 23-Jul-2001 Trenton D. Adams wrote:
  > > I'm thinking of playing with some audio as well as USB connections
  > with
  > > windows.  I was wondering if anyone here might know a good cheap
  > > development board for things like that.  It would be nice to have
a
  > > hardware MP3 codec I possible.
  > >
  > 
  > I know nothing of cost, but here are some choices:
  > 
  >   * Cirrus Logic EDB7212
  > 
  >   * Any ARM/SA11x0 based platform:
  >       Assabet (from Intel)
  >       iPAQ    (from Compaq)

Thanks Gary.

Where can I get information on the iPAQ?  From what Compaq's website
says, it's a handheld PC.  Isn't there a development board?

Information on the SA11x0 boards is very hard to find on Intel's website
as well.  At least a search came up with something.

RE: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Gary Thomas]

On 23-Jul-2001 Trenton D. Adams wrote:
>   > On 23-Jul-2001 Trenton D. Adams wrote:
>   > > I'm thinking of playing with some audio as well as USB connections
>   > with
>   > > windows.  I was wondering if anyone here might know a good cheap
>   > > development board for things like that.  It would be nice to have
> a
>   > > hardware MP3 codec I possible.
>   > >
>   > 
>   > I know nothing of cost, but here are some choices:
>   > 
>   >   * Cirrus Logic EDB7212
>   > 
>   >   * Any ARM/SA11x0 based platform:
>   >       Assabet (from Intel)
>   >       iPAQ    (from Compaq)
> 
> Thanks Gary.
> 
> Where can I get information on the iPAQ?  From what Compaq's website
> says, it's a handheld PC.  Isn't there a development board?

What more do you want?  Do you want to be able to solder wires onto it?
If that's the case, stay away from the iPAQ (and most other PDA consumer
devices).  If all you want to do is experiment with audio and USB, etc,
then it's quite complete and well packaged.

> 
> Information on the SA11x0 boards is very hard to find on Intel's website
> as well.  At least a search came up with something.
> 

Intel doesn't have a good plan here.  The Assabet is old and probably will
be replaced with something new sometime soon, but I don't have any solid
info about that.

RE: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Trenton D. Adams]

  > >
  > > Thanks Gary.
  > >
  > > Where can I get information on the iPAQ?  From what Compaq's
website
  > > says, it's a handheld PC.  Isn't there a development board?
  > 
  > What more do you want?  Do you want to be able to solder wires onto
it?
  > If that's the case, stay away from the iPAQ (and most other PDA
consumer
  > devices).  If all you want to do is experiment with audio and USB,
etc,
  > then it's quite complete and well packaged.
  > 

I'm thinking along the lines of eventually creating some embedded
systems based off of the development board I use.  If the iPAQ provides
circuit diagrams and stuff, then it might be sufficient.

  > >
  > > Information on the SA11x0 boards is very hard to find on Intel's
  > website
  > > as well.  At least a search came up with something.
  > >
  > 
  > Intel doesn't have a good plan here.  The Assabet is old and
probably
  > will
  > be replaced with something new sometime soon, but I don't have any
solid
  > info about that.

What would be recommend for me based on the information I've given so
far?

Re: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Jonathan Larmour]

Gary Thomas wrote:
> > Information on the SA11x0 boards is very hard to find on Intel's website
> > as well.  At least a search came up with something.
> >
> 
> Intel doesn't have a good plan here.  The Assabet is old and probably will
> be replaced with something new sometime soon, but I don't have any solid
> info about that.

You should be able to find links to information about the various platforms
(including these) at http://sources.redhat.com/ecos/hardware.html

although the third parties have a habit of moving stuff around so do tell
me about any broken links.

Jifl
-- 
Red Hat, Rustat House, Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 (1223) 271062
Maybe this world is another planet's Hell -Aldous Huxley || Opinions==mine
Come to the Red Hat TechWorld open source conference in Brussels!
Keynotes, techie talks and exhibitions    http://www.redhat-techworld.com/

Re: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Stefano Costa]

On 23 Jul 2001, at 10:27, Trenton D. Adams wrote:

> I'm thinking of playing with some audio as well as USB connections
> with windows.  I was wondering if anyone here might know a good cheap
> development board for things like that.  It would be nice to have a
> hardware MP3 codec I possible.
> 

Trenton,

as far as I understand from your messages to eCOS list, you are 
working on a EDB7211 board. Cirrus gives (for free) the library for 
MP3 decoding using CS7211 (without sources) that can be 
integrated in a ARM SDT project, but asking to their support people 
we were able to get also the library compiled with GNU tools. It is 
also possible to use open source projects like MAD, that comes 
with ARM-based configuration already tested.
bye- Stefano
-----------------------------------------
BlueWind                Electronic Design
I-31033 Castelfranco Veneto (TREVISO)
Via Steffani 7/B
-----------------------------------------
VOICE   +39 0 423 723431
FAX     +39 0 423 744738
MOBILE  +39 335 6565749
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RE: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Trenton D. Adams]

  > 
  > On 23 Jul 2001, at 10:27, Trenton D. Adams wrote:
  > 
  > > I'm thinking of playing with some audio as well as USB connections
  > > with windows.  I was wondering if anyone here might know a good
cheap
  > > development board for things like that.  It would be nice to have
a
  > > hardware MP3 codec I possible.
  > >
  > 
  > Trenton,
  > 
  > as far as I understand from your messages to eCOS list, you are
  > working on a EDB7211 board. Cirrus gives (for free) the library for
  > MP3 decoding using CS7211 (without sources) that can be
  > integrated in a ARM SDT project, but asking to their support people
  > we were able to get also the library compiled with GNU tools. It is
  > also possible to use open source projects like MAD, that comes
  > with ARM-based configuration already tested.
  > bye- Stefano

Thanks for that Stefano, I'll take a look.  Much appreciated! :)

So, are you saying that their library will work with eCos?

RE: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Stefano Costa]

On 24 Jul 2001, at 9:44, Trenton D. Adams wrote:

> 
> Thanks for that Stefano, I'll take a look.  Much appreciated! :)
> 
> So, are you saying that their library will work with eCos?
> 
> 

Trenton,

we didn't check this (my colleagues are now porting eCOS to our 
hardware platform based on CS7209, and the next step will be to 
use the Cirrus GNU-version decoding library) but I don't see any 
serious problem in this. So far, we used the Cirrus ARM SDT-
version decoding lib with success. We are also planning to check 
for MAD compiled for ARM.
bye- Stefano
-----------------------------------------
BlueWind                Electronic Design
I-31033 Castelfranco Veneto (TREVISO)
Via Steffani 7/B
-----------------------------------------
VOICE   +39 0 423 723431
FAX     +39 0 423 744738
MOBILE  +39 335 6565749
http://www.bluewind.it
-----------------------------------------

RE: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Trenton D. Adams]

  > 
  > Trenton,
  > 
  > we didn't check this (my colleagues are now porting eCOS to our
  > hardware platform based on CS7209, and the next step will be to
  > use the Cirrus GNU-version decoding library) but I don't see any
  > serious problem in this. So far, we used the Cirrus ARM SDT-
  > version decoding lib with success. We are also planning to check
  > for MAD compiled for ARM.
  > bye- Stefano

Thanks, would you mind keeping me updated as to whether it works or not?

RE: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB

[Dan Conti]

90% of the digital audio players (which typically feature digital audio
and usb) out there use the cirrus design.

From what i understand, the ipaq is very similar to the strongarm
reference designs, but i haven't played with it myself. The advantage of
the ipaq would be that it's available on the street and it's cheap.
There's also a big speed difference between the cirrus parts (which max
out at 90mHz) and the strongarms (which clock at 200mHz or so).

-Dan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Trenton D. Adams [ mailto:tadams@extremeeng.com ]
> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2001 11:54 AM
> To: 'Gary Thomas'
> Cc: 'eCos mailing list'
> Subject: RE: [ECOS] Good board for audio + USB
> 
> 
>   > >
>   > > Thanks Gary.
>   > >
>   > > Where can I get information on the iPAQ?  From what Compaq's
> website
>   > > says, it's a handheld PC.  Isn't there a development board?
>   > 
>   > What more do you want?  Do you want to be able to solder 
> wires onto
> it?
>   > If that's the case, stay away from the iPAQ (and most other PDA
> consumer
>   > devices).  If all you want to do is experiment with audio and USB,
> etc,
>   > then it's quite complete and well packaged.
>   > 
> 
> I'm thinking along the lines of eventually creating some embedded
> systems based off of the development board I use.  If the 
> iPAQ provides
> circuit diagrams and stuff, then it might be sufficient.
> 
>   > >
>   > > Information on the SA11x0 boards is very hard to find on Intel's
>   > website
>   > > as well.  At least a search came up with something.
>   > >
>   > 
>   > Intel doesn't have a good plan here.  The Assabet is old and
> probably
>   > will
>   > be replaced with something new sometime soon, but I don't have any
> solid
>   > info about that.
> 
> What would be recommend for me based on the information I've given so
> far?
> 
>