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$34 MIPS board has own Linux distro

Sep 17, 2008 — by Eric Brown — from the LinuxDevices Archive — 32 views

UK-based Omnima Ltd. is shipping a low-cost MIPS32 controller board with optional case. Booting the OpenWRT-based “Midge” distro from 2MB of flash, or a special “Squidge” Linux distro from a USB key, the eponymous “Omnima” controller has 16MB of RAM and a built-in four-port Ethernet switch.

(Click for larger view of the Omnima embedded controller with external case)

The Omnima controller is designed as a gateway that can connect computers, cameras, timers, and other IP devices to the Internet. It can run a DHCP server, says Omnima, and can monitor or send commands to any connected IP device. The controller can also act as a data logger, reading data via its GPIO, USB, or serial ports, and writing data to a USB-based flash or hard drive. The board can “easily connect to i2c peripherals,” says the company, and can be purchased in a version with a plastic case measuring 7.4 x 3.9 x 1.1 inches (pictured above).


Omnima controller board

The controller is based on an Infineon ADM5120, a MIPS32-based system-on-chip (SoC) that can be clocked to 175MHz. Typically found on routers, the SoC has inspired its own Linux OpenWrt-like mini-distribution called Midge. Midge can be run on the controller, although its 2MB of onboard flash would not leave much elbow room. Alternatively, the Squidge distribution — maintained specifically for Omnima devices, apparently — can be booted from a 1GB USB key, Omnima says. Squidge includes a Java VM, Python-mini, LUA, WGET, and other OpenWrt packages.


Omnima controller (side view)

Specs for the Omnima embedded controller are listed as follows:

  • Processor — Infineon ADM5120 (MIPS32)
  • Memory — 16MB RAM; 2MB flash
  • Networking - 4 x LAN Ethernet ports; 1 x WAN Ethernet port
  • USB — 2 x USB Host ports
  • Serial — 1 x UART/programming port with pin headers
  • Debug — 1 x JTAG port with pin headers
  • GPIO — 13 x GPIO/LEDs
  • Power — 12V 500mA; optional adapter
  • Dimensions — 7.1 x 3.6 inches (180 x 91mm); with optional case 7.4 x 3.9 x 1.1 inches (188 x 100 x 28mm)
  • Operating system — Linux (Midge, Squidge); NetBSD

Availability

The Omnima embedded controller based on the ADM5120 is available for $34, or 19 British Pounds, says Omnima. More information may be found here.


 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.



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