Finland-based First Technology is offering a Linux-based network media player for signage and advertising applications in the transportation, hospitality, and corporate markets. The FXA-50 features a depth of less than 2 inches, LCD display options from 3.9 to 10.4 inches, and central management software supporting a variety of network transports.

Pictures, audio, and video are downloaded to the device via a web-based interface

According to First Technology, the FXA-50 supports many types of media, including pictures, audio, and video clips. Media are downloaded to the player through a web-based interface written in PHP4. The “Media Server” interface can manage multiple FXA-50s singly or in groups, download media over wired, wireless, or GPRS links, and schedule content rotation, among other advanced features. Media Server was written in PHP4, and is supported by First on Linux servers.

What's under the hood?

The FXA-50 is based on First Technology's PXA-3 module, an embedded board that is also available as a standalone product. The PXA-3 is an expanded verson of the company's PXA-1. Both modules are based on a 200MHz Intel XScale PXA-255 SoC (system-on-chip). Both modules have 16 GPIO (general purpose I/O) lines, a 20-button input matrix, two serial ports, a 5VDC output supporting LCDs (or other peripherals) up to 1 amp, a USB 1.1 device port, and a JTAG port.

The FXA-50 media player is based on a PXA-3 module
Beyond that, the PXA-3 module adds a pair of USB-host ports, an audio DAC (digital-to-analog converter), a 3.5mm audio output jack, a pin header for audio input, and a 33-pin FPC 16b digital RGB interface for TFT displays. The PXA-3 is also available with a digital RGB to analog RGB module — when this option is installed in the FXA-50 media player, it adds an external VGA port supporting normal SVGA displays, as well as LCD, TFT, and Plasma televisions, First Technology says.

In addition to a PXA-3 module, the FXA-50 includes a 10.4-inch TFT (thin-film transistor) LCD, with smaller sizes down to 3.9 inches optionally available.

The FXA-50's Linux implementation

First Technology handled the Linux port to PXA-3 module itself, according to Jussi Alanara, an engineer at First responsible for the port. Alanara says the port is functional, has been given to customers, and will be officially released pending cleanup.

The company also developed the software applications and Linux firmware used in the FXA-50, Alanara says. The device uses a framebuffer-based graphics framework “at the moment,” although the company has also experimented with X-server, Qtopia, and GPE, using the OpenEmbedded build framework.

The FXA-50 has a “very minimal filesystem,” Alanara says, with only what is required to support First's media player software. “Basically, that means libsqlite, libSDL, and busybox,” he said.

Availability

The PXA-1, PXA-3, and FXA-50 are shipping today. Versions of the PXA-3 based on a 300MHz PXA255 may be available soon.

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