Compaq Computer Corporation's Western Research Lab and Systems Research Center are currently developing an open platform for pocket computing, called “Itsy”. The Itsy pocket computer is a flexible research platform whose primary objective is to enable hardware and software research in pocket computing, including low-power hardware, power management, operating systems, wireless networking, user interfaces,… and applications. The information being made available should also prove useful in developing specialized embedded system applications.

What is Itsy?

Basically, Itsy is a small, low-power handheld device with a highly flexible interface, designed to encourage the development of novel user interfaces, new applications and innovative research projects for the future.

The Itsy prototype offers considerably more computing power and memory than other PDAs, enabling demanding applications such as speech recognition. It is designed as an open platform to facilitate innovative research projects. The base Itsy hardware provides a flexible interface for adding a custom daughtercard, and Itsy software is based on the Linux OS and standard GNU tools.

Itsy Hardware Overview

Itsy's CPU is a StrongARM SA-1100 processor (developed by Digital Equipment Corporation's Digital Semiconductor division, which became part of Intel in May 1998). Itsy contains 16 megabytes of DRAM and 4 megabytes of Flash memory. The main crystal frequency is 3.6864 MHz which, using the processor's phase-locked loop (PLL), results in a variable CPU core frequency from 59.0 MHz to 206.4 MHz.

Itsy includes I/O interfaces for audio input/output, IrDA, and an RS232 serial serial port. A small 320 x 200 pixel graphic LCD and touchscreen are used for display and user input. There are also 10 general purpose push-buttons for additional user input purposes. Extensive power management is provided, and device the is powered by a pair of standard AAA alkaline batteries. Additional system expansion is possible via a daughtercard interface. Possibilities include memory expansion, digital and analog I/O, PCMCIA, additional serial ports, and a modem.

Itsy Software Overview

On the software side, a ROM “monitor” and a Linux port for Itsy are available for download from the Itsy website. The monitor is similar in function to a PC BIOS, except that it does not provide run-time functions (Linux does that).

As part of the Itsy project, the development team produced a version of Linux for the StrongARM 1100. The port is based on the 2.0.30 version of the ARM Linux port developed by Russell King. Although there are much newer versions of ARM Linux available today, the Itsy port contains several pieces of software not yet available in the newer versions, including the FTL flash file system, power management support, support to dynamically change clock speeds, etc. It is expected that these features will eventually be integrated into later versions of Linux, by the Linux community.

What's being made available to the public?

Compaq currently offers most of the information necessary to build the Itsy pocket computer (version 1.5) on the Itsy website. That hardware information includes documentation, schematics (including net-list), PLD programming data, PCB manufacturing data, PCB assembly data (including bill-of-materials), and enclosure manufacturing data. The software information includes the monitor program and the Linux port.

When will Itsy be available for purchase?

Actually, Itsy is not available for purchase. It is strictly a research platform designed to encourage collaboration and development of next-generation computing appliances and software. There are no product plans beyond the current prototype at this time.

 
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