A project to create uClinux-based firmware for a portable media player has released embedded development tools for Samsung's CalmRISC microcontrollers. Samsung originally commissioned the GNU-Pro toolchain from Red Hat in 2000 for $1 million,… but subsequently released the tools to the gmEmu Project for developing free, open source firmware for the Archos Gmini.

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Michael Donat of the gmEmu Project says that Red Hat completed its CalmRISC port of GNU-Pro tools, but that, “for some yet unknown reason, this code has remained unmerged and almost forgotten. The crew of the gmEmu project [has] negotiated with and obtained this code from Samsung.”

Donat says the tools will enable the gmEmu Project to continue its work creating an open source operating system for the Achos Gmini “similar to what the Rockbox project did for the older Archos Jukebox player and recorder and Linav project did for the Archos AV3xx range.” The project's to-do page shows the steps needed before uClinux can be ported to the device. The project also plans to update the CalmRISC toolchain to use the current GCC and binutils versions.

According to Donat's website, the Gmini 120 and 220 have the same internal hardware, including a Telechips TCC730 SoC with a CalmRISC16 core and a MAC24 DSP core. (The CalmRISC16 core is the same core used in the Samsung S3CC410 SoC, Donat says.) The systems have 64MB of RAM, and support USB 2.0/ATA/Atapi through an SMSC USB97C202 controller chip.

The GNU-Pro toolchain for CalmRISC16 source code is available as a 32MB download from the Donat's gmEmu Project site, along with a collection of binaries dating from 2001, and a RedBoot bootloader for CalmRISC.

“People that are interested and can help reverse engineer the firmware or board, [or] design and program a new kernel and applications are welcome to have a look and join,” Donat adds.

 
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