Freescale is shipping a home NAS (network-attached storage) / media server reference design that runs Linux and targets power-efficient, always-on consumer products. The MPC8349E mITX Reference Platform includes a PowerQUICC-based mini-ITX board, along with a standards-based Linux software stack and SDK… from Mediabolic.

(Click for larger view of MPC8349E mITX board)

Reference platform features listed by Freescale include:

• 667MHz MPC8349E PowerQUICC II Pro processor
• 10/100/1000 Ethernet port
• 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch from Vitesse
• 4 x USB 2.0 ports
• 2 x RS-232C interfaces
• On-board 4-port PCI SATA (serial advanced technology attachment) controller
• 32-bit PCI slot
• 32-bit MiniPCI slot
• Power supply
• SATA hard drive

The platform comes with a 2.6-series Linux kernel and samba (Windows networking software) pre-installed in a flash memory device. Also included is Mediabolic's Media Server, an SDK (software development kit) for creating multimedia applications compliant with DLNA and UPnP standards, according to Mediabolic.

According to Mark Kirstein, a VP at market research firm iSuppli Corporation, “Adding UPnP- and DLNA-compliant media server capabilities transforms the home NAS platform from a simple PC peripheral into an integral home entertainment system component.”

iSuppli estimates that 45 million homes have networks, worldwide. It forecasts 120 networked homes by 2009, including 60 million media-enabled homes.

Availability

The MPC8349E mITX Reference Design, including hardware and software, schematics, layout files, and Gerber files is available now.

Mediabolic's Media Server SDK is also available for NAS/media server reference designs from PMC-Sierra, Broadcom, and Mediabolic itself. The SDK was used to develop media player software used in Buffalo's TeraStation, Mediabolic says.

 
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.