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I realize this is nearly a dupe of SBC Recommendations , but I have slightly different specs in mind.

Does anyone know of a single-quantity SBC with the following features?

  • 32 bit CPU, something common e.g., x86, ppc, arm, atom
  • capable of running some fairly modern variant of Linux
  • built-in 100Mbit/s ethernet interface (preferably with RJ-45 jack)
  • built-in RS-232 or RS-232C serial port (DB-9 connector desirable but not critical)
  • capable of booting an arbitrary OS/application from FLASH
  • capable of booting an arbitrary OS/application from ethernet
  • capable of booting over serial port desirable, not critical
  • must have at least one USB 2.0 port. more::=better
  • must operate from a single-voltage DC supply (not more than 28V, not more than 25W)
  • prefer Not to have PS/2 keyboard & mouse interfaces
  • prefer Not to have any graphics capability
  • built-in SPI, I2C, or general-purpose discrete I/O bonus
  • price point under $250

The mission for this SBC is to sit on my network and operate custom I/O hardware. Heaviest possible use case required would be to support a USB web-cam and serve low-bandwidth (CIF) video through a custom server app. Definitely not required to run databases, web servers, web browsers, middle-ware, ESB, or anything like that. Intended s/w platform C/C++, and maybe, just maybe, J2ME or J2SE.

The best match I've found so far is the BeagleBoard , but this falls short by having graphics capability (not needed) in place of ethernet capability (mandatory). I know you can add a USB based ethernet adapter, but ideally there would be a better match that would render this not necessary. There are also some atom-based 'car PCs' that are near misses, mainly for power supply reasons.

Community
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JustJeff
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4 Answers4

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Not sure if it is quite a sbc, but the guruplug server plus has usb, 2x ethernet, uart, i2c, spi, jtag (with an adapter), microsd, no gfx, no ps/2, serial port booting (with an adapter) and runs linux from flash on an arm core. Maybe take a look at it ? With minimal trickery you could run it off a DC supply. They run for US$129.

jeremy
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  • Overall, looks quite good. The power supply looks to be the main drawback.. though I'm wondering, if it only pulls 5 watts, how tough could that be. – JustJeff Jun 03 '10 at 03:29
  • 5 watts at 1.6 volts can be hard. Although I have no idea what voltage it takes and am just adding this comment as a side note. – Kortuk Jun 03 '10 at 22:29
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(Kind of a repeat from my answer to the previous question, but with a new board.) I'd go for the Technologic Systems TS-7553 for $135-- slightly cheaper than the Beagleboard, and just as good. I haven't actually used the 7553, but I've used its predecessors, the TS-7500 and TS-7550, and they're good. The only requirement it might not meet out of the box is booting over Ethernet, but I know it can be configured to do so (at least via TFTP or NFS).

(Maybe this goes without saying, but I have no connection to Technologic Systems at all. I've just used some of their boards.)

pingswept
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ArmKits.com has quite a few boards that meet those specs under $200 without an LCD screen, but has a VGA port. The SBC9261-I is one of them. The SOC8200 has a VGA expansion port, but I don't know the price. I would order from their US distributor, IESDistribution to save money on shipping.

PCEngines has an Alix3d3 that might meet your needs for $111. There's an I2Cs bus option for it as well as some enclosures you might buy for it from them. Also an 18 V power supply can be ordered for it.

Jay Atkinson
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How about a Gumstix

Edit: fixed broken URL.

Chetan Bhargava
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Toby Jaffey
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  • I think the Gumstix boards are perfect when you need small size, but they're a little more expensive than the competition. – pingswept Jun 03 '10 at 14:05
  • They kill me in price. I like them, but I would much rather make my own 20 dollar solution then spend a couple hundred on that. I guess i do not value my time well enough. – Kortuk Jun 03 '10 at 15:50