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Move over Rasp. Pi, here is a $4, coin-sized Linux computer
Posted: Sat 05 Nov 2016, 00:01
by Flash
Move over Raspberry Pi, here is a $4, coin-sized, open-source Linux computer
VoCore2 is an open source Linux computer and a fully-functional wireless router that is smaller than a coin. It can also act as a VPN gateway for a network, an AirPlay station to play lossless music, a private cloud to store your photos, video, and code, and much more.
The Lite version of the VoCore2 features a 580MHz MT7688AN MediaTek system on chip (SoC), 64MB of DDR2 RAM, 8MB of NOR storage, and a single antenna slot for Wi-Fi that supports 150Mbps.
All this for $4.
Spend $12 and go for the full VoCore2 option and you get the same SoC, but you get 128MB of DDR2 RAM, 16MB of NOR storage, two antenna slots supporting 300Mbps, an on-board antenna, and PCIe 1.1 support.
Both versions of the VoCore2 have a power consumption of 74mA at standby, and 230mA at full speed. With this low power consumption, a small 9800mAh battery pack can power it for more than four days.
Posted: Sat 05 Nov 2016, 00:10
by TeX Dog
You are a hoot Flash. Those specs can't even run puppylinux from 10 yrs ago. Not my idea of a Pi mover.
< raspberried face
Posted: Sat 05 Nov 2016, 00:39
by TyroBGinner
The zdnet article referred to recently illustrates a much better approach - use better and more powerful ARM devices. The Raspberry Pi cards are painfully underpowered. I don't see why anyone would use them or how they have become so popular. The UDOO, Hardkernel Odroid, and similar cards are worth a look. Try the cnxsoft site for ideas.
But the real Achilles' heel of all this is the lack of hardware support. I wanted to get away with cheap ARM devices, but it isn't worth the trouble. The low-power x86 processors packaged with motherboards is the way to go - find them on Newegg for under $75.
Posted: Sat 05 Nov 2016, 12:13
by Burn_IT
The PI was developed for schools in the UK and intended for use as a base for computing education. They were produced at a price that meant every child could have their own.
Obviously things have moved on and there are now better options.
Posted: Sat 05 Nov 2016, 15:30
by souleau
TeX Dog wrote:You are a hoot Flash. Those specs can't even run puppylinux from 10 yrs ago. Not my idea of a Pi mover.
< raspberried face
It all depends on what you intend to use it for. Of course this has a fraction of the processing power of a Raspberry Pi.
However, it has OpenWRT running on it, and so it seems that the normal version (not the Lite version), could be a perfect candidate to create a mobile wi-fi netserver.
Very low power consumption, lasts 4 days on a charged battery. Small form factor. Could be very handy to set these up in areas where no network is available. Disaster areas. Camping sites.
Piratebox likes to use the TP-Link LT-MR3020 mobile router for a similar purpose, and the specs are comparable.
Posted: Sun 06 Nov 2016, 00:55
by slavvo67
What? I thought Puppy could even run on a Timex Sinclair... LOL
Posted: Mon 07 Nov 2016, 18:16
by greengeek