Creating a new ARM/AVR platform

[Jacob Mansfield]

I can't thank you all enough for the help you're providing with this!

On 29 Feb 2012, at 17:41, Richard Owlett wrote:
> And what will differentiate your product from Honeywell, Allen Bradly, Trane, Carrier, etc etc? Does someone in your firm have the control systems background to tune the system?
Our Device would integrate with my company's custom designed monitoring system, as well as several other features that I cannot mention at the present time.

On 29 Feb 2012, at 18:00, Liam Proven wrote:
> Although if you do want to do something "different", here is a VERY
> small ARM system:
> http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/cubox-is-a-sexy-ice-cube-sized-arm-computer-20111221/
There's going low-powered, and there's going no-powered.

> Or use Raspberry Pi, of course. ;¬)
that's becoming a serious option for us at the moment

On 29 Feb 2012, at 18:21, Icarus Alive wrote:
> Based on what I've read so far, I believe what your co. has set out to do has probably been done a few hundred times (thousands, might be more appropriate).
> Monitoring server room and controlling relays, as many others have mentioned is now so easy that apparently Artists are expected to be able to do it... well, at least, in theory.
> Please read a little about Arduino. There a zillion avatars of that tiny 8-bit micro-controller based development boards, including some that are quite close to being used as a product.
> 
> If you want to use IP communication, over ethernet, even that is possible, for as long as your protocol is not too complex, and you do not expect high data throughput.
> And, you do not need Linux... not even an RTOS (Real-Time OS) for that. Just a program that handles a bunch of Interrupts (possibly) and a main loop running a state-machine. Based on what you would like to monitor, how many sensors, and how many relays, there are various solutions. Today, there is a concept of Open-source Hardware, where schematics and manufacturing files of plug-n-play modules are available, apart from the Arduino concept of shields, which are ready-to-use plug-n-play modules, that you just buy off-the-shelf.
> 
> Liam, has provided excellent suggestions already. If you are very keen on taking the Linux route, there are several options ranging from ARM9 processor Single-Board-Computers (Olimex, mini2440 etc.) to ARM Cortex-A8 board (Beagleboard, Beaglebone, IGEP, Pandaboard...). To read sensors, if they are on/off sensors you can use the General-Purpose I/O pins (GPIO) as digital I/O pins, but if your sensors provide analog output, you need ADC capability on board. Controlling relays are again done using GPIO pins. Linux does provide the ability to control GPIO pins, but typically you need to enable that functionality when building the Kernel.
We require linux for compatibility with out monitoring solution, which has been developed to run on such a system. the IP throughput of the system will also be quite large, reporting on 4000-5000 values for each device. we also have several extra features that I cannot mention at this time.

> Note that, with an Intel Atom board, unless it is custom developed board, which I think is going to be unlikely, you guys would need to build some peripheral devices that use interfaces s.a. USB, or simpler interfaces like I2C or SPI, to in turn talk to the array of relays and sensors. Those peripherals would require writing custom drivers, unless you use off-the-shelf peripherals.
at the moment, this is looking like a very plausible solution. However none of our team know where to even begin with writing a custom driver for linux, is there documentation for such a procedure?

> Most of the time, you'd see that you are in the realm of embedded software development, and if you are just dipping your toe in that domain, remember that there is a learning curve, although this thread does have quite a bit of condensed information. 
> 
> It might serve you well to read up about these --
> 1) Arduino + Arduino Ethernet shield
> 2) Pachube
> 3) Arduino Relay shield
> 
> Note that an Arduino itself can serve as a very easy-to-integrate peripheral for your Atom based PC, talking to it over USB (in fact, serial port emulation over USB). This is possible on PC running Ubuntu, and in fact the PC I am writing from, running Ubuntu, already has an Arduino connected to it right at this moment :-), which is controlling an offboard relay that restarts my wireless router whenever there is a freeze-up of my internet connection !
All of our team have experience with both microcontrollers and microprocessors.
 			JACOB MANSFIELD / Lead Developer
Blue Sapphire Media
email:  Jacob at bluesapphiremedia.co.uk
skype:  jacob.mansfield 

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