Digi-Key.
Like the original
BeagleBoard, which shipped last summer for the same $150 price, the Revision C model is based on a 600MHz
OMAP3530, the fanciest model in TI's OMAP35xx portfolio of system-on-chips (SoCs), and one of the first available SoCs based on ARM's
Cortex-A8 processor core.
Rev. B BeagleBoard (left) and new Rev C (right). Captions for the numbers may be found at the BeagleBoard.org link at the bottom of the page.
(Click either to enlarge)The Revision C model offers the same 3.0 x 3.0-inch form factor and other features as the A and B revisions, but provides the following enhancements, says Digi-Key, the official distributor of the BeagleBoard:
- More RAM and updated firmware -- The BeagleBoard now offers 256MB of 166MHz DDR RAM instead of 128MB, and also offers updated OMAP3 firmware. As with the earlier version, it includes 256MB of NAND flash.
- USB port -- The additional high-speed dedicated-host USB port can be used with a standard A-type connector to add a high-speed USB hub connected to TV tuners, network adapters, keyboards and mice, web cameras, hard drives, or other USB peripherals, says Digi-Key. It can also act as a USB device via the on-the-go (OTG) port, "potentially translating one USB device class into another," says the company.
- LCD expansion -- The new LCD interface can be used with an adapter board to connect to displays, including RGB LCD panels and LVDS panels.
- PWM -- The expansion connector now provides three pulse width modulation (PWM) signals for motor driver functions or PWM signaling, typically used in robotics.
- Power management -- A newly integrated TI TPS65950 power management device supports up to 13 channels of power management, and incorporates audio and USB functions.
Original
BeagleBoard Rev A
(Click for details) |
TI employees
began demonstrating the BeagleBoard in June of last year, and it
shipped in July for $150, distributed by Digi-Key. Boasting an open hardware design and an open
online community, the board (pictured at right) is based on a TI OMAP3530 clocked at 600MHz. The SoC includes a Cortex-A8 core that is claimed to deliver 1200 DMIPS, putting it theoretically alongside Intel's Pentium III in performance. Unlike the PIII, though, the 3530 adds a powerful Imagination SGX 2D/3D graphics processor supporting dual independent displays, and a TMS320C64x DSP core clocked at 430MHz.
Beagle MID
(Click for details) |
Most BeagleBoard development to date has been Linux-oriented, including the
BeagleBot robot, the HY Research
Beagle MID (pictured at left), and an upcoming netbook with a detachable screen from startup Always Innovating, called the
Touch Book. However, U.K firm MPC data
announced a Windows CE BSP (board support package) for the BeagleBoard in February.
MPC Data says its BSP is compatible with
Windows CE 6.0 R2, and supports the following Beagle Board features:
- DVI-D output (tested at 1280 x 720p @ 60Hz)
- USB On-the-go as a client (e.g. for ActiveSync)
- USB On-the-go as a host (e.g. for keyboards or mice)
- Debug serial output
- GPIO driver
- Audio I/O
- Mass storage device using onboard NAND flash
According to MPC Data, the BSP also includes beta versions of Texas Instruments decoders for MP3, MPEG4, and H.264 that tap into the TMS320C64x DSP. Windows CE images can be downloaded to the Beagle Board's NAND flash via USB, or Windows CE can be booted from an SD card, the company says.
AvailabilityBeagleBoard Revision C is now available from Digi-Key for $150. More information on Revision C may be found on this
BeagleBoard page, and the Digi-Key BeagleBoard page may be found
here.
A BeagleBoard users group meeting will be held at
TI Technology Day in Dallas, Tex. on June 16.
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