Who is working with the SAM9263?
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From: Anton Erasmus on 1 Apr 2007 16:23 On 1 Apr 2007 09:32:18 -0700, "rickman" <gnuarm(a)gmail.com> wrote: >On Apr 1, 7:35 am, Anton Erasmus <nob...(a)spam.prevent.net> wrote: >> On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 21:11:29 +0200, "Ulf Samuelsson" >> >> >> >> <u...(a)a-t-m-e-l.com> wrote: >> >"rickman" <gnu...(a)gmail.com> skrev i meddelandet >> >news:1175172664.914528.170940(a)e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com... >> >> On Mar 29, 1:26 am, "Ulf Samuelsson" <u...(a)a-t-m-e-l.com> wrote: >> >>> "rickman" <gnu...(a)gmail.com> skrev i >> >>> meddelandetnews:1175129175.899218.6800(a)n76g2000hsh.googlegroups.com... >> >> >>> >I am looking at using the SAM9263 and noticed that they use a 16.36766 >> >>> > MHz crystal rather than the 18.432 they use on the SAM7 eval boards. >> >>> > Anyone know why they picked this value? Do they use this value on the >> >>> > other SAM92xx eval boards? >> >> >>> > In general, what are your experiences with these parts? >> >> >>> It might be related to the undocumented GPS receiver on the chip. >> >> >> Anything is possible, but the two frequencies are not related by an >> >> integer combination I can find. This seems odd to me since they >> >> specify the frequency so exactly to 7 decimal places. This is about >> >> the limit of what a reasonable crystal can provide. >> >> >Some people find it difficult to with the 2% requirement of RS-232. >> >Communication by Radio to something in the stratosphere >> >may require a little better crystal. >> >> >There is nothing to stop you from switching to a different >> >crystal (I.E: 18,432 Mhz) in your own design. >> >> >Since the GPS is not accessible, you have no need for that >> >frequency. >> >> >>> Some restrictions I have found: >> >> >>> Cannot use SDRAM on EBI1, only on EBI0 >> >>> or you will lose the Ethernet due to the muxing >> >> >>> PSRAMs are next best alternative, the ST one on the >> >>> board appears to be obsolete already , but there is >> >>> a replacement from Micron. >> >> >> I also noticed that the eval boards for the SAM9 devices are around >> >> $1,000 US. I think the only one significantly less is for the SAM9260 >> >> which is about $600. Why are they so expensive? >> >> >Because someone wanted cheaper development boards >> >than those for the AT91RM9200 which started off at $5000 >> >and went down eventually to $1250. >> >> >Someone told me some years ago that the AT91RM9200EK PCB >> >in Atmel volumes is about $100. >> >> >I am lobbying for a new way of building development tools >> >which should allow Atmel to bring down its cost structure. >> >> The raisonance kits seem to be a good compromise. They have a >> standard motherboard which they presumely can manufacture in higher >> volumes. They then have a memorystick type CPU board which plugs into >> this motherboard. A different stick for each type of processor. When I >> was looking for an STR9 dev kit, theirs were by far the best value for >> money. > >That is fine if you don't want to evaluate anything other than ST >Micro parts. I can't find where they support anyone else's devices. >I also didn't see where their prices are all that good. I do not know how many devices they do support, but it looks like they should be able to support most of the ARM MCUs from Atmel, NXP, ST etc. by only changing their CPU board. Their prices do not compare with the cheap boards from companies like olimex, but they do compete with boards from the semiconductor manufacturers themselves. I do believe if Atmel did something similar, one might have to pay US$500 for the first development board, but after that if they made compatible daughter boards available, they should be able to sell them at a much reduced price. Also the daughter boards might actually be suitable for some types of final product boards, and there is scope for third parties to develop different mother boards to take advantage of daughter boards. I am sure that many hobbiests would love to be able to buy a small CPU module that can plug into a dev kit, but can be used on one's own board. Especially for the BGA only devices. Regards Anton Erasmus
From: rickman on 1 Apr 2007 16:40 On Apr 1, 3:36 pm, "Ulf Samuelsson" <u...(a)a-t-m-e-l.com> wrote: > >>I am lobbying for a new way of building development tools > >>which should allow Atmel to bring down its cost structure. > > > The raisonance kits seem to be a good compromise. They have a > > standard motherboard which they presumely can manufacture in higher > > volumes. They then have a memorystick type CPU board which plugs into > > this motherboard. A different stick for each type of processor. When I > > was looking for an STR9 dev kit, > > The STR9 does not have a MMU, and runs at < 100 MHz, > No cool Linux port available.... > Have to be cheap ;-) - 89 Euro / single qty. > > You can get the real thing from > www.mechtronicbrick.dk > www.ronetix.ch > www.cogcomp.com > www.iotech.dk > www.liab.dk I could not get some of these links to work. But the others gave some good results. Cogent has a 520 MHz PXA270 module for only $50 more than the SAM9260 module. Way better deal and a *HUGH* increase in speed! I have been looking for something like this. > The I/O tech has 8 MB Flash and 16 MB SDRAM and sells for 68 Euro(a)1k > You can get it with up to 16 MB flash and 64 MB SDRAM > There is also an FPGA option with Spartan III (up to 1.2 Mgates) > and another 64 MB SDRAM, all for 149 Euro(a)1k > > The fact that low cost modules are available, and people still buy the more > expensive dev kits is interesting. > > > theirs were by far the best value for > > money > > The new AVR32 board at $69 should be real good value. > This is not just a module, it has a lot of connectors > and expansion possbilities. Yeah, but there is one thing wrong with it... it uses an AVR32!
From: Jim Granville on 1 Apr 2007 16:41 Ulf Samuelsson wrote: > > The new AVR32 board at $69 should be real good value. > This is not just a module, it has a lot of connectors > and expansion possbilities. AVR32 Board Schematic is here, I believe : http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/AT32NGW100_schematics.pdf -jg
From: Ulf Samuelsson on 1 Apr 2007 18:54 > > I do believe if Atmel did something similar, one might have to pay > US$500 for the first development board, but after that if they made > compatible daughter boards available, they should be able to sell > them at a much reduced price. Also the daughter boards might actually > be suitable for some types of final product boards, and there is scope > for third parties to develop different mother boards to take advantage > of daughter boards. I am sure that many hobbiests would love to be > able to buy a small CPU module that can plug into a dev kit, but can > be used on one's own board. Especially for the BGA only devices. > > Regards > Anton Erasmus Very good summary of part of my thinking. There are a few more twists and turns though. -- Best Regards, Ulf Samuelsson This is intended to be my personal opinion which may, or may not be shared by my employer Atmel Nordic AB
From: Ulf Samuelsson on 1 Apr 2007 19:16
>> >> You can get the real thing from >> www.mechtronicbrick.dk ==> www.mechatronicbrick.dk >> www.ronetix.ch ==> http://www.ronetix.at/ >> www.cogcomp.com >> www.iotech.dk >> www.liab.dk > > I could not get some of these links to work. But the others gave some > good results. Cogent has a 520 MHz PXA270 module for only $50 more > than the SAM9260 module. Way better deal and a *HUGH* increase in > speed! I have been looking for something like this. > Funny, I remember communicating with a guy recently which balked at $600 price for a development kit with Ethernet and $975 for DevKit with Ethernet and LCD screen. The PXA270 DIMM is $399 DIMM in single qty. If you want to get a single DIMM with baseboard, it is $1499. With QVGA LCD = $1799.. If you need VGA or better resolution, then a dual bus system like the www.iotech.dk module and the AT91RM9200 is probably faster than the PXA, since you do not steal bandwidth from the CPU and you have several interesting accelerators. The VGA controller, they have implemented in the FPGA collects windows on the fly, so no heavy bitblt in the processor just to move windows, or handle overlapping windows. The AT91SAM9263, which is likely to soon be available from a number of module companies, also has a dual bus structure so you can have pretty large screens without affecting the CPU performance. The Ronetix module has a complete frame buffer inside, and if you make all redraws in this for a QVGA screen, you have up to 800 MB/s bandwidth to the memory. The effect is about 2 x performance compared to doing draws to SDRAM. MHz is not everything. >> The I/O tech has 8 MB Flash and 16 MB SDRAM and sells for 68 Euro(a)1k >> You can get it with up to 16 MB flash and 64 MB SDRAM >> There is also an FPGA option with Spartan III (up to 1.2 Mgates) >> and another 64 MB SDRAM, all for 149 Euro(a)1k >> -- Best Regards, Ulf Samuelsson This is intended to be my personal opinion which may, or may not be shared by my employer Atmel Nordic AB |