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Can we replace the MoBo and CPU ?
I want a more powerful processor!!

New MessageCan we replace the MoBo and CPU ? (modified 0 times) CitizenKane
Seeing that the rest of the ePod is worth a lot of money but that the CPU is crappy, is there any chance that we can move to a MoBo with StrongARM and flash ROM ? A $400 powerful ePod is worth a lot more than a $200 crappy CPU ePod. Unfortunately I dont know a lot about building the CE 3.0 for such a platform but it cannot be too different from the juno and the iPaq platform, can it ? Are iPaq mobos available or practical ?

I work extensively with embedded systems, networking, and StrongARM on VxWorks but not with CE.

We need a mobo that supports:
* StrongARM
* Flash ROM
* SDRAM
* 2 USB
* 2 COM
* PCMCIA (dont know about this one)
* CF cards (dont know about this one)
* the touch screen needs a controller ?

I looked at pricewatch and didn't find a thing that matches. I am sure that some of the hardware gurus here have more to say.

02-06-2001 19:17:29

New MessageRE:Can we replace the MoBo and CPU ? (modified 0 times) NITF
Most likely this will be very impractical, but I wont say that it is impossible I will just make specific comments to your questions.

PCMCIA is absolutely necessary, without it the main uses for these things is out the window. Without wired/wireless connectivity it is very limited.

CF, same as above. CF and PCMCIA use the same interface for the most part, except that CF uses fewer connections and thus limits it addressable memory space.

Touch screen needs a controller. It is an analog device that requires some slightly complicated hardware to determine the X,Y coordinate. Burr-Brown made a chip that would do this but has since been bought out by TI. The specs are here:

http://www-s.ti.com/sc/psheets/sbas104/sbas104.pdf

NITF

02-06-2001 20:04:53

New MessageRE:Can we replace the MoBo and CPU ? (modified 0 times) aadesai
Profile
Anybody thought of simply overclocking the CPU? I know people have overclocked their iPaqs and other Pocket PCs via software. Shouldn't be too hard to port those programs for the ePod.
02-06-2001 20:13:16

New MessageRE:Can we replace the MoBo and CPU ? (modified 0 times) yodayoda
whoa, outta my league. i only have a degree in CS (theory) =Þ but i would love to try it out. would that void the warranty? =)
02-06-2001 20:34:19

New MessageRE:Can we replace the MoBo and CPU ? (modified 0 times) CitizenKane
actually by "I dont know about this one" I meant that I did not know how that particular functionality would be made accessible i.e. by a built-in chip on the MoBo or by another controller chip that would need to be added.

I quite agree that without PCMCIA and CF, this is pretty much useless.

02-06-2001 21:59:49

New MessageRE:Can we replace the MoBo and CPU ? (modified 0 times) CitizenKane
http://www.lart.tudelft.nl/gallery/#lart

H/W guys, is this a reasonable starting point ? only thing is its running Linux.... hmmm now to figure out how to build a CE 3.0 boot image using M$ toolkits.... Gnutella, here I come :)

02-07-2001 02:02:08

New MessageRE:Can we replace the MoBo and CPU ? (modified 0 times) gt46l
What about just soldering on another MIPS CPU? Is there a faster CPU with the same pinout?
02-07-2001 08:02:24

New MessageRE:Can we replace the MoBo and CPU ? (modified 0 times) NITF
gt46l:

The MIPS in the ePods is like most ARM processors, the company (MIPS or ARM) sell the processor as a core (ARM uses PrimeCells) that can be integrated into a System on a Chip (SOC) device.

If you want to put together an ASIC design team and are willing to front the NREs for a chip spin I am sure we could do something...lol

NITF

02-07-2001 11:45:56

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