pcDuino3 on promotion for $49
- Thread starter NeverDie
- Start date
NeverDie
Senior Member
A couple updates:
1. This evening I noticed that XBMC came pre-installed, so I opened up the application to have a look at what you folks are talking about. This was my first exposure to it, but as far as I can tell, it's working: I went to the PBS section and had a look at one of their shows. The show was in SD, not HD format though. If it would help, I could try looking at one of the shows you're interested in to see how it looks for you.
2. Rather than having an arduino embedded on the board, the PcDuino emulates an arduino instead. Apparently the Intel Galileo also does that. At first I didn't like the idea, but when I compiled one of the example sketches, I noticed that it would allow a binary to be as large as 100 megabytes! If the amount of free memory is similar for the stack and the heap, it would make for a far more powerful arduino than any of the actual arduinos. I've barely scratched the surface, but now I see arduino emulation as a possible advantage.
1. This evening I noticed that XBMC came pre-installed, so I opened up the application to have a look at what you folks are talking about. This was my first exposure to it, but as far as I can tell, it's working: I went to the PBS section and had a look at one of their shows. The show was in SD, not HD format though. If it would help, I could try looking at one of the shows you're interested in to see how it looks for you.
2. Rather than having an arduino embedded on the board, the PcDuino emulates an arduino instead. Apparently the Intel Galileo also does that. At first I didn't like the idea, but when I compiled one of the example sketches, I noticed that it would allow a binary to be as large as 100 megabytes! If the amount of free memory is similar for the stack and the heap, it would make for a far more powerful arduino than any of the actual arduinos. I've barely scratched the surface, but now I see arduino emulation as a possible advantage.
I don't think the issue was with xbmc working, but rather on how well it worked. As I understand it there is hardware acceleration for the video output but there is not software that uses it, at least under Linux. I don't know the limitations this causes. I have seen comparisons to the pi saying the pi was better for this type of use because it did have some acceleration that was usable.
There are some details in the comments here that are recent:
http://www.cnx-software.com/2014/09/18/39-pcduino3-nano-arm-linux-development-board-features-hdmi-sata-gigabit-ethernet-arduino-headers/
Thanks for the offer to check certain shows but those are likely to change over time and I don't want to be too limited in the future.
There are some details in the comments here that are recent:
http://www.cnx-software.com/2014/09/18/39-pcduino3-nano-arm-linux-development-board-features-hdmi-sata-gigabit-ethernet-arduino-headers/
Thanks for the offer to check certain shows but those are likely to change over time and I don't want to be too limited in the future.
NeverDie
Senior Member
After looking into non-Pi's, I must admit that the Pi's large user base confers it many, many worthwhile advantages.
I looked into the PcDuino's emulation further last night and found it to be a non-literal emulation. i.e. it's unlikely you can take a regular arduino script and run it unmodified. Also, execution times can vary, depending on other loads the OS is attending to, so it's not as deterministic. In some sense it's neither fish nor fowl, but rather a different species.
Arduino's are good for simple, low level stuff. A linux module is a good side companion to it because they're faster to configure to the network environment, have graphical interfaces, have more memory and faster processors, and run dynamic languages. In theory something like a pcduino could be a "do it all" board for a lot of practical things, but the non-literal emulation means it comes at the price of an additional learning curve that, ideally, wouldn't exist.
I looked into the PcDuino's emulation further last night and found it to be a non-literal emulation. i.e. it's unlikely you can take a regular arduino script and run it unmodified. Also, execution times can vary, depending on other loads the OS is attending to, so it's not as deterministic. In some sense it's neither fish nor fowl, but rather a different species.
Arduino's are good for simple, low level stuff. A linux module is a good side companion to it because they're faster to configure to the network environment, have graphical interfaces, have more memory and faster processors, and run dynamic languages. In theory something like a pcduino could be a "do it all" board for a lot of practical things, but the non-literal emulation means it comes at the price of an additional learning curve that, ideally, wouldn't exist.
pete_c
Guru
@JimS
Relating to the RPi and streaming.
Mostly my issues relating to XBMC and streaming have been the mpg2 live TV streaming from MythTV.
Its a bit antiquated and it would be nice to do some sort of transcoding of Live TV to someothing other than mpeg2.
Everything else works fine. (Network from NAS box, network movie streaming, et al - note this is related to video and not audio and related too to using a Gb transport versus wireless).
Rob Mason over on the Homeseer forum purchased the HummingBoard-i2eX. Seems to like it.
HummingBoard-i2eX
Apologies the above is the deluxe "Cadillac" version. Rob purchased the i2 version. He is happy with it.
Relating to the RPi and streaming.
Mostly my issues relating to XBMC and streaming have been the mpg2 live TV streaming from MythTV.
Its a bit antiquated and it would be nice to do some sort of transcoding of Live TV to someothing other than mpeg2.
Everything else works fine. (Network from NAS box, network movie streaming, et al - note this is related to video and not audio and related too to using a Gb transport versus wireless).
Rob Mason over on the Homeseer forum purchased the HummingBoard-i2eX. Seems to like it.
HummingBoard-i2eX
Apologies the above is the deluxe "Cadillac" version. Rob purchased the i2 version. He is happy with it.
NeverDie
Senior Member
The Hummingboard seems to be in that blurry area where one wonders if maybe an Intel processor like a celeron or atom or nuc or whatnot might be preferable. What are your thoughts on that? I've read a little bit that Linux distributions typically self-install on intel platforms without modification (is it true?), whereas ARM requires a lot of work by developers to adapt them.pete_c said:
pete_c
Guru
Well; to be honest I am headed in the direction of trying both. I see a little battle brewing anyways between the Intel and Arm stuff; I mean Intel has stated that they have no intentions on grabbing the Arm market; but concurrently starting to introduce stuff. Not wanting to venture yet out of the base RPi mode; have stayed there; mostly because of the multitude of documented uses / drivers / et al.
It's been a few months ago now but did price out a Celeron mini mini board in a case for some $99 USD or less. So the cost right now is a bit over double. The newer ones now are faster, smaller and very low powered. I've not purchased one as the day I decided; new stuff was introduced; can't keep up these days. Well too the introduction prices on Ebay were $400 (for vapor hardware?). I was trying to get a group buy going and vendor agreed to terms; only two of us on Homeseer though wanted them.
Going back to the early 2000's I did run Homeseer with TTS on a legacy free (no printer, no serial ports and just USB) overclocked 400 MHz to 700Mhz AMD mobile CPU. It worked fine; but it was an ugly PC (actually the nickname "ugly" was given to it).
The early NUC's were good stuff; but still didn't have enough for me; that is me though.
Just relating to Linux and a side by side comparison running Homeseer on the Arm and on an Intel Atom (tiny) based board; the atom runs circles around the ARM. The boards I am playing with are mobile predecessors; a bit larger but very functional. (geez too that they were designed in 2009 which is 5 years ago) and my functional Arm based Pogo Plug (no video) Irrigation setup and OS runs circles speedwise around an RPi.
BTW aside from MCM found now Parts Express also carrying stuff from the EU that I cannot find here without direct shipping. (new project that I am working on).
It's been a few months ago now but did price out a Celeron mini mini board in a case for some $99 USD or less. So the cost right now is a bit over double. The newer ones now are faster, smaller and very low powered. I've not purchased one as the day I decided; new stuff was introduced; can't keep up these days. Well too the introduction prices on Ebay were $400 (for vapor hardware?). I was trying to get a group buy going and vendor agreed to terms; only two of us on Homeseer though wanted them.
Going back to the early 2000's I did run Homeseer with TTS on a legacy free (no printer, no serial ports and just USB) overclocked 400 MHz to 700Mhz AMD mobile CPU. It worked fine; but it was an ugly PC (actually the nickname "ugly" was given to it).
The early NUC's were good stuff; but still didn't have enough for me; that is me though.
Just relating to Linux and a side by side comparison running Homeseer on the Arm and on an Intel Atom (tiny) based board; the atom runs circles around the ARM. The boards I am playing with are mobile predecessors; a bit larger but very functional. (geez too that they were designed in 2009 which is 5 years ago) and my functional Arm based Pogo Plug (no video) Irrigation setup and OS runs circles speedwise around an RPi.
BTW aside from MCM found now Parts Express also carrying stuff from the EU that I cannot find here without direct shipping. (new project that I am working on).