another linux robot platform

How does one make a Linux PC for under $100?

If he's really scavenging, he could run linux on an old 386/486, etc),
the mboard of which he could probably pick up for free (or the whole
system, for that matter). Hell, I have pentiums I'd give away to
whomever would come by and pick them up. Actually, now that I think of
it, I have a LOT of crap I'd give away to anybody who'd come pick it up.

He'd have to power them, of course, but this can be done. There are (or
were) people around here who  just ran a pc-based robot directly from
the PS using an inverter. The trick would be getting the inverter
cheaply enough.

It's been a few years since I ran linux on a 386, but it can still be
done -- if not with the current kernel, then certainly 2.2, although I'd
guess the 386 is still supported as of 2.6 (dunno for sure, though).

--
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Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web:
http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html

Coauthor with Dennis Clark of "Building Robot Drive Trains".
Buy several copies today!

ebay.  You can find them cheap.

Rich

I never play with my robot when I am also using my laptop. As I'm not
fond of trying to power an AT-style '386 off a 12 volt battery, I think
it just makes sense to use ye olde laptop for the robot. If you're
addressing the hobby market, and not trying to sell someone a
stand-alone robot -- and assuming your robot isn't teleoperated at all
hours of the day -- I don't see a burning need for the thing to have its
own dedicated motherboard.

Besides, since I buy mp laptops for business use, the whole thing is
deductible.

-- Gordon

Well, almost any computer project is free (or unreasonably inexpensive) if
you don't have to pay for the parts. It's like the "stone soup" super
computer. Total cost: $0.00, but it has hundreds if not thousands of
computers.

I have laptops that will run linux, about
20 of them.  If anyone is interested in
one, let me know.

14" LCD, stereo sound, video capture
port, ntsc video out port, parallel,
2 usb, serial, audio INPUT port, joystick
port.

Rich

mlw wrote:

Used.  I challenge anyone to get Linux (or DOS!) to boot on
newly purchased hardware that I can but and which that costs
less than $100 USD total.

In fact, I will send $20 via PayPal to anyone who can do it,
payment to be sent the day that my newly-purchased system boots.

I won't count any shipping/handling costs, or the cost of a
keyboard or monitor as long as the system boots without them.

Hints if you wish to go for the prize:

[1] Pick a Linux or DOS that boots from a floppy.  Cheaper than a HDD.

[2] Consider a system with no video hardware, and pick a Linux or DOS
    that can do everything over a serial port. (I won't count the cost
    of the terminal or PC running a terminal program as long as the
    system boots without it).

The 200 mhz gumstix run $109 in single unit quantities. I imagine in
multi-unit quantities they can be had for well under 100. Of course, I'm
sure you meant single unit quantities, but give it a couple of years and
imagine that price point will be hit:

http://www.gumstix.com/spexboards.html

Cheers -- m


--
(Replies: cleanse my address of the Mark of the Beast!)

Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web:
http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html

Coauthor with Dennis Clark of "Building Robot Drive Trains".
Buy several copies today!

The Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty wrote:

That *is* close! It looks like it requires a $10 Wall adapter and
a $20 waysmall-STUART to run, unless there is a battery to 60 pin
Hirose connector accessory that I missed.

They should run off of any 5v supply -- assuming we're still talking a
robotics application, this would just be your power bus. The connectors
look like a bit of a hassle, but I may have to pick one of these puppies
up anyway.

--
(Replies: cleanse my address of the Mark of the Beast!)

Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web:
http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html

Coauthor with Dennis Clark of "Building Robot Drive Trains".
Buy several copies today!

Make it $120, $100 to purchase the hardware, and $20 for the reward, and
I'll take that challenge.


Or, "network boot" if the system has a built in network card.


If the system has a network card, netboot and use SSH.


Actually, you owe me $20 as it is. One can buy a Linksys wireless router and
install their own version of Linux on it. I've seen these routers for as
low as $29 after rebates.

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20040527.html

Or, I've seen EPIA motherboard for less than $99.

mlw wrote:


That looks like it meets the requirements.  $54.99 with free
shipping the first place I looked (amazon.com).  Right now you
are ahead.


I looked at a bunch of motherboards, and couldn't find one
that leaves enough $$$ left over for the CPU, RAM, and power
supply.

How about this:
http://www.linuxda.com/store/ppvsinfo.html
<$100 including a display

Anthony Fremont wrote:


$99.99 USD, Nothing else needed to get it to boot...

I will be sending you $20 via PayPal unless someone else comes up
with a cheaper device that meets the requirements.

Technically speaking, you said "anyone who can do it" and not "the
first." :-)

Technically speaking, he also didn't limit the offer to a single person.
Doh!

Then again -- technically speaking -- he didn't specify that the payout
would be in *US* dollars.

--
(Replies: cleanse my address of the Mark of the Beast!)

Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web:
http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html

Coauthor with Dennis Clark of "Building Robot Drive Trains".
Buy several copies today!

The Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty wrote:

AHA! You, my friend, are a genius!  Monopoly dollars!  Hell money!

All kidding aside, I do want to do what is fair.  So far I have seen
Linux solutions at $55 and $99 (with a display included.)  If nobody
beats those I am inclined to send $20 to each person.  I will wait
until I see if anyone else does better, though.

I am surprised at the results.  I am a huge Linux fan, but I really
thought that someone would come up with a place to buy 386SX or 486
motherboards, add a meg of RAM and a really cheap power supply, and
have it boot DOS.


 

The economies of scale make a parabola curve around price. At the middle is
the best price/performance. Towards the right, as performance increases and
you are heading to more cutting edge technology, price/performace ratio
declines. As you move to the left, older technology that was once cheap is
now more expensive because it has a much reduced market, thus the
price/performace declines. As long as Moore's law is in effect, the
parabola is moving toward the right.

Your best bet for the cheapest computer technology is always just on the
left side of the center of the parabola where the "newer" "faster"
technologies are becoming the center, and the previous top performer needs
to be cleared away at a reduced profit to make way for the newer
technology.

I really like the idea of PC104 devices, but because the volume is so low,
it is hard to get the price/performance ratio of something like an EPIA
board.

As for Linux, I think it was official that in 1999 Linux had been ported to
more platforms than NetBSD, and NetBSD's claim to fame that it would run on
anything.

Anyway, I don't need the $20, I was just calling you on a challenge.

It would have to be real currency -- but I and I sez there are 62
Jamaican Dollars to 1 US Dollar, mon.


If you're just looking to boot DOS, there's a ton of used stuff
available for free. If you're looking for new stuff that boots DOS,
there are a variety of SBCs that do this:

http://www.jkmicro.com/products/flashlite186.html

is an 80186-based product. No need to install anything -- just boot it
up. You can run DOS, or (I think) uC-OS will run on this as well if you
need pre-emptive multitasking. $69.00, quantity 1. This assumes you make
your own serial cable and supply your own wall-wart. The devkit is 109
with this stuff included, but these ancillary items are simple to make.

This may be more useful than the router option, as it has a good bit of
I/O other than ethernet/wlan, but I don't really know what your
application is. If you need networking (and nothing else) the router is
probably a better option.

Really -- there are a lot of options. Occasionally surplus SBCs pop up
on the market as well. Use google and ebay -> search for "Single Board
Computer".

Otherwise, old laptops are practically free these days -- even pentiums.

Cheers - m

--
(Replies: cleanse my address of the Mark of the Beast!)

Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web:
http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html

Coauthor with Dennis Clark of "Building Robot Drive Trains".
Buy several copies today!