On 12 May 2015 at 06:56, Gordon Williams wrote: > Where are the specs? Is that too much to ask? > How is C.H.I.P. so cheap? QUANTITY. Our partners at Allwinner worked hard to help us find how to reduce costs, so that we could introduce C.H.I.P. to EVERYBODY. To sell C.H.I.P. for $9, we need to order tens of thousands of chips. By using common, available, and volume-produced processor, memory, and wifi chips, we are able to leverage the scales at which tablet manufacturers operate to get everyone the best price. How many accessible pins does C.H.I.P. have? 8 digital GPIOs, one PWM pin, SPI, TWI (I2C), UART, USB, MIPI-CSI, Parallel LCD output, touchpanel input, and a whole bunch of power rails in and out. Most of these are set by the processor, but others are still subject to change as we finalize part selections. We'll post more specific pinouts and electrical specs when we have finalized the design for "Alpha" modules in September. Can I get C.H.I.P. sooner? Yes. If you come work with us. :) Otherwise, September for Kernel Hacker backers, December for C.H.I.P. backers, and early next year for everyone else. Does C.H.I.P. run Ubuntu? Not yet, but the real beauty of open source hardware/software projects is that there is nothing stopping a motivated user from getting Ubuntu.. or a media player.. or ??? working on C.H.I.P. How can you power C.H.I.P.? C.H.I.P. takes power in from an attached battery, runs on wired 5V DC input power, or can be powered via the same microUSB port that is used for battery charging and USB-OTG. How does C.H.I.P. charge an attached battery? C.H.I.P has an onboard X-Powers AXP209 PMIC chip which handles battery charging, pass-through-power, and DCDC conversions for the onboard power rails. It's a real workhorse! Does the WiFi support AP mode? YES!! Is C.H.I.P. Open Source? Where are the docs? YES. Very open source, but we are still in the process of testing and refining the whole family of C.H.I.P. boards, and are not yet releasing our design files. We expect to be pushing files out publicly soon after the campaign. International shipping is too expensive. We know. The international shipping quotes we received were much higher than we hoped, but we are working to try to find better shipping options for international backers. Several shipping brokers have reached out to us, and we are hoping to get a better sense of our options for safe, trackable, international shipping soon. Is there a battery in PocketC.H.I.P.? YES! PocketC.H.I.P. is a real portable computer. It has a 3000mAH 3.7V LiPo battery included, which should turn out to about 5 hours of operating time, depending on use. Is PocketC.H.I.P.'s screen color? YES! 16 million beautiful colors on a 4.3" TFT backlit LCD screen. The exact screen may change slightly in sourcing, but we are committed to making PocketC.H.I.P. useful and fun right off the bat. Does PocketC.H.I.P. have exposed ports? YES! All of C.H.I.P.'s ports are exposed through the bottom of PocketC.H.I.P.'s back: USB, microUSB, and headphone/mic port How does PocketC.H.I.P. charge? Through C.H.I.P.'s microUSB port. PocketC.H.I.P. is literally powered by C.H.I.P. Both the battery charger and power supply for PocketC.H.I.P. are on C.H.I.P. So to charge the battery, plug power into C.H.I.P.'s microUSB port, the same way you would for a battery operated C.H.I.P. on its own. What kind of battery can I use with C.H.I.P.? Any single-cell (3.7V) LiPo battery will work with C.H.I.P. You can go bigger or smaller than 3000mAH as needed for your project! I want to know more about the Allwinner R8 processor! The R8 is based on Allwinner's A13, so for tech references you can get a good sense of the R8's features from the A13 datasheet on linux-sunxi.org https://linux-sunxi.org/images/e/eb/A13_Datasheet.pdf Can I upgrade C.H.I.P.'s RAM/Storage/Processor? Technically, yes, but the components are soldered on and not intended to be swapped out. If you really like reworking small BGA and fine pitch components, though, we won't stop you. :) If you want additional storage, you can attach a USB drive! Does Linux come preinstalled? YES! C.H.I.P. comes with Linux installed, and a selection of our favorite programs and games. Like any real computer, you can download more software and customize C.H.I.P.s applications and operating system to suit your needs! Can I plug in a Keyboard, Mouse, AND power? The easiest way to accomplish this is to power C.H.I.P. as usual via the microUSB port, and attach a USB keyboard with an accessory USB port on it, then connect your wired mouse to that port. Alternatively, a bluetooth keyboard or mouse can be used to free up the need for one or both USB device ports. For more advanced use cases, C.H.I.P. can be powered via its interconnects, leaving both the full size USB and microUSB ports available to attach devices to. What connector is used on the battery? In our initial prototypes, we are using a JST-2.0 PH 2-pin shrouded male connector to connect LiPo cells to C.H.I.P. In the current design there are also BATT pins available on the interconnect headers, which allow alternate battery connectors/placements when attaching C.H.I.P. to a custom PCBA. ** FINAL CONNECTOR SELECTION WILL HAPPEN AFTER MORE REVISIONS!!** Please do not buy a whole pile of JST-PH crimps and housings just yet. What voltage are GPIOs? Current designs are for 3V3 digital logic on GPIOs, but part selection (and associated specs) may change slightly as designs are revised and prototypes are tested. Does C.H.I.P. have an ethernet port? No, but you can add one via the USB ports if that suits your project. There *is* however, built-in 802.11b/g/n wifi. --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .