Hello everybody, I work for a small company that deals with automatic vending machines. I'm investigating the possibility of developing an embedded system to replace the actual controller. I realized a prototype using a nettop, netBSD and a USB to RS232 adapter. Now I'm looking for some kind of ARM platform, to use instead of the actual x86 machine, with the following requirments: - Low power and low cost - A wi-fi transceiver to share connection and offer a web interface for local maintenance - GSM/GPRS/UMTS connectivity for remote maintenance and logging - A GPS chip for anti-theft purposes. - Multiple RS 232 ports - Eventual support for a graphic-touch interface - Basically it is a mobile phone without a display Is there any kind of maufacturer or designer that can realize such a product? I don't know really much about ARM platforms and embedded development/ design, so any advice is really appreciated. Thank you very much guys
Looking for an embedded platform
Started by ●August 1, 2010
Reply by ●August 1, 20102010-08-01
On Sun, 1 Aug 2010 05:27:08 -0700 (PDT), Mascarpone <nicola.calipari@gmail.com> wrote:>I realized a prototype using a nettop, netBSD and a USB to RS232 >adapter. Now I'm looking for some kind of ARM platform, to use instead >of the actual x86 machine, with the following requirments: > >- Low power and low cost > >- A wi-fi transceiver to share connection and offer a web interface >for local maintenance > >- GSM/GPRS/UMTS connectivity for remote maintenance and logging > >- A GPS chip for anti-theft purposes. > >- Multiple RS 232 ports > >- Eventual support for a graphic-touch interface > >- Basically it is a mobile phone without a displayWe dis something similar with an NXP LPC2148 some years ago.>Is there any kind of maufacturer or designer that can realize such a >product?Yes, we can. Stephen -- Stephen Pelc, stephenXXX@mpeforth.com MicroProcessor Engineering Ltd - More Real, Less Time 133 Hill Lane, Southampton SO15 5AF, England tel: +44 (0)23 8063 1441, fax: +44 (0)23 8033 9691 web: http://www.mpeforth.com - free VFX Forth downloads
Reply by ●August 2, 20102010-08-02
On Aug 1, 5:27=A0am, Mascarpone <nicola.calip...@gmail.com> wrote:> Hello everybody, > > I work for a small company that deals with automatic vending machines. > > I'm investigating the possibility of developing an embedded system to > replace the actual controller. > > I realized a prototype using a nettop, netBSD and a USB to RS232 > adapter. Now I'm looking for some kind of ARM platform, to use instead > of the actual x86 machine, with the following requirments:What you need is just an ARM with USB host interface.> > - Low power and low cost >Will do.> - A wi-fi transceiver to share connection and offer a web interface > for local maintenanceUSB wifi> > - GSM/GPRS/UMTS connectivity for remote maintenance and loggingUSB serial GSM/GPRS> > - A GPS chip for anti-theft purposes. >USB serial GPS> - Multiple RS 232 portsor multiple USB ports> > - Eventual support for a graphic-touch interface > > - Basically it is a mobile phone without a displayThe above or contradictions. What is graphic-touch without a display? What you really need is a phone with optional display.> > Is there any kind of maufacturer or designer that can realize such a > product?Plenty.> > I don't know really much about ARM platforms and embedded development/ > design, so any advice is really appreciated. > > Thank you very much guys
Reply by ●August 7, 20102010-08-07
> - Low power and low costThere are a few Linux distros you can use, take a look at OpenWRT, possibly NetBSD since you have some experience with it, but you might have trouble finding drivers.> - A wi-fi transceiver to share connection and offer a web interface > for local maintenance > - GSM/GPRS/UMTS connectivity for remote maintenance and logging > - A GPS chip for anti-theft purposes.Take a look at Sparkfun Electronics, they have modules or development boards for all of these. You can get started with the uberboard (DEV-09735).> - Multiple RS 232 portsHow many? Are some for debug?> - Eventual support for a graphic-touch interfaceGrayscale or color? What size/resolution? You will need to increase cost just for this, an ARM9 and up should do it. I have used a Microchip PIC24/PIC32 for smaller displays as well...> Is there any kind of maufacturer or designer that can realize such a > product?I can offer my services, or take a look at some ARM processor websites for lists of consultants, third party developers, etc. http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/Linux_Consultants_and_Commercial_Linux_Providers Aaron http://AaronClarke.com http://blog.EmbeddedCoding.com