Hardware device for embedded system

Hi,

Can anyone tell me where can I find a network device like those ADSL 
modem devices without a system installed? I want to install a customized 
freebsd system onto this device for my own use and school research. If 
purchase a off-the-shell modem product with the system installed, my end 
product will not be competitive. If I can get a hardware device only 
proudct without the cost of the system, it will increase my profit 
margin by installing my customized systems onto the device.

I found Siemens SpeedTouch is a good one, but not sure if they provid 
only hardware device base product for my purpose. Is there anyone had 
dealt with a third-party device manufacturer like this before? quite a 
few of them manufacture hardware devices and develop embedded systems 
for their device as well. I wonder what are the best methods to approach 
these manufacturers to get a low-cost device only (without a system) 
product.

Thanks
Sam

bsder wrote:
> Can anyone tell me where can I find a network device like those ADSL
> modem devices without a system installed? I want to install a customized
> freebsd system onto this device for my own use and school research. If
> purchase a off-the-shell modem product with the system installed, my end
> product will not be competitive. If I can get a hardware device only

Jesus, this is why a taste of economics is part of an engineering
degree.

The software development cost (what you call "the system") is an NRE.
It's amortized across millions of units, and is considered essentially
free. What you're paying for is the hardware.

When you buy a DSL modem, you are _usually_ buying it through a
telecoms carrier who expects to make money on your monthly spend. So
they will actually pay for some or all of the hardware for you. The
shelf price is LESS than the manufacturing cost of the device, in most
cases.

Furthermore, if you are stupid enough to build some kind of business
model around hacked modems or routers, you are going to be chasing a
constantly moving target. Manufacturers change their designs regularly
- in consumer electronics, it is RARE to find the exact same circuit
being sold for more than 6 months.

You will easily find that V1.0000001 of the product you're buying has a
totally different chipset, utterly undocumented, and you have no way of
developing new software for it let alone even loading your old
software.

larwe wrote:
> bsder wrote:
> 
>>Can anyone tell me where can I find a network device like those ADSL
>>modem devices without a system installed? I want to install a customized
>>freebsd system onto this device for my own use and school research. If
>>purchase a off-the-shell modem product with the system installed, my end
>>product will not be competitive. If I can get a hardware device only
> 
> 
> Jesus, this is why a taste of economics is part of an engineering
> degree.
> 
> The software development cost (what you call "the system") is an NRE.
> It's amortized across millions of units, and is considered essentially
> free. What you're paying for is the hardware.
> 
> When you buy a DSL modem, you are _usually_ buying it through a
> telecoms carrier who expects to make money on your monthly spend. So
> they will actually pay for some or all of the hardware for you. The
> shelf price is LESS than the manufacturing cost of the device, in most
> cases.
> 
> Furthermore, if you are stupid enough to build some kind of business
> model around hacked modems or routers, you are going to be chasing a
> constantly moving target. Manufacturers change their designs regularly
> - in consumer electronics, it is RARE to find the exact same circuit
> being sold for more than 6 months.
> 
> You will easily find that V1.0000001 of the product you're buying has a
> totally different chipset, utterly undocumented, and you have no way of
> developing new software for it let alone even loading your old
> software.
> 
It is always OK to write new device drivers for their newly release 
hardware. In my product line I will not only develop modem/gateway 
products but other voip stuff as well. But important is to get a 
hardware that I can develop my application based upon.

Sam

Take a look at the development boards available for ARM, Coldfire, Starcore 
and Blackfin. I believe there are some nice reference platforms around for 
modem and VoIP.

Search in Google for Blackfin and VoIP, I'm sure you will find something.

"bsder" <snort_sam@yahoo.com> wrote in message 
news:435b7c26@news.rivernet.com.au...
> larwe wrote:
>> bsder wrote:
>>
>>>Can anyone tell me where can I find a network device like those ADSL
>>>modem devices without a system installed? I want to install a customized
>>>freebsd system onto this device for my own use and school research. If
>>>purchase a off-the-shell modem product with the system installed, my end
>>>product will not be competitive. If I can get a hardware device only
>>
>>
>> Jesus, this is why a taste of economics is part of an engineering
>> degree.
>>
>> The software development cost (what you call "the system") is an NRE.
>> It's amortized across millions of units, and is considered essentially
>> free. What you're paying for is the hardware.
>>
>> When you buy a DSL modem, you are _usually_ buying it through a
>> telecoms carrier who expects to make money on your monthly spend. So
>> they will actually pay for some or all of the hardware for you. The
>> shelf price is LESS than the manufacturing cost of the device, in most
>> cases.
>>
>> Furthermore, if you are stupid enough to build some kind of business
>> model around hacked modems or routers, you are going to be chasing a
>> constantly moving target. Manufacturers change their designs regularly
>> - in consumer electronics, it is RARE to find the exact same circuit
>> being sold for more than 6 months.
>>
>> You will easily find that V1.0000001 of the product you're buying has a
>> totally different chipset, utterly undocumented, and you have no way of
>> developing new software for it let alone even loading your old
>> software.
>>
> It is always OK to write new device drivers for their newly release 
> hardware. In my product line I will not only develop modem/gateway 
> products but other voip stuff as well. But important is to get a hardware 
> that I can develop my application based upon.
>
> Sam