Minimalist laptop for embedded work?

Hello Folks,

Looks like I'll have to debug code for a small uC (MSP430) in the field 
pretty soon. Cramped space, things can be banged around a bit, the 
usual. What would be a small, low cost and bare minimum laptop to do 
that with? Or is there a nice PDA where a keyboard can connect to?

The programmers work via USB. The bootloader I may have to provide would 
be RS232 but that could be handled via a USB-RS232 converter. In the lab 
I use a baseline Dell Inspiron. Works nicely but it is quite large and 
the plastic enclosure looks a bit too flimsy for such jobs.

-- 
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

Joerg wrote:

> Hello Folks,
> 
> Looks like I'll have to debug code for a small uC (MSP430) in the field 
> pretty soon. Cramped space, things can be banged around a bit, the 
> usual. What would be a small, low cost and bare minimum laptop to do 
> that with?

If you don't need to run the programmers (usb) in the field and
can run your code on linux, consider the Zipit.  With a simple
mod it has an rs-232 port at 115,200 baud.  Please look at
an example: http://www.cybertheque.org/homebrew/zipit

Regards,

Michael

On 2006-11-08, msg <msg@_cybertheque.org_> wrote:
> Joerg wrote:
>
>> Hello Folks,
>> 
>> Looks like I'll have to debug code for a small uC (MSP430) in the field 
>> pretty soon. Cramped space, things can be banged around a bit, the 
>> usual. What would be a small, low cost and bare minimum laptop to do 
>> that with?
>
> If you don't need to run the programmers (usb) in the field and
> can run your code on linux, consider the Zipit.  With a simple
> mod it has an rs-232 port at 115,200 baud.  Please look at
> an example: http://www.cybertheque.org/homebrew/zipit

You really think you could do software development (e.g. run a
decent programmnig editor, make, gcc, gdb, etc) on a machine
with 2MB of flash and 16MB of RAM?  

The MSP430 toolchain requires 20MB of disk space.

-- 
Grant Edwards                   grante             Yow!  TAILFINS!!...click...
                                  at               
                               visi.com            

Joerg wrote:

> Hello Folks,
> 
> Looks like I'll have to debug code for a small uC (MSP430) in the field 
> pretty soon.  Cramped space, things can be banged around a bit, the
> usual. What would be a small, low cost and bare minimum laptop to do 
> that with?

You should pay the attention to the LCD visibility in the sunlight and 
the battery life. It is very important for the work outside.

There are solid military style laptops with the titanium body, sealed 
keypad, etc. made by Panasonic and others. Those machines are intended 
for what are you planning to do however their price is in $5k range.

Vladimir Vassilevsky

DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant

http://www.abvolt.com

Grant Edwards wrote:

> On 2006-11-08, msg <msg@_cybertheque.org_> wrote:
> 
>>Joerg wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hello Folks,
>>>
>>>Looks like I'll have to debug code for a small uC (MSP430) in the field 
>>>pretty soon. Cramped space, things can be banged around a bit, the 
>>>usual. What would be a small, low cost and bare minimum laptop to do 
>>>that with?
>>
>>If you don't need to run the programmers (usb) in the field and
>>can run your code on linux, consider the Zipit.  With a simple
>>mod it has an rs-232 port at 115,200 baud.  Please look at
>>an example: http://www.cybertheque.org/homebrew/zipit
> 
> 
> You really think you could do software development (e.g. run a
> decent programmnig editor, make, gcc, gdb, etc) on a machine
> with 2MB of flash and 16MB of RAM?  
> 
> The MSP430 toolchain requires 20MB of disk space.

I'm inclined to agree. Zipit is really just a toy.
Go back to your minimum laptop search. I am interested in what is around 
also.

Don...


-- 
Don McKenzie
E-Mail Contact Page:               http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html

Crystal clear, super bright OLED LCD (128x128) for your microcontroller.
Simple serial RX/TX interface. Many memory sizes.
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/product.php?productid=16460

Grant Edwards wrote:

> You really think you could do software development (e.g. run a
> decent programmnig editor, make, gcc, gdb, etc) on a machine
> with 2MB of flash and 16MB of RAM?  
> 
> The MSP430 toolchain requires 20MB of disk space.
> 

I do it all of the time on the Zipit natively; I mirror
the Zipit's toolchain on a cross toolchain and can hop
between the two at my convenience (for speed the
cross toolchain is preferred).  Needless to say
my software development work on the Zipit is done
when the unit has access to an NFS filesystem, but
if the O.P. doesn't need to do development but only
updates, etc. in the field, it could work well.

(Notice on our site that many of the programs described
were developed entirely on the Zipit natively.)

If the targets are located in areas near 802.11 access
points, then full development is possible on this
platform in the field (readonly  nfs over the
Internet and private data over VPN is quite reasonable).

Regards,

Michael

msg wrote:
> 
> If the targets are located in areas near 802.11 access
> points, then full development is possible on this
> platform in the field (readonly  nfs over the
> Internet and private data over VPN is quite reasonable).

I should also point out that others have added MMC cards
to the Zipit for large local stores; I prefer to use
the stock device and NFS.

Regards,

Michael

Hello Michael,

> 
>> You really think you could do software development (e.g. run a
>> decent programmnig editor, make, gcc, gdb, etc) on a machine
>> with 2MB of flash and 16MB of RAM? 
>> The MSP430 toolchain requires 20MB of disk space.
>>
> 
> I do it all of the time on the Zipit natively; I mirror
> the Zipit's toolchain on a cross toolchain and can hop
> between the two at my convenience (for speed the
> cross toolchain is preferred).  Needless to say
> my software development work on the Zipit is done
> when the unit has access to an NFS filesystem, but
> if the O.P. doesn't need to do development but only
> updates, etc. in the field, it could work well.
> 

Actually that was the idea, to adapt code on site. IOW a debugging 
process, not just the download of new code which I could probably do via 
a cell phone, modem and bootloader.


> (Notice on our site that many of the programs described
> were developed entirely on the Zipit natively.)
> 
> If the targets are located in areas near 802.11 access
> points, then full development is possible on this
> platform in the field (readonly  nfs over the
> Internet and private data over VPN is quite reasonable).
> 

Mostly that's not available or I am not permitted on there.

-- 
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

Hello Vladimir,

>>
>> Looks like I'll have to debug code for a small uC (MSP430) in the 
>> field pretty soon.  Cramped space, things can be banged around a bit, the
>> usual. What would be a small, low cost and bare minimum laptop to do 
>> that with?
> 
> 
> You should pay the attention to the LCD visibility in the sunlight and 
> the battery life. It is very important for the work outside.
> 
> There are solid military style laptops with the titanium body, sealed 
> keypad, etc. made by Panasonic and others. Those machines are intended 
> for what are you planning to do however their price is in $5k range.
> 

Well, $5k is what I want to avoid. Stuff like that has a habit of 
"growing legs"...

-- 
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

Joerg wrote:
> Hello Folks,
> 
> Looks like I'll have to debug code for a small uC (MSP430) in the field 
> pretty soon. Cramped space, things can be banged around a bit, the 
> usual. What would be a small, low cost and bare minimum laptop to do 
> that with? Or is there a nice PDA where a keyboard can connect to?
> 
> The programmers work via USB. The bootloader I may have to provide would 
> be RS232 but that could be handled via a USB-RS232 converter. In the lab 
> I use a baseline Dell Inspiron. Works nicely but it is quite large and 
> the plastic enclosure looks a bit too flimsy for such jobs.

  I heard mention last week, that RS232 ports are making something of
a come-back and are re-appearing in some business laptops.

  -jg