Rockpro64 ARM CPU A72/A53 seems to be avaible for kickstarter projects


levi said:
I don't know if they do 68ks these days with hdmi out or the USB ports we'd need to build a CPU board without too many supplementary chips on.
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Well, I'm sure an HDMI chip wouldn't be too large. And I doubt a USB one would either. But I can't find any 68k chips for sale anywhere anyway. At least not new ones.
 
Yeah, as far as I know the 68k was an internal motorola design, like the vast majority of chips that have ever been made. Once Motorola moved on to PowerPC chips they simply stopped making 68ks and that was the end of it. The Z80 layout was published openly enough to allow clones to be made, and that has made it interesting for fabs to keep making (although as far a I can tell nobody makes the 16-bi Z280 still). If you don't need a 32-bit ARM chip, a fast clocked eZ80 chip can often do enough for slightly cheaper margins than even an ARM chip. If you want a 68k for its internal machine code features then I think you're looking an an FPGA these days, and that probably puts the power budget out of the specs for a Pyra CPU board.

I don't know off the top of my head how they've managed to make a 68k compatible FPGA core without using any of Motorola IP.
 
Aren't they called NXP now ? (checked it up : yes)
But it seems the DragonBall and its cousins aren't produced anymore. These architectures are slowly disappearing it seems...
...and there are plenty of reasons : less and less assembly programmers (at least to maintain the compilers), ARM-derived SoCs and controllers being mature even for critical applications, cost optimization from the reduction of product families, etc.
 
Yes, Freescale was bought by NXP, which may in turn be bought by Qualcomm which may be bought by Broadcom unless they are bought by Intel. :p
 
I agree that it is annoying when people derail your on topic discussion. Like availability, dmips / mhz and power consumption / heat generation / cooling requirements are on topic. "Keep Pyra away from Alien Soldier at all times" is not on topic. Hopefully this stops soon, especially on EDs posts. It is hard to find the technical replies from notaz, exophase and ptibseb hidden in all the oftopic comments.
 
Maybe worry about a new cpu after shipments go out?
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Under normal circumstances this would be a good idea. But since there are problems ordering cpus low numbers (1k-5K) mentioning a cpu which is

a) an actual improvement to the current cpu (and gpu)
b) available in low numbers, so even a small kickstarter project can get it

seems like a good thing.
 
rohezal said:
Under normal circumstances this would be a good idea. But since there are problems ordering cpus low numbers (1k-5K) mentioning a cpu which is

a) an actual improvement to the current cpu (and gpu)
b) available in low numbers, so even a small kickstarter project can get it

seems like a good thing.
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I'm all for a better cpu board, but I'd also like to have a real pyra. If there are supply issues on the cpu then maybe a new chip is needed, but the current board design is done and I'd rather have a pyra now and get an upgrade later rather than wait another year or two for a redesign.
 
Yogurt said:
I'm all for a better cpu board, but I'd also like to have a real pyra. If there are supply issues on the cpu then maybe a new chip is needed, but the current board design is done and I'd rather have a pyra now and get an upgrade later rather than wait another year or two for a redesign.
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Dont worry, that's the plan. If an other CPU board is made, it will be as an upgrade for already shipped pyrae. and that work would only begin after the pyra is done and begin to ship to customers
 
If there are supply issues on the cpu
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This is a misunderstanding, ED choosed a cpu which is an automotive chip which have a very long production life

but the current board design is done and I'd rather have a pyra now and get an upgrade later
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This is a misunderstanding, this is what this post is talking about. Which cpu to use for a future upgrade :)
 
rohezal said:
This is a misunderstanding, ED choosed a cpu which is an automotive chip which have a very long production life

This is a misunderstanding, this is what this post is talking about. Which cpu to use for a future upgrade :)
Click to expand...

I know that MediaTek has a bad reputation for Linux cooperation. BUT - I'm liking what Debian & Sailfish on the Gemini are looking like. Something to consider would be to have more compatibility between the Pyra and the Gemini projects - in which case it would be a hypothetical benefit to consider a MediatTek X30 for the next Pyra Soc.
https://www.mediatek.com/products/smartphones/mediatek-helio-x30

Yes, the two devices overlap a bit and compete a bit for a portion of their customers. BUT - they share a fair amount in common and could both benefit from applications ported to the other.

The list of manufacturers who will sell their SoC to smaller projects is pretty limited after all. Maybe if MediaTek sees multiple Linux OS projects going on their SoC they could open up to that more ... or maybe not.
 
The Gemini team are supposedly getting help from Mediatek with their efforts to port various linux kernels and userspaces to their hardware. Maybe this will give them some more exposure to the needs of linux porters.

That said, I tend to agree that too much speculation about better CPUs that we've got risks invoking the osbourne effect. But at the same time I have an interest in the latest ARM chips, so it's a tricky balance. I think I'd prefer it if the OP of these threads didn't suggest it's a possible CPU upgrade though, even with the caviat that it's for later in the Pyra's story.

Edit: And also I'm forgetting that ED himself did it in a recent news post comment. What do I know?
 
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