Re: Questions about the openblocks AX3/4
Mr. Green,
Thanks for your kind reply.
I understand for detail and we'll be able to provide the product you
want when you get ready.
Basically we are so positive to offer our product to developers. Please
feel free to ask us if there's anything you want to know for more.
BTW we are now planning to prepare the application program for
developer's sample use. I'll let you know when it's figured out, hoping
it will help you all in the community.
> 5: is 3GB just the largest ammount of ram you have tested or is there
> some limit that prevents using larger modules? (I ask because i've seen
> other armardaXP based stuff claim to support more)
That's the largest. Onboard 1GB plus additional SO-DIMM 2GB, total 3GB
is the maximum. Incidentally, we've confirmed that the 2GB or 4GB
SO-DIMM on 2RANK work. (It'll be 2GB RAM though you install 4GB hardware
on 2RANK.)
ARMADA XP has several revisions. The one we've adopted does not support
LPAE (Large Physical Address Extensions) thus AX3 cannot handle larger
module than 3GB.
> 6: what speed are the SATA interfaces?
SATA-2 300MB/sec, according to the spec sheet.
Sincerely,
> Tomomi Matsumoto wrote:
> > Mr. Green,
> >
> > At first, I am very sorry that my reply is late. (misfiltered)
> >
> No problem, right now i'm just exploring options. Things probablly won't
> reach
> the stage of actually buying stuff until after wheezy releases (which
> going by
> the last couple of releases won't be until after christmas). With wheezy in
> freeze the build hardware raspbian has (8x freescale IMX53 quickstart
> boards)
> is sufficient for the moment.
> > Thanks for your inquiry and interest in our product:
> >
> >
> >> 1: the website says it's only available in japan, is that a strict
> >> policy or can it be bent?
> >>
> >
> > In the near future we'll sell AX3 overseas. As of now we are selling
> > samples to developers only, thus I would like you to give us your
> > profile
> My name is Peter Michael Green, i'm a phd student at the university of
> manchester
>
> I started using arm linux systems for embedded functions and got
> involved with
> the debian arm porters (I'd been contributing to debian on and off for a
> while
> before that but i'd never got deeply involved with any specific group
> previously).
> and started helping with the effort to get the armhf port up to release
> status.
>
> As part of doing so I got to know the arm porters and with their
> encouragement
> I went through the application process and became a dd.
>
> Some time after that I got involved in the raspberry Pi community and
> specifically got involved with a project to rebuild debian for armv6
> hardfloat for use on the Pi. That project became know as raspbian
> and is the reason i'm now investigating build hardware options.
> (like debian themselves we build stuff natively)
>
> > and some informations; Contact informations,
> You already have my email address, i'll give you further contact
> information if and when I decide to buy one.
>
> > detail usage of AX3,
> > the possibility to publish or give us the result report document(s).
> >
> If I were to buy openblocks systems (i'm looking at several options)
> they would be used as build hardware for raspbian. Our build logs
> including information on time take are public now and I would expect
> them to remain so as and when we move to new build hardware.
>
> >> 2: Are the controllers for all the sata and ethernet ports built into
> >> the SoC? (from looking at marvell's site i'm guessing the answer is yes
> >> but i'd like to know for sure) If not how are the controllers for them
> >> connected? PCI? PCIe? USB?
> >>
> >
> > Yes. All SATA and Ethernet ports are built into the SoC.
> >
> This is very good to hear and a definate plus point for the platform.
>
> >> 4: Is kernel support upstreamed? if not do you maintain support for
> >> recent kernels?
> >>
> >
> > As of today we are not upstream kernel support. We are just trying to
> > maintain the kernel as resent one, based on the newest version brought
> > uus by Marvell.
> >
> > A SOHO developer (not our staff) offered to do that, though this has not
> > made it yet.
> >
> Good to hear
>
> A couple more questions
> 5: is 3GB just the largest ammount of ram you have tested or is there
> some limit that prevents using larger modules? (I ask because i've seen
> other armardaXP based stuff claim to support more)
> 6: what speed are the SATA interfaces?
Tomomi Matsumoto 松本知巳
matsumoto@plathome.co.jp
Plat'Home
P+81-3-5213-4373 F+81-3-3221-2580
Reply to: