[ANN]: GTA04 (Beagleboard inspired Openmoko Upgrade) - Early Adpoter Program

Toby D. Young tyoung at ippt.gov.pl
Tue Dec 21 17:02:44 CET 2010


Wow. This looks great! I am excited.   :-)

Thank you very much for your efforts to get the community this far.

Best,
	Toby

-----

Toby D. Young
Assistant Professor

Institute of Fundamental Technological Problems
Polish Academy of Sciences
ul Adolfa Pawinskiego 5b
02-106 Warsaw
Poland

www:   http://www.ippt.gov.pl/~tyoung
skype: stenografia

On Tue, 21 Dec 2010, Dr.H.Nikolaus Schaller wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> we are happy that we can make an announcement to the Free and
> Open Hardware Community, right in time for X-mas and New Year:
>
> We have finally tested, understood and patched the bugs of the
> first GTA04 sample board (a.k.a. GTA04A2) and have successfully
> started U-Boot. We can access the important peripherals like
> display, touch screen, and MMC card.
>
> So we are very confident that the already scheduled redesign
> (GTA04A3) will work right from the beginning and boot Linux.
>
> This looks like the start of the aera of new Openmoko devices.
>
>
> -- what it is --
>
> For those who have not followed or are new to this project, the
> GTA04 is a OMAP3 based Smartphone Platform/Module [1]
> that fits as a motherboard replacement into a Openmoko
> Neo1973 or Freerunner case [2]. It is more or less the idea to
> squeeze a BeagleBoard into a handheld and was started
> by connecting a Openmoko Display to a BeagleBoard [3].
>
> It will finally come with UMTS (HSPA), GPS, WLAN, Bluetooth,
> Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Altimeter, Compass, FM and an
> optional camera. An expansion B2B-connector allows to
> base a custom design on this module.
>
> A demo video of the GTA04A2 controlling the display and
> blinking the illuminated buttons is here [4]. A brief
> project description is [5]. Please excuse the low quality of
> the pictures, since our small team has so far focussed on
> hardware and software.
>
> The difference to off-the-shelf smartphones is that it will be
> well documented (CC-BY-SA) and schematics will be included
> in the spirit of the original Openmoko devices so that you can
> access all the nice peripherals we have designed into it.
> And through the expansion connectors you can also use
> it as a module in your design.
>
> And, it is a community project. Everyone is welcome to
> contribute.
>
> The driving force behind this project is Golden Delicious
> Computers (www.goldelico.com), a specialist for embedded
> hard-, firm- and software development located in Oberhaching
> near Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
>
>
> -- next steps --
>
> A closed and safe process would be that we silently redesign
> the board (i.e. develop a GTA04A3), order some sample
> boards and test them. If everything finally works, we would
> order components and sit there and wait for them to arrive.
>
> Then, we would announce generaly availability in big ads in
> NYT and FAZ.
>
> In this mode, you may deduce, that you will not be able to get
> a GTA04 earlier than Summer next year if we don't run out of
> money before.
>
>
> -- early adopter program --
>
> Therefore, we have thought hat we offer an early adoper
> program to the benefit of everybody.
>
> The idea is that you can order a GTA04A3 immediately. At
> a fixed price (280 EUR). And we take the risk that prices of
> components will change. You only take the risk that we may
> need more time to get the components and have to spin
> another PCB.
>
> Using your money, we will order the core components with
> a long lead time (OMAP, Memory, UMTS module) as soon
> as possible - and early enough before the GTA04A3 design
> is finished.
>
> This makes sure that we have enough components for the
> first batch to be produced. And we will not spend the money
> for anything else so that you could even visit us to see your
> chips... But please don't touch.
>
> Once, the GTA04A3 boards arrive, we will test some of them
> and if everything looks ok, we will produce your early
> adopter devices. Only in the case that the A3 board has another
> serious flaw, we will have to design a GTA04A4 board first.
>
> This all speeds up the process dramatically so that we currently
> estimate delivery of the first units by March 2011.
>
> The price has been set very low so that it just covers component
> and production cost at a reduced feature set (there are not all
> peripherals installed but UMTS and GPS will be). It might be
> possible to retrofit some of them.
>
> Please note that it does *not* include the LCD module, case and
> battery, because it is a motherboard-replacement to existing
> Openmoko units (Freerunner and Neo1973).
>
> And, we can't specify yet which version of the OMAP3
> we will get (600/720/1000 MHz) and how big the RAM/NAND
> flash will be. But expect something similar to the BeagleBoard.
>
> Please note that we also have chosen to switch from a GTM501
> UMTS module to a GTM601 which has even better performance
> (HSPA+).
>
>
> -- how to participate --
>
> Here is the link to the EAP offer with more detailed conditions
> (there are some restrictions):
>
> 	http://www.handheld-linux.com/wiki.php?page=GTA04-Early-Adopter
>
> You can also support us by purchasing a Openmoko Beagle
> Hybrid development tool to extend your existing Beagle Boad
> or by donations.
>
> The git repositories and binary downloads of our U-Boot and
> Kernel can be reached through [6].
>
> And, come to FOSDEM 2011 to see and touch a GTA04
> and discuss with us about this new gadget.
>
>
> We wish you all merry christmas and a happy new year.
>
>
> -- links --
>
> [1]: http://download.goldelico.com/gta04/images/DSC00710.jpg
> [2]: http://download.goldelico.com/gta04/images/DSC00708.jpg
> [3]: http://projects.goldelico.com/p/ombeagle/
> [4]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjFKQx18DgA
> [5]: http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/GTA04
> [6]: http://projects.goldelico.com/p/gta04-main/
>
>
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