A new smaller Pi microcontroller

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VoCore is a coin-sized Linux computer with wifi. It is also able to work as a full functional router. It runs OpenWrt on top of Linux. It contains 32MB SDRAM, 8MB SPI Flash and using RT5350(360MHz MIPS) as its heart. It provides many interfaces such as 10/100M Ethernet, USB, UART, I2C, I2S, PCM, JTAG and over 20 GPIOs but its size is less than one square inch(25mm x 25mm).

It runs Linux, but not all the applications that can run on an RPI. So it won't replace an RPI. It's a very cut-down platform, but great for some projects. These small modules are quite common, another example is 'carambola 2' which is a bit cheaper, a bit larger though, more I/O, less memory but a bit faster clock speed, and is shipping today.

These platforms are awesome for house automation, small and powerful.

Ill have to get one of those for my home project.

But remember... They are not as "comfortable" as a raspberry pi: On a raspberry pi, you can run most normal Linux commands and distributions because you have a "normal" amount of memory. The VOCORE has only 32Mb, which means that things are a bit cramped. But as an embedded Linux machine, doing wifi stuff and maybe a few GPIO things, it is a great platform.

Hi there Shabaz, yes you are right, this module joins a cast of certainly dozens of modules which have very similar specifications the Carambola2 been only one of them. I have used several of the no name made in china Linux modules and most are absolutely great at that £10 per module price point or about double for an experimenters board supplied.

No need for another Kickstarter to make these modules they exist today and are available every day of the week on Ebay.

I would suggest to any one wanting to experiment with these modules today get one of these

http://www.bypic.byvac.com/index.php/BV503

Which has you can see has one of these modules a PSU+ pic32 board SDCARD and the outputs to dirve 2x 8 relay boards and an 1602LCD I believe ...Whoopee

Agreed these aren't "'PIs" at all just Linux microcontrollers. Obviously if he didn't call them Pi's no one would be interested in the blog post.  Pi this and Pi the other

Roger Wolff wrote:

 

But remember... They are not as "comfortable" as a raspberry pi: On a raspberry pi, you can run most normal Linux commands and distributions because you have a "normal" amount of memory. The VOCORE has only 32Mb, which means that things are a bit cramped. But as an embedded Linux machine, doing wifi stuff and maybe a few GPIO things, it is a great platform.

I first used Unix on a PDP-11/45 with 256KB of memory (yes, K as in Kibble).  It was a time-sharing system, with multiple terminals.  It really only dragged if several people tried to compile at the same time, or worse, run the Ingres database.

So, yeah, you can do quite a bit with 32 MB, especially with no GUI.

So basically you are saying that we can run a Nuclear Power station on one of these modules as long as we use an old Wyse Terminal and avoid the Zork Text adventure

John Alexander wrote:

 

So basically you are saying that we can run a Nuclear Power station on one of these modules as long as we use an old Wyse Terminal and avoid the Zork Text adventure

Très amusant.  Should I add that the PDP-11/45 cycle time was a lot slower than 360 MHz? 

My experience starts with the VAXen really do you have any PDPs hanging around ... I do have a PDP8 clone kit but that's not the same