[Sugar-devel] XO Gen 1.5

[Bryan Berry]

Let's remind ourselves there are about a million XO-1's in the hands of
kids right now and those kids should have those same XO's for the next
3-5 years. I really hope we continue to keep those kids in mind.

On Fri, 2009-04-17 at 22:41 +0200, Tomeu Vizoso wrote:
> [forwarding to IAEP and sugar-devel]
> 
> Awesome news, now we don't need to worry about performance any more :p
> 
> Good luck with the remaining work,
> 
> Tomeu
> 
> On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 21:24, John Watlington <wad at laptop.org> wrote:
> >
> > OLPC is excited to announce that a refresh of the XO-1 laptop is in
> > progress.  In our continued effort to maintain a low price point, OLPC
> > is refreshing the hardware to take advantage of the latest component
> > technologies.  This refresh (Gen 1.5) is separate from the Gen 2.0
> > project, and will continue using the same industrial design and
> > batteries as Gen 1.  The design goal is to provide an overall update
> > of the system within the same ID and external appearance.
> >
> > In order to maximize compatibility with existing software, this
> > refresh will continue with an x86 processor, using a chipset from
> > VIA.  The memory will be increased to 1 GB of DDR2 SDRAM, and the
> > built-in storage will be 4 GB of NAND Flash with an option for 8 GB
> > (installed at manufacture).
> >
> > The processor will be a VIA C7-M [1], with plans on using one whose
> > clock ranges from 400 MHz (1.5 W) to 1GHz (5 W).  The clock may be
> > throttled back automatically if necessary to meet thermal constraints.
> >
> > The enabling chipset is hot off the fab line, the VX855 [2].  This
> > single chip provides the memory interface, a 3D graphics engine, an HD
> > video decoder, USB, SDIO, and other system interface and management
> > functions, in a low power and small footprint package.   One change
> > induced by the chipset change is a move from AC'97 to HD Audio.
> > This brings higher sampling rates and allows an upgrade to a stereo
> > external microphone (and DC sensor) input.
> >
> > The CaFE chip is being retired, and replaced with an external Flash
> > management controller, possibly one of the low cost SSD controllers
> > currently being tested.  The camera will now be tied directly to the
> > VX855's video capture port.
> >
> > The network interface will be upgraded to an 88W8686, which will halve
> > its power dissipation and move it to an SDIO interface (further
> > dropping the power consumption).   The current goal is to locate it
> > in a removable module, allowing its replacement for repair.   It will
> > remain powered while the laptop suspends, waking the laptop if a
> > packet addressed to it arrives.   It is likely that early production
> > models will not directly support 802.11s (i.e. forwarding mesh packets
> > while the interface is asleep), but we are working with Marvell on
> > several different 802.11s solutions.
> >
> > Gen 1.5 will continue with the existing display, although OLPC is
> > working with PixelQi to try to improve the brightness and efficiency
> > of the screen.   The DCON is retained (even though the VX855 includes
> > much of its functionality) as it provides the low power interface and
> > the timing controller functions for the existing display.
> >
> > Overall, the target is to match the Gen 1 XO-1 in power consumption
> > while making aggressive suspend easier, and in price (while changing
> > to components which are more likely to decrease in price).   It is
> > likely that both goals can be met.
> >
> > We also expect the Gen 1.5 machines to ship with an OLPC 8.2.x
> > software release, modified to support Gen 1.5's new hardware but
> > otherwise unchanged from the current production software release and
> > compatible with our current software in the field.  Gen 1.5 machines
> > will be deployed in environments already populated by Gen 1 machines,
> > so seamless software interoperability is an important goal.
> >
> > Early versions of the hardware (bare board) should be available for
> > driver development at the end of May.   A larger number of prototype
> > laptops (several hundred) for software development and testing will
> > become available around the end of August.   The OLPC contributors
> > program will be the preferred way of requesting a Gen 1.5 machine for
> > testing your software for compatibility or development.  We hope to
> > use the contributors program to ensure Gen 1.5 support for the wide
> > variety of application and OS solutions created for Gen 1.0.
> >
> > We're excited to be finally able to make this news public.  While
> > members of the technical team have been working on this for several
> > months, it was not until last week that we could with any certainty
> > say that we were going to refresh the hardware and what that refresh
> > was likely to be.  We're now committed to this project and look
> > forward to working with you to make it happen.
> >
> > ---John, Ed, and the OLPC Tech team.
> >
> > ========
> >
> > [1] http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/processors/c7-m_ulv/
> > [2] http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/chipsets/v-series/vx855
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Devel at lists.laptop.org
> > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel
> >
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-- 
Bryan W. Berry
Technology Director
OLE Nepal, http://www.olenepal.org