[Sugar-devel] XO Gen 1.5

[Christoph Derndorfer]

Am 18.04.2009 um 09:48 schrieb Tomeu Vizoso <tomeu at sugarlabs.org>:
> I was joking, even if all those kids would magically get a XO 1.5, we
> should keep bringing resource usage down. Even more, we want Sugar to
> run better and better on devices lower powered than the XO-1.

Devices that are lower powered than the XO-1 - does such a thing even  
exist? ;-)

Christoph

> Regards,
>
> Tomeu
>
>> 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
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Devel mailing list
>>>> 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
>>
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