[Gllug] Very small Linux computer

[Rich Walker]

will <will at hellacool.co.uk> writes:

> Christopher Hunter wrote:
>> On Wednesday 04 Aug 2004 1:19 pm, will wrote:
>>
>>>Has anyone got any suggestions for a very small computer to run Linux?
>>>It is for a robot and so really only needs a basic interface to the
>>>world, no gfx, no sound etc.  Ideally able to support I2C and/or CAN
>>>bus.  I would like to interface with this thing remotely, so wireless or
>>>radio would be useful, but remote access it not a priority.
>> Does it really have to run Linux?  Small robotic stuff is usually best done with a dedicated
>> processor, and the PIC series from Microchip are often used.  There are a number of high-level
>> language compilers and assemblers for the PICs, some of which are available to us Linux types.
>
> It could be a PIC or similar, but there is a limited amount of memory and processing capability in
> one of these microcontrollers.  I am hoping to progress to the point where I am building up a sonar
> map + other sensor data, and I don't think a microcontroller is going
> to be up to the job. 

You handle "reading the sonar device" on the embedded hardware, and then
send the sensor data to the higher-level node.

If you look at something like Player/Stage, you'll see that most of the
robots there are treated as devices attached to the Player/Stage
infrastructure, which works pretty well.



> Certainly
> I could use one to 'abstract' low level functions for the robot, keeping higher-level stuff for the
> PC, but then I would have to buy a microcontroller *and* solve the problem of mounting a PC to the
> robot ;)  I would like to be proved wrong though,  something as low power and simple as a PIC would
> certinly make it easier to develop.

No - send the data wirelessly :->

cheers, Rich.

>
> Will.
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