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Looking for accessory cards
- 08-25-2008
- Charles Lindsey
August 25, 2008, 3:52 pm

I am contemplating building a somewhat complex heating control system. I
find lots of sites that will sell me a single board computer, but not a
lot of information on what bits and pieces I might need to go with it,
nor whether it can be mixed and matched with accessories from other
suppliers.
And, on top of that, SBCs tend to be pricey - in fact the cheapest
solution to to buy a slug (NSUl2), but then you have the problem that
everything else has to come in the form of external USB-pluggable devices
and you finish up with a bird's nest :-(.
What I need is:
SBC ARM-based with 32MB Ram, 16MB flash (or, better, room to add a
memstick with just a bootloader in the onboard flash), ethernet
connection, and some bus with a well-established interface.
Additional card for A/D converter(s)
Additional card for connection to push buttons, external relays, etc.
Additional card for LCD with maybe 100x100 pixels.
Possibly wifi card.
Possible battery backup.
Plus, of course, powersupply, enlosure, etc.
I have no problem with hacking the enclosure to take it all, and to
provide bits of straightforward circuitry for sensors, pushbuttone, etc.
And I have head that the PFI bus might be sensible for the purpose.
But adding up all those cards from the sites that I have seen seems to be
a bit pricey :-( .
Suggestions, preferably for stuff obtainable in the UK, or at least in
Europe?
find lots of sites that will sell me a single board computer, but not a
lot of information on what bits and pieces I might need to go with it,
nor whether it can be mixed and matched with accessories from other
suppliers.
And, on top of that, SBCs tend to be pricey - in fact the cheapest
solution to to buy a slug (NSUl2), but then you have the problem that
everything else has to come in the form of external USB-pluggable devices
and you finish up with a bird's nest :-(.
What I need is:
SBC ARM-based with 32MB Ram, 16MB flash (or, better, room to add a
memstick with just a bootloader in the onboard flash), ethernet
connection, and some bus with a well-established interface.
Additional card for A/D converter(s)
Additional card for connection to push buttons, external relays, etc.
Additional card for LCD with maybe 100x100 pixels.
Possibly wifi card.
Possible battery backup.
Plus, of course, powersupply, enlosure, etc.
I have no problem with hacking the enclosure to take it all, and to
provide bits of straightforward circuitry for sensors, pushbuttone, etc.
And I have head that the PFI bus might be sensible for the purpose.
But adding up all those cards from the sites that I have seen seems to be
a bit pricey :-( .
Suggestions, preferably for stuff obtainable in the UK, or at least in
Europe?
--
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl
We've slightly trimmed the long signature. Click to see the full one.

Re: Looking for accessory cards

Yes, that was one of the sites I had looked at, but was put off when I saw
the blatant "Qty 100" box (I should have read closer).
But there is no mention of availability in the UK, and I expect Import
Duty and Tax would add quite a bit :-( .
--
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl
We've slightly trimmed the long signature. Click to see the full one.
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