Need Evaluation Board suggestion?

You can use an old X86 mother board.... that is enough Many books take a single PC mother board as example.....

There are several levels of "embedded" computing to go for. You could go small embedded computing, like the microchip PIC or the Zilog Z8 encored (I have seen a lot of cheap development kits for these, zilog is rather agressive in getting these into peoples hands...and they should be... I think freescale needs to learn something here).

There are midrange embedded systems

has rabbit based devices based on a proprietary chip, there is Zilog and their acclaim processor, and a whole slew of 186 proto boards out there (though they are replaced with RDC look alikes).

Also usefull for mid range education is

and their XSA-200 product. It is relatively inexpensive but allows you to learn very useful device programming techiniques.

Up in the queue are the system based devices, VIA Eden embedded PCs and baby linux based embedded arm devices (I think

's product is fun to play/learn on and relatively cheap). It also maters where you are, I imagine these things are not so cheap if they need to ship out of the states.

Tony

OOps, I wasn't looking at the group too closely. You are talking about embedded linux platforms... hmm.. well

is one. Or the vie eden boards or something like them. Tony

I don't think Linux will run on a PIC or Z8.

You can probably get uCLinux running on a '186 if it's got enough RAM. No chance for a PIC or Z8.

I think it's going to be an uphill battle running Linux on it. :)

As long as you don't have to deal with the startup stuff -- starting up and configuring an IA32 mobo is a nightmare.

The OP needs to decided if he wants to do uCLinux or a "full up" Linux kernel with VM. If the former, any of the cheap ARM7 or 68K solutions will work nicely. A Linksys wireless hub running a uCLinux on a Samsung ARM7 can be had for $40, and there's a fairly active development community:

If he want's to run a kernel with VM, I'd recommend something with a StrongARM or maybe ARM9 or PPC. The gumstix products (StrongARM) are pretty cool:

--
Grant Edwards                   grante             Yow!  Make me look like
                                  at               LINDA RONSTADT again!!
                               visi.com

Grant Edwards wrote: I thought I was in comp.arch.embedded , I was making a quick response to a generic embedded programming request. Tony

How about a Linksys WRT54G? Take a look at

for more info.