News Raspberry Pi computer, is it rational?

[PhantomCruiser]

Holy crap! How far off from a credit card size computer I wonder. Anyone remember SELMA from Time Trax?

Not a Raspberry Pi, but I'm still amazed how small these devices get.

Is this one of the smallest?

https://www.mouser.co.uk/new/beagle...6ceac45f2a2eafb6a8df84576&utm_content=7361664

N.

 

[Linguofreak]

Holy crap! How far off from a credit card size computer I wonder. Anyone remember SELMA from Time Trax?

The largest Raspberry Pis are credit card sized in length and width, and the only reason they're significantly thicker is that convenient and standard I/O ports have a certain minimum size. We're getting to the point where the lower limit on the size of computers is more a matter of convenience in interacting with them physically than by the minimum size needed to achieve a given level of performance.

 

[jedidia]

Holy crap! How far off from a credit card size computer I wonder. Anyone remember SELMA from Time Trax?

We're well below that in two dimensions.
Getting the thickness down has mostly to do with plugs. standard USB- and especially ethernet ports tend to be bulky, if you can do without those things and don't mind soldering on your IOs instead of conveniently plugging them on a pin you can have your very much sub-credit-card size computer right now.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Hmm, if you don't use plugs and transfer data over wireless, plus charge the thing on the pad thingy, there aren't any connections needed. All commands are by voice like Alexa, Siri, Google Home and Cortana (and whatever else...)



Screw that Oxford comma! Viva la resistance!

 

[jedidia]

All commands are by voice like Alexa, Siri, Google Home and Cortana (and whatever else...)

The processing overhead of such an interface is quite significant. You can make a computer in that size with those capabilities, but there's not that much demand for it. Unless you could fit the power source in the same space, but unless we go ahead with wide-area wireless power transmission and sterilize half our population in the process, I can't quite see that happening... :shifty:

 

[Urwumpe]

The processing overhead of such an interface is quite significant. You can make a computer in that size with those capabilities, but there's not that much demand for it. Unless you could fit the power source in the same space, but unless we go ahead with wide-area wireless power transmission and sterilize half our population in the process, I can't quite see that happening... :shifty:

Well, we could also cut the power demand by using a different semi-conductor technology. CMOS isn't the answer to everything. The biggest sink for the electrical power is creating a nice clean rectangular signal for the logic circuits. Allow smoother transitions between 1 and 0 and you have significant less power demand. Those logic gates already exist in labs, but are not very popular right now.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I'm going to build a "magic mirror" or smart mirror (whtever the things are called) for the kiddo. Essentially a raspberry pi mounted to a monitor, monitor has a mirror film over it but you can see the display through it.
A few builds have added Alexa to it, and with a hack it can be voice controlled whereas a straight up build has a button to press to get "her" attention. Should be fun anyway.

We'll see how small these things go in the next few years.

 

[Artlav]

but are not very popular right now.

That's because silicon has some nice properties, like having an insulator oxide trivially producible when needed and being roughly symmetric for P and N. With other semiconductors you need to build up insulation layers separately, which makes things 1000x as expensive to produce, or don't have access to good P or N fets, which makes power consumption much larger.

 

[Notebook]

Just info, someone here might have a project in mind.
Don't often see circular dev boards.

https://www.element14.com/community...aspberry-Pi?CMP=e-mail-FEBWK4-e14NL-NA-Matrix

Bit confused! The above link is to some competition Element14 is running.
This is more about the board

https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-86328

not cheap.

N.

 

[tl8]

Just info, someone here might have a project in mind.
Don't often see circular dev boards.

https://www.element14.com/community...aspberry-Pi?CMP=e-mail-FEBWK4-e14NL-NA-Matrix

Bit confused! The above link is to some competition Element14 is running.
This is more about the board

https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-86328

not cheap.

N.

FPGAs aren't cheap. Typically $50-70 a pop just for the chip.

Only a couple of people make them and there isn't really that much demand so prices remain high. However niffy for specialized tasks.

 

[Notebook]

Its an interesting board, but you would need a project for it.

Everloop: 35 RGBW LED?

Never heard of this, is it a standard or a trade-name?

N.

 

[tl8]

Its an interesting board, but you would need a project for it.

Everloop: 35 RGBW LED?

Never heard of this, is it a standard or a trade-name?

N.

Looks to be a LED control protocol. Probably E14s version of this: https://www.adafruit.com/category/168

---------- Post added at 09:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:14 PM ----------

Adding to that, the FPGA would be when you are intending to drive a wall of these things with HD video.

 

[Notebook]

https://www.elektormagazine.com/news/today-is-day-meet-the-raspberry-pi-3b

March 14, 2018 | 12:32

3-14 is (was) π day: meet the Raspberry Pi 3B+
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched the latest version of their oh so popular minicomputer, the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+.

Another one!

N.

 

[jedidia]

Already got 3 of them on my table :lol:

 

[Notebook]

Pre-order, or do you have an inside source...?

N.

 

[jedidia]

The official Pi-shops can deliver first day. Not really an inside source, as anyone can order there.
The new one isn't that interesting for us though, since it mostly provides gadgets we don't need, but we have to freeze and boil them a bit just to see if they hold up in case the model B runs out...

 

[Notebook]

Bit more on the 3,
https://www.element14.com/community/community/raspberry-pi?ICID=hp-pi3bplus-topbanner

Do you think they will phase-out the older models?

N.

 

[Urwumpe]

Bit more on the 3,
https://www.element14.com/community/community/raspberry-pi?ICID=hp-pi3bplus-topbanner

Do you think they will phase-out the older models?

N.

I feel so, yes. Its a small evolution to the previous model, the older models will have a hard time finding a good niche there to keep on getting sold.

 

[Notebook]

I would have thought there would always be a demand for the primary market, education?

A cheap, entry level device for classrooms, its what it was designed for?

N.

 

[Urwumpe]

I would have thought there would always be a demand for the primary market, education?

A cheap, entry level device for classrooms, its what it was designed for?

N.

Well, the 3B never was just that. It was just cheap compared to its competition, the 3B+ will take over there, it even has the same price. Just compare it to other SoCs capable of running Windows 10. That is the league of the 3B+ and I am pretty sure, there will be little reason left to keep on producing a 3B.

For example: Compare to a Asus Tinkerboard or Beagleboard X15 there: Slightly better hardware, but way more expensive.

The Pi Zero is the cheapest model you can find, but it appeals to the more advanced users.