If you are an e-enthusiast or embedded design engineer will find a variety of ARM development boards, Beagleboard, Pandaboard, Raspberry Pi (Raspberry), and PCDUINO, etc. in the past few years. These development boards are based on different processing. The units, the functions have their own strengths, but they will tend to miniaturize and low cost. The reason why the mobile device software developer has increased, and everyone needs a hardware platform; its second ARM architecture processor performance has greatly improved, and it can do many things that I have considered only PC can be done; the three ARM platform power is low, cost performance is high Cost can be low.
Recently, an New Army appeared in this area --Mars Board, which is an ARM platform provided by British embedded design manufacturers in China for enthusiasts. British is a global embedded hardware and software vendor, which is the first company in China to develop ARM development system. Mars Board can be said to be the most powerful ARM development board that can be achieved by enthusiasts. I want to know what MARS Board is, I can first see Mars Board: Super ARM DIY computer platform is coming!
MARS Board is currently in a predetermined stage, the first batch of delivery will be in early May. Love board network gets the sample in the first time, takes everyone to see the true face of this ultra-ever-ejacular ARM DIY computer platform.
It is said that it is also a engineering sample that is provided to us.
MARS Board works very well, after all, is a third-party design for professional board cards. The red PCB design is used, the size is 102mm x 65mm, which is larger than the Raspberry.
The first feeling of getting the hand is a lot of peripheral interfaces, so there are many IC devices on the board, and the entire board layout is very secret. It is complicated to the Raspberry Piping. The performance and price are also rising.
The core processor on the MARS Board uses Freescale's latest I.MX6DUAL application processor with two kernel Cortex-A9, running frequency 1GHz. The application processor has strong performance, with 1MB L2 cache, 32KB instructions, and data cache, 2D / 3D graphics acceleration, and 1080P video.
You can clearly see the Freescale logo, the running frequency reaches 1GHz, do you need to carry a hot block? When I was measured, I touched it or very hot.
General mobile phone or tablet CPU and memory is common in packaging, just like the Raspberry. However, MARS Board does not use this, there are four 256MB DDR3 storage devices in the front and negative, running RAM 1GB, or a nice configuration.
There is also a memory chip EMMC on the back of the printed board, integrated 4GB NAND Flash, which is often 4GB of ROM often said in the mobile phone.
Mars Board has a lot of interfaces, debugging and extension capabilities are strong.
USB HUB (2-way USB A), Gigabit Ethernet port, USB turn serial port (debugging, mini-type)
USB OTG port (Mini-B type for brush download), standard HDMI
10pin pin (2-way USB signal, not debug interface), reset button
Standard 2.1MM aperture power outlet, require external 5V 4A DC power supply
Micro SD card slot, 50pin LCD interface
Micro (D-type) HDMI interface, output LVDS signal, an external LVDS display is required
Power-on work
Unlike the Raspberry Pie, the MARS Board system is in the internal ROM. It is currently a burning Android4.0.4 system, or take a look at the working situation of MARS Board.
Connect the work platform, including power, HDMI display, USB OTG and USB serial port, USB mouse keyboard, and network cable.
Connect all peripherals that can be connected to: D
MARS Board has two working modes, starting from the internal ROM, one is a debug brush mode. By controlling the jumper SW1 on the board, no matter how much, when the jumper is allocated to the triangle screen, the MARS Board system is started from the ROM.
It is ready to power the power, which is about 20 hours to enter the Android system, and the speed is very fast.
Unfortunately, the display is not touch, but you can use the mouse keyboard to control. It feels like a mobile phone or tablet.
Let's first look at the system settings. If you are used to the Android system, it is still very convenient to operate.
System version Android4.0.4, CPU identifies "ICS AOSP ON IMX6Q"
A Gigabit Ethernet port is configured on the MARS Board, and it is possible to support wireless extension modules WIPI, and Britain will also introduce other extension modules. Now I first took a network cable network. You can now install all kinds of apps like your phone.
UC browser installed
You can browse a variety of websites
You can also browse a variety of video sites. MARS Board Configures 1GHz dual-core Cortex-A9, 1GB RAM, the configuration is still very powerful, browsing and playing video is very smooth. More than the property of the hubbergie, and the MARS Board can also support 1080p video, and later test it.
The USB serial port and USB OTG interface of the MARS Board are connected to the PC. The USB serial port can monitor the system run through the serial monitor program. USB OTG is used to download the system (that is, often said brush).
Open the serial terminal program, here you use PUTTY, you can view the operation of the Android system.
USB OTG drivers are not installed, I don't know if I can install software from the computer through the pea pod or 360 mobile phone program?
MARS Board installed with Android system is similar to the mobile phone, trying to use software evaluation tools. Use 360 optimization masters to do hardware detection, it is true, but the result is a reference.
360 optimization masters have 7061
This is the hardware detection information, I don't know why the built-in ROM recognizes 2G, be a reference.
The equipment ranks more than Xiaomi 1 generation M1, the right reference
MARS Board also supports a variety of Linux systems include Ubuntu and UCOSII embedded systems, and multi-screen display can also be supported. Subsequent introduction. Here is an official demo video (you can ignore the sound: d).
MARS Board provides a powerful ARM computer platform that can be used as many consumer electronics development platforms such as online, desktop, high-end mobile Internet equipment, high-end handheld, high-end portable media players, game consoles, portable navigation devices, etc. . British special company will also launch more compatibility extension modules, I hope that all roads can have more applications. At present, MARS Board is already available. The first batch of boards in the beginning of May, the first batch of boards will be available, and the reservation price is $ 99, and can be reservations on the British special website.
summary
I played the MARS Board and launched the Android system. The processor configuration and the dual-core smartphone at the current thousand yuan were almost a very powerful ARM computer platform. British Germany will continue to launch software and hardware expansion modules. The pavilion will continue to pay attention, follow-up to test more MARS Board function.
Reference
MARS Board booking page
MARS Board: Super ARM DIY computer platform is coming!
British official website
Freescale I.MX6 series application processor
Original declaration: This article is originally created by the panel network, declined!
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