Thursday, February 26th 2009
Marvell's New Marvel Hangs off Your Wall Outlet, Runs Linux
Marvell Semiconductor has come up with a marvel: the SheevaPlug computer software/hardware development kit (SHDK). The initiative puts to use the company's Sheeva ARM processor in a compact unit the size and form of a retro wall-mount AC-DC adapter. Consuming no more than 5 W of power, the unit can function as a full-featured PC, driving Linux. It packs a 1.2 GHz Sheeva ARM processor, 512 MB of RAM, and 512 MB of flash-based fixed storage.
Throwing open the development kit would mean companies wanting to build similar devices based on Marvell hardware. The SheevaPlug is built around the Marvell 88F6000 Kirkwood SoC design that makes use of Feroceon and XScale architectures, both of which are derivatives of ARM. Gigabit Ethernet and USB ports add to the connectivity. With several industry heavyweights such as Microsoft and Google predicting a bright future for cloud-computing, companies such as Marvell can only help but gain interest in developing inexpensive devices that drive the client-side machinery for it. Take a guess on how much SheevaPlug costs: US $100 in single unit retail quantities. What's more, it could be bought in bulk for as low as $50 a piece!
Source:
DailyTech
Throwing open the development kit would mean companies wanting to build similar devices based on Marvell hardware. The SheevaPlug is built around the Marvell 88F6000 Kirkwood SoC design that makes use of Feroceon and XScale architectures, both of which are derivatives of ARM. Gigabit Ethernet and USB ports add to the connectivity. With several industry heavyweights such as Microsoft and Google predicting a bright future for cloud-computing, companies such as Marvell can only help but gain interest in developing inexpensive devices that drive the client-side machinery for it. Take a guess on how much SheevaPlug costs: US $100 in single unit retail quantities. What's more, it could be bought in bulk for as low as $50 a piece!
23 Comments on Marvell's New Marvel Hangs off Your Wall Outlet, Runs Linux
'nother pic:
img.techpowerup.org/081229/Capture013.jpg
I hope the HD can be upgraded.
Anyway, on topic wow, it uses less power than my netbook oh wait, it's got a flash HDD and no monitor oh well.
These things are probably faster than the PCs where my mom works. She's been there a little under 10 years and they've had the same PC's since she started.
As desribed by other posters, you could dangle a USB HDD off it. Or a 32GB keystick. It doesnt make sense as a NAS for multimedia, like storing your ripped movies, it is fine for a "SOHO" NAS of documents and files.
We have used a Buffalo linkstation in our business as a NAS for storing all contracts, invoices, etc. etc. and after 5 years we have used up less than 10GB. And that includes lots of PDF scans.
So a device like this with a 32GB flash disk, USB format or SDHC format, would be dirt cheap to build and you could stick it anywhere.
What else?
1./ Webcam server
2./ Power strip controller via internet
3./ Home webserver/PIM server
4./ NAS over USB (or rather, redesign it and do an all in one box)... put the proof of concept and the FLEXIBILITY of firmware (running Linux) is just brilliant
5./ Router/firewall
6./ Email server
7./ Render farm. I have no idea how powerful these things are... BUT... imagine they "torrented" themselves together somehow across the internet (or even just local LAN) and you would have the possibility of all sorts... from folding, to encoding, to rendering, you name it. You could "buy one for charity" and just plug it in and leave it on.
8./ P2P client
9./ Message server
10./ VoIP server... just stick your USB phone into it
11./ Answer machine/voice-mail
The list goes on... but I stopped at Nigel Tuffnel. :pimp:
Could use it as a hardware firewall for your home network, convert usb printers into network attatched printers, plug it into a multitude of household appliances and home-made kit such as door locks/sensors, power monitoring, home automation, access point for usb hard-drives, plug in a usb webcam and you have a networked security camera etc.
Stick a usb wireless dongle in and it's become wireless too :) (if there are drivers for the dongle)...
This doesn't look like it's meant to be sold as stand-alone kit for a standard home user, it's more of a programmable device that could be used for lots of different things by enthusiasts/professionals and to be bundled with things like usb printers, usb hard drives, usb modems etc as a common interface for home users to use.
**edit** dammit lemonade beat me to it, shouldn't have spent so long thinking of more uses :p