Beagleboard Xm

Here’s: http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/1850729-kit-dev-beaglexm-beaglexm.html the link to buy the beagleboard XM. None in stock so far.

Cool.

Digi-Key’s stock tracker isn’t always that accurate, I believe, so don’t be too worried about the fact that it shows none as being in stock. Plus even though they’re now available for order, I think there are still a few weeks until TI/beagleboard.org start shipping them (or at least a few weeks until they work through the backlog the initial rush will cause).

There’s some speculation (possibly to be proved incorrect) that the new AI product being teased is based on the xM board: AI "new crazy innovation". 1GHz TI DM3730, FullHD playback?

Digi-Key have the -xM on their UK store here, but it looks like we’ll have to wait a while for them to sort out their database because it’s currently flagged as US export prohibited :(

...it’s currently flagged as US export prohibited :(

My quote request (probably automatically generated) resulted in the same info :-(

296-25798-ND

NOT CURRENTLY SOLD BY DIGI-KEY
SCHED B: ECCN:
PRICING VALID THRU: 8-JUL-2010
***DUE TO EXPORT RESTRICTIONS, DIGI-KEY IS UNABLE TO QUOTE.***

[Edit: Subsequently confirmed in a telephone conversation to their office. Then I read this Explaination of the procedure/lead-time to remove export restrictions post. Being pessimistic, it could be that by the time the ECCN is sorted, the first batch may already be sold out!]

According to this article here the initial version of the beagleboard xM will ship with a slightly different processor, AM3730 instead of DM3730. So might be worth waiting anyway.

Interesting. I guess we’ll have to wait until the reference manual is released until we know for sure. The DSP shouldn’t be that hard for us to make use of (certainly a lot easier than the SGX), so I’m not sure I’d really want to buy a board without one.

[deleted – bad website info giving false promises!]

[Edit: It’s reported that there are remaining "issues to work out on the board" before production can begin.]

[Edit: It’s reported that there are remaining “issues to work out on the board” before production can begin.]

A new post on that thread also suggests that sorting out the export restrictions may take “a few weeks”. Not knowing the full details of export laws, it wouldn’t surprise me if they need to finalise the board design before they’re able to get it cleared for export, so it could take “issues to work out on the board” time + “a few weeks” before we’re able to order any from the UK (unless those “few weeks” already take into account the time it’ll take for them to finalise the design)

But at least I now know I don’t have to keep refreshing the ordering page every 5 minutes ;)

A new post on that thread also suggests that sorting out the export restrictions may take “a few weeks”.

Good point.

But at least I now know I don’t have to keep refreshing the ordering page every 5 minutes ;)

But you if you refresh that thread page, you may then find yourself refreshing the order page again! (Thanks for the pointer to post a question there!)

...I’m not sure I’d really want to buy a board without one.

That’s terribly rational but it sounds as if you may be tempted anyway! I know I am!

Looks like this ordering page is working now. Although the estimated ship date is 7/11/10.

Although the estimated ship date is 7/11/10.

I wouldn’t worry too much about that – it’s just a number they made up themselves because beagleboard.org haven’t supplied any estimates.

Any idea when this board will appear? I’m already planning on doing the NIC driver for this as soon as it comes out. Might add it as a backend to EtherGEP.

I think they’re still aiming to start shipping at the end of the month. The export control issues are meant to be fixed, but I think there’s still a hardware issue they need to fix before they can start building and shipping boards.

I’m already planning on doing the NIC driver for this as soon as it comes out. Might add it as a backend to EtherGEP.

I thought you were leaving USB NICs to EtherUSB? (Not that anyone will complain if you add the driver to EtherUSB!)

Is it USB connected? If it is then fab. I’ll do the USB version for James. :)

Yes. A few months ago it was mentioned that it would be the SMSC9514. A quick search reveals the datasheet here. There’s probably an existing BSD driver available for it as well.

Is it USB connected?

It could be interpreted that way: "...an on-board USB-hub device giving a 10/100 Ethernet port and four (4) USB 2.0 host ports..."

Yup there is a BSD driver. Its called EtherGEP. The chip looks identical except for how you physically talk to it. My driver wouldnt need much modification.

That SMSC9514 data sheet doesn’t look terribly useful on its own – it doesn’t describe how the NIC presents itself to the system (presumably as an easily identifiable USB device), or the protocol used to talk to it (beyond the sentence where they say it uses USB endpoints). So even if you know that the 9514 has the same register map as the 9221 you might still have a bit of trouble trying to work out how to actually read and write the registers!

Fair enough. In any case i’ll make it go :) I’ll happily buy a beagleboard xM once someone confirms they’ve started shipping. In the meantime is that chip available in other USB devices? I could make a start with the IGEP.

There are a few places that sell USB hub+NIC combo products. Good luck finding out if they contain the right chip though ;)

According to this IRC log it should look like the one in this picture . If I find one like it, I’ll update this post.

1. http://www.supermediastore.com/product/u/gwc-usb-2-0-3-port-hub-ethernet-adapter
2. http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=6702705
3. http://www.videkonline.co.uk/pages/SubSections.aspx?ChapterID=1&SectionID=1#2587HE-3

Suppliers should be able to confirm the chip before you place an order.

Its a different style device, but I use this one with my Devkit board. It also has usb to ps2 for keyboard and mouse. The net interface works with EtherUSB.

Stephen, If you want to try and add the DM9000 as another backend to your EtherGEP, I would be happy to test it for you.

I think it would be extremely difficult to write a driver without access to the hardware. I spent huge amounts of time debugging the behaviour of the IGEP’s NIC. I had considered buying a DevKit but I’m not able to right at this minute and with the Beagle XM on the horizon i may move over to that when it comes out.

I’ll be releasing the code for EtherGEP when i finally get round to packaging the whole thing up. Shouldnt be too long now. Just need a spare evening.