Subject: Re: NetBSD psion port
To: John Fremlin <chief@bandits.org>
From: Richard Earnshaw <rearnsha@buzzard.freeserve.co.uk>
List: port-arm32
Date: 04/10/2001 21:35:08
> David Brownlee <abs@netbsd.org> writes:
> 
> > On 10 Apr 2001, John Fremlin wrote:
> 
> [...]
> 
> > > Anybody undertaking or interested in helping with a port to the
> > > Psion 5 mx? The machine is a bit low powered for the hpcarm port,
> > > as it has only a 36.9 MHz ARM 710 T, but it does have 16 Mb of
> > > RAM. Which netbsd ARM port would be the best starting point?
> 
> > 	NetBSD/arm is going through something of a transition at the
> > 	moment with arm32 splitting into individual ports and arm26
> > 	moving towards sharing the userland and much of the kernel code.
> > 
> > 	I'd guess that hpcarm may share a number of the same devices which
> > 	would make it an obvious starting point.
> 
> I think that most of the hw is proprietory. It is based around a 710 T
> ARM cpu + mmu device, and includes a national semiconductors ADC12130
> for the serial port (and IrDA?). I don't know the names for the
> keyboard and touchscreen. 

Specs for the chip in the 5mx were not available for a long time, though I 
believe that they have now been released.  The guys working on the linux 
port might be able to tell you where you can get a copy.

Specs for the chip in the series 5 have been available for a long while 
(it's the ARM7100 IIRC, which is available from the ARM web site).

NB, it's not the core cpu that's the problem (which is arm7tdmi and arm7 
respectivly), but the peripherals on the chip that the data is needed for.


> The CPU in the 710 T is a ARM 7TDMI. I think the arm-32 port has had
> some luck with these processors - the hpcarm is more StrongARM
> orientated?

Yep, it would probably be better to pilliage off a combination of all the 
ARM ports.

R.