Re: Looking for a hardware recommendation.

[Matt Thomas <matt%3am-software.com@localhost>]

On Apr 24, 2012, at 6:41 PM, Dennis Ferguson wrote:

> 
> On 24 Apr, 2012, at 09:23 , Dave Burgess wrote:
>> I'm looking for a super-small, super-inexpensive board that I can turn into 
>> various projects.  The specs are pretty simple:
>> 
>> 1)  I need it to support ethernet - a reasonable number of voltage inputs 
>> (like no more than a couple).
>> 2)  I need it to have a bi-directional parallel port; not necessarily a 
>> printer (but that would work) but something that would be able to be 
>> interfaced to opto-isolators.  A minimum of 4 input/output bit devices would 
>> be cool.
>> 3)  I need it to have a USB port.
>> 4)  I need it to be able to DHCP/netboot from the wired network.
>> 5)  It needs to be fan-less.
>> 6)  The price-point for the board itself needs to be in the $30 or less 
>> range (qty, say, 100).
>> 
>> The primary application is going to be a XMPP/Jabber interface and I need it 
>> to be able to run some version of NetBSD.  A secondary application will be a 
>> SIP "phone-like" device.
>> 
>> Don't need serial/wireless/video/SATA/IDE/SCSI/RAID/etc.  The less stuff the 
>> better.
>> 
>> The unit needs to be able to fit in a 'standard' desktop-router-sized case.
>> 
>> Any suggestions?
> 
> The Raspberry Pi board almost fits those specifications as I understand
> them (though if "voltage inputs" means A/D converters rather than something
> related to Ethernet then those are missing) and is $35 with an Ethernet
> port.  The board almost fits in an Altoids tin.  NetBSD would need to be
> ported to it, though I'd like it if someone did that.

Two developers are working on the port.