Click here to learn
about this Sponsor:
Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Polls  |  Forum

Keywords: Match:
Neuros solicits feedback on Linux-based PMP/R design
Oct. 18, 2005

Neuros Audio has asked LinuxDevices.com readers to help define its next product, a Linux-based handheld portable media player/recorder (PMP/R) featuring audiophile-quality sound. The company says feedback is easiest to respond to early in the design, and calls its approach "the next step" in developing devices with open-source software.

(Click here for larger view of the earlier Neuros 442)

Neuros is best known for its 442 portable media recorder and player, a $400 device with a 40GB harddrive that can capture MPEG-4 video from DVD players, satellite TV, and other sources, and play it back on a 3.6-inch LCD, or to an external device. The company also makes "The Recorder" (photo at right), a similar device in a set-top box form factor.

Neuros is currently designing a successor to the 442 portable media player, and has published the specifications for a development board that it calls the "first prototype." Neuros invites hackers, open source software authors, and interested readers to review and weigh in on the design, which is expected to be finalized in about a week.

The new Neuros design is based on a Texas Instruments DM320 (TI) dual-core RISC/DSP chip with an ARM926 application processor clocked at 200MHz and a C54x DSP core clocked at "up to 120MHz," the company says. The design supports up to 128MB of RAM, and 8MB of Flash.

The new device will run a Linux 2.6 kernel, according to Neuros CEO Joe Born.

I/O includes a 12Mbps USB host interface, as well as a USB gadget interface, a non-DMA (PIO only) IDE hard drive interface, CF interface supporting I/O, SD/MMC interface, 10/100 Ethernet, NTSC/PAL composite or S-video input, S-video output, and 10 user buttons.

Of special note in the design are a DAC and an ADC (digital-analog converter and analog-digital converter) from legendary audio chip house Burr-Brown. Burr-Brown chips are rarely if ever used in computing devices, let alone portable ones. However, they are probably the most popular sound chips in audiophile-quality stereo components such as standalone DACs and high-end CD players.

The design has line-level analog audio inputs only -- maybe someone will suggest they add a microphone-level input, for those who might want to record live audio without the bulk of a pre-amplifier. The device also has line-level analog audio output, along with an S/PDIF (Sony-Philips digital interface) digital audio output.

Neuros says it has already solicited feedback from several online audiophile communities, and has already gone through four revisions of its development board. It says it believes that open product development "reflects the future of product development, because it draws important feedback at the earliest stages of the product's development, when it's the easiest to respond."

"As engineers, most of us spent our academic careers in an environment where open peer review was just taken for granted as the most sensible way to advance science and technology," said Born. "Once we transitioned to the business world, we were conditioned to accept that secrecy was a necessary evil. In fact, experience is showing us that peer review works great in the business world as well."

"In our new platform, we have a device that's more powerful than a PC on some specialized video tasks: it has a dual-core processor that can play and record full DVD-resolution MPEG-4 video in real-time, Born continued. "It uses an audiophile 24 bit/96Khz audio processor and runs a Linux 2.6 kernel, and all on a board that costs about $100. It just stands to reason that hackers would want to play with it."

More details, including a downloadable 18-page Word document describing the current development board specification, can be found here.



Related Stories:


(Click here for further information)


FUEL Database on MontaVista Linux
Whether building a mobile handset, a car navigation system, a package tracking device, or a home entertainment console, developers need capable software systems, including an operating system, development tools, and supporting libraries, to gain maximum benefit from their hardware platform and to meet aggressive time-to-market goals.

Breaking New Ground: The Evolution of Linux Clustering
With a platform comprising a complete Linux distribution, enhanced for clustering, and tailored for HPC, Penguin Computing¿s Scyld Software provides the building blocks for organizations from enterprises to workgroups to deploy, manage, and maintain Linux clusters, regardless of their size.

Data Monitoring with NightStar LX
Unlike ordinary debuggers, NightStar LX doesn¿t leave you stranded in the dark. It¿s more than just a debugger, it¿s a whole suite of integrated diagnostic tools designed for time-critical Linux applications to reduce test time, increase productivity and lower costs. You can debug, monitor, analyze and tune with minimal intrusion, so you see real execution behavior. And that¿s positively illuminating.

Virtualizing Service Provider Networks with Vyatta
This paper highlights Vyatta's unique ability to virtualize networking functions using Vyatta's secure routing software in service provider environments.

High Availability Messaging Solution Using AXIGEN, Heartbeat and DRBD
This white paper discusses a high-availability messaging solution relying on the AXIGEN Mail Server, Heartbeat and DRBD. Solution architecture and implementation, as well as benefits of using AXIGEN for this setup are all presented in detail.

Understanding the Financial Benefits of Open Source
Will open source pay off? Open source is becoming standard within enterprises, often because of cost savings. Find out how much of a financial impact it can have on your organization. Get this methodology and calculator now, compliments of JBoss.

Embedded Hardware and OS Technology Empower PC-Based Platforms
The modern embedded computer is the jack of all trades appearing in many forms.

Data Management for Real-Time Distributed Systems
This paper provides an overview of the network-centric computing model, data distribution services, and distributed data management. It then describes how the SkyBoard integration and synchronization service, coupled with an implementation of the OMG¿s Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can be used to create an efficient data distribution, storage, and retrieval system.

7 Advantages of D2D Backup
For decades, tape has been the backup medium of choice. But, now, disk-to-disk (D2D) backup is gaining in favor. Learn why you should make the move in this whitepaper.

 


Got a HOT tip?   please tell us!
Free weekly newsletter
Enter your email...
Click here for a profile of each sponsor:
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
(Become a sponsor)

ADVERTISEMENT
(Advertise here)

Check out the latest Linux powered...

mobile phones!

other cool
gadgets



BREAKING NEWS

• Netbooks free with cellular contract?
• Linux leads Wind River revenues upwards
• Wind River buys Mizi Research
• Home automation panel runs Poky Linux
• "Green" integrated PC runs Linux
• Intel acquires Linux distro developer
• Linux Space Cube ready for blast-off
• Nettop is "almost fanless"
• Tutorial sounds alarm for Nokia tablets
• CG Linux distro supports multicore MIPS64
• Embedded Linux guide updated
• Patent dispute threatens GPS imports
• MIDs offer Atom, HSDPA
• Software connects Linux MIDs to PC media
• Linux radio keeps it simple


Most popular stories -- past 90 days:
• Open source phone goes mass-market
• Updated! Linux Mobile Phones Showcase
• World's cheapest Linux-based laptop?
• Garmin Nav devices run Gnome Linux
• First Atom-based notebook runs Linux
• ARM9 board boots Debian in 0.69 seconds
• Open source camera records geotagged video to SATA HDD
• Linux-friendly Beagle fetches $150
• "PDA phone" runs Linux
• Intel offers $80 "Little Falls" Atom mobo
• Netflix Player runs Linux


DesktopLinux headlines:
• Summit debuts for Linux end users
• "UbuntuLite" reviewed
• Linux in the SME
• Linux: not yet photo-friendly
• Linux to gain anti-virus software
• Linux gains backup utility
• Testing Lenny
• HP offers Linux on low-end mini-notes
• Dell shipping five Hardy Heron systems
• IBM pushes "Microsoft-free" desktops


Also visit our sister site:


Sign up for LinuxDevices.com's...

news feed

Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Polls  |  Forum  |  About  |  Contact
 

Ziff Davis Enterprise Home | Contact Us | Advertise | Link to Us | Reprints | Magazine Subscriptions | Newsletters
Tech RSS Feeds | White Papers | ROI Calculators | Tech Podcasts | Tech Video | VARs | Channel News

Baseline | Careers | Channel Insider | CIO Insight | DesktopLinux | DeviceForge | DevSource | eSeminars |
eWEEK | Enterprise Network Security | LinuxDevices | Linux Watch | Microsoft Watch | Mid-market | Networking | PDF Zone |
Publish | Security IT Hub | Strategic Partner | Web Buyer's Guide | Windows for Devices

Developer Shed | Dev Shed | ASP Free | Dev Articles | Dev Hardware | SEO Chat | Tutorialized | Scripts |
Code Walkers | Web Hosters | Dev Mechanic | Dev Archives | igrep

Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Except where otherwise specified, the contents of this site are copyright © 1999-2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Enterprise is prohibited. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.