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Python on a single board computer

David LeBlanc whisper at oz.net
Tue Feb 18 19:34:48 EST 2003 
> Has anyone put Python on a little SBC?
>
> At work, we're looking into the possibility of using a little Linux
> board around the $200 range (there are a bunch out there) for some
> projects. This board would have around 16-32 Meg of flash disk and
> maybe 8 meg of RAM, ethernet, digital I/O ports, perhaps some A/D
> channels, and probably a serial port or two.
>
> With me being the lone Python geek here, advocating that Python would
> be an ideal platform for many of the things we do here, I thought it
> would be cool (important) and useful (more important) to install
> Python on whatever SBC we might settle on.
>
> I'm thinking that this shouldn't be too hard, especially if we get a
> board that we can cross-compile to using gcc on a Windows/Linux PC. Am
> I right or wrong?
> --

In brief, there's room for Python on all sorts of SBCs. There are a couple
that I know of that are noteworthy:

Soekris Engineering: Model 4501: 586 equivelent CPU @ 200 mhz, 64 mb ram, 3
ethernet ports, 2 serial ports (one with standard connector), 1 mini-PCI
slot, 1 CF slot. $240 with case and p/s. Other models use PCMCIA cards. Runs
Linux, BSD (check out m0n0wall!). Flash BIOS, netboot or CF card boot. Often
configured as a wireless access point. http://www.soekris.com

Via: The EPIC series. Pentium class processors (formerly Cyrix) ranging from
500-900mhz. Standard PC architecture. Includes CPU, IDE, floppy, serial,
sound, parallel, video, USB, Firewire etc. in a "mini-ITX" form factor
(17cmx17cm/6.7"x6.7") for under $200 (case, p/s extra - available from
various sources). Runs all consumer and pro OSs.
http://www.via.com.tw/en/VInternet/mini_itx.jsp

BTW, I believe Embedding Python is the theme of the next Python Convention
in Portland, OR USA in a few months.

HTH,

Dave LeBlanc
Seattle, WA USA
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