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ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

hardkernel.com

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Re: ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

#61

Post by hardwaresofton »

Just wanted to post that my interaction with (and purchases from) ODROID have been fantastic. They also have this really cool magazine they release from time to time:

http://magazine.odroid.com/assets/201412/pdf/ODROID-Magazine... (that's Dec. 2014's issue)

It's a great platform to learn on, no fuss ordering (a little waiting), and the platform is both cheap (they're one of the rare companies that has reduced the price of a product going from one release to another).

Also, the C1 beats the pants of Pi B+. :)

No complaints here.

Re: ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

#62

Post by kragen »

pygy_ wrote: post #43
joezydeco wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never dealt with an ARM core that needed some magic object-only blob to boot. They're almost all using Denx U-Boot. If the GPU needs an object loaded to boot, like the RPi, that's another story. But a decent SoC should be able to start without the GPU getting in the way.

IIRC, for the Raspberry Pi, the GPU controls the CPU (or, at least, it boots first), which makes the blob necessary.

The Raspberry Pi GPU has been fully and openly documented now, so it should in theory be possible to boot it without a binary blob. You just have to reimplement enough of the graphics stack to make the CPU happy (?)

Re: ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

#63

Post by kragen »

This looks pretty cool. How well documented is its GPU?

The Raspberry Pi folks managed to pry documentation out of Broadcom http://www.broadcom.com/docs/support/videocore/VideoCoreIV-A..., with an FFT example included in the standard distro https://github.com/raspberrypi/userland/blob/master/host_app..., resulting in porting the Deep Belief image-recognition SDK to that GPU http://www.raspberrypi.org/more-qpu-magic-from-pete-warden/ and SHA-256 http://rpiplayground.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/hacking-the-gp...

I'd love to be able to do that kind of thing on the ODROID-C1, especially since its GPU sounds like it's a lot faster! I see that they're designed by ARM rather than Broadcom, and there's a reverse-engineering effort that has produced something of a GL implementation on them http://limadriver.org/ that has Quake 3 Arena running on it already, and faster than the binary driver, but not yet playable https://libv.livejournal.com/23886.html; but that effort seems to have stalled last year. But it sounds like it was, at the time, limited to working from reverse engineering rather than official documentation https://archive.fosdem.org/2013/schedule/event/operating_sys..., and while ARM has a lot of development documentation on their Mali site http://malideveloper.arm.com/develop-for-mali/sample-code/, none of it seems to be for the GPU itself, but rather for the OpenGL ES implementation they've written for it.

So what's the deal? Is the GPU really actually totally undocumented officially, with the only available information being a dead open-source project that produced a half-complete free-software OpenGL implementation for it by reverse engineering? Or is there more stuff out there I'm missing?

(In any case, it's pretty incredible that in 2014 you can already buy an 8-processor single-board computer that you can program for US$35.)

Re: ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

#64

Post by kragen »

monocasa wrote: post #45
biggerfisch wrote: post #36

Their technical details page seems to push eMMC pretty hard but their prices, 64GB for $80 [1], seem really high compared to a microSD card. Can anyone with experience comment on whether the eMMC has anywhere near the value for its price? [1] http://hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=G14...

Yes, it does. SD cards are not really designed for being used as a root file system. They are OK at streaming writes and reads, but once you start getting non sequential they slow down like you wouldn't believe. Which, yes, I know, is super weird for what should just be some glue logic around a NAND. I was investigating corruption and performance problems with our root filesystem on an SD card. The cards would be gre…

Most SD and μSD cards have embedded microcontrollers http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=3554 — I wonder how much of the corrupted-sector problems you were getting are really just bugs in their firmware? Or things that could be worked around with better firmware?

Re: ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

#65

Post by mcpherrinm »

mikecarlton wrote: post #19

Anybody make something similar with dual ethernet? I'd like to replace my aging Alix-based home router/vpn ( http://www.pcengines.ch/alix2d3.htm ) with something like this.

The Novena board looks pretty shiny for this. Mine should come in any day, and I plan to at least try it out for this purpose. Unfortunately it isn't dual gigabit though, so it'll bottleneck my internet a little bit.

Re: ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

#66

Post by kragen »

joezydeco wrote: post #44
pygy_ wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IIRC, for the Raspberry Pi, the GPU controls the CPU (or, at least, it boots first), which makes the blob necessary.

Really? Thanks for the warning. I avoid Broadcom parts anyway but that's just messed up.

While your avoidance is understandable, given Broadcom's thoroughly disreputable history with regard to free software, it's not justified in this case. The Pi GPU is apparently fully enough documented that you can write your own software for it.

Re: ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

#67

Post by AReallyGoodName »

kragen wrote: post #63

This looks pretty cool. How well documented is its GPU? The Raspberry Pi folks managed to pry documentation out of Broadcom http://www.broadcom.com/docs/support/videocore/VideoCoreIV-A... , with an FFT example included in the standard distro https://github.com/raspberrypi/userland/blob/master/host_app... , resulting in porting the Deep Belief image-recognition SDK to that GPU http://www.raspberrypi.org/more-qpu-magic…

I have the Odroid-U3 which is similar enough.

It's amazing running Android. The drivers are all there and it can do 1080p playback no worries. Netflix for Android runs perfectly. So does every emulator going from the N64 generation back. Easily the best box short of a media PC to connect to your TV at the moment.

It's not as good with standard Linux. The graphics drivers aren't there at all. 1080p playback doesn't really work. Example link you can read up on yourself- http://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=3214

Re: ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

#68

Post by vardump »

beagle3 wrote: post #56
tankenmate wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some eMMC modules claim 150MB/s read/write; i.e. same speed as hard drives from about 5-7 years ago. Or put another way approximately twice as fast as an average USB3 flash drive.

You had a 150MB/s hard drive 5 years ago? What kind of a drive was that? I'm only getting 100-150MB/sec on rotating media today. Only 7.2K, but even 5 years ago, 10K didn't deliver that transfer speed from what I remember.

For example 1TB Samsung drives delivered 100 MB/s over 5 years ago. Most 3.5" disks delivered as much.

Re: ODROID-C1 – Quad Core ARM Linux computer

#69

Post by kragen »

AReallyGoodName wrote: post #67
kragen wrote: post #63

This looks pretty cool. How well documented is its GPU? The Raspberry Pi folks managed to pry documentation out of Broadcom http://www.broadcom.com/docs/support/videocore/VideoCoreIV-A... , with an FFT example included in the standard distro https://github.com/raspberrypi/userland/blob/master/host_app... , resulting in porting the Deep Belief image-recognition SDK to that GPU http://www.raspberrypi.org/more-qpu-magic…

I have the Odroid-U3 which is similar enough. It's amazing running Android. The drivers are all there and it can do 1080p playback no worries. Netflix for Android runs perfectly. So does every emulator going from the N64 generation back. Easily the best box short of a media PC to connect to your TV at the moment. It's not as good with standard Linux. The graphics drivers aren't there at all. 1080p playback doesn't re…

I think you may have replied to the wrong comment, since what you said has nothing at all to do with what I was asking or saying in the comment of mine to which you attached it.
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