<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 8:24 PM, John Watlington <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:wad@laptop.org">wad@laptop.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<br>
OLPC is excited to announce that a refresh of the XO-1 laptop is in<br>
progress. In our continued effort to maintain a low price point, OLPC<br>
is refreshing the hardware to take advantage of the latest component<br>
technologies. This refresh (Gen 1.5) is separate from the Gen 2.0<br>
project, and will continue using the same industrial design and<br>
batteries as Gen 1. The design goal is to provide an overall update<br>
of the system within the same ID and external appearance.<br>
<br>
In order to maximize compatibility with existing software, this<br>
refresh will continue with an x86 processor, using a chipset from<br>
VIA. The memory will be increased to 1 GB of DDR2 SDRAM, and the<br>
built-in storage will be 4 GB of NAND Flash with an option for 8 GB<br>
(installed at manufacture).</blockquote><div></div><div>The best news, probably.</div><div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"><br>
<br>
The processor will be a VIA C7-M [1], with plans on using one whose<br>
clock ranges from 400 MHz (1.5 W) to 1GHz (5 W). The clock may be<br>
throttled back automatically if necessary to meet thermal constraints.<br>
</blockquote><div></div><div>I'm hoping for a lot closer to 1GHz than 400MHz or it won't be much different than the current 433MHz Geode LX. It's still a very slow, in-order architecture.</div><div> </div><div>
Best regards</div><div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">The enabling chipset is hot off the fab line, the VX855 [2]. This<br>
single chip provides the memory interface, a 3D graphics engine, an HD<br>
video decoder, USB, SDIO, and other system interface and management<br>
functions, in a low power and small footprint package. One change<br>
induced by the chipset change is a move from AC'97 to HD Audio.<br>
This brings higher sampling rates and allows an upgrade to a stereo<br>
external microphone (and DC sensor) input.<br>
<br>
The CaFE chip is being retired, and replaced with an external Flash<br>
management controller, possibly one of the low cost SSD controllers<br>
currently being tested. The camera will now be tied directly to the<br>
VX855's video capture port.<br>
<br>
The network interface will be upgraded to an 88W8686, which will halve<br>
its power dissipation and move it to an SDIO interface (further<br>
dropping the power consumption). The current goal is to locate it<br>
in a removable module, allowing its replacement for repair. It will<br>
remain powered while the laptop suspends, waking the laptop if a<br>
packet addressed to it arrives. It is likely that early production<br>
models will not directly support 802.11s (i.e. forwarding mesh packets<br>
while the interface is asleep), but we are working with Marvell on<br>
several different 802.11s solutions.<br>
<br>
Gen 1.5 will continue with the existing display, although OLPC is<br>
working with PixelQi to try to improve the brightness and efficiency<br>
of the screen. The DCON is retained (even though the VX855 includes<br>
much of its functionality) as it provides the low power interface and<br>
the timing controller functions for the existing display.<br>
<br>
Overall, the target is to match the Gen 1 XO-1 in power consumption<br>
while making aggressive suspend easier, and in price (while changing<br>
to components which are more likely to decrease in price). It is<br>
likely that both goals can be met.<br>
<br>
We also expect the Gen 1.5 machines to ship with an OLPC 8.2.x<br>
software release, modified to support Gen 1.5's new hardware but<br>
otherwise unchanged from the current production software release and<br>
compatible with our current software in the field. Gen 1.5 machines<br>
will be deployed in environments already populated by Gen 1 machines,<br>
so seamless software interoperability is an important goal.<br>
<br>
Early versions of the hardware (bare board) should be available for<br>
driver development at the end of May. A larger number of prototype<br>
laptops (several hundred) for software development and testing will<br>
become available around the end of August. The OLPC contributors<br>
program will be the preferred way of requesting a Gen 1.5 machine for<br>
testing your software for compatibility or development. We hope to<br>
use the contributors program to ensure Gen 1.5 support for the wide<br>
variety of application and OS solutions created for Gen 1.0.<br>
<br>
We're excited to be finally able to make this news public. While<br>
members of the technical team have been working on this for several<br>
months, it was not until last week that we could with any certainty<br>
say that we were going to refresh the hardware and what that refresh<br>
was likely to be. We're now committed to this project and look<br>
forward to working with you to make it happen.<br>
<br>
---John, Ed, and the OLPC Tech team.<br>
<br>
========<br>
<br>
[1] <a href="http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/processors/c7-m_ulv/" target="_blank">http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/processors/c7-m_ulv/</a><br>
[2] <a href="http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/chipsets/v-series/vx855" target="_blank">http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/chipsets/v-series/vx855</a><br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Devel mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Devel@lists.laptop.org">Devel@lists.laptop.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel" target="_blank">http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel</a><br>
</blockquote></div><br>