Re: FreeBSD's embedded agenda

On 5/27/06, James Mansion <james_at_wgold.demon.co.uk> wrote:

> Why?  Lets remember we're talking about an embedded system that can be
> sensibly implemented with a general purpose OS.  I'd put it to you that
> normally where this is very desirable, its because the run rate is
> quite low so the project overall is very sensitive to ease and cost of
> development.  But if the run rate is low, then you also need to consider
> what hardware will be available in volume at go-live, and CF-to-IDE
> is very cheap now in conjunction with system-on-a-chip designs for
> set top boxes.  For big bulk, we have PIC, Atmel, Rabbit, and assorted
> 80186 designs (including one very cute thing I saw built into an
> ethernet PHY)

As someone who has worked on Linux-based smartphones, I think that, at
least in telephony, CF isn't particularly cheap, (and the form factor
isn't particularly attractive,) and the run rate can still be high but
sensitive to ease and cost of development.

The hardware solution in telephony is NAND flash, because that has a
reasonable form factor and a good price/megabyte of storage.
Experience suggests that wear leveling does matter in this market, but
that fairly simple wear leveling can be very effective.