embedded aviation computers.

["D.F.S." <dfs@xmission.com>]

First off, the group looks dead, what's up, or not up as the case may be?


In the never-ending quest....

All these projects related to custom hardware etc are very interesting, 
but I really wonder if we'd not be a lot better off to grab semi-standard
eqpt and get moving.

Decent linux code sould be portable to any reasonable platform as it 
becomes reasonable in cost, reliability and support.

More in that vein...

I'm looking at 2 options right now.

I already have, a 266 Mhz "Media GX" system board.

They were a generation of All-in-one mothgerboards that never
quite took off.

It can take up to 256 Meg of ram and a has a 266 Mhz pentium clone CPU.
I got it about a year ago for $39.00 including the CPU.
It has everything on the motherboard.
VGA, composite Video, Sound Card, Game port, parallel/serial ports and 
a MIDI port. 
I can think of several uses for everything but the Midi port.

I have power supplies designed for laptops that will take 14V DC and
run the computer as well as charge a backup NI-CAD pack.
I think these cost me $15.00.

I have 4 & 10 gig IDE disks kicking around just begging for a project.

This hardware would allow a DC powered computer that could be built 
into a 8" X 12" X ~2" aluminum case for under $125.00 depending on 
how much memory you load it up with.

Now the 2 options.
Alltech electronics has 9" Grayscale backlit LCD displays for $89.00
They INCLUDE a standard ISA controller that looks to the system like 
a regular analog VGA controller.
The displays themselves would need a case.
They also have 8 push-button switches down each side of the display
and 4 along the bottom. I'm thinking an interface based on those
buttons would be very handy, many of the standard avionic displays
do exactly that.

These are almost turnkey type systems relative to they type of 
people I think we are on this list.

The second option is color TFT displays that would take more work.
They are $99.00.
They will take composite video input. The system board I listed 
above will generate composite directly, there are converters out 
there that take standard VGA inputs, and there is info on hacking
these displays to run from VGA inputs with some additional circuits
and funny display configuration. Very possible under X, a pain in 
the butt under windows unless the card have special drivers that 
allow it.
But than again we are talking Linux here.

Either way I'm looking at about $200-250.00 for all the hardware
for a kick-butt Flight management system using fairly standard
and compatible PC make from common and cheap parts.

Comments?

Where is the group going from here?

Any more word on sharing the cost of the CDs?
If not maybe I should just send in $10.00 for what I figure was 
my share for a one time update and forget an ongoing subscription.


Marc

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