Frequently asked questions/General
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If your question is not in this FAQ, please feel free to ask it on the Mailing list
What's so different about gumstix boards?
gumstix computers are powerful linux computers in a very small, fanless form factor. Offering a wide range of functions such as 802.11g, ethernet, compact flash and more, they are ideal for use in very wide range of applications .
As the gumstix development system is based on linux software and is available at gumstix.com free of charge, product development on a gumstix platform can start at any time without any cost for software or hardware.
Versatile, low in power consumption, easily adaptable - the gumstix product line offers flexibility and price/performance unmatched in the industry.
The Gumstix images main image gallery gives a glimpse of just how small gumstix are. .
Which expansion boards can be connected to the gumstix motherboards?
To expand function in the gumstix product line, our engineering team has designed the gumstix motherboards with connectors on one or both sides as follows:
basix motherboard
Only one 60-pin expansion board may be connected to the basix motherboard via the 60-pin hirose connector.
connex motherboard
Two expansion boards may be connected to the connex motherboard: one expansion board on either side forming up to a three board sandwich.
Only one 60-pin expansion board may be connected via the 60-pin hirose connector while, on the other side of the connex, only one 92-pin expansion board may be connected via the 92-pin bus header.
verdex motherboard
Two currently available expansion boards may be connected to the verdex motherboard: one expansion board on each side forming up to a three board sandwich.
Only one 60-pin expansion board may be connected via the 60-pin hirose connector while, on the other side of the verdex motherboard, only one 120-pin expansion board may be connected via the 120-pin bus header.
The one exception to the statements above is the tweener board which can connect between the 60-pin expansion board and any of the three motherboards on the 60-pin hirose connector side.
Notes:
1. Connecting the tweener with the robostix board requires this tweener modifications.
2. The tweener must be connected in the direction that makes it face outside the connex board configuration in order to function properly.
This picture may help explain the tweener setup better:
The tweener board can work with all 60-pin expansion expansion boards EXCEPT the breakout-SMT, the breakout-TH or the thumbstix. These three boards have physical limitations that prevent the connection to the tweener board.
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Why should I buy a gumstix computer over a competitors'?
Versatility, price, function, reliability....gumstix products offer a highly functional development environment for proof of concept followed by a production process with industry leading price/performance in the embedded marketplace.
Engineers in many of the world's top companies are standardizing on gumstix products for use in proof of concept projects across their product lines. Their engineers are excited about small, affordable and highly functional nature of the gumstix products so they are creating and innovating in ways not seen before.
Hobbyists, robotics enthusiasts and educators alike are also being drawn to the gumstix for it's easy of purchase, low cost and high function. With online access to a worldwide community for support, new customers and those with top levels of experience are finding easy idea sharing and problem resolution.
gumstix is setting new standards for simplicity in development that lead the industry. That's why new customers should consider the gumstix computers as their platform of choice.
Where to start once the gumstix arrives?
Getting started is the place to go for instructions on assembling, powering up and programming gumstix computers, packs and board configurations.
All gumstix computers and individual motherboards ship with the latest Linux-2.6 installed on the flash memory.
Note: Any rs-MMC memory card bought from gumstix.com should be a blank, formatted MMC card with a FAT filesystem on it. Linux is pre-loaded on the motherboards not on the MMC cards.
If you plug the gumstix into a USB port on a Windows machine, or a linux machine running a 2.6.10 or later kernel, then the gumstix will bring up a usbnet connection and try to get an IP address. By default, it'll attempt DHCP.
Generally the easiest way to get things working is to bridge the USBnet connection to your LAN on the host you're plugging in to. Then the gumstix should be able to talk to your regular DHCP server.
Can you suggest what we should buy as a gumstix starter kit?
Your first choice is between the packaged waysmall computers and the latest packs for LAN or Compact Flash.
For the waysmall computer, you can pick up a 200MHz or 400MHz with the 256MB or 512MB reduced size MMC memory card, a bluetooth antenna, a serial null-modem cable and a USB cable - the power cable comes included with the waysmall package.
For 10/100 ethernet or Compact Flash storage, pick one of the packs, with or without audio. Choose the cfstix pack for compact flash with an optional storage or wireless internet card. Pick an etherstix pack for 10/100 ethernet connectivity.
The software is open source, so it comes without any additional cost over the hardware.
Any of these systems will allow the developer to get really familiar with our gumstix world. All pricing, part numbers and purchasing is done online at our gumstix do com. so go ahead and build your shopping cart.
Would also recommend that anyone who is technically involved with a gumstix project, check out the Sourceforge Mailing List for the gumstix project.
Is there a Partner or Third Party Products Page?
Yes, there is a verified consultants page.
Should cables, an mmc card and a bluetooth antenna be purchased with a waysmall computer?
Yes, cables and an mmc card are good additions to a waysmall computer. Note that a waysmall with bluetooth already comes with a bluetooth rubber duck antenna.
Note: one wall adapter comes standard with each waysmall computer.
For non-bluetooth waysmalls (ws200ax or ws400ax), you should consider purchasing:
1. Serial null-modem cable - for connecting the waysmall to a computer (eg Win XP)
2. USB cable - for connecting the waysmall to a computer using USB, (eg to use usbnet)
3. 256MB RS-MMC or 512MB RS-MMC - for expanded storage
For bluetooth waysmalls (ws200st-bt or ws400st-bt), you should consider purchasing:
1. Serial null-modem cable - for connecting the waysmall to a computer (eg Win XP) 2. USB cable - for connecting the waysmall to a computer using USB, (eg to use usbnet) 3. 256MB RS-MMC or 512MB RS-MMC - for expanded storage 4. A Bluetooth antenna "rubber duck" is required for the bluetooth function and comes standard with all bluetooth basix and connex motherboards as well as the bluetooth waysmall computers.
Can a waysmall computer be used as a thin client?
The waysmall computer can be a usb client to a host computer. Note that the waysmall does not have a screen so the console panel for the waysmall would show up on the host computer.
How do I find out about revisions and changes to boards eg size, pinouts, etc.?
We keep a Revision Notification] section for this purpose.
As an OEM, our gumstix-based product will need FCC approval. Are we likely going to need additional EMI shielding inside a basic ABS plastic enclosure?
Devices with gumstix boards have successfully passed through the FCC compliance process for Part 15 Class B without requiring external shielding; e.g., the waysmall STUART.
Our own engineering experiences suggest the most critical aspect has been managing conducted emissions-- what signals are conducted along cables that attach to the devices-- and we have seen this to be entirely dependent on the layout and management of the daughtercard signals (since the cables attach to the daughtercards)
If you are local to the Palo Alto area, we can recommend the people at Elliot Labs.
How to make a template page for a new FAQ
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3. hit the enter key
4. choose "edit this page" when prompted
5. add wording for the new FAQ, using ==words== to create a heading line
6. add summary text at the bottom of this new FAQ
7. hit the "preview" button to make sure the new page is acceptable
8. make edits and changes as needed
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10. copy the "FAQ/Questions/make_FAQ_template" title of your new FAQ page
11. paste that new page template into the appropriate FAQ(s) in the docwiki to add this new Q&A to that FAQ.
