Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

8 comments

  1. neilh

    Dunno – its quite a cheap and low power consumption linux box, which would be a handy thing to have about, and given that I’m trying to be a software integrator for embedded systems it seems like a good thing to get involved with. Of course it’d be better to port a proper operating system to it but someone else has already done most of the work for linux so may as well use that for starters.

    You had problems with Linksys? Mine is OK, perhaps a little underpowered CPU-wise, but basically functional. It is a WAG54G, though, for which OpenWRT is not yet available, but I’m also loath to try it on my main connectivity point. Quite happy to spend money on another toy to have a play with it.

    Reply
    • beermat

      what is an “integrator”? Have heard hte term bandied around about recently in my hunt for a new contract/job but am not sure what it refers to.

      Must get finger out and get on with embedded linux. Have o’rielly book. must read it! and build a kernel or two and write some modules / drivers / thingies… I really need a project to drive me!

      Reply
      • neilh

        Software integration is the act of bringing together software from different places and making it all work together. In many ways its an artificial and wasteful job, but it is becoming the bit that people need doing these days. My role in Tokyo was pure integration – I did no development work, most of what I did was identify defect locations (sometimes providing suggested fixes) and report them to the actual owners of the code, there was a chunk of build and configuration management work too.

        I *really* don’t recommend Linux as any kind viable future, a lot of people use it ‘cos they think its ‘free’, but they’re mostly clueless and you don’t want to work for them.

        Reply
        • beermat

          Oh, I’d prefer to be using proper RTOSs (VxWorks, QNX, Nucleus, etc) but one can only get work with them if one has already got commercial experience with them. Was tempted to get a SBC and do my own project thus picking up one of them…

          Reply
          • neilh

            Not had a lot of experience with them so I can’t really comment on their better-ness….but I’d like to have a go and I’m not particularly frightened of getting hands dirty should that be necessary.

            You got any viable projects?

  2. beermat

    hmmm. Had a WRT54G that was fine, have installed it at the parents to give the brother in laws family some internet goodness and they’re more than happy with it (latest firmware from web site)

    I’ve a Netgear DG834GT here to play wioth sometime.

    Given the price of these boxen now (20 quid from scan for the Dlink DI-604 Broadband Router), and hackable embedded linux for them, must be something else we can be using them for? Now if only they had some user accessible IO to play with… Hmmm, there’s some LEDs we could half inch to drive something… ;)

    Reply
  3. neilh

    Of the kit I’ve got here the Netgear has the most reassuring heaviness, while DLink feels like a margarine tub someones puts some electronics in. With Belkin about half way in between.

    The entire purpose is one of experimentation and the first thing to go would be the software so I don’t care about the UI or anything. Perhaps I’ll get one with my next big order, rather than making a special order now.

    Reply
  4. neilh

    Belkin seem to have gotten into a habit of ten character (and utterly unpronouncable) model numbers, which is confusing me no end.

    Reply

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