Over the next couple of issues, this series aiaims to make a novice well-versed with the Beaglebone. It will covero various topics susuch as porting different OSS to the Beaglebone, a few titinkering projects, eetc. This first article gives a brief overvi

The Beaglebone is a low-cost credit-card-sized Linux computer that runs software such as Android and Ubuntu. tith plenty of I/O and processing power for real-time analysis provided by the TI Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor, Beaglebone can be complemented with a cape, which is a plug-in board (similar to the Arduino ‘shield’), to augment functionality. eere are some of its cool features: TOM Mez super-scalar ARM Cortex-A8 (ARMvTa) processor 3D graphics accelerator ARM Cortex-M3 for power management Ox Programmable Realtime Unit 3O-bit RISC CPUs USB client: power, debug and device USB host bthernet port Ox 46 pin headers Ox IOC, 5x UART, IOS, SPI, CAk, 66x 3.3s GPIO and Tx ADC 4 GB microSD card with Angstrom distribution Cloud9 IDb on kode.gS with the Bonescript library Size: 8.6 cm x 5.3 cm (3.4” x O.1”) Single-cable development environment with built-in cTDI-based serial/gTAG and an on-board hub to give the same cable simultaneous access to a USB device port on the target processor. Industry standard 3.3s I/Os on the expansion headers, with easy-to-use M.O54 cm (M.1”) spacing. pick the one nearest to you from http://beagleboard.org/buy. The cost of the Beaglebone is currently $89, for which you get (in the box) the Beaglebone, a USB cable, and a 4 GB micro SD card.

Currently, there are over OM capes for DsI-D, sGA, LCD, motor control, prototyping, the battery and more. These can be purchased from http://BeagleBoneCapes.com/.