Ultra low cost Linux Based Board - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ali_asadzadeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2019, 09:44:45 am
content: Hi,I'm looking for an ultra low cost Linux board with integrated WiFi, it should have enough power to capture some HD video from a camera and compress it with something like H.264 encoder and send it over WIFI. Do we have something in the price range of under 8-10USD? any suggestions would be highly appreciated. if there is no board with these specs, I need a low cost SOC with total BOM cost of around 5USD in the 1K QTY, so I can build a custom board for it.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2019, 09:55:10 am
content: "Raspberry Pi Zero W" is on the higher end of that price range, but seems to do what you need to do.

author: jhpadjustable
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2019, 07:59:57 pm
content: Shenzhen Xunlong Software Co. offers the Orange Pi range of Allwinner-based SBCs, containing dual-core tablet or set-top-box SoCs with various connectors and RAM sizes. There are Armbian images for them using mainline Linux kernels, which are less clunky than Xunlong's distributions but may not support quite all the hardware yet. Be sure to check the Wi-Fi chipset. Some earlier boards had a complete crap Wi-Fi chip (XR819) based on a crap core licensed from ST.Their Aliexpress store.

author: jwrodgers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 20, 2019, 08:03:06 pm
content: I don't think you can get the Rasp Pi Zero W in any sort of quantity when I last checked.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2019, 08:04:10 pm
content: Quote from: jwrodgers on October 20, 2019, 08:03:06 pmI sort of suspect that it is the case, but may be they managed to ramp up the production since it was launched.

author: ali_asadzadeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2019, 08:07:06 am
content: Thanks, I want to use it for an IP camera! I wonder how they would sell them in here around 15USD the full package! so there must be something cheap out there...

author: Fred27
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 21, 2019, 08:25:00 am
content: It's amazing that only a few years ago asking for a reasonably powerful Linux board below $10 would have been met with laughter. Now it's not an unreasonable request.

author: Fire Doger
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2019, 08:50:36 am
content: Also consider security, most of the cheap IP cameras (and some very expensive) are a common hole in the network and they are the first target. Pretty boring to see the feed but very useful if you get root on them.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2019, 09:22:57 am
content: Quote from: ali_asadzadeh on October 21, 2019, 08:07:06 amHigh volumes do wonders for the price.They are clearly not built around standard development boards. Why not buy a few of those $15 cameras and see what they are based on?

author: ali_asadzadeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2019, 09:33:42 am
content: QuoteThat's a good IdeaI have found some omni vision HD Image sensors for 2USD in china, maybe if I could find something from allwinner or Rockchip with internal DRAM around 2-3USD it would solve the problem.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2019, 10:06:15 pm
content: You will have problems due to Sanctions against Iran, nobody wants to be the next Meng Wanzhou.

author: ali_asadzadeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2019, 06:24:53 am
content: QuoteExactly, I have so many Chinese friends and they are very happy to help methese things you will hear in media is just pure bull-sheetthey want to tell that they are doing something.

author: brucehoult
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2019, 10:50:06 am
content: Quote from: ataradov on October 20, 2019, 08:04:10 pmI don't think it's about production ramp, but about losing money on every one they sell.

author: dave j
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2019, 12:59:44 pm
content: Quote from: jwrodgers on October 20, 2019, 08:03:06 pmYou can. The very low price is limited to one per customer only - the low price aimed at making them available to individuals who couldn't afford the normal models. They've introduced the H variants which have the headers pre-soldered and you can buy as many of them as you want. You can also get the version without headers in bulk from the Foundation directly. Both the H variants and the normal ones in bulk cost more than the one per customer version.

author: brucehoult
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2019, 11:27:58 pm
content: Quote from: dave j on October 22, 2019, 12:59:44 pmHow much do they cost? And where exactly do you apply to get them?

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2019, 11:53:09 pm
content: Quote from: brucehoult on October 22, 2019, 11:27:58 pmI have bought multiple Pi zero W from BuyaPi.ca. They are official Pi foundation distributors for Canada. Don't know about asia pacific region.https://www.buyapi.ca/product/raspberry-pi-zero-wireless-wh-pre-soldered-header/$18.95 cad now, gone up a bit, that is approx $14 usd

author: brainstorm
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2019, 01:13:49 am
content: There's the VoCore2, pretty close to your pricing mark, but not that cheap:https://vocore.io/v2.html

author: brucehoult
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2019, 02:17:55 am
content: Quote from: chickenHeadKnob on October 22, 2019, 11:53:09 pmI was inquiring about "get the version without headers in bulk from the Foundation directly."

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2019, 02:23:59 am
content: If H.264 is not a hard requirement, you can consider an ESP32 camera board.There are also $5 smartphones every once in a while, but it's hard getting more than a few. That said, some individuals have managed to build mining clusters with a few dozen smartphones back when smartphone mining was profitable.

author: dave j
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2019, 10:35:39 am
content: Quote from: brucehoult on October 22, 2019, 11:27:58 pmI don't know about how much. You can email info@raspberrypi.org to ask about volume sales. Seeherefor where I got the details from.