#237470 - 15/10/2004 16:50
Re: MKIII?
[Re: mdavey]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Quote: Agreed. However, I recall purchasing a similar upgrade for my aging Acorn A3000 several years ago.
Did you have to remove a BGA though to fit this upgrade board? It's a pain to remove a BGA even with a proper SMD rework station. The empeg would definitely have to be sent off to get this upgrade done.
Quote: I don't know about the RAM - perhaps with the right choice of processor that wouldn't be neccesary.
The RAM on the empeg board is only 60ns so won't work with any of the IXP/PXAs. It's far too slow.
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#237471 - 15/10/2004 20:03
Re: iRiver tooling to make 700K in dash HDD players per month
[Re: msaeger]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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Quote: why buy that I already have an ipod
Buy it because it doesn't replace the iPod, it *enables* the iPod; and ideally the Rios and Nomads too. It's one step toward having your HDD portable be your only music source. Use it on the go with head phones, use it at work or home with one of those docks with speakers, and use it in the car with the control box I'm proposing.
And it would appeal to the non-DIY group who are unable to make a "h4x0rd" 486 box in the trunk. It's something that could come bundled with the car (ideally) or you could have your local installer put in. Imagine the conversation between car salesperson and buyer: sales: "So, those are the options. By the way, do you have a Karma, iPod, or Nomad?" buyer: "Yeah, actually, I love it." sales: "Well, how about using it to replace tapes and CDs in your car! For $399 extra, we can add the interface module to your new car. No headache, just plug it in and all your songs are there." buyer: "Hm, that's kind of a lot, but... ah, it's worth it. Put it in."
Seems like a logical need that's currently not being filled. But I'll stop rambling now because I have no way to bring this to fruition; at least not right now.
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#237472 - 15/10/2004 20:23
Re: MKIII?
[Re: tman]
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enthusiast
Registered: 06/03/2003
Posts: 269
Loc: Wellingborough, UK
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Quote: Did you have to remove a BGA though to fit this upgrade board? It's a pain to remove a BGA even with a proper SMD rework station. The empeg would definitely have to be sent off to get this upgrade done.
No, my SMT socket recognition skills aren't particularly well developed, but it isn't a BGA. Picture attached. The work was done at the time by Watford Electronics - who also produced the upgrade board. Looking at the picture now, I'm not that sure they had the best tools back then - looks to me like the card was reworked after assembly. The board replaced the 8MHz ARM2 with a 25MHz ARM3.
Edit: to clarify, the surface-mounted ARM2 on the main board is removed and replaced with the appropriate IC socket, into which the daughter card is plugged. This was all done by Watford Electronics. I assume they destroyed the ARM2 in the process of removing it (by cutting off all the legs and then desoldering the remains).
Attachments
236955-A3000upgrade.jpg (177 downloads)
Edited by mdavey (15/10/2004 20:29)
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#237473 - 15/10/2004 21:12
Re: MKIII?
[Re: mdavey]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Bleh. For some reason I kept thinking the StrongARM was a BGA chip even though I've opened the empeg and installed extra RAM myself. It's the PXA and IXP chips which are BGA packages.
It makes it easier to remove the StrongARM with it not being a BGA but you'd still need to put RAM onto this board as the existing RAM is way too slow. I've got a 266MHz IXP here and that requires 7ns RAM at a minimum. The RAM on the empeg board is EDO as well which won't work.
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#237474 - 18/10/2004 15:51
Re: iRiver tooling to make 700K in dash HDD players per month
[Re: rob]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
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I think the 700k units/month is for the new factory, which I would guess makes every player that iRiver churn out. I'd be suprised if the entire *aftermarket* head unit demand worldwide, for all models right from the most basic CD or tape deck, is up to 700ku/month.
I'll be interested in what they do with it, though, as (as I've said before) it's getting hard to fit DIN units into cars nowadays, which is slowly eroding the entire aftermarket stereo business.
Hugo
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#237475 - 19/10/2004 17:52
Re: MKIII?
[Re: tman]
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addict
Registered: 11/01/2001
Posts: 579
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Count me in, I would love to see a full color LCD screen (maybe even touch screen) with 5.1 output or atleast front rear and sub outs and a build in tuner, maybe even have a drop down face and a bay so you could add an extra drive with out taking the unit apart. give me all that with the Empeg interface and you will get my money so fast it will make your head spin.
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#237476 - 19/10/2004 18:47
Re: iRiver tooling to make 700K in dash HDD players per month
[Re: rob]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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I don't find myself wanting/needing many new features on my in-dash player. What I would want to see more than anything else is a dockable portable player that can be used at home, in car, or as a true portable. I don't know where the Moore's law hard disk corrolary is these days, but we can't be more than a year or so off from Grzelak-ish music collections being able to fit on a Karma-ish hard disk. If that happens, then there's no good reason for anyone to own more than one mp3 player, which can then be dropped into a DIN-sized dock, or a traditional home stereo-sized component at home. Then you have none of this business of keeping a subset of your collection on this player, then forgetting that your other player's collection is out of date... Let's keep it all on one player, and just plug that player into a shell with controls and display to suit the environment.
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#237477 - 19/10/2004 18:55
Re: iRiver tooling to make 700K in dash HDD players per month
[Re: tonyc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Actually, I forsee a future when we've got a box that's our cell phone, our MP3 player, and our digital camera, and perhaps other stuff, all in one box. I mean, we have that right now but they have limited storage capacity and they aren't the best-in-class at each of those tasks. We'll get more storage and the integration and quality of all those devices will improve. But having a universal car dock for such a device would be nice.
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#237478 - 19/10/2004 19:13
Re: iRiver tooling to make 700K in dash HDD players per month
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Very few companies, if any, have domain expertise at the cutting edge of those 3 different devices, so usually when you see combination MP3/Digicam/Cellphone/Toaster devices, one of the functions is lagging. With that in mind, I'm okay with my cell phone, music player, and digital camera all being different devices.
What you're talking about may happen down the line, but I'm talking about something that could be developed now-ish. I admittedly don't know the state of iPod/Karma type HD technology these days, but assuming storage density is going at a nice rate, it can't be that tough of a nut to crack.
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#237479 - 19/10/2004 19:20
Re: iRiver tooling to make 700K in dash HDD players per month
[Re: tonyc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 15/08/2000
Posts: 4859
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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And, if Microsoft has their way, that device that can do all these things will be your (non-portable) computer...
_________________________
Paul Grzelak 200GB with 48MB RAM, Illuminated Buttons and Digital Outputs
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#237480 - 19/10/2004 21:34
Re: MKIII?
[Re: belezeebub]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Sure. I'll design and make a "Mk3" for you. Each unit will cost $1,000,000 however since the market for such a device will be so small. Still interested?
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#237481 - 19/10/2004 21:58
Re: MKIII?
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
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I'm pretty sure Patrick would be very happy to do it for a lot less than $1m per unit, so I think you're out of luck.
Rob
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#237482 - 19/10/2004 22:04
Re: MKIII?
[Re: rob]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
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Well Patrick... if you want to do that, I'll Paypal to you now! Go on go on go on go on go on...
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#237483 - 19/10/2004 22:23
Re: MKIII?
[Re: rob]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Doh. Bang goes my MAKE MONEY FAST!!! idea. Anybody want a diploma from an accredited college? Or help a good friend of mine shift a few million out of Nigeria?
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#237484 - 19/10/2004 22:31
Re: MKIII?
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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1. Build empeg MkIII 2. ??? 3. Profit!
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#237485 - 19/10/2004 23:31
Re: MKIII?
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Quote: 1. Build empeg MkIII 2. ??? 3. Profit!
Sure beats stealing underpants!
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Brad B.
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#237486 - 20/10/2004 04:43
Re: MKIII?
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote: Quote: 1. Build empeg MkIII 2. ??? 3. Profit!
Sure beats stealing underpants!
Well, now that Ebay has banned auctions consisting of lightly used undergarments, yes, I suppose it does.
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#237488 - 20/10/2004 05:43
Re: MKIII?
[Re: webroach]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
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The guy with the 10000 yen note looks like one of the men from the Chinpokomon episode of South Park.
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#237489 - 20/10/2004 08:13
Re: MKIII?
[Re: webroach]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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For a minute there I thought, 'Those cigarette packets look funny'
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Andy M
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