Will Olimex be releasing a new motherboard compatible with TERES-I Laptop

[basicitstuff]

Hi,

Will Olimex be releasing a new motherboard compatible with TERES-I / TERES-A64 hardware as a drop in replacement? I find the whole concept amazing, a laptop that has easy to replace and upgrade parts! In my eyes a motherboard upgrade with at least more RAM and maybe a faster CPU would be the next step for this project? You would be riding the wave of success of the Framework Laptop. And maybe attract some extra attention to this super cool diy laptop!

I Have a secondhand TERES-A64 on the way and I am really exited!
 super cool diy laptop!

[basicitstuff]

Would more RAM be as simple as replacing the RAM for larger capacity RAM on the mainboard?

[LubOlimex]

The RAM should be pin-to-pin compatible with similar characteristics (timings, etc). The main chip and software needs to support the RAM. The A64 chip can address up to 3GB RAM.

In reality - changing the RAM with another make, even when it is the same size and similar specifications leads to problems.

[basicitstuff]

Ok, but 3GB is a strange number for ram I think. I did also look into the CPU and 3GB is all it supports indeed.

And is there a drop in replacement for the CPU that would be a bit faster and support more RAM (also drop in replacement) to achieve the goal of faster CPU and more RAM with minimal work (no design changes would probably not be possible)? 4GB or maybe 8GB of RAM?

The cost of the mainboard would go up but I think there would be people interested in the upgrade?

When I say drop in replacement I mean pin-to-pin compatible

The RAM should be pin-to-pin compatible with similar characteristics (timings, etc). The main chip and software needs to support the RAM. The A64 chip can address up to 3GB RAM.

In reality - changing the RAM with another make, even when it is the same size and similar specifications leads to problems.

[kreyren]

From what i understood from talks with tsvetan then we are currently waiting for NXP to handle it's supply chain so that IMX8QM-TUKHLA (https://www.olimex.com/forum/index.php?topic=9095.0) can be released (fingers crossed to be this summer).. Once it does then new mainboard should be next.

I submitted issues and ideas to https://github.com/OLIMEX/DIY-LAPTOP/issues for the new design so feel free to review and discuss them.

If https://github.com/OLIMEX/DIY-LAPTOP/issues/55 gets sufficiently addressed in a way that would make the mainboard independent from the case design then i will likely contribute a custom shell designed in fCAD solution (probably LibFive) to be either 3D printable (optimized for cellulose-based fillament) or CNC-millable from (projected) magnesium and optimized to be fabricable using common equipment of hacker/maker spaces.

[kreyren]

Would more RAM be as simple as replacing the RAM for larger capacity RAM on the mainboard?

Is the RAM actually insufficient for your workflow? O.o

Like I use full GNOME desktop and do FreeCAD engineering on my teres and it handles it without any issues RAM-wise.. Or Maybe you are on Linux 6.1 that has major bug in mesa that causes some apps to eat a lot of RAM due to broken rendering? see https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/-/issues/8198

Though the web browsers eat a lot of resources and take a long time to load, but i currently handle that though using falkon, nyxt or epiphany

[basicitstuff]

The NXP IMX8QM-TUKHLA sounds very promising. I am really hoping for a drop in replacement motherboard so no hardware will go to waist and people with the Teres-A64 can just buy an upgrade kit and keep the case, screen, keyboard etc. Making the mainboard independent from the case design would still be possible I think and would indeed give more freedom in designing a 3D printable shell.

So I have been looking into a 3D printable shell, see post "Are there STL files available for the laptop she'll/housing? https://www.olimex.com/forum/index.php?topic=9090.0" and I now have seen promising models for the screen enclosure and bottom of the laptop. The bottom part will give us the ability to create more room to maybe add hardware? 

From what i understood from talks with tsvetan then we are currently waiting for NXP to handle it's supply chain so that IMX8QM-TUKHLA (https://www.olimex.com/forum/index.php?topic=9095.0) can be released (fingers crossed to be this summer).. Once it does then new mainboard should be next.

I submitted issues and ideas to https://github.com/OLIMEX/DIY-LAPTOP/issues for the new design so feel free to review and discuss them.

If https://github.com/OLIMEX/DIY-LAPTOP/issues/55 gets sufficiently addressed in a way that would make the mainboard independent from the case design then i will likely contribute a custom shell designed in fCAD solution (probably LibFive) to be either 3D printable (optimized for cellulose-based fillament) or CNC-millable from (projected) magnesium and optimized to be fabricable using common equipment of hacker/maker spaces.

[basicitstuff]

When i posted this i did not yet have the laptop. I now do and 2GB seems fine (3GB would be better 😊 ). I use lots and lots of tabs during browsing so 2GB seems not a lot but the first 2 days of use show this is not really an issue.
On paper 8 or 16GB would look good but this CPU cant address more then 3GB.

I will look into falkon, nyxt and epiphany

Would more RAM be as simple as replacing the RAM for larger capacity RAM on the mainboard?

Is the RAM actually insufficient for your workflow? O.o

Like I use full GNOME desktop and do FreeCAD engineering on my teres and it handles it without any issues RAM-wise.. Or Maybe you are on Linux 6.1 that has major bug in mesa that causes some apps to eat a lot of RAM due to broken rendering? see https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/-/issues/8198

Though the web browsers eat a lot of resources and take a long time to load, but i currently handle that though using falkon, nyxt or epiphany

[kreyren]

The NXP IMX8QM-TUKHLA sounds very promising. I am really hoping for a drop in replacement motherboard so no hardware will go to waist and people with the Teres-A64 can just buy an upgrade kit and keep the case, screen, keyboard etc. Making the mainboard independent from the case design would still be possible I think and would indeed give more freedom in designing a 3D printable shell.

Agree, the new design can make just a standalone I/O board like it is using on the other side and keep the PCB independent from it to enable better maintainability of the design while enabling the ability for the user to choose which shell/case they want to use which would make possible to even change a form factor e.g. laptop, notebook, table, maybe even a phone.

Economy-wise it seems that such design might require more layers, but since the pcb fabrications are priced per dimensions it seems to make it still more economical in comparison (depends on many factors).

So I have been looking into a 3D printable shell, see post "Are there STL files available for the laptop she'll/housing? https://www.olimex.com/forum/index.php?topic=9090.0" and I now have seen promising models for the screen enclosure and bottom of the laptop. The bottom part will give us the ability to create more room to maybe add hardware? 

Will reply there

[kreyren]

When i posted this i did not yet have the laptop. I now do and 2GB seems fine (3GB would be better 😊 ). I use lots and lots of tabs during browsing so 2GB seems not a lot but the first 2 days of use show this is not really an issue.
On paper 8 or 16GB would look good but this CPU cant address more then 3GB.

I will look into falkon, nyxt and epiphany

Would more RAM be as simple as replacing the RAM for larger capacity RAM on the mainboard?

Is the RAM actually insufficient for your workflow? O.o

Like I use full GNOME desktop and do FreeCAD engineering on my teres and it handles it without any issues RAM-wise.. Or Maybe you are on Linux 6.1 that has major bug in mesa that causes some apps to eat a lot of RAM due to broken rendering? see https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/-/issues/8198

Though the web browsers eat a lot of resources and take a long time to load, but i currently handle that though using falkon, nyxt or epiphany

Ye i had the same concerns, but then doing testings on the A64 it seems to be significantly more resource efficient compared to x86_64 when it comes to memory.. like GNOME, FreeCAD both use way less memory compared to my x86_64 system O.o

[basicitstuff]

Any news on a IMX8QM-TUKHLA or other more powerfull SOC as a drop in replacement for the current DIY laptop?

From what i understood from talks with tsvetan then we are currently waiting for NXP to handle it's supply chain so that IMX8QM-TUKHLA (https://www.olimex.com/forum/index.php?topic=9095.0) can be released (fingers crossed to be this summer).. Once it does then new mainboard should be next.

I submitted issues and ideas to https://github.com/OLIMEX/DIY-LAPTOP/issues for the new design so feel free to review and discuss them.

If https://github.com/OLIMEX/DIY-LAPTOP/issues/55 gets sufficiently addressed in a way that would make the mainboard independent from the case design then i will likely contribute a custom shell designed in fCAD solution (probably LibFive) to be either 3D printable (optimized for cellulose-based fillament) or CNC-millable from (projected) magnesium and optimized to be fabricable using common equipment of hacker/maker spaces.

[kreyren]

Any news on a IMX8QM-TUKHLA or other more powerfull SOC as a drop in replacement for the current DIY laptop?

Last thing i heard about it was that tsvetan got chips to get on the PCBs but not enough to make production.

Currently i am rather looking in TH1520 as that's riscv and the TUKHLA reportedly has issues with hardware vulnerabilities.

[basicitstuff]

Hi kreyren,


Would love to testdrive a prototype .
"Last thing i heard about it was that tsvetan got chips to get on the PCBs but not enough to make production."

Sounds promising, TH1520 seems like a good place to start!!
"Currently i am rather looking in TH1520 as that's riscv and the TUKHLA reportedly has issues with hardware vulnerabilities."

[kreyren]

Hi kreyren,


Would love to testdrive a prototype .
"Last thing i heard about it was that tsvetan got chips to get on the PCBs but not enough to make production."

Sounds promising, TH1520 seems like a good place to start!!
"Currently i am rather looking in TH1520 as that's riscv and the TUKHLA reportedly has issues with hardware vulnerabilities."

Noted, i am currently trying to solve the issue of standardization of SoM modules where https://sget.org seems as the path of least resistance which would give us very easy implementation of any chip on teres into any formfactor, but they are (currently?) not very friendly towards open-source i will be discussing that with them in january and based on the answer we either make our own standard to expand on OLIMEX's https://www.olimex.com/Products/SOM204 project or use their standard and implement it.

If you can find more open-source friendly standard for System On Module (SoM) then that would speed things up significantly