FIRST Robotic Competition in Oregon: Coprocessor 20040819

Selecting the co-processor

Criteria Linksys WAP Rabbit Favors
Our cost
  • WAP = $0
    WRT54G?
  • Manifold for I/O = $50
  • Software for Manifold = $300
  • Time to develop/manufacture Manifold = 2hr
Note: The Linksys WAP lacks most I/O. A small board called a manifold provides plenty. The two boards will communicate via a serial port.
  • Rabbit development kit = $400
  • Manifold for I/O = $50
  • Software for Manifold = $300
  • Time to develop/manufacture Manifold = 2hr
Note: Rabbit doesn't seem to include analog I/O. It really isn't clear from the catalog listing. A small board called a manifold provides plenty. The two boards will communicate via a serial port.
Linksys -- half the cost
OS Linux in C. Soft real time uCOS2 in C. Hard real time Rabbit -- Lower latency
HW specs
  • 8MB RAM
  • 4MB flash
  • 40MHz at least. Likely more
  • 10-baseT
  • 256KB RAM data
  • 512KB RAM program
  • 512K flash
  • 44MHz
  • 10-baseT
Linksys
Robot usable I/O
  • 40 digital I/O (manifold)
  • 12 analog (manifold)
  • 44+40 digital I/O (included+manifold)
  • 4 digital I
  • 4 digital O
  • 12 analog (manifold)
  • 12 analog (manifold)
Neither -- Both are overkill
Summary Lowest cost Possibly faster Linksys Selected

Solved problems


What next?


Last modified 11 Dec 2006
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