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Re: Alternitave Wearble (GB/Z80)

I agree that most of the things I want to do with a wearable wouldn't
require even a 486, but I agree that if you are running a hard drive and
display and maybe a network card or wireless device you are using ~5watts
already and the CPU isn't going to push you over 10, unless you get a 5x86
or better.

If you look at the power specs for the 386/33s, your're only talking about
1watt, which is quite reasonable for wearable power consumption.  I agree
that some of the new chips like the NEC VR look fantastic for wearable
apps but I would be really surprised if someone ported linux to this chip
anytime soon.

I think if you want a 24 hour wearable you should either try rigging up a
display for a pilot (which successfully booted linux in Jan98 and
runs a 16MHz 68xxx) or hack a windows CE palmtop.

just my 2c
-Paul

Paul McCarty


On Tue, 3 Mar 1998, Joseph Gaffney wrote:

> At 08:21 AM 3/3/98 -0600, Kent Lofley wrote:
> >I know that 4mhz seems slow but it will work for the things that I 
> >want to accomplish with my wearable.  I think that it is a cheap 
> >alternative that could run many apps, and be very profecient for and 
> >use little power but almost no one is willing to look into it.  The 
> >pocket gameboy can run for 25 hrs on 2 AAA batteries.  That is a 
> >million times better than any other wearable.  Somewhat limited but 
> >very effective and possible.  If you interested give some older 
> >technology a new chance.
> >
> >Kent
> 
> Ok, you have to think this out a bit more.  Do you remember 286's? I do, I
> have one.  It is 3 times the speed of a gameboy, yet I still feel like
> popping the thing open and pushing the data (whenever I'm forced into using
> it).  Keep in mind as well that the 4mhz is the max speed of the processor,
> that does not mean its ever going to get to 4mhz while doing some
> processing (in fact, it probably won't).  A 6mhz z80 in a calculator (The
> TI-8x series) can be clocked at 2mhz.  Say you can reach 2mhz with the z80
> in the gameboy.  Don't forget now that you'll want some I/O there, because
> of the need of a hard drive and other such devices.  After this, what speed
> do you think you'll reach?
> 
> As far as 25 hours of life, don't expect half that.  You're going to need
> power for the hard drive (which is basically an improbable addon), the HMD
> (even if you use the screen as I suggested, you may need to make some
> modifications), and any other device you have hooked up to it (which will
> probably entail an I/O card so you can add things on later).
> 
> While it would be nice, it may be more... effective... to think about some
> other chip, such as those used in PDA's (Such as the NEC VR series, my
> choice).
> 
> 
> 
> - Joseph Gaffney
> - 
> - http://www.thethinker.com/members/gaffney/
> - http://www.ArchAgency.com/
> 

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