@cruiserdude wrote:
- Does this actually mean that the chip runs Linux, or is capable of it? Or just that the core logic is Linux-based? What exactly do the Linux references mean, and does anyone know what benefits this may have? Say, is there a possibility of running linux-based code, or even a simple linux build on our Fuze’s?
- Lastly, I notice that this SOC is capable of running flash, as well as various Nintendo emulators. I wonder if the hardware in this particular application is capable of running flash based games (maybe written for linux?) or even the Nintendo emulators (using the wheel as a d-pad, and the center and home buttons as a and b…).
From my knowledge of microcontrollers and the available information on the AS3525, things are as follows:
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the AS3525 is, in principle, capable of doing these things.
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it has, however, only 320KiB RAM on-chip. While the RAM seems to be expandable with the AS3525s built-in memory controller, I don’t think that the Fuze has additional RAM. Judging from the screenshots in AIBs Fuze Disassembly, the Fuze has only the microcontroller and one chip for the Flash memory. Without additional RAM, it seems unlikely that the Fuze can do more than run a tightly written firmware. The systems HHTech talks about probably use external RAM for the AS3525 to enable all their functionality.
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the clock frequency on the Fuze may be lower than the maximum the AS3525 is capable of, to reduce power consumption and thus increasing running time. This would limit the ability for performing specific tasks (running an emulator, handling 25FPS video, adequate Flash perfomance, etc.). Again, HHTech may run the AS3525 at the limit and thus make it possible to do things the Fuze simply can’t due to hardware limitations.
So I think it’s rather unlikely that we’ll ever see any of this software on the Fuze, even if the Rockbox team should reverse engineer all technical information of the Fuze.
Furthermore, the references to Linux are to embedded Linux, not any desktop Linux distribution. Embedded Linux is optimized for running on small devices and is very stripped down. It is basically only useful for running programs specially written for it, but it’s not useable as a normal Linux version. Even if you’d get embedded Linux to run on the Fuze, you’d probably only have the command line… which would be bit hard to use with the Fuzes wheel. :wink:
Message Edited by Darhak on 11-22-2008 11:03 AM
