Balloon hardware overview

There are various different flavours of balloon. Both iterations of the design, and different build options. The info on this site currently covers balloon v2.05 and v3.0. Versions prior to 2.05 are not described here in any detail.

Versions

• 2.01 and earlier - Prototypes, hardware info not released
• 2.05 - Production use by Toby Churchill.
• 2.05g - Production use by Guralp. Available to developers via Aleph One.
• 2.06 - Improved-EMC and manufacturability version of 2.05 that never saw the light of day.
• 3.01 - P1 and P2 Balloon3 (pxa270) prototypes, first run - March 2006.
• 3.21 - E1 Engineering build, November 2007.

Schematics and an imagemap of the board indexing connectors and datasheets are available for each version on the links above.

Variants

Currently there are 2 build options being made - 'top only' used by TCL and 'Development board' for all comers sold by Aleph One. The design allows for further sensible options and feedback from prospective users is of interest to us in order to decide what standard options to make available. More options complicates the buying and building process and thus increases the cost so we want to keep it as low as practicable.

The various build possibilities are described in some detail in the build options page. There are 2 or three flavours that would cover most people's needs and we'd very much like to hear from you exactly which sections you need for your projects.

To start with there will be one build available unless you order enough to make a specific build viable (minimum of 25 boards). More options will become available as standard if balloon is a success. Stick your oar in now to influence the process - this isn't the usual process where a manufacturer makes something and you decide if you want to buy it or not - here you get to help choose what should be made.

webmaster: Wookey