Features - Revision history

Admin: /* Current internals layouts */

2022-10-31T10:56:21Z

Current internals layouts

Admin at 08:15, 11 February 2022

2022-02-11T08:15:14Z

Admin at 20:01, 10 October 2021

2021-10-10T20:01:46Z

Admin: /* Current internals layouts */

2021-03-10T11:39:47Z

Current internals layouts

Admin at 11:38, 10 March 2021

2021-03-10T11:38:27Z

Admin at 20:30, 9 March 2021

2021-03-09T20:30:06Z

Admin at 20:29, 9 March 2021

2021-03-09T20:29:17Z

Admin at 06:14, 20 May 2020

2020-05-20T06:14:10Z

Admin: /* Additional adapter with an onboard */

2020-01-24T14:04:29Z

Additional adapter with an onboard

Ziga: Ziga moved page Specifications and features to Features

2020-01-23T14:04:11Z

Ziga moved page Specifications and features to Features

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 <gallery>
 File:InnerLO.png|thumb|
 </gallery>

@@ Line 76: / Line 76: @@
 It is multi-touch and gestures capable.<br>
-'''Casing''' - a tough, rugged form-factor done in a multi-color polycarbonate, aluminum composite, and recyclable plastic with added LEGO® studs here and there.<br>
+'''Casing''' - a tough, rugged form-factor done in a multi-color polycarbonate, or aluminum composite, and recyclable plastic with maybe added LEGO® studs here and there.<br>
 ==Hardware security and privacy features==
@@ Line 83: / Line 83: @@
 '''Four (4) hardware '''off/on''' switches''' - webcam (detachable), speakers, the microphones array (detachable) and obligatory Wi-Fi.<br>
-'''Detachable USB gender-changer dongle''' - that should prevent anyone to plug in USB-anything unless it is attached and a password unlocked, also when it is taken out prevents anyone to stick USB-anything in. Basically - no physical USB onboard.<br>
+'''Detachable USB gender-changer dongle''' - that should prevent anyone to plug in USB-anything unless it is attached and a password unlocked, also when it is taken out prevents anyone to stick USB-anything in. Basically - a bit secured USB onboard.<br>

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 __NOTOC__
-This page documents features from more user-centric point of view. For a more engineering point of view, see [[Specifications]].
+This page document features from a more user-centric point of view. For a more engineering point of view, see [[Specifications]].
 ==Basic specifications and features</big>==
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 '''Balthazar''' is made to run '''[https://nixos.org/ NixOS]''', '''[https://trisquel.info Trisquel GNU]''', '''[http://guix.gnu.org/ Guix]''', '''[https://www.debian.org Debian]'''  and '''[https://www.ubuntu.com Ubuntu]''' variants of '''64 bit''' '''low-latency kernel''' for '''RISC-V'''.<br>
-In a form-factor there are some improvements and novelties in approach to a physical user interface and experience.
+In a form factor, there are some improvements and novelties in approach to a physical user interface and experience.
-Main characteristics of '''Balthazar''' are 4 robust hardware switches for WiFi, camera, microphones and speakers, SoM CPU/GPU swappable card, a removable camera module with 2 microphones array,  a keyboard layout with a segmented touch-pad positioned '''above''' the keyboard with pull-out speakers. Motherboard(s) components are behind the screen and below keyboard are batteries - one small non removable and one really big that is hot-swappable - SSD bay is also below keyboard, as well as other peripheral connectors - GPIO, USB OTG-secure, HDMI, headphones and mic inputs, volume knob and finally eSATA.<br>
+The main characteristics of '''Balthazar''' are 4 robust hardware switches for WiFi, camera, microphones, and speakers, SoM CPU/GPU swappable card, a removable camera module with 2 microphones array,  a keyboard layout with a segmented touch-pad positioned ''' above''' the keyboard with pull-out speakers. Motherboard(s) components are behind the screen and below the keyboard are batteries - one small non-removable and one big that is hot-swappable - SSD bay is also below the keyboard, as well as other peripheral connectors - GPIO, USB OTG-secure, HDMI, headphones, and mic inputs, volume knob and finally eSATA.<br>
-When the display lid is closed it engages the magnetic switch based on the "Timer Manager Module" and cuts off the power to all of I/O modules preventing any remote "switch-on" possibility even before it suspends to RAM.
+When the display lid is closed it engages the magnetic switch based on the "Timer Manager Module" and cuts off the power to all of the I/O modules preventing any remote "switch-on" possibility even before it suspends to RAM.
-Keyboard is '''QUERTY''' with 7 '''LED'''s illuminated and clickable 8 mm trackball positioned between G and H keys and above B key. It is based on '''Cherry MX''' low profile gaming switches<br>
+The keyboard is '''QUERTY''' with 7 '''LED'''s illuminated and clickable 8 mm trackball positioned between G and H keys and above B key. It is based on '''Cherry MX''' low profile gaming switches<br>
 So when we say the "design is different", it actually is inspired by and extracted from '''[https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/think/ IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad]''' series, '''[https://na.panasonic.com/us/computers-tablets-handhelds/computers/ Panasonic ToughBook]''',a '''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Laptop_per_Child OLPC]''' and main secure USB-dongle features based on  '''[https://www.nitrokey.com/ Nitrokey]''' concept.
-Balthazar's design aims for a totally new usability experience.<br>
+Balthazar's design aims for a new usability experience.<br>
 ''"10 or so years ago there were no mobile phones, but we all learned how to use them."'' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rJTJ_wA2NY Arjen Kamphuis in xTED speech in Delft)]<br>
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ===Current internals layouts===
-Here we played with our developed boards inner layout possibilities. While designing the housing and hinging we will update those design and the inner concept regularly.
+Here we played with our developed boards' inner layout possibilities. While designing the housing and hinging we will update those designs and the inner concept regularly.
 <gallery>
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ===Components===
-'''CPU and RAM''' - as the development goes on '''BPCD''' is based on '''RISC-V''' and '''ISA''' architecture multi-core '''SoM''' or a System on a Module "card" that is exchangeable and upgradeble.<br>
+'''CPU and RAM''' - as the development goes on '''BPCD''' is based on '''RISC-V''' and '''ISA''' architecture multi-core '''SoM''' or a System on a Module "card" that is exchangeable and upgradeble. Added to it is FPGA co-processor based on a ingenious design by [https://radiona.org/ Radiona - a MakerSpace from Zagreb, Croatia] - [https://radiona.org/ulx3s/ ULX3S].<br>
 '''[https://riscv.org/ RISC-V]''' architecture is understood as an ideal vehicle for the security community.<br>
-We also keep an eye on '''ARM Cortex''' - '''A7x''' iterations along the path, waiting for their development to align with our expectations which are open documentation that will enable Open Source community to write drivers and other software.<br>
+We also keep an eye on '''ARM Cortex''' - '''A7x''' iterations along the path, waiting for their development to align with our expectations which are open documentation that will enable the Open Source community to write drivers and other software.<br>
-With a maximum reasonable amount of '''RAM''', we use the most rational clock speeds to achieve the best possible computing performance versus battery's power consumption. There should be no compromise there. In any case, count on 8+ Gb RAM and some serious processing power.
+With a maximum reasonable amount of '''RAM''', we use the most rational clock speeds to achieve the best possible computing performance versus battery power consumption. There should be no compromise there. In any case, count on 8+ Gb RAM and some serious processing power.
 '''GPU''' - '''ARM''''s '''MALI-4xx''' architecture would do great, but we also look into drivers' compatibility and openness, too.<br>
-While '''NVIDIA''' would be technically possibly the best performance choice, issues arise with general attitude towards '''FOSS''' compatibilty.<br>
+While '''NVIDIA''' would be technically possibly the best performance choice, issues arise with a general attitude towards '''FOSS''' compatibility.<br>
 In any case we look and listen into '''NVIDIA''' and '''CUDA''' options, accelerating totally open documentation from '''NVIDIA''''s side.<br>
 Also the '''NVIDIA's Jetson''' IoT and AI platform is researched for a compatibility with '''RISC-V''' architecture, '''ISA''' and '''FOSS'''  .<br>
@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 '''A non-glare screen''' - size is 13.3” 16:10 full HD resolution (200 dpi +) that provides far less strain on user's eyes.<br>
-'''A non-reflective''' - a button driven backlight “off” monochrome mode for very low-power use in sunlight - prolongs a battery life a lot.<br>
+'''A non-reflective'' - a button drove backlight “off” monochrome mode for very low-power use in sunlight - prolongs a battery life a lot.<br>
-'''LED backlit''' - colour mode with an alternance of red, green and blue pixels.<br>
+'''LED backlit''' - color mode with an alternate of red, green, and blue pixels.<br>
 '''A detachable webcam''' - also with a slide lens cover and a hardware switch for on/off<br>
@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 '''Hot-swap''' - a second small battery enabling main battery hot-swap.<br>
-'''Modular power''' - on-board power supply that follows full '''ACPI''' specification defaults to scalable/modular voltage for the processor and memory by the design aims at preventing the so-called ''side-channel'' attacks. '''ISA''' already specifies that no data is kept in the cache, but remote possibility of such attack still exists.<br>
+'''Modular power''' - on-board power supply that follows full '''ACPI''' specification defaults to scalable/modular voltage for the processor and memory by the design aims at preventing the so-called ''side-channel'' attacks. '''ISA''' already specifies that no data is kept in the cache, but the remote possibility of such an attack still exists.<br>
 '''Waterproof keyboard''' - with an illuminated track-point ball, firmware includes default onboard SSH compression (ssh -C) enabled communication between keyboard's motherboard and the rest of I/O hardware - prevents key-logging and keystroke timing and  guessing algorithms.<br>
@@ Line 76: / Line 76: @@
 It is multi-touch and gestures capable.<br>
-'''Casing''' - a tough, rugged form-factor done in a multi-colour polycarbonate, aluminium composite and recyclable plastic with added LEGO® studs here and there.<br>
+'''Casing''' - a tough, rugged form-factor done in a multi-color polycarbonate, aluminum composite, and recyclable plastic with added LEGO® studs here and there.<br>
 ==Hardware security and privacy features==
@@ Line 83: / Line 83: @@
 '''Four (4) hardware '''off/on''' switches''' - webcam (detachable), speakers, the microphones array (detachable) and obligatory Wi-Fi.<br>
-'''Detachable USB gender-changer dongle''' - that should prevent anyone to plug in USB-anything unless it is attached and a password unlocked, also when it is taken out prevents anyone to stick USB-anything in. Basically - no physical USB on board.<br>
+'''Detachable USB gender-changer dongle''' - that should prevent anyone to plug in USB-anything unless it is attached and a password unlocked, also when it is taken out prevents anyone to stick USB-anything in. Basically - no physical USB onboard.<br>
@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 '''TEMPEST-shield internal cabling''' - shields from any external and internal electromagnetic radiation. Weaved and braided cable shielding above MIL-SPEC/DTL and GOST/IST standards.<br>
-'''A stylus''' - for a pad drawing, also provides enhanced entropy while generating PGP keys, easy graphic editing, poking someone etc.<br>
+'''A stylus''' - for a pad drawing, also provides enhanced entropy while generating PGP keys, easy graphic editing, poking someone, etc.<br>

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ===Current internals layouts===
-Here we played with our developed boards inner layout possibilities. While designing the housing and hinging we will update those design and inner concept regularly.
+Here we played with our developed boards inner layout possibilities. While designing the housing and hinging we will update those design and the inner concept regularly.
 <gallery>
 File:InnerLO.png|thumb|
 </gallery>
 ===Components===

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:38, 10 March 2021
Line 19:		Line 19:

	[[Image:BalthazarSet G1 2.png]]		[[Image:BalthazarSet G1 2.png]]
		+
		+
		+	===Current internals layouts===
		+
		+	Here we played with our developed boards inner layout possibilities. While designing the housing and hinging we will update those design and inner concept regularly.
		+
		+	<gallery>
		+	File:InnerLO.png\|thumb\|
		+	</gallery>
		+
		+

	===Components===		===Components===

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:30, 9 March 2021
Line 100:		Line 100:


−	[[Designs\|Want to know more? Pretty pictures ahead.]] Or see [[Schematics]], [[Keyboard]], [[I/O_USB]] ~~and~~ [[Power Supply]][[Screen panel]] .	+	[[Designs\|Want to know more? Pretty pictures ahead.]] Or see [[Schematics]], [[Keyboard]], [[I/O_USB]], [[Power Supply]] and [[Screen panel]] .

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:29, 9 March 2021
Line 100:		Line 100:


−	[[Designs\|Want to know more? Pretty pictures ahead.]] Or see [[Schematics]], [[Keyboard]], [[I/O_USB]] and [[Power Supply]].	+	[[Designs\|Want to know more? Pretty pictures ahead.]] Or see [[Schematics]], [[Keyboard]], [[I/O_USB]] and [[Power Supply]][[Screen panel]] .

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:14, 20 May 2020
Line 100:		Line 100:


−	[[Designs\|Want to know more? Pretty pictures ahead.]] Or see [[Schematics]], [[Keyboard]] and [[Power Supply]].	+	[[Designs\|Want to know more? Pretty pictures ahead.]] Or see [[Schematics]], [[Keyboard]], [[I/O_USB]] and [[Power Supply]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:04, 24 January 2020
Line 85:		Line 85:


−	==Additional adapter with an onboard==	+	==Additional adapter with an onboard:==

← Older revision	Revision as of 14:04, 23 January 2020
(No difference)