Difference between revisions of "Features"

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'''Basic specifications and features'''<br>
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__NOTOC__
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This page document features from a more user-centric point of view. For a more engineering point of view, see [[Specifications]].
  
It is made for Trisquel GNU, Debian and Ubuntu.<br>
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==Basic specifications and features</big>==
  
 +
'''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>
  
1. Fanless - (less movable parts means more battery time for the processing power and a passive cooling adds to the longevity of the components.)<br>
+
In a form factor, there are some improvements and novelties in approach to a physical user interface and experience.
 
+
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 the I/O modules preventing any remote "switch-on" possibility even before it suspends to RAM.
 +
 +
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>
  
2. Superfast boot time (nobody and especially children has/have the time to wait)<br>
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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. 
  
Ever since C64/AMIGA times computers should be able to be switched on/off.<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>
  
Also it is booting using libreboot/coreboot.<br>
+
[[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 designs and the inner concept regularly.
 +
 
 +
<gallery>
 +
File:InnerLO.png|thumb|
 +
File:7.png
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
===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. 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 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 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 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>
 +
 
 +
'''Storage''' - a '''SATA''' SSD is on board and it should be taken out very fast from a bay.<br>
 +
'''eSATA''' connector might help in expanding the storage possibilities.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Fanless''' - less movable parts means more battery time for the processing power and a '''passive cooling''' adds to the longevity of the components. Think quiet.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''Boot and sleep''' - Secure-boot as well as a fast boot time. Nobody has and especially children do not have the patience to wait.<br>
 +
Ever since '''C64/AMIGA''' times computers should be able to be switched on and off fast, so using some '''Libreboot/Coreboot''' and a '''Clear Linux''' (minus Intel optimisation) concepts applied in a '''BPCD''' firmware/BIOS should do it.<br>
 +
 
 +
'''BPCD''' suspends to '''RAM''' and goes to hibernate when battery is at 20%. Properly.<br>
 
    
 
    
 +
'''Upgradeable''' - RAM and a processor-board featuring '''SoM''' attachment port.<br>
 +
 +
'''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 drove backlight “off” monochrome mode for very low-power use in sunlight - prolongs a battery life a lot.<br>
  
3. It has upgrade-able RAM and a processor board featuring second SoC/SoM attachment port.<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>
  
4. A non-glare screen size is 13.3” 16:10 full HD resolution (200 dpi +) and provides far less strain on user's eyes.<br>
+
'''A volume wheel''' - a ceramic volume potentiometer with a “click” for the on/off functionality.<br>
 
  
5. A non-reflective (button driven backlight “off”) monochrome mode for very low-power use in sunlight - prolongs a battery life a lot.<br>
+
'''GPIO''' - a retractable and flexible robust flat-ribbon cable connecting General Purpose Input Output 19 pins array for connecting to all the things you want to connect it to.<br>
  
 +
'''Quick charging battery''' - Long Life Cycle Polymer 10000+ mAh that is also recyclable.<br>
  
6. LED backlit color mode, with an alternance of red, green and blue pixels.<br>
+
'''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 the remote possibility of such an attack still exists.<br>
  
7. A non-glare touch PCAP screen (Projected CAPacitive) as an optional addition for those who like to have fingers on the screen.<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>
  
 +
'''Multitouch pad''' - a smooth surface, flat-flush and positioned '''above''' the keyboard. It has a “Wacom”-style mode for the extended stylus or a finger draw.<br>
 +
It is multi-touch and gestures capable.<br>
  
8. A detachable webcam with a slide lens cover and a hardware switch for on/off<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==
  
9. A real volume ceramic wheel potentiometer with a “click” for the on/off functionality.<br>
 
 
 
  
10. LEGO® Power Functions connector for powering and control actuators, also Power Functions can be used to recharge battery using LEGO® or alike photovoltaic sets. <br>
+
'''Four (4) hardware '''off/on''' switches''' - webcam (detachable), speakers, the microphones array (detachable) and obligatory Wi-Fi.<br>
 
 
  
11. RJ-12 LEGO® “shifted notch” connector for LEGO® MINDSTORMS® series of actuators and sensors<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>
  
  
12. Covered, retractable and flexible ribbon attached PIN array - GPIO (as is in RaspberryPi) General Purpose Input Output for connecting all the things you want to connect.<br>
+
==A few interesting extras==
  
  
13. Quick charging battery - Long Life Cycle Polymer 10000 mAh – recyclable.<br>
+
'''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>
  
14. Small hot-swap enabling battery.<br>
 
  
 +
==Additional adapter with an onboard:==
  
15. Modular on-board power supply ( follows full ACPI spec.)<br>
 
  
 +
'''LEGO® Power Functions''' - for powering and the control of  actuators. '''.<br>
  
16. Waterproof keyboard with ThinkPad style track point.<br>
+
'''RJ-12 LEGO®''' - “a shifted notch” connector for '''LEGO® MINDSTORMS®''' series of actuators and sensors,<br>
  
17. A 3 segments flat-flush touch pad in a “Wacom” style with mode for the extended touch-pad draw and gestures.<br>
+
'''a male D-Sub serial port''' (tty) and a VGA connector.<br>
 
It has 5 hardware switches for: the camera, speakers, the microphone array, WI-Fi and ethernet card.
 
  
It comes with a detachable USB gender-changer dongle - that should prevent anyone to plug in USB stick unless is password unlocked, also when taken out prevents anyone to stick USB-anything in.
+
==Charms==
A casing is a tough, rugged form-factor done by LEGO® A/S in a multi-colour recyclable plastic with added studs.<br>
 
  
Optional:<br>
 
  
A stylus for touch-pad drawing (enhanced entropy while generating PGP keys, easy graphic editing, poking someone etc.)<br>
+
'''LEGO® keychain''' - for the USB dongle.<br>
  
LEGO® keychain for the USB dongle.<br>
 
  
 
+
[[Designs|Want to know more? Pretty pictures ahead.]] Or see [[Schematics]], [[Keyboard]], [[I/O_USB]], [[Power Supply]] and [[Screen panel]] .

Latest revision as of 11:56, 31 October 2022

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

Balthazar is made to run NixOS, Trisquel GNU, Guix, Debian and Ubuntu variants of 64 bit low-latency kernel for RISC-V.

In a form factor, there are some improvements and novelties in approach to a physical user interface and experience. 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.
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.

The keyboard is QUERTY with 7 LEDs 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

So when we say the "design is different", it actually is inspired by and extracted from IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad series, Panasonic ToughBook,a OLPC and main secure USB-dongle features based on Nitrokey concept.

Balthazar's design aims for a new usability experience.

"10 or so years ago there were no mobile phones, but we all learned how to use them." (Arjen Kamphuis in xTED speech in Delft)

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 designs and the inner concept regularly.

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. Added to it is FPGA co-processor based on a ingenious design by Radiona - a MakerSpace from Zagreb, Croatia - ULX3S.

RISC-V architecture is understood as an ideal vehicle for the security community.
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.
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.
While NVIDIA would be technically possibly the best performance choice, issues arise with a general attitude towards FOSS compatibility.
In any case we look and listen into NVIDIA and CUDA options, accelerating totally open documentation from NVIDIA's side.
Also the NVIDIA's Jetson IoT and AI platform is researched for a compatibility with RISC-V architecture, ISA and FOSS .

Storage - a SATA SSD is on board and it should be taken out very fast from a bay.
eSATA connector might help in expanding the storage possibilities.

Fanless - less movable parts means more battery time for the processing power and a passive cooling adds to the longevity of the components. Think quiet.

Boot and sleep - Secure-boot as well as a fast boot time. Nobody has and especially children do not have the patience to wait.
Ever since C64/AMIGA times computers should be able to be switched on and off fast, so using some Libreboot/Coreboot and a Clear Linux (minus Intel optimisation) concepts applied in a BPCD firmware/BIOS should do it.

BPCD suspends to RAM and goes to hibernate when battery is at 20%. Properly.

Upgradeable - RAM and a processor-board featuring SoM attachment port.

A non-glare screen - size is 13.3” 16:10 full HD resolution (200 dpi +) that provides far less strain on user's eyes.

'A non-reflective - a button drove backlight “off” monochrome mode for very low-power use in sunlight - prolongs a battery life a lot.

LED backlit - color mode with an alternate of red, green, and blue pixels.

A detachable webcam - also with a slide lens cover and a hardware switch for on/off

A volume wheel - a ceramic volume potentiometer with a “click” for the on/off functionality.

GPIO - a retractable and flexible robust flat-ribbon cable connecting General Purpose Input Output 19 pins array for connecting to all the things you want to connect it to.

Quick charging battery - Long Life Cycle Polymer 10000+ mAh that is also recyclable.

Hot-swap - a second small battery enabling main battery hot-swap.

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.

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.

Multitouch pad - a smooth surface, flat-flush and positioned above the keyboard. It has a “Wacom”-style mode for the extended stylus or a finger draw.
It is multi-touch and gestures capable.

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.

Hardware security and privacy features

Four (4) hardware off/on switches - webcam (detachable), speakers, the microphones array (detachable) and obligatory Wi-Fi.

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.


A few interesting extras

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.

A stylus - for a pad drawing, also provides enhanced entropy while generating PGP keys, easy graphic editing, poking someone, etc.


Additional adapter with an onboard:

LEGO® Power Functions - for powering and the control of actuators. .

RJ-12 LEGO® - “a shifted notch” connector for LEGO® MINDSTORMS® series of actuators and sensors,

a male D-Sub serial port (tty) and a VGA connector.

Charms

LEGO® keychain - for the USB dongle.


Want to know more? Pretty pictures ahead. Or see Schematics, Keyboard, I/O_USB, Power Supply and Screen panel .

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