Features

From Balthazar
Revision as of 06:39, 3 September 2019 by Harv (talk | contribs)

Basic specifications and features


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


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 - fast boot time, as nobody has and especially children do not have the patience to wait.
Ever since C64/AMIGA times computers should be also able to be switched on/off fast, so using Libreboot/Coreboot BIOS for embedded should do it.

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

Upgradeable - RAM and a processor-board featuring second SoC/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 driven backlight “off” monochrome mode for very low-power use in sunlight - prolongs a battery life a lot.

LED backlit - colour mode with an alternance 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 - ceramic potentiometer with a “click” for the on/off functionality.

LEGO® Power Functions - a connector for powering and the control of actuators. Power Functions connector can be used to recharge a battery using LEGO® or similar photovoltaic sets with extra Power Functions adapter.

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

GPIO - a retractable and flexible robust flat-ribbon cable connecting General Purpose Input Output 16 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 - on-board power supply that follows full ACPI specification.

Waterproof keyboard - with a track-point ball.

Multitouch pad - 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 by LEGO® A/S in a multi-colour recyclable plastic with added LEGO® studs.


Hardware security and privacy features:


Five (5) hardware off/on switches - webcam (detachable), speakers, the microphones array (detachable), Wi-Fi and Ethernet card.

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.


A few extras:


TEMPEST-shield - shields from any external and internal electromagnetic radiation. Lead-free, adds extra weight, but not inexpensive, mind you.

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

LEGO® Power Functions adapter - for connecting external photovoltaic chargers

LEGO® keychain - for the USB dongle.

Want to know more? Pretty pictures ahead.  

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