Introduction

What is the ESPRESSObin platform?

ESPRESSObin is an open community platform based on Marvell Armada 88F3700 processor. This open platform fully shares its hardware and software with the community.

Where can someone contribute in the ESPRESSObin Foundation?

We would like the users to share their user experience and any cool applications or ideas they have.

General

Does GlobalScale Technologies sell a self-assembly kit?

No, the board does not require an assembly kit.

Does ESPRESSObin ship with a case?

ESPRESSObin board is shipped without the case. 3D CAD files can be downloaded from the official Globalscale website.

What are the dimensions of the ESPRESSObin?

Board dimensions are 100mm x 72mm.

What hardware documentation is available?

Available hardware documentation includes block diagram, schematics and layout. Documents are available on our Tech Spec page under Technical Documentation.

What is the username and password for the ESPRESSObin?

User is root, no password required.

Why does nothing happen when I type in my password? Did my ESPRESSObin freeze?

Linux does not display anything when typing in passwords in the Bash prompt or the terminal. As long as you were able to see the username being typed in.

What are the differences between ESPRESSObin models?

The ESPRESSObin board can be ordered in two flavors: base 1 GB DDR3 or optional 2 GB DDR3. Wi-Fi cards, port multipliers, power supplies and other ESPRESSObin accessories can also be purchased separately. See more here.

How do I connect a mouse and keyboard?

Additional USB devices such as mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage can be connected via a USB hub.

Where is the on / off switch?

There is no on/off switch, just connect the power supply to the board to power on the board.

Who or what is NOOBS?

NOOBS stands for New Out of Box Software.

What is the SoC you are using?

Armada 88F3700 – dual Cortex A53 based CPU. More information on the Marvell® ARMADA® 3700 family of devices can be found on the Wiki.

What is an SoC?

System on a Chip (SoC) is a method of placing all necessary electronics for having computing, network and fast IOs on a single chip.

Why did you select the ARM Cortex SOC?

Because it is the best in class regarding performance and power.

How does it boot?

The ESPRESSObin board has an on-board SPI flash with U-Boot loaded. Two images in two partitions are enabled to avoid U-Boot corruption. By default, the board will boot from the 1st partition and will boot from the 2nd partition in case the 1st partition is corrupted.

Performance & Cost Considerations

How powerful is it?

The Armada 88F3700 is a very powerful processor which clocks up to 1.2GHz.

Why is core CPU limit set to 1GHz?

The Armada 88F3700 currently supports 1GHz CPU clock speed. Support for 1.2GHz will be ready soon.

Does it overclock?

No, 1.2GHz is the maximum supported frequency.

Does it need a heatsink?

The processor does not need heatsink because it has a very low power dissipation.

What is its operating temperature?

0-70 Celsius ambient temperature.

Can I add extra memory?

Regarding system memory the ESPRESSObin board comes in fixed 1 GB DDR3 and 2 GB DDR3 flavors. Extra storage capacity can be added via various supported peripherals (SATA, microSD card, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0).

What hardware interfaces does it have?

Switch, miniPCIe, SATA, USB2.0, USB3.0 and SD card.

Why is there no real-time clock (RTC)?

When the board connects to the internet, NTP (Network Time Protocol) can be used.

Software

Which type of Linux distributions run on the ESPRESSObin?

Currently the list of supported file systems includes Buildroot (2015.11), Ubuntu (14.04.5 LTS and 16.04.3 LTS), ArchLinux ARM, OpenWrt (DD) and Yocto (Krogoth), with Debian support to be added soon.

Will ESPRESSObin run Android?

Since the ESPRESSObin has no HDMI, we do not plan on supporting Android.

Does ESPRESSObin have an official programming language?

No, it is an open community board so any open source software can be used.

Will ESPRESSObin run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)?

No such plan on our end.

Will ESPRESSObin run the Windows 8 ARM edition?

No such plan on our end.

SD Card & Storage

What minimal size of SD card do I need?

No size limitation on our end, we will support any SDHC card that meets the specifications.

What max size of SD card can it support?

No size limitation on our end, we will support any SDHC card that meets the specifications.

Video

What displays can I use?

There are PCIe to HDMI cards available, if anyone manages to operate it please share with us.

Why is there no VGA/HDMI support?

This is an embedded processor designed primarily for computing, storage and networking, so it does not support VGA or HDMI.

Can I add a touch-screen?

There are USB touch-screens with Linux drivers, if anyone manages to operate it please share with us.

What codecs can it play?

The ESPRESSObin can play any codec that is supported by mainline Linux.

Networking, Wireless & USB

Does ESPRESSObin support device networking?

ESPRESSObin has 3 network ports – 1 WAN (Wide Area Network) and 2 LANs (Local Area Network).

Do we have built-in WiFi on ESPRESSObin?

Yes, the “loaded” version has a WiFi card included.

Is there built-in Bluetooth on ESPRESSObin?

No, but there are modules that are supported by mainline Linux, if anyone manage to operate it please share with us.

Why is there no 2.5 Gbit Ethernet on ESPRESSObin?

The ESPRESSObin is optimized for price and power so there is no plan to support 2.5Gbit Ethernet, however the 8040 community board supports it –  https://www.solid-run.com/marvell-armada-family/armada-8040-community-board/

What if I want to connect more USB devices?

In such cases a USB HUB can be used, whereas the 8040 community board supports more USB ports – https://www.solid-run.com/marvell-armada-family/armada-8040-community-board/

Power

What are the power requirements? Can I power the ESPRESSObin from a USB hub?

Yes.

What are the specifications of the power supply?

The ESPRESSObin ships with a 12V 2A Power supply with 5.5mm*2.10mm*10mm connector.

Can I power the ESPRESSObin from batteries as well as from a wall socket?

Not currently.

Is Power over Ethernet (PoE) possible?

POE is possible as hardware customization but will not have a model supported from stock.

Buying & Shipping

Where can I buy ESPRESSObin?

ESPRESSObin can be purchased via Amazon, Taobao or from the official Globalscale website:

globalscaletechnologies.com

amazon.com

taobao.com

How much does ESPRESSObin cost?

The price for the ESPRESSObin board starts at $49. More info on package pricing can be found on the Wiki.

What is included in the package?

Base ESPRESSObin 1 GB DDR3 board. More info on package pricing can be found on the Wiki.

Is this device available internationally?

Yes.

Why is the price in US Dollars? Can I buy Internationally?

$49, Yes.

Is there a buy-one-give-one program?

No.

I want to be a ESPRESSObin reseller.

Please contact Globalscale directly for reseller and distribution opportunities and pricing at
sales@globalscaletechnologies.com

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