Question about USB on the minimig

[wolfchild]

I was toying with the idea whether it would make sense to put an ARM processor with USB master capability on the board.  

This could run software that is able to control a multitude of devices (USB mass storage, USB HID, USB imaging, etc), then map the device to the Amiga's official PCMCIA memory area.

If I'm not mistaken there were network cards, CD-ROMS, flash memories, serial ports and scanners for the A600/A1200 PCMCIA slot back in the old days, therefore drivers on the Amiga should be doable.

The Philips LPC2468 would seem to be up to the job as it's able to run uCLinux (which means ready made drivers for just about any USB peripheral).  This of course would mean  taking the Minimig to a whole new dimension, also as a very interesting tinkering platform for FPGA and MCU development.

What do you guys think?  Personally, I have a feeling that it would shift focus away from the Amiga in Minimig, but would enable relatively easy implementation of USB.

[wolfchild]

Would it be expensive?

Depends on what is expensive to you.  If you look at the hardware alone, the processor by itself is around 15 USD.  It could replace the PIC micro and could also allow use of SDRAM instead of the present SRAM, thus not increasing the cost of the system by much, if at all.  You then need to add costs for connectors, ethernet + USB phy and other stuff.

On the other hand, minimig, as it is, already comes up to around 160 USD in parts alone.

I am not even considering the time frame to implement such a beast.  It would need people with various experiences in different fields (Linux, Amiga driver programming, Amiga hardware experts/hackers).