BeBox? where to buy?

Be, Inc.
21

This is an extract from the Be Advanced Topics book from the R4 days. It looks like it should be under /be/Device in the BeOS headers. I think BA2D, BD2A, and BDigitalPort are the main ones.

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22

It can only do:

  • 8 bit GPIO ports
  • 8 bit DAC
  • 16 bit ADC

There is no way to do multiple acquisitions over time (for example like a sound sampler). This API is just a wrapper around file descriptors similar to the ones youā€™d find in Linux for GPIOs, but more limited. Surely we can make something better.

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23

The question now would be. Could a recreation of a BeBox running Haiku be possible?

24

I think Alexander von Gluck actually had some designs for an updated BeBox (well, a HaikuBox) that might be more mini-ITX form factor, and would have Das Blinkenlights for the CPUs and everything.

Just add on an integrated Arduino or similar and you have a good modern version of the BeBox. In fact there already is a quite affordable Intel single board computer with a built-in Arduino called LattePanda which might be a good platform to build on. We would need to add an ā€œArduino Kitā€ or something to maybe make things a bit nicer and more like the GeekPort but that would not be too hard.

Anyone with interest in Haiku could likely make a prototype of this. I wish I could say Haiku, Inc had some secret project to make this but we donā€™t, at least not yet :smiley:

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Why did you show us thatā€¦ Now I really like to have one :wink:

So whatā€™s the odds that Haiku will work on that?

26

The GeekPort could be emulated I guess. As @leavengood said, we could use a microcontroller to talk to the port. Any microcontroller could work, it would just need enough pins to support the functionality, and would need to run at a specific voltage. The MCU would be programmed to read data from the ports and to pass it back to the app(s) and I guess there might be a service that co-ordinated the comms and passed it to the instances of the DAC/ADCā€¦ this would allow more than one app to read data, or might force the system to only allow one app to read each port at a time.

The simplest way is to use something like USB for the connection, but to implement the comms as serial or something like that, because it is quite easy to make that work.

I think maybe something like Firmata might work as firmware. That might actually give more options.

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IMHO this would be cool.

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28

Iā€™m actually looking to sell a pristine 133 BeBox

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How much are you looking for? And where are you located?

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Iā€™m in the Washington DC area. Looking to get around 5k

32

Wrong side of the pond for meā€¦ not to mention budget :smiley:

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That does look clean; Iā€™m impressed.

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Hi, Nice machine you have! Can I make a offer? Iā€™m thinking about 2000. Have a nice day!

35

Never hurts to ask.

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I was hoping for closer to 5. This is the duel 133 higher end system.

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That would be a record price.
Maybe if itā€™s in perfect condition with all possible boxed software and books, but I have some doubts about it reaching 2000, not to mention 5000.

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Not at all. The duel 66s have sold for 3k and 133s for around 5. I already have bids as high as $3800 without even trying.

And it includes all software and manuals Iā€™ve gotten since owning my beta version that was before the front bezel design was done.

Plus condition is beautiful.

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39

I"ve never seen bids reaching that high for the PPC Beboxen, were those on ebay or elsewhere?

40

Where are you selling it?