Tiny, but fast hardware for running Rev app

[Ben Rubinstein]

rgould8 at aol.com wrote:
 >   http://www.mini-tft.de/xtc-neu/index.php?cPath=1458w
 >
 >  http://www.mini-itx.com/
 >
 >
> I've been looking at really small PC hardware for running a Revolution app
 > on, but this hardware needs to run in a somewhat temperature-sensitive
 > environent, so I was hoping to investigate a "Flash-memory based hard-drive"
 > solution, or something without a spinning HD motor. Anyone have any favorite
 > hardware for such a feat? My basic needs are: Either USB or COM port for a
 > device that needs to send barcode data to this terminal, plus a monitor
 > output, plus a keyboard input.

I've done a project using Rev on solid state PCs using ITX boards, with 'solid 
state hard drives' and Windows XP embedded.  The solid state hard drives plug 
directly into the IDE sockets.  On our units we also had an IDE-CF adaptor, so 
the OS ran off the solid state drive, with data (which we needed to be able to 
swap easily on a daily basis) being read off the Compact Flash drives.  These 
machines were installed in cars (being driven off-road) so had to withstand 
considerable vibration, temperature variations, etc.  Ran headless (but we 
connected monitor and keyboard for debugging) and connected to GPS units over USB.

Worked great.

(We also tried installing Puppy Linux on one of the units and running that. 
This was fine except that we wanted to be able to mix and output several 
channels of audio, and Rev's Linux multimedia support is very backwards 
(please lend a vote to 
<http://quality.runrev.com/qacenter/show_bug.cgi?id=2290>).  This was 
unfortunate as we could have saved about GBP 5000 in Windows licenses, and led 
to a fight to keep Rev on the project as the alternative development 
technology didn't have this problem.  However Rev's other advantages won out.)

We used a small company in the UK to manufacture these units (they had a 
special power system, and custom metalwork).  They were extremely helpful and 
gave excellent service.  Contact me off list if you want more info.

- Ben