# Embedded Swag



## Phishfry (Apr 13, 2018)

I have been on an embedded buying spree on ebay and landed some fat deals.
Been searching for Intel Baytrail  E3815/E3817/E3825/E3826/E3845/E3846 Gear.
Testing out the Intel bytgpio(4) driver on boards other than the Minnowboard Turbot.

I landed this for 50 bucks and it is very awesome. Will try FreeBSD on it later.
http://en.hikrobotics.com/vision/visioninfo.htm?type=39&oid=1458#


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## Phishfry (Apr 13, 2018)

Oh yeah. 50 bucks and it works. It has 385 hours on the SSD's SMART counter.

Windows 7 loaded on boot right into someones profile. Looks like someone is using this demo machine as a desktop.
Of course I only peeked once and booted up off my FreeBSD memstick and disinfected the mark of the beast with a healthy dd.


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## Phishfry (Apr 29, 2018)

I got a $995 media player for $100 new from ebay. Brightsign absorbed Tightrope so sell it off..
https://www.carouselsignage.com/specs/carousel-270

Turns out it is a Intel NUC5i3 with a 5010U and 120GB SATA M.2 and my first M.2 Wifi slot (Intel AC8620 nogo on FreeBSD).
It is in an armored case. 8GB RAM
Runs FreeBSD like a champ. I am using displayport-to-VGA  adapter so no sound checks.
What a freaky UEFI BIOS...Things are a changing...
I think this is it but they cite higher wattage(mine maybe downclocked):
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/boards-kits/nuc/kits/nuc5i3ryh.html


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## ronaldlees (Apr 29, 2018)

That looks like a real bargain.  The spec-sheet says 2 GHz and 6W - 30W (peak) power consumption - not bad for Intel.  Looks like you got the only one listed currently ... although I see a "model 230" (but don't know its architecture). Are you using the displayport?


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## Phishfry (Apr 29, 2018)

I am using one of the two mini-display port with a Startech Mini-DP to VGA adapter.
Maybe its time to finally buy a display port monitor. I didn't realize it offered audio over the display port like HDMI.

The item was bought from a from a group of 5. Someone else scooped up the other 4 and they bought the other sole 270Hnd that was for sale at $95+$12s/h. What a good deal they got. If I had only known what I was buying I would have bought more.
Took a risk with a sparse ebay listing and scored. Heck a plain NUC is much more let alone without an Innodisk SATA M.2 120GB disk and 8GB RAM.



ronaldlees said:


> 2 GHz and 6W - 30W (peak) power consumption - not bad for Intel


This has to be one of the best features of this min-box. No DC wall wart. It takes a straight up 110VAC cord.
Hallelujah.
I am reading that the newer processors use "TDP-down" which is a option to downclock the chip for power budgets.
TDP 15 W
Configurable TDP-down Frequency 600 MHz
Configurable TDP-down 10 W


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## Phishfry (Jul 5, 2018)

How about an Avaya Border Session Controller Box, Which is really a Portwell CAD-0230 with 6 Intel LAN's in a small shelf unit.
http://www.portwell.com/products/detail.php?CUSTCHAR1=CAD-0230
My first Rangley box with a C2358.
Got it dirt cheap.


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## ronaldlees (Jul 6, 2018)

I had a similar problem with one of my boards.  My regular SanDisk CF is only 50 MB/sec - so it would be much better to have the CFex.  I don't think they made that many of them.  Could get lucky on Ebay.


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## Chris_H (Aug 2, 2018)

Phishfry said:


> How about an Avaya Border Session Controller Box, Which is really a Portwell CAD-0230 with 6 Intel LAN's in a small shelf unit.
> http://www.portwell.com/products/detail.php?CUSTCHAR1=CAD-0230
> My first Rangley box with a C2358.
> Got it dirt cheap.


Nice! In that it packs all those NIC ports. My only gripe would be the power dongle. Well, and maybe the Intel CPU.


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## Chris_H (Aug 2, 2018)

Phishfry said:


> OK One more deal I have to chat about.
> I don't care for HP but this $45 deal caught my eye. HP DeskPro 600 G1 Mini.
> So what we have here is a socket 1150 Haswell mini. (Most mini's use soldered on CPU)
> The listing is really vague so all I really needed was the heatsink.
> ...


Yep. That HP is capable of some pretty great engineering. Back in the beginning they had a magazine (forgot it's name. Been a l-o-n-g while -- early/mid 80's). Really low-level geek stuff. The stuff that created the beginnings of what we now call "computer technology". They had the best minds in the field! Then they became the "Printer Guys". Excellent printers. But not _nearly_ as cool. Still. They manage to let something cool slip out onto the market, once and awhile. 
Bummer about their BIOS' tho. That's always been my gripe -- even in the old days. I used to hack them (rewrite them). Like you; I've seen some tempting offers on the eBay, and think it might be time to dredge up some of my old tools, and get to hacking some BIOS. That rig you're talking about sounds like a good possibility. But, as usual. Not keen on the CPU. 

Good luck!

--Chris


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## Chris_H (Aug 2, 2018)

Short answer; Money, and IP.
It's getting close to 1am here, and I've got to get up at 5am.
But I'll elaborate a little later. 

--Chris


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## Phishfry (Aug 8, 2018)

Phishfry said:


> I really took the ultimate gamble for the DeskPro 600 CPU with Ivy Creek 4785T. Listed as customer return off ebay. As is.
> Now usually I shy away from As-is, but he had a real good picture of the bottom of the cpu. $85 is half of most on there.


Yea, how did that work out. $85 clams down the drain. Burned again by a AS-IS. What a dope I am.
Should I negative feedback him? He was clear. As-Is.
$85 bucks is priced like someone who has done this before. They knew it was bad and needed to find a dolt.

Sore loser in me wants to give him a negative. His reply from my email for sympathy is a factor too.
Throw me a bone. 10 bucks back would make me happy.

I guess I need to take the good deals and balance them against the bad.
The DeskPro 600 is also busted. That was only $35 and some usable parts.

It's been a bad week in the junk recovery world.


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## nactusberrilli (Aug 10, 2018)

Phishfry said:


> It's been a bad week in the junk recovery world.


  ... don't feel bad. The junk recovery world is treacherous. How about this: I have 2 SoC(s) I don't like ( a BBB and a C.H.I.P) if you want them they are yours. PM me if you're interested.


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## Phishfry (Aug 15, 2018)

Well back on track. $135 dollar shelf firewall. Sophos SG-135 firewall uses a C2558 and now runs FreeBSD.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/302842824276
2x 4GB ECC DDR3
320GB WD certified
No mini-PCIe slot, but it has the solder pads. SG-135W probably has the slot.
Ethernet port assignments are wacky. eth0=igb4, eth1=igb0
https://www.cdw.com/product/sophos-sg-135-security-appliance/3512635
Solder pads under the hard drive for some removable storage medium. Either CF or CFast. No slot included.
The 2.4 Gig CPU seems snappy. Really bare box for $1K ++. HardDrive tray has nice isolators. Probably OEM by Nexcom.


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## rigoletto@ (Aug 15, 2018)

How is FreeBSD working on it? That should be nice box to run OPNsense.


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