Cluster Computing for Overo™ COMs: Gumstix Launches a Stagecoach

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Gumstix, Inc. today announced the Stagecoach expansion board, which creates an OMAP (ARM Cortex A-8) computing cluster for both product development and academic research. Networking up to seven (7) Gumstix Overo™ computer-on-modules (COMs) on a single Stagecoach expansion board (roughly 1/3rd the size of a piece of letter-paper), developers can reduce the time for native compilation and shorten the development cycle. Hundreds of OMAP-based Overo COMs can be networked together using a collection of Stagecoach expansion boards, each mounted with 7 Gumstix Overo COMs, while occupying only a portion of a 19" rack.

The Stagecoach expansion board provides a 100Mbps switched fast Ethernet network, assigns a unique IP address to each mounted Overo COM, has 7 USB OTG ports and 1 serial-over-USB console port, and draws less than 20 watts fully-populated. The Stagecoach expansion board is compatible with all current Overo COMs as well as the upcoming, more powerful Overo products still under development by Gumstix.

"To speed up our native compile times and shorten our development cycles, we'll start using a distributed C++ compiler like distcc with the Stagecoach expansion board as a build farm and for regression testing," said Matt Ettus of Ettus Research LLC. "Our code makes heavy use of Boost, templates, and other C++ features, so native compiles can be slow. Having 7 Overo COMs clustered on a single Stagecoach expansion board has really enhanced our productivity."

The Stagecoach expansion board, measuring 70mm x 293mm (2.76" x 11.54") is available immediately at www.gumstix.com for $ 229 USD.

About Ettus Research LLC

Founded in 2004 and acquired by National Instruments in 2010, Ettus Research develops the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) product family. The USRP product line, along with the GNU Radio framework, enable open source software defined radios covering DC to 6 GHz. For more information, visit http://www.ettus.com and http://gnuradio.org.

About Gumstix, Inc.

Founded in 2003, Gumstix develops, manufactures and markets a small, fully functional computer-on-module series and related expansion products to customers in more than 50 countries worldwide. Gumstix is ideal for design engineers creating products for commercial, industrial, educational and research applications. For more information, visit www.gumstix.com.

Trademarks

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Gumstix, Inc.