[Vadim] wrote up this short but sweet tutorial on getting started with the Vocore (tiny) OpenWRT-router-on-a-stamp. If you need more computing power than you can get with an ESP8266, and you want an open-source Linux-plus-Wifi solution in a square inch of board space, the Vocore looks pretty sweet.
We covered the Vocore a while ago. It has 28 GPIOs, all accessible from system calls in OpenWRT. It becomes much more computer-like if you add a dock that breaks out the USB and Ethernet functionality, but that also doubles the price.
Getting started with a no-frills Linux box (chip?) can be intimidating. So it’s a good thing that [Vadim] details a first setup of the Vocore over WiFi and SSH, and then takes you through a button-and-LED style ‘Hello World’ application that makes simple use of the GPIOs.
He says he’s going to interface it eventually with a TI CC110 sub-gig radio unit, but that’s going to involve writing some drivers and will take him some time. We’d love to see how to connect peripherals, so we’re waiting with bated breath.
[Vadim] also helpfully included an un-bricking script for the Vocore, which restores the default firmware and gets you out of whatever hole you’ve managed to dig yourself into. Basically, you connect to the device over a USB-Serial adapter, run his script, and you should be set.
Any of you out there using a Vocore? Or other OpenWRT routers? Give [Vadim]’s tutorial a glance and let us know what you think.
>baited breath
bated breath
Sounds a bit fishy.
Alright.. I’ll bite..
d’oh!
It’s all the caviar we get here at Hackaday!
Thanks for the catch. Fished. (Err… “fixed”.)
The ESP8266 costs about $2.
This doubles the price? So, how much it costs? $4?
Try $20. http://vocore.io/store/index
Same chip as in the Hame A15 which is about $7 delivered, and has ethernet, usb socket and a cheap case. Only 4M of flash though which is painful.
19,99 usd for the board itself. If you want the “dock” to be included, 49,99 usd.
But people got them cheaper back when the indigogo project was there. (check alixpress for the same ic on a similiar board. There are some updated docks comming. Audio, camera… also drivers for hardware like tft screens.
http://vocore.io/store/index
But ESP8266 could be enough for cheap projects.
Why am I paying $45 for this(that’s what it costs for the version with ethernet – it’s a not a router if there are no interfaces)…versus a $30 Raspberry Pi which has more computing power, has a similar number of GPIO, runs standard linux distributions practically out of the box, has multiple USB interfaces, etc?
This would be interesting at $20 for the complete package. Not at $45 (plus another $12 if you want to receive it in less than three weeks…)
Yeah, I agree. The Domino Pi basic kit is much more affordable at $24, and basically the same thing.
Smaller, cheaper, and with WiFi. Probably uses less power than a Pi as well, but I’m not sure.
You’d use this module if you were going to integrate it into another design. In that case, it’s probably _more_ convenient to wire up your own USB ports or Ethernet phy because you don’t have to worry about the module’s footprint. If you fit a Pi into your project, you have to design the physical shape of your device around the Pi’s interfaces.
Picked one up and you hit on most of the points why I wanted vocore over the PI. I don’t need all of those outputs but the few I want will be connected directly to the vocore. One you missed is that this thing is running ddwrt. A prior poster called it a limitation but for those of us that wanted the router functions it’s a selling point. This thing might be niche but it has a market.
The VoCore is a great little board. I have done Emulators, doom, streaming webcam, and various other things with it. Seems a year or 2 late for a getting started though .
Got links for us?! We’d love to see some more.
Sure, only not with this module – I’m having fun with the Olimex version of the same chip (no customs hassle inside EU and all that jazz). Works great so far, gonna make a fine WebDAV server…
How does this compare to the RT5350F-OLinuXino?
Has anyone played with that one?
Why not just use a spare TP-Link (or whatever) router?
Isn’t that a little bit big in comparison?