The olimex company just announced the: RVPC - a kit PC with a RISC-V CPU, and they say it'll cost US$1
https:// olimex.wordpress.com /2024/09/12/rvpc-the-open-source-hardware-usd-1-retro-style-riscv-computer-with-vga-and-ps2-keyboard-and-buzzer-now-play-small-games/ The olimex company just announced the: RVPC - a kit PC with a RISC-V CPU, and they say it'll cost US$1
It will support PS/2 keyboards and VGA. Intended to be a learning platform for RISC-V coding, it's only got 2k of RAM. (I tried finding a 3rd party source for this announcement but I struck out, so I'm linking the actual olimex webpage. Not affiliated with them, just thought this looked neat.)
I'll believe it, when I ordered one for $1.
42Yeah it's a "PC"
1
I don't think defining a microcontroller kit as a PC is an accurate description.
39Some ARM CPUs that are advertised as microcontrollers have 32 bit address spaces and roughly the same power as an i486.
5Yeah nah still in micro controller space. When you say PC it comes w with up to date expectations attached and VGA is not one of them. Or 2k RAM.
-2A CPU on its own cannot be a microcontroller alone via its definition; as a microcontroller contains a CPU and other needed components to drive it.
No microcontroller is going to beat a computer with a modern microprocessor on complex computing though. But it's good to know tech is still improving on all sides.
-2
142K of RAM? Time to port over some Atari 2600 games!
8While I understand some of the hate in the thread, I appreciate someone creating something for us old timers. Working within the constraints of a system and making things work was a real satisfying experience.
9Even at this price point isn't it more economic and sustainable to emulate a RISC-V device with already owned hardware. Especially since it's so low powered.
6Sounds groundbreaking for 1997.
3The OLPC reborn. You can probably by one for a child in a developing nation for $1 while purchasing one for $300 for yourself.
1So basically something like this only a whole lot LESS capable? Although if you specifically want to do RiscV coding then it does limit your options.
2The esp32 doesn't have VGA.
I seriously doubt you can get these special Esp32 that have VGA and USB for $1 USD, I can't find pricing on any of them.
Cool concept though.1The board costs about $10, I have one on hand. Besides VGA and PS/2 ports, it also has an audio-out jack and a slot for SD cards. And if you want to compare specs, the ESP32 blows this away. Sure $1 sounds impressive, until you realize just how little you can do with it.
[Edit] Looks like the price has come down under $10 for this board now, here's a link to get them from China.
3