Maker tested, engineer approved: Introducing $45, 1-GHz BeagleBone Black open-source Linux computer

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- DESIGN WEST -- With BeagleBone Black, the next-generation offering from BeagleBoard.org, everyone from electronic artists to engineers has access to a ready-to-use, 1-GHz computer for only $45. This credit-card-sized, Linux computer is an open hardware and software development platform that makes it quick and easy to transform great ideas into products. BeagleBone Black allows developers to leverage the ideas and knowledge of the highly active and engaged users of the BeagleBoard.org community who support each other from concept through development. Opportunities for innovation are endless.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please visit: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54046-beaglebone-black-open-source-1-ghz-linux-computer

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130423/MM96984 )

It's all in the box
For only $45, BeagleBone Black includes all the necessary components in the box to connect a display, keyboard and network, providing a lower total cost of ownership than the nearest competitor and allowing for immediate development.

BeagleBone Black is based on the 1-GHz Sitara™ AM335x ARM® Cortex™-A8 processor from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI). TI's Sitara AM335x processor enhances the user experience by enabling an advanced graphical user interface and more than 2x higher performance than ARM11™-based solutions. BeagleBone Black includes 2GB of on-board storage to run pre-loaded Linux software, as well as a USB cable to power the board. Featuring USB, Ethernet and HDMI interfaces, BeagleBone Black has the interfaces to connect to a wide variety of devices such as a mouse, keyboard or LCD display. BeagleBone Black offers designers flexibility with expansion headers, including 65 digital I/Os, seven analog inputs and access to a variety of analog and digital peripherals.

Open-source software and hardware accelerate development time
BeagleBone Black is based on production-ready hardware and software, helping developers, makers, hobbyists and students around the world speed development time. In addition, all of the components on BeagleBone Black, including TI's Sitara AM335x processor, are commercially available.

BeagleBone Black comes pre-loaded with a Linux operating system and Cloud9 IDE to kickstart development and keep the microSD slot available for additional storage. The software is optimized to help new users explore embedded Linux and become proficient quickly. The ecosystem includes free access to documentation, example code and mainline kernel support for other software distributions like Ubuntu, Android and Fedora. BeagleBone Black's kernel and driver flexibility allows users to easily integrate new hardware and software.

More than 30 plug-in boards, called "capes" by the community, are compatible with BeagleBone Black, with more capes to come. Integrating BeagleBone Black with these capes—such as 3D printers, a DMX lighting controller, a Geiger counter, a telerobotic submarine, LCD touch screens and more—extends the functionality of the board to enable an even broader range of innovative projects and rapidly accelerate the development process.

Community engagement fosters innovation
The ticket to maximizing the full potential of BeagleBone Black is to tap into the wealth of information available in one of the most active communities in the industry, BeagleBoard.org. Interact with other developers to learn, answer questions, share ideas or just watch for inspiration. By utilizing the brilliant minds and contributions of open-source developers, BeagleBoard.org members can solve their development challenges quickly.

"With all you need to get started included in the box for only $45, BeagleBone Black is a fantastic platform for hardware hackers at a great value," said engineer Limor Fried, Entrepreneur Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year and founder of Adafruit Industries. "BeagleBone Black and the BeagleBoard.org community can help almost any electronic artist—from beginner to professional developers—easily bring their unique project concepts to reality."

Order yours today!
Do you have a creative project idea that can help change the world? Make it a reality by ordering BeagleBone Black now. A list of distributors is available at www.beagleboard.org/black. Initial quantities are limited.  BeagleBone Black is expected to ship in volume by the end of May.

Stay connected with us on:

• BeagleBoard.org
• Twitter
• Google+

About BeagleBoard.org
A small group of enthusiastic engineers interested in creating powerful, open and embedded devices are pioneering new ground in open hardware and have worked together on the concept and realization of BeagleBone, BeagleBone Black, BeagleBoard and BeagleBoard-xM. The resulting open-source hardware platforms bridge desktop and embedded development, allowing developers to design to their specification and collaborate with the open source community on creative new applications. The BeagleBoard.org community has more than 5,000 members and aims to engage passionate developers and fuel their innovations, whether they are designing projects for work or fun. With publicly hosted open-source software, social media feeds of ongoing development, and an active community mailing list and live chat, developers have easy access to support and exchange of ideas. Visit www.beagleboard.org to get started today.

SOURCE BeagleBoard.org