Tiny computer holds embedded treasure

The Waysmall series from Gumstix offers designers a line of Linux-based computer systems that easily fit into the palm of your hand. Housed in an 83X36X15mm plastic case, these miniature systems provide XScale processing power along with an MMC (MultiMedia Card) slot, two serial ports, one USB client port, a power interface, and general-purpose I/O pins. Introduced in 2004 and selling for less than $200, Waysmall computers are popular with the open-source community for mobile- and handheld-system applications. But the real treasure for embedded-system designers is hidden inside: a complete singleboard computer that is literally the size of a stick of gum.

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