Attractive hardware boards for embedded Linux system developers, with Linux support, a public pricelist, an English website and public documentation.

Difficult to find manufacturers or dealers of embedded system boards?

Whenever we find a supplier which products look interesting, we add its website to the below list. Of course, the list is not exhaustive at all, but we hope it can help you in finding the best hardware solution for your system.

Conditions to be on the below list:

• Offer attractive and competitive products,
• Products supporting Free Software operating systems (Linux, eCos, NetBSD…),
• Price detailed on the website for at least 1 interesting product (meeting the above requirements), available without having to register.
• Specifications and documentation directly available on the website (no registration required).
• Website with an English version.

Many manufacturers were found on anouncements on the LinuxDevices.com website.

Companies are listed by alphabetical order, mentioning the country where their headquarters are. Of course, most of these company accept worldwide orders.

Community projects

Hardware designed by the community, but also offering commercial grade quality and support

• Armadeus.org (France)
  A cheap and attractive board, created by a community project to make it easier to develop open-source embedded systems!
• BeagleBoard.org (USA)
  A cheap but powerful OMAP based board with impressing video capabilities. Designed so that it is cheap enough that people can buy it without having to ask their wife!.

Organizations

• Acme Systems (Italy)
  Makers of the cheap and attractive FOX boards.
• Atmel (USA)
  Maker of the very cheap and attractive AVR32 ATNGW100 Network Gateway Kit.
  Also make attractive ARM based AT91 evaluation kits: 1, 2, 3. Prices: follow their Check Distributors Inventory links. Linux support: 1, 2.
• Bifferos.com (UK)
  Makers of the Bifferboard, a tiny, very cheap and ultra low power x86 embedded board.
• Calao Systems (France)
  Makers of small and cheap ARM based embedded computers.
• Cogent Computer Systems (USA)
  Cheap and small ARM, PPC and MIPS single board computers.
• CompuLab (Israel)
  ARM, PowerPC or x86 Computers-On-Modules, PC/104+ and ATX boards.
• Digi (USA)
  Embedded modules and development kits based on several ARM processors (caution: lack of pricing information on modules).
• EMAC inc (USA)
  Makers of PC and ARM single board computers, originally targeting data acquisition and control.
• Embedded Artists (Sweden)
  cheap and attractive ARM7TDMI based boards supporting uClinux.
• Embest (China)
  Mini Samsung S3C2410 processor card.
• Eurek (Italy)
  Makers of an attractive ARM board addressing the rough requirements of machine automation and industrial applications.
• eXcito (Sweden)
  Makers of a fanless ARM based server running Debian GNU/Linux,
  a low power substitute to a PC that’s always on.
• Exys Embedded Systems (Belgium)
  Xscale and Dragonball embedded computer boards.
• Glomation (USA)
  Makers of cheap ARM based single board computers.

• Gumstix (USA)
  Gum stick size ARM boards, very small computers.
• KwikByte (USA)
  Cheap ARM 920T development board.
• Logic Supply (USA)
  Sells a wide variety of fanless Mini-ITX or Nano-ITX systems or boards.
• MikroTik (Latvia)
  Makers of the RouterBoard products, embedded boards with multiple Ethernet ports and multiple miniPCI slots.

• mini-itx.com (UK)
  Sells a wide variety of fanless Mini-ITX or Nano-ITX systems or boards.
• Orbit Micro (USA)
  Offer fanless mini-PCs for industrial applications.
• PC Engines (Germany)
  Wireless Router Application Platform (WRAP).
• Picotux (Germany)
  The smallest Linux computers in the world, only slightly larger than a RJ45 connector.
• Simtec (UK)
  ARM single board computers and development boards
• Soekris Engineering (USA)
  x86 computer boards for embedded systems.
• Spectrum Digital (USA)
  Sells a cheap starter kit for the TI Davinci platform.
• taskit Embedded Systems (Germany)
  Micro ARM or x86 computers and small ARM or x86 boards.
• Technologic Systems (Embedded Arm) (USA)
  Many different ARM and x86 PC/104 single board computers and add-ons.
• Techsol (Canada)
  Cheap and full featured single board computers, development kits and ready-to-run systems.
• Tin Can Tools (USA)
  Makers of cheap and portable ARM SBCs.
• Toradex (Switzerland)
  Xscale computer-on-module and development board.
• Virtual Cogs (Canada)
  Makers of cheap and small embedded ARM computers with many expansion possibilities.
• Voipac (Slovak Republic)
  Makers of cheap PXA based computers on modules and embedded boards.

Prototypes or low volumes

For prototypes or low volumes, you may also consider modifying the software of cheap consumer devices running Linux:

• Linux on Linksys NSLU2
• Linux on wireless routers with the Linksys WRT chipset

Contributing to this page

Don’t hesitate to contact us to let us know about other suppliers, or to report websites which still are on our list but no longer match our criteria. Corrections and updates are also welcome.