Long‐Term Roadmap - ReaverShadow/Mu-boo-Cub-Mug GitHub Wiki

Roadmap (TBD)

Update 14-06-24: Post Mu-boo V1.

  • Doing some preliminary mechanical layout and concept sketches doodles, I came up with a design concept, V-Delta varient. It's not pocketable, but i believe has a lot of potential for many, and i'm really excited about. As it's not pocketable, the design might allow more volume in the enclosure. This leads me to wonder if a expandable cluster design would improve performance. Thus, i will do some initial investigation into this, possibly doing the V-Beta post.

Update 19-06-24: USB 4.0 problem.

  • I spend a good amount of time thinking, discussion, reviewing/comparing USB 4.0 and OCuLink. I still very much believe for this project, USB 4.0 is the better route. Also, it is my view that the USB-C connector is more robust/test, and hot plugging is important, which OCuLink doesn't have. Unfortunately, it's looking like getting the IC's yet alone documetnation, may not be possible at the current time, unless it was being done by a large organization. As such, depending on when the varients will be done, they will all need to be reviewed and likely updated for alternative to USB 4.0.

Variants (TBD)

Mu-boo V2

Improvements:

  • Higher mAh capacity battery (10,000 mAH target).
  • Size reduction due to various PCB optimizations, better battery choice.
  • Hopefully find someone with much more mechanical and CAD experience to work on the project to improve the enclosure design (target is have customized thermal design, and ability to stand on surface).

Possible New Features in consideration:

  • Add a Camera (ex. security, such as Hello Windows, or remote location monitoring, pickup detection, Motion/finger tracking, and other potential projects)
  • Add 9-Axis motion sensor / gesture control
  • Proxcimity sensor (you won't always be in front of device. it will be in bag, or pocket)
  • Eye Tracking (same reason as proxcimity sensor)
  • Add Environmental Sensors
  • MagSafe capability
  • RISC-V co-processor/MCU

V-Alpha

Adding a MXM Slot to Mu-boo.

Design Direction and preliminary spec The Mu-boo project is heavily focused on, not only portability, but expandability via USB4.0 protocol(as well as easy I2C and UART access). In continuing with that direction, the V-Alpha1 will relocate the NVMe to an a USB4.0-to-PCIe Bridge, connected to the USB4.0 Host Controller, and leverage the improved resource allocation aspect of the protocol.

  • 1x M.2 E-Key 2230 for WLAN (x1 electrically, PCIe xTRL#2, HSIO6)
  • 1x MXM slot, (x4 electrically, PCIe xTRL#1, HSIO0-3)
  • 1x USB4.0 Host Controller (x4 electrically, PCIe xTRL#3)
  • -> 1x USB4.0 to PCIe Bridge
  • -> 1x M.2 M-Key 2230 for NVMe SSD

Ideally, the host controller would have 3 or 4 ports, but with 1/3 of an hour search, I can't seem to find a source of the other 3 possible IC (VL830, ASM4242, RTS5930). Therefore, a second USB-C/PD port @ 2.0 speeds, may be necessary.

note: https://www.x-vsion.com/ , as potential source of MXM cards.

V-Beta

Battery-powered Cluster, or etc.

Note: This would be my first folly into cluster computing, and as such would be experimental. This might seems like a goofy design

Design Direction and preliminary spec The key goal of Mu-boo is battery powered portability, but from the expandability aspect this will be a twist.

V-Delta

A Mu-sized portable PC/Server with Lattepanda Mu(s?) carrier board and configurable Case/Enclosure designed for Low-profile PCIe card, or carry-able Full Size PCIe card with integrated separate 12V power connection. *

Note 1: Initial iteration of expansion enclosure would not be battery powered. Note 2: I suspect any GPU that has a TDP greater then 200W will be bottlenecked by N100 system, but there are other reasons you may need a full size card slot.

Design Direction and preliminary spec

The V-Delta, draws together aspect of the V-Alpha and V-Beta. It's design is aimed at applications and possible projects, where a PCIe card is a better or only option. The V-Delta variant provided users and creators this flexility, in a portable or carriable design.

Base Core Enclosure

  • Enclosure will consist of two parts. Base Core for low-profile GFX, which is more portable, or, Expanded yet carry-able design.
  • Possible cluster design with 2x Mu compute modules (Initial investigation from V-Beta will determine direction)
  • USB-PD 240W (Gigabyte 0RTX460 Low-profile is TDP 115W)
  • 1x PCIe3.0 x16 mechanical (x4 electrically) slot. (Facilitates either low-profile, or, full-size card via Expanded enclosure)
  • 1x M.2 E Key for WLAN (x1 electrically)

For reference: WiFi 6 paper max bandwidth is 9.6 Gbps, but practical is 1-2Gbps. WiFI 7 is paper bandwidth 46 Gbps, 5-10Gbps Practical. This is likely based on # of links aswell.)

  • 1x USB4 Host Controller (Preliminarily Intel JHL8540, ideally ASM4242m which has more DFP)
  • -> USB4.0 to PCIe bridge chip, for M.2 M Key 2280 (Perhaps JHL8440)
  • -> USB4 port, both PD and video out

As with the V-Alpha the Intel USB4.0 Solution is onl option, an additional Type-C for PD will be included, for two different locations on enclosure, for different orientations.

  • The Physical design will be unique, not your typical rectangular design. Emphasis will be aiming for portablity, but will try to include:
  • -> 1x USB2.0 Type-A
  • -> 1x USB2.0 Type-C
  • -> 1x HDMI output

Challenges: The challenge in the design will be to figure out a way to limit the power usage, particularly of the GFX so that a reason size battery can use used. Simply cutting off power at the PCIe 12V Aux wouldn't benefit as, PCIe standard allows for up to 75W and I'm not sure if cards are designed to limit current through slot. Ideally we'd want to limit it to 35W in battery mode. Aim for total draw of 55W. The alternative would be to not provide power to PCIe 12V in battery mode, but this would be like hot plugging PCIe.

Expanded Enclosure

  • Larger Enclosure frame to allow for full-size PCIe Card.
  • Quick removal for taking your the more portable Base Core on the go.
  • Additional integrated USB-PD 240W power connection.( there is the possibly for a more typical external brick, for higher wattage)

Note: CWWK Mini PC has something like this called the Magic PC, and claim to have an x8 slot (Intel Doc No.:759603, Sec 19.4, figure.18, would suggest this is NOT possible. According to document, their are 3 seperate PCIe Controllers, two of which have a max of 4 lanes. CWWK's website only shows customs PCBs being attacked to the port, so they could be using their own implementation).

Low-profile RTX4060 Power Draw