Bosanova RBT-820: Hardware 

• Hardware
• Firmware
• Linux

This Bosanova (now 10ZiG) thin client is a small and neat unit. The label on the bottom of the unit identifies it as an RBT820 but also as a DT166.

The RBT-820 was announced back on January 10 2007 at the same time as as the RBT802. The press release implies that the underlying hardware is identical with the RBT-802 being Linux based whilst the RBT-820 runs Microsoft's CE.Net.

The 820s I got came fitted with wireless LAN cards.

The early examples I have use the 'gorabbit' logo rather than the later 'RBT' version.

Specifications

Processor
Type    Speed	AMD Geode LX800 500MHz
Memory
Flash    RAM	128MB 256MB (max 1GB)
Video
Chip    Max resolution	CS5336 1920x1440 ?-bit colour
Ports
Network    USB    Serial    Parallel    PS/2	10/100 4 x USB2.0 0 0 0
Power
Plug    Input    Off    Running	Coax 5.5mm/2.5mm 12V 1.2A (datasheet) 4W 11W
Dimensions
H x W x D (mm)	35 x 140 x 130

This appears to available with Linux (RBT-802) or Windows CE.Net (RBT-820)

Power Supply

The unit requires a 12V supply and uses a conventional 5.5mm/2.5mm coax connector. (My test PSU drew 4W with nothing connected to its output).

CPU

Having booted Tinycore, /proc/cpuinfo shows:

vendor_id	:	AuthenticAMD
cpu family	:	5
model	:	10
model name	:	Geode(TM) Integrated Processor by AMD PCS
stepping	:	2
flags	:	fpu de pse tsc msr cx8 sep pge cmov clflush mmx mmxext 3dnowext 3dnow eagerfpu 3dnowprefetch vmmcall

PCI

00:01.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] Host Bridge (rev 30)
00:01.1 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Geode LX Video
00:01.2 Entertainment encryption device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Geode LX AES Security Block
00:0d.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8100/8101L/8139 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter (rev 10)
00:0e.0 Network controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6655 WiFi Adapter, 802.11a/b/g
00:0f.0 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] ISA (rev 03)
00:0f.2 IDE interface: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] IDE (rev 01)
00:0f.3 Multimedia audio controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] Audio (rev 01)
00:0f.4 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] OHC (rev 02)
00:0f.5 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] EHC (rev 02)

Disassembly

You remove the two screws holding the back panel to the case and then the circuit board (complete with panel) can be slid out of the housing.

The circuit board is fitted with a pad below the CPU which I assume is there to assist with transfer of the heat from the circuit board/cpu to the case. As it's slightly tacky it doesn't exactly help with the 'slide' bit - tho' some of my examples show traces of a silicon(?) fluid that was used to provide some lubrication.

Hardware Revisions

The RBT-820s I got came as a batch of eight. Within the eight there were three revisions of the circuit board. The more obvious variations are detailed below:

Expansion

As usual, clicking on the photo (right) will take you to a larger scale photos of the top and bottom of the circuit boards.

The case is compact in size so there is little space to fit anything internally.

Flash: The Flash memory is replaceable. It's a DOM plugged into a standard 44-pin IDE connector.

RAM: The RAM is a conventional 200-pin SODIMM plugged into a socket fitted on the top of the board. Two of my samples were fitted with 128MB of RAM, the remaining six with 256MB. They were PC2700 SODIMMs. I successfully tried out a 512MB PC2700 SODIMM I had to hand.

Wireless: The units were fitted with an internal Mini PCI b/g wireless adapter. These were VNT6655AM modules.

JLPC1: There is a 20-pin strip-line connector labelled JLPC1. I don't know what this is for and haven't attempted to see where the PC traces go.

Links: There are two sets of links on the board. JP1 sets how the unit recovers from a power failure and JP2 whether 3.3V or 5V is available on the IDE interface. There is a silk-screened explanation of the settings on the circuit board. There are small differences between the hardware revisions. The photo shows those from the V2.4 circuit board.