test of ALIX.3D2

[admin]

PC-Engines has provided me an ALIX.3D2 test system. ALIX.3D2 is a bit cheaper than ALIX.1D and has a smaller form factor. It does not come with keyboard/monitor connection it is a headless unit, as NSLU2. It has auto reboot after power comes up, no power switch, 2 USB ports, WLAN option and a native RS232. CPU is as ALIX.1D, RAM 256MB.

The unit does not have an USB stick boot option, so installation of software onto CF card has to be done a bit different (take file "meteohub-x86-4GB.rar" from USB stick, unrar to get "image.bin", put this via diskimage tool to 4GB CF card in physical disk mode).

As the unit does not have an internal buzzer I am working on a way to signal IP via LEDs attached at the back.

When tests are done, I will add this to the list of official Meteohub platforms. As there is also a range of outdoor cases available for ALIX.3 platform, which might be a very interesting option for situations where an outdoor placement is necessary.

[admin]

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[AAMFlyer]

Overall - were you pleased with this or is the 1d a better way to go....? My main priority is reliability and serial port....

How is heat also....any issues in an enclosed case - I would think you would want to drill some cooling - but perhaps there is very little heat?

Thanks as I'm trying to decide what to buy and the Alix versions are looking pretty good price wise right now....

Gregg

[skyewright]

How is heat also....any issues in an enclosed case - I would think you would want to drill some cooling - but perhaps there is very little heat?

Talking about the ALIX 1D (as opposed to 3D2):

I've not experienced any heat problems. It's in a fairly cool room. The case is barely warm to the touch.

It seems that the standard ALIX 1D PSU (or at least the model supplied here) is vulnerable to a poor mains supply. Over the first couple of weeks I kept getting unplanned shutdowns. I now believe that this was down to the PSU not being able to cope with even very brief blips in mains power (something that is quite common where I live). This despite the fact that the ALIX 1D was plugged into an APC Back-UPS. I found that if I 'pulled the plug' supplying the UPS the ALIX 1D crashed! The Back-UPS is of the type of UPS that rapidly switches in on need rather than continuously supplies its own sine wave. It seems that the PSU couldn't handle the change over (everything else I run on Back-UPS's is fine in these circumstances).

I think I'm the only Meteohub user to have experienced this, so it may be that it would not be a problem for you. The stability of our mains supply is admitedly very poor (electric lights flicker, etc.,) due to our location.

For the present I have moved my APC Smart-UPS (a higher grade model) so it that now feeds the ALIX 1D. The Smart-UPS passes the 'pull the plug' test, and so far so good.
In the longer term I'll probbaly look at finding a better PSU as I'd rather use the Smart-UPS elsewhere.

That aside, the ALIX 1D is a great device. :cheer:
Recalculation times and backup times are way faster than the NSLU2.

[admin]

According to PC-Engines ALIX.3D2 should be drawn by a 18V power supply. It could be that this one better handles power drops.

Both units are nearly the same. 1D has additional VGA and keyboard which gives the chance to login via console, when the unit does not respond on the network for any reason. 3D2 is a bit cheaper, has significant smaller form factor, has outdoor cases available, but no monitor and no keyboard interface. BIOS can be reached via RS232 connnected terminal, but is quite limited. But I did not find any things that should be tweaked by BIOS so far.

So it is more or less a matter of taste.

Both units don't heat up much. So drilling holes shouldn't be necessary. However, the full aluminium case of 3D2 should be more easy to modify than the steel case of 1D.

[skyewright]

According to PC-Engines ALIX.3D2 should be drawn by a 18V power supply. It could be that this one better handles power drops.

Thanks - I'd meant to mention that the 3D2 had a quite different PSU, and so might not suffer the same.

Also, with all the ALIX suppliers I have checked the PSU seems to be a separately priced item, so people are free to go for a compatible alternative to the 'standard' supply if they choose - checking around on the web there seem to be many to choose from!