computer science

Libre Computer Project

Libre Computer Project is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Libre Computer Project rather than just read about it. In short: The Libre Computer Project is an effort initiated by Shenzhen Libre Technology Co., Ltd., with the goal of producing standards-compliant single-board computers (SBC) and upstream software stack to power them. Hardware Libre Computer Project uses crowd-funding on Indiegogo and Kickstarter to market their SBC designs.

Key takeaways

Libre Computer Project belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Libre Computer Project to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Libre Computer Project from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hardware Libre Computer Project uses crowd-funding on Indiegogo and Kickstarter to market their SBC designs. The delivery and after-sales support was poor resulting in lots of complaints and dissatisfied funders. Active Libre Computer SBC designs include:

ROC-RK3328-CC (Renegade) The ROC-RK3328-CC "Renegade" board was funded on Indiegogo and features the following specifications:

Rockchip RK3328 SoC 4 ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.4GHz Cryptography Extensions 2G + 2P ARM Mali-450 @ 500MHz OpenGL ES 1.1 / 2.0 OpenVG 1.1 Multi-Media Processor Decoders VP9 P2 4K60 H.265 M10P @ L5.1 4K60 H.264 H10P @ L5.1 4K60 JPEG Encoders H.265 1080P30 or 2x H.264 720P30 H.264 1080P30 or 2x H.264 720P30 Up to 4GB DDR4-2133 SDRAM 2 USB 2.0 Type A 1 USB 3.0 Type A Gigabit Ethernet 3.5mm TRRS AV Jack HDMI 2.0 MicroUSB Power In MicroSD card Slot with UHS support eMMC Interface with 5.x support IR Receiver U-Boot Button 40 Pin Low Speed Header (PWM, I2C, SPI, GPIO) ADC Header Power Enable/On Header

AML-S905X-CC (Le Potato) The AML-S905X-CC "Le Potato" board was funded on Kickstarter on 24 July 2017 and features the following specifications:

Amlogic S905X SoC 4 ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.512GHz Cryptography Extension 2G + 3P ARM Mali-450 @ 750MHz OpenGL ES 1.1 / 2.0 OpenVG 1.1 Amlogic Video Engine 10 Decoders VP9 P2 4K60 H.265 MP10@L5.1 4K60 H.264 HP@L5.1 4K30 JPEG / MJPEG Encoders H.264 1080P60 JPEG Up to 2GB DDR3 SDRAM 4 USB 2.0 Type A 100 Mb Fast Ethernet 3.5mm TRRS AV Jack HDMI 2.0 MicroUSB Power In MicroSD card Slot eMMC Interface IR Receiver U-Boot Button 40 Pin Low Speed Header (PWM, I2C, SPI, GPIO) Audio Headers (I2S, ADC, SPDIF) UART Header NOTE: GPIO Header Pin 11 or HDMI CEC is selectable by onboard jumper. They can not be used at the same time since they share the same pad.

ALL-H3-CC (Tritium) The "Tritium" board was funded on Kickstarter on 13 January 2018 with the following specifications:

Software

Operating systems

Open source

Software Libre Computer is focused on upstream support in open-source software using standardized API interfaces. This includes Linux, u-boot, LibreELEC RetroArch, and more. A variety of open-source operating systems may be used on Libre Computer boards, including Linux and Android. Few to no binary blobs are used to boot and operate the boards.

Hardware Schematics and 2D silkscreen are available for all hardware. Design files are based on non-disclosure materials from SoC vendors. CAD files are not available.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Libre Computer Project

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Libre Computer Project claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Libre Computer Project before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Libre Computer Project ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Libre Computer Project

In research: Libre Computer Project appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Libre Computer Project in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Libre Computer Project is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer companies of China, Computer hardware companies, Microcomputers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Libre Computer Project outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Libre Computer Project in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Libre Computer Project means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Libre Computer Project out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Libre Computer Project in simple terms?

The Libre Computer Project is an effort initiated by Shenzhen Libre Technology Co., Ltd., with the goal of producing standards-compliant single-board computers (SBC) and upstream software stack to power them. Hardware Libre Computer Project uses crowd-funding on Indiegogo and Kickstarter to market…

Why does Libre Computer Project matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Libre Computer Project?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Libre Computer Project.