Open Network Featured Article

Raspberry Pi may sound like a great dessert for a warm summer night, but for the technologically-savvy, it means a lot more than a tasty fruit pastry. It means great potential, potential SolidRun out of Israel used to great effect in recently creating its own open networking kit inspired by the technology.

SolidRun's new ClearFog system gives do-it-yourselfers a new platform from which to work, effectively going into competition against Raspberry Pi. With ClearFog, users will be able to essentially build a complete router system that's a match for any telecom offering out there, and all from off-the-shelf parts. More specifically, it calls on a Marvell (News - Alert) Armada 38x system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor, which uses a breed of open source software for its operation built similarly to the OpenWrt system.

The combination of OpenWrt-style operation and several connectivity options—including fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL) and Wi-Fi, among others—makes it possible to use in a wide array of use cases. Users can even turn the ClearFog Base system into an Internet of Things (IoT) platform by using a set of mikroBUS boards, which in turn allow connections to networking platforms like Bluetooth and Zigbee to enable connections to devices.

SolidRun's co-founder and technology leader, Kossay Omary, commented “We developed our ClearFog single board computer to take full advantage of the power offered by Marvell’s Armada 38x SoC and to give users a head start in engineering new products based on this powerful new platform. Our new ClearFog Base open development system is an ideal solution for those looking for a powerful SBC in a compact form factor, with a plethora of I/O options to serve a wide array of potential applications.”

Those interested can reportedly get hands on these for as little as $70 each, which will provide a fun time for technology enthusiasts and provide a handy new router at the end. I'm reminded here of a Dilbert strip where a date of Dilbert's suggested a pottery class, to which Dilbert replied sarcastically that he “love(d) acquiring unattractive dishware in an expensive and inefficient way.” While it might not be the most efficient way to get a carrier-grade router, it can be not only about the destination, but also the journey, and encourage more small-scale users to put this technology to work. There's also something to be said here about ClearFog as an educational tool; imagine this in high school or even college classrooms, with users putting together a router to learn more about the inner workings of said systems.

Whether for education or enjoyment, ClearFog is giving users a way to put together a powerful new tool for everyday communications operations. Whether or not it can beat Raspberry Pi in the market is a matter only time will tell, but it's certainly got a good base and a reasonable chance of finding a market.