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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">(Two important questions for members of the list in the end)</p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">The Alpha layout is now about half-done. A Russian company are contributing the layout work to the project, and are about to start the routing of signals. </p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">For those not familiar with the process, this means all components are chosen, all footprints are done, the form factor of the board is decided.</p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">We've chosen to imitate Intel NUC UCFF boards (4" by 4") in an attempt to be able to pick a case that is available from different vendors globally. We initially thought that the Akasa Newton S would be a good default case, but it turned out not to be for two reasons:</p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">1) it is much bigger than the NUC board, with funny extension cords for USB Type A connectors on the front (and we will use USB Type B since the Alpha is not a USB host)</p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">2) It has a huge heat sink integrated with the chassi. This heat sink is totally in the way of our FPGA/ARM since neither of them is as thin as the original CPU (0.76 mm!).</p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">We're now thinking of trying to get about 55 of the original Intel NUC cases, e.g. the one you get when you buy the board+case bundle known as NUC5i5RYH.</p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">Questions for the list:</p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">Does anyone on this list know someone at Intel that might help us out here? We can't find the cases alone available for purchase anywhere.</p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">Any suggestions for an alternative NUC case that is globally available and without fancy heat sinks getting in the way?</p>
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<p style=" margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px; -qt-block-indent:0; text-indent:0px; -qt-user-state:0;">/Fredrik</p>
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