GRiSP 2 Brings Prototyping Support for Erlang and Elixer

A German-based development team, led by Peer Stritzinger (Erlang solutions for embedded systems), have introduced a second generation GRiSP board that offers native support for the Erlang and Elixer programming languages. The GRiSP 2 development board packs a combination of open source hardware and software designed for IoT applications, including home automation and industrial prototyping.

The GRiST 2 provides a myriad of new enhancements over the original — real bare-metal Erlang (via RTEMS RTOS), support for Elixer (via Nerves and Linux), increased CPU power, and better booting capabilities. It also comes with better tooling, improved I/O throughput, a more modular design, and backward compatibility with existing Erlang projects.

On the hardware end, the GRiST 2 is built around an NXP iMX6UL SoM, which packs an Arm Cortex-A7, 128Mb of DDR3 DRAM, 4Gb of eMMC, and 4K of EPROM. Communications bring Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n WLAN, and 100 Mbit/s via Ethernet port with support for IEEE 1588. It also features a host of debugging options, such as onboard JTAG debugger via Micro USB, JTAG / Trace connector for external debuggers, and serial port access through micro USB for console options (Erlang Shell/RTEMS console).

The GRiST 2 is even equipped with several ports for connecting Digilent Pmod modules that expand the board’s functionality, including OLED displays, different sensor packages, rotary encoders, and more. Peer and his team are currently crowdfunding the development board on Kickstarter, with pledges starting at $200 and up for the board, and expected delivery in October.