Custom Expansion Boards Now Available for Third Party COM

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 4, 2015 -- Gumstix, Inc. the premier provider of tiny Linux computers-on-module (COMs) for electronic manufacturers, educators and hobbyists, today announced support for third-party computing modules in Geppetto, its custom Design-to-Order (D2O) platform. In this initial release, Texas Instruments (TI) third-party Computer-On-Modules (COM) including BeagleBone Black, Critical Link MitySOM 335X and the Diva CPU module based on TI's Sitara AM335X processors - are now available for custom expansion board development. Second phase releases will support third party COMs such as 96 Boards, "Raspberry Pi" and Torodex Colibri.

The addition of third-party computing options to Geppetto allows designers to prototype with their supported COM of choice and design a custom expansion board online using drag and drop modules like the TIWiLink 8 combo-connectivity module (Wi-Fi + Bluetooth). After the designer completes their online design, they simply click to order a market-ready device. This is a significant advance in custom design options for engineers and makers at all levels targeting high volume production or single prototyping runs for the industrial, Internet of Things (IoT) or consumer markets. The Geppetto automated manufacturing cycle completes the PCB routing, fabrication, sourcing, component purchasing, assembly and board bring up. Automation of the supply chain reduces engineering and manufacturing time and cost. Custom expansion boards can be designed in a few hours, ordered, tested and shipped production ready within 15 days of order.

"We are excited to customize Geppetto for developers across multiple platforms. It's a game changing path to market for communities we admire as hotbed of innovative applications," said W. Gordon Kruberg, MD, president and CEO of Gumstix, Inc. "At Gumstix, our goal is to make electronic product design so simple and the ramp to production so rapid, that thousands of designers can launch marketable products."

Since developing Geppetto, Gumstix' engineers have used the design tool to create custom expansion boards for the DuoVeroTM and OveroTM COM series, both based on the TI) OMAP platform and utilized primarily in industrial design. Inclusion of 3rd party COMs such as BeagleBone Black, 96 Boards, and "Raspberry Pi" broadens Gumstix' support of the industrial IoT and DIY market, providing serious makers with the same rapid and automated production path to commercial and industrial markets that Gumstix has provided to over 20,000 customers worldwide.

"Having BeagleBone Black included in this powerful design tool supports our mission to promote the design and use of open-source software and hardware in embedded computing," said Jason Kridner, Co-Founder, BeagleBone.Org Foundation. "We are glad the BeagleBone community can utilize this new tool in their BeagleBone Black development projects."

Future releases will continue in November and throughout 2016 as Geppetto expands its current 100+ module library with 3rd party and new Gumstix modules and COMs.

Geppetto is a free online design tool and allows users to compare module cost during design, create multiple projects and share ideas. Gumstix engineers verify all Geppetto-manufactured devices before production. The initial manufacturing cost is $1999 with reduced rates for quantity discounts, repeat board spins and no minimum order requirement. The per-unit parts costs vary by design and are additional. All Gumstix products and quantity discounts are available at the Gumstix online store.

About Gumstix, Inc.
As a global leader in hardware design and manufacturing solutions, Gumstix, gives its customers the power to solve their design, business, and environmental challenges with Geppetto -- the online design-to-order system-- and a broad portfolio of small computers and embedded boards. In addition to engineers and industrial designers, Gumstix helps students, educators, and makers unlock their creative ideas to bring them to market. Since we pioneered the concept of an extremely small computer-on-module (COM) with a full implementation of Linux in 2003, the company has grown to support over 20,000 diverse customers and is listed in 100+ patents and cited in over 2,200 articles. Our systems have launched some of the world's coolest products - from phones to drones - on commercial, university, and hobbyist workbenches in over 45 countries. For more information, visit www.gumstix.com.

About the Texas Instruments Design Network
Gumstix, Inc. is a member of the TI Design Network, a premier group of independent, well-established companies that offer products and system-level design and manufacturing services complementing TI's semiconductors to a worldwide customer base to accelerate product innovation and time-to-market. Network members provide product design, hardware and software system integration, turnkey product design, RF and processor system modules, reference platforms, software development, proof-of-concept design, feasibility studies, research, certification compliance, prototyping, manufacturing, and product life cycle management. For more information about the TI Design Network, please visit http://www.ti.com/designnetwork.