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Onion Omega2 IoT Computer for $14.75 Shipped @ Core Electronics: 580MHz MIPS CPU, Wi-Fi, 64MB DDR2 DRAM & 16MB Onboard Storage

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Onion Omega2 IoT Computer for $14.75 Shipped @ Core Electronics: 580MHz MIPS CPU, Wi-Fi, 64MB DDR2 DRAM & 16MB Onboard Storage
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AssociatedCoreElectronics on 19/10/2017 - 14:28 core-electronics.com.au (484 clicks)
Last edited 19/10/2017 - 16:12 by 2 other users

If you've never heard of Onion Omega2, then here's the TL;DR: they're a tiny light-weight computer with lots of onboard features.

Getting started guide https://wiki.onion.io/get-started

Note you might be up for an extra $14-28 for a dock: While you could build your own, it would be best to get a dock if you don't have one already. Once you have one dock, you can use that to flash / maintain your Omega's. https://core-electronics.com.au/search/?q=onion+dock

Bear in mind that the $3 shipping method can be a bit slow and has no tracking (4+ days). Faster options available, starting at $6.95 with full tracking etc.

The slightly longer version: The Omega2 IoT computer is one of Onion’s Linux-based WiFi development boards designed to enable makers of all skill levels to build connected hardware applications. Plug in your Omega, and it will boot the operating system right away, allowing you to develop in your favorite programming language, create web applications and interface with a variety of hardware with minimal time and effort spent getting started.

More details on the product page https://core-electronics.com.au/onion-omega2-iot-computer-41…

Computing Internet of Things Omega Onion Single Board Computer

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closed Comments

  • syousef on 19/10/2017 - 14:35
    +4

    "Plug in your Omega"

    Do you want to at least tell people what else they need to get to get started? I mean but this on its own and you have a pretty looking microchip. Maybe even put together a starter's kit?

    "The Onion Omega boards we carry are separated into three different categories: Mainboard, Dock and Expansion Board. This board falls into the Mainboard category, which means it is highly encouraged that you pick up a Dock since the Onion Omega utilizes a 2mm header instead of a standard 0.1"."

    I'm still not sure what I need to buy or what it's going to cost so I don't know if this is a bargain. How does it compare to a Pi?

    • Squidmcsproggen on 19/10/2017 - 14:37
      +6

      i think you need to plug it into a apple or banana

      • syousef on 19/10/2017 - 14:39
        +10

        Potato clock for the win!

        Edit: Oh no. Downvoted. Someone doesn't have a sense of humour.

      • Andoes on 19/10/2017 - 14:48
        +1

        I have read that you can only hook this up to an onion router and if you are now careful a shady lookin ex-PM will take a cheeky bit outta ya hardware.

  • altomic on 19/10/2017 - 14:35
    +1

    here is a lot more information

    looks really good.

  • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 14:40

    It would be best to grab a dock of some flavour so you don't need to wire anything manually.

    Here is a getting started guide https://wiki.onion.io/get-started

    • syousef on 19/10/2017 - 14:43

      Do yourself a favour.

      Edit the deal to put the getting started guide in the text. It looks good enough to give people an idea of whether they want to buy.

      Also add a link to the dock, so people know what the total cost will be.

      • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 14:50
        +1

        Cheers, updated

        • syousef on 19/10/2017 - 14:58

          Much better.

          So am I correct that once I have a dock, and mainboard all I need in addition is a microUSB cable to power it? I presume it'll work fine from a 1 amp phone charger? (I ask because I have a few 1A chargers lying around that I've replaced with more capable ones).

          Also I assume the typical choice is between power dock (versatility) and mini dock (size)? Any advantage to the Arduino dock over the power dock if you're not using Arduino?

        • 4wd on 19/10/2017 - 15:39
          +1

          @syousef: I have both docks, Power and Mini - got them at the time I backed the original Omega on Kickstarter.

          When I got it I had a play:
          https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/8952/53120/pc161559.jp…

          Now it sits in its box in the cupboard … but there is hope for it, I only just found a use for my RasPi2 that's been sitting around for 4 years.

        • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 18:17

          @syousef: Personally, I'd go with the Power Dock or the Breadboard Dock. Both are good value, and the Breadboard Dock gives you a lot of freedom to prototype if that's your preferred method of experimenting with circuits (sure is mine!)

          It'll work just fine from a 1Amp charger (500mA would be fine). That doesn't mean it's power hungry, there are various power modes you can work with.

          Overall, Omega is a great utility board for digital electronics. It'll no doubt soon become a go-to given it's price and availability.

  • pinkhandbag on 19/10/2017 - 14:45
    +1

    TL;DR: if you don't know what one is used for then you don't need to buy one

    • syousef on 19/10/2017 - 14:51
      +1

      It's a cheap computer for geeks to play with. You need to buy the dock and I'm not sure what else. (Probably a USB cable). Actually looks like a bit of fun. Reading around and the Raspberry Pi is twice as powerful and has HDMI but WIFI is an addon. Whereas I think for this one HDMI is the addon and you remote in or use a web interface to set it up. I can't be bothered reading more to be honest. I'm glad these things exist but the companies that make them do themselves no favours by trying to make them seem cheaper than they are (let's just tell you the price of the mainboard) but then making it harder to find info on how to set it up. If you're already an electronics and elec eng whizz having access to these is great. I bet they can be used for everything from simple science to building your own gadgets.

      • 4wd on 19/10/2017 - 15:28
        +3

        RasPi 3 has WiFi + Bluetooth.

        • syousef on 19/10/2017 - 16:10

          Thanks for the info.

  • syousef on 19/10/2017 - 15:00
    +4

    I'm going to up vote this whether I buy or not. While I don't love the original post, OP has been responsive. And bottom line is I wish there were more geeky science/electronics kits around.

    I know these things aren't powerful enough for media players. I wonder if anyone's using this kind of computer to make a tracking mount for astronomy.

  • punky on 19/10/2017 - 15:02
    +1

    If it can be integrated with Domoticz, i would place the order. It seems there is a chance.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/10/2017 - 15:02
    +2

    In b4 Tony Abbott…

    • Steptoe on 19/10/2017 - 16:23

      This is more than 2bytes

  • [Deactivated] on 19/10/2017 - 15:30

    ah finally - I accidentally bought the board for this. Now is the time to buy the actual onion !ta

    • Springfield on 19/10/2017 - 15:35
      +1

      Hope it doesn't turn out to be a lemon.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/10/2017 - 15:40

    Also - my 2 cents : this device is no where near Raspi; really for hobbyist or geeks who are testing things here and there. For a better and stable platform - I would always go with raspberry pi.

    • redcreek200 on 19/10/2017 - 15:50
      +1

      Your comment reminds me of the old ios/windows wars. I'm just glad Op has posted this deal. Never heard of it before, now I have choice :)

      • [Deactivated] on 19/10/2017 - 15:52

        true but there are significant differences in compute power and what it can do. Raspi have more onboard stuff (Bluetooth for example) than Omega. Omega has very good power dock which supports LiPo Battery charging etc.. but for average person who wants to run Media Player - Raspberry pi is the way to go; Omega can be used for special use cases or just for fun :-)

        • CacheHunter on 19/10/2017 - 22:03

          I too had no idea that this existed as an option before this post. Looking forward to receiving the memory card that I ordered a while ago from a Chinese site so that I can start learning about my Pi3. For a newb like me (the last electronics I did was putting together Jaycar and Oatley kits in the 80s and early 90s and programming in Turbo Pascal, BBC/Acorn BASIC and Fortran), all of these fruit, and now vegetables, are overwhelming. I was already struggling to figure out the difference between the raspberry and the banana etc.

          Is there a good beginner's web site anyone can refer me to?

    • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 18:32

      RPi and Omega are very different, and that's a good thing. Once you explore the Omega, it's features and accessories, you'll hopefully see why it's a good option for a range of maker electronics reasons. Plus, buy 10 of them… No limits! That's tough to do with some other SBCs

  • skwashd on 19/10/2017 - 15:50
    +3

    I've got a couple of these gathering dust in a drawer. I bought them during the kickstarter campaign. These boards aren't breadboard friendly and are fiddly to get working. For them to be at all usable you need to buy dock and expansion boards that go for around 10USD.

    For the same price you can pickup a Raspberry Pi Zero W, which is easier to get going with. The RPi community is a lot more established than the one around the onion boards.

    If you want a small breadboard friendly board the Particle Photons are good value for money. They're about double the price of the onion boards, but are ready to go straight out of the box. Once you factor in the price of the onion dock it is about the same price.

    My recent experience with Core Electronics was really bad. I'm still waiting on part of my promised refund. There are companies operating in this space that are ethical and there are some that aren't. I'd be thinking twice before dealing with Graham and co.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/10/2017 - 16:06
      +1

      I've used Amir @ https://www.iot-store.com.au/ in the past and experience has been very good. also Omega2 is available there for $12 (Excluding shipping)

      https://www.iot-store.com.au/collections/iot-mini-pc/product…

    • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 17:03
      +1

      It's a shame skwashd; we certainly didn't want this to unfold the way it did.

      I feel some background is needed here for readers: The reason for this coming undone was the limitation of the Pi Zero of one per order (a strict rule via the Raspberry Pi Foundation in the UK that we must adhere). While I helped pioneer the availability of Pi Zero in Australia, I certainly didn't want the limit of one per customer to come with it.

      Tens of orders were placed by you in quick succession, although we did advise this wasn't possible prior via web chat and email. Being refunded on that many orders would be naturally frustrating, I get it. We didn't want it to pan out that way. It's not by choice, it's a rule from the Raspberry Pi Foundation to keep Raspberry Pi Zero fair for the broader maker community.

      -Graham

      • skwashd on 19/10/2017 - 17:36

        Core Electronic's webchat team told me they could supply the required number of units. When I contacted the team to start the order Graham said they would only supply the required number of RPis if I paid twice the advertised price. We went backwards and forwards trying to negotiate a solution. Later in the evening I found a solution and placed orders via their website. Orders Core Electronics then cancelled.

        The order was for school students. I had a problem with the hardware we'd planned to use and needed a quick solution to the problem. While Core Electronics was claiming to care about education and makers they were trying to price gouge a small country school.

        Graham's attitude during this whole saga has been very disappointing.

        I found another Australian supplier who were happy to supply the Raspberry Pis at a good price. They arrived today. The kids will be happy on Monday.

        • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 17:55
          +5

          I am sorry that the web chat comment "the limit can be lifted for an educator" was misinterpreted. We were much clearer in the email dialog which followed: we needed an email from an .edu.au account to verify you were an educator. We get an overwhelming number of fake emails (from non .edu.au) claiming to be teachers - especially for purchase orders.

          I did ask for you to reach out to us via someone at the School given you didn't have an edu.au email; and the offer for Raspberry Pi Essentials Kit @ $25 (cost price) was just for you in good faith that it would help you out.

          We've had a clear misalignment, nothing can undo it. I'm honestly happy you are back on track, good luck with the project.

          We'll take your feedback onboard to help lobby against the Pi Zero limitation, notably the frustration it can cause in situations like this.

          -Graham

  • Crownanchor on 19/10/2017 - 16:11
    +1

    The Omega2+ is only a few dollars more and gives double the RAM and Storage, although 64MB and 16MB storage maybe sufficient for most projects. The microSD slot may come in handy though.

    • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 18:20

      They are splendidly priced for what they pack - I personally prefer the budget option for the type of projects I use it for. With that said, the additional horse power of the Omega2+ will certainly suit a lot of people. Plenty of both available.

  • bargaino on 19/10/2017 - 17:03
    +1

    It is a Linux computer designed specifically for building connected hardware applications. It combines the tiny form factor and power-efficiency of the Arduino, with the power and flexibilities of the Raspberry Pi.

    Think of it more as a turbo-charged Arduino-style device, than a Pi.

    • garage sale on 19/10/2017 - 17:14
      +1

      I have Pis and Arduinos, both in one would be great if it had the community and software support of the Pi or Arduino.

      It all seems to come down to community support and software hence why orange pi and banana pi though cheaper have less uptake than Raspberry Pi.

      • skwashd on 19/10/2017 - 17:43

        My experience with the knock off Pi hardware has been less than stellar. While they can be cheaper they are flakier and most RPi libraries need to be hacked to support these boards Time is money and you can save a lot of time using a RPi board.

        • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 18:25
          +2

          We'll make Onion as easy as possible to get started with. Much like our free Udemy courses where we've helped over 22,000 people get started with tech, we'll also do a workshop for Onion hardware https://www.udemy.com/raspberry-pi-workshop-become-a-coder-m…

          If you are local in Newcastle, all summer holidays we'll be doing free Onion Hardware Workshops; much like this year's 450+ people have participated in our Arduino and Raspberry Pi Workshops. On the quiet, there will also be Laser Cutting Workshops, so people can come down whenever to use our new Speedy400 for their projects.

          Expect to see a swathe of YouTube videos, tutorials and projects, as we always do for gear like this.

          Finally, hit us up on the CE forum if you have any tech issues, we're powered by full time makers and will walk you through those hurdles to get you back on track.

  • Krisjohn on 19/10/2017 - 17:54

    What's the bargain?

    Don't get me wrong, this is exactly the kind of gadget I convince myself I'd do something with, even when I know it's most likely to just get tossed in the same box as my "duino" collection. But is this a discount or a limited time offer?

    • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 18:29

      We've made it accessible for under AUD$15, delivered, tax included. Hopefully it's a great deal for people who are just starting out.

  • skwashd on 19/10/2017 - 19:58

    Core Electronics is not listed as an Onion reseller or distributor.

    • AssociatedCoreElectronics @ Core Electronics on 19/10/2017 - 20:07

      This is normal in the maker industry. After a couple of weeks we’ll be there.

      We were first approach by Onion during their Kickstarter to become resellers; I asked them to hold onto their hat until later in the year (when we had the elbow room to support the hardware beyond point of sale).

      First official import landed today; hence the offer here. Exciting times!

  • Grange Hermit on 19/10/2017 - 20:06
    +1

    Just to chip in here, while I'm not buying this Onion thing (no need for it currently), big +1 to Graham at Core Electronics, (I bought some Pi Zero bits etc from him). He's set up a new business, and he has put lots of effort and time into developing free resources (his Udemy and YouTube stuff) for people to learn more. So big 'thank you' to him; and no, I'm not in any way related to him or Core; just appreciative of a new small business trying to serve his market & customers better.

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