gentoo or linux on a cheap embedded device?

[liquiz]

Hello Everyone

Im planning a side project on my end that is basically going try an roll my own monitoring system.
I can probably purchase this for cheaper than Ill build it but whats the fun in that

What Im looking at duplicating is the following:
http://www.reefsplendor.com/pages/aquadyne/compsys.html

I can purchase cheap ($20-$30) prebuilt probes that have all the electronics on them. So I want to build something to convert the data from those cheap probes and inputs that data into a linux box. I expect that the easiest thing to do is build my own AD (analog to digital) converter and some sort of on/off circuit for each cheap probe that I buy.

The end goal is to have a cluster of probes that covers all the measurements I want. Ideally I would like to be able to have 10 or 15 clusters going into a single PC. I would like to have a webserver on the PC plotting the incoming information and a way to push that data off the system (email is fine here).

I figure if Im going to go down this road what I really want is a cheap in-expensive and small pc that has some sort of network connection on it. Preferably I would like USB along with serial on it so that I can hook up a cluster to it along with a serial x10 connector but the x10 is optional.

So does anyone have any ideas as to what might work to do this?
I spotted a thread on the NSLU2 which looks promising, especially if it has 2 USB ports since I can use one of the ports for a 128MB or 256MB usb flash drive.
Are there any dsl routers or printservers that would work? Something about buying used (cheap) parts off of ebay appeals to me for this project.

[tHe_IkkE]

I'm trying to get gentoo running on a cheap router myself.
I have just started so I'm long from finished but I use a edimax 6104kp router wich has 2 USB 1.1 ports, and a 175Mhz MIPS processor (ADM2150p) 16Mb RAM and 2Mb flashdisk. These devices are aprox. 40 euro's in the Netherlands.
You can go cheaper with a 30 euro model (6104k) but you'd have to solder the USB ports and some additional electronics yourself. (The parts are probably around 10 euro so I'ge gone with the KP model)
You can find some projects on the net (www.norocketscience.com for example) of people who have already started this.

Hope this helps you with your choice.
Beware though: This is an unsopperted hack so you have to know what you're doing.

[liquiz]

Wow, I had forgotten about tearing apart the files by hand and/or building them up.

I work with raid systems and one of the last ones I did for Adaptec was based on an Xscale processor that had a very similar arangement with the files.

So far the nslu2 is looking liek the best deal as far as price and whats available for it. I have my friend looking to see if anyone nearby has an edimax they are willing to sacrifice We tend to collect hardware so there is no telling whats around.

I suppose somewhere I should start documenting all of this stuff, since its not something one does every day.

Liquiz