51

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

I need a real off switch - unless the reset switch does this instead of restarting.  If on battery it needs a way to go into recharge only and back to running.

Also, there seems to be a limit of 3 extended partitions on the mmc.  It might be some partitioning hiccup though.

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

I don't have a Hacker Board yet but I have been playing with the C1 for a while.  I won't need the Arduino connector headers as the expansion header on top will do just fine.  I would like to see more RAM though; 256MB or more would be nice.

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

tz wrote:

This might be the archive used for the original microSD image for the hackerboard:
http://forum.chumby.com/viewtopic.php?pid=31177#p31177
I mounted it via loopback on my linux and it has the broken (overlapping) partition table.
Fixing the first allows gparted to be used to move and resize all but the first partition.

What is the format of the first partition, and could it be made smaller besides just being fixed?


Please note that this is the version 1.0 hardware revision 9

54 (edited by tz 2010-10-10 08:17:48)

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

SUMMARY WISHLIST

Double the RAM to 128MB or larger if at all possible - though I don't think the chips exist now so it might not be - there a many router/network/cache projects that work better with more space and swap helps but is slow.

For the LiPo: add a 10k with a solder bridge or stuff option or 2 pin 0.1" socket so if the battery doesn't have a thermistor I don't need to hack cables, just connect an external thermistor or a 10k - if it does have a thermistor, just route to the pin; for the actual battery connection change to the more common 2 pin JST, or use 0.1".  Maybe a connector as: GND THERM PLUS GND.

Add a 2 pin 0.1" connector paralleling the white reset switch so it can be made external or remote.

For mic and speaker - 0.1" posts or sockets or just run them to the 40 pin (make it a 50 pin if needed).  Right now I have to hope Sparkfun or someone else has chumby refurb parts.  No two connectors are the same, nor are they something easy to find.  I didn't have any problem with the serial console because it is standard.  You have this kind for the knob, pwm and A/D.

So basically everything should be a 0.1" connector except the LiPo which might be a 2 pin JST with a 0.1" for an optional thermistor.

And to add, a 0.1" perf board (like the upcoming VGA board) should be able to mate with all the connectors - maybe replace the pins with sockets so anyone could take a standard 0.1 perf board, add pins in all the right places, and connect to everything.  (avoid the Arduino shift).

55 (edited by tz 2010-10-11 17:11:55)

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

My attempt at fedora rootstrap scripts - incomplete as I'm still verifying some of the internal settings, but it will get things started.

http:://www.zdez.org/chumstrap.tgz

1. Expand /mnt/storage to be at least 2G or use a USB stick at least that size.

2. Establish a good internet connection.  This will download a few hundred megabytes.

3. Untar the above into the target partition.

4. Run "getfedora.sh", and wait.  Maybe start it late before going to bed smile.

It downloads and untars the rootfs, moves the files into it, chroots and run yum to install the packages.

To run things after it finishes, do "chroot rootfs-f12", then run fedorastart.sh inside the chroot to set the environment up there.

There will likely be another archive with my config files or a post-shell-script to finish the setup and add the configuration I've already done.

Not all things are configured for the chumby just after installation (I'm testing and going through it so it might be a while), so there will be an update, but you can start downloading now.

It includes C and the Qt libraries (maybe not enough to compile the webkit browser).  It doesn't include firefox, but you can do a "yum install firefox" after X is up.

56

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

This part is non-fedora but another piece in my quest for an instrument cluster

http://wwww.zdez.org/acceldemo.tgz - www and cg-bin files.  HTML5 canvas webapp that displays a square based on the accelerometer reading.

First pass proof of concept, but it moves or resizes (z axis) as I tilt or move the board.  Works on firefox, Android, and iOS safari.

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

--- Repost from it's own thread as I think this should be fixed for the next hacker board... ---


Help!!

SPI is a most important port for many boards and both MX23 SSP ports can't be used for SPI!!

- SSP1 is used for the SD card heavily used by the kernel.
- SSP2 is mostly there *except* for the SSP2_CMD (GPMI_RDY1/J6) which becomes SPI2_MOSI during SPI mode.

Please consider bringing SPI2_MOSI out to a header!!  (Right now it's not even fanned out from the BGA ball = can't use it)

  Jean-Pierre

58

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

Two more things - the rotary encoder, and the "bend sensor".  How do I read them, or are they already implemented so I just have to do a read from a device?  The encoder is standard, but I can't find info on the bend sensor - is it just a switch or something more?

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

The bend sensor is the same as clicking the 5-way switch.  It shows up as /dev/input/by-id/soc-noserial-event-kbd.  The rotary encoder shows up as a joystick as /dev/input/by-id/soc-noserial-event-joystick.

60 (edited by tz 2010-10-13 16:34:50)

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

The fedora script kit above is working well.

You can replace the initial wget and download the rootfs manually, and the package list files from the same site from:
http://ftp.linux.org.uk/pub/linux/arm/f … /(package) and copy them to var/cache/yum/arm5tel/\$releasever/fedora/packages/ so yum won't have to (or do it on one board and copy out the set).  $releasever gets renamed to "12" when yum runs and installs.  You need to do the install as it does scripts that set things.  But for now, the script and yum will download what is needed.

The only thing I had to do so far to get the fedora working completely is to set a vnc password:
(path is /root/.vnc/passwd in the fedorastart script).
mkdir /root/.vnc
vncpasswd /root/.vnc/passwd
(enter and verify password).

(After the base installation, running "fedorastart.sh" brings everything else up - you might want to add wifi init too; the X server comes up, avahi, bluetooth, even VNC, but you can't get it without creating and using a password)
The fedorastart might have an old version using a swap partition, if it says "swapon /dev/mmcblk0p7", change it to "swapon swapfile", or create the swap partition and remove the swapfile.

Note that only ssh as a service is published for Bonjour.  For web service, you need to do "avahi-publish -s ChumbyWeb _http._tcp 80 &", and _rfb._tcp 5900 for VNC, but that doesn't affect the dns, i.e. http://chumby.local, only bonjour browsing.

61 (edited by tz 2010-10-13 17:37:02)

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

To revise and extend the changelist from an earlier post:

I should have said the 18 pin connector to make bigger or add signals instead of the LCD 40 pin, but still things should be on a 0.1" grid.  Think "chumby shields".

I would leave out the 5way switch and accelerometer (maybe as a stuff option, but I'd rather the board be a bit cheaper, and for most things with an accel, I'd add compass, temp and baro and gyro, and the switch isn't in a good place, but there may be no good places, so just break them out to a connector - I would probably use a blackberry trackball as a mouse replacement if anything, but it too would be external, so i2c or spi or USB..).

I already mentioned use the same connector(s) for mike, battery, etc., change the LiPoly connector, drop the Arduinos.

There should also be a parallel 5v connector with the main 5v2a input.  Or maybe change it to or add a mini or micro USB for power if those can handle 2A (they should).  Or (probably too late) change the input to a switcher that can take anything from just below 5v up to 14+v as input.

And again, for I2C use the current mirrors with 10k resistors (and maybe a stuff option for another resistor in parallel if it needs to be lowered).  Newhaven Display has several nice and inexpensive I2C chip-on-glass I2C LCD displays, but they can't drive very much current, and I never got them to work with 3.3k, but only 10k - but other peripherals needed sharper edges and the current mirrors allowed everything to work.

62

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

One thing missing is either a high speed timer or high speed IO (or get SPI2 working).

I have an app where I need to measure pulse widths of 64uS to 200uS.  I can do it with many AVRs but then how do I get the data to the Chumby?  Or a GPS?  The serial port is allocated for the console.  I2C is a bit slow for the higher rates.  Maybe bitbang the SPI?  I can add a USB UART or other device, but that seems like overkill.  I would prefer another UART or two to an accelerometer (maybe even USB like the Atmel on the new Arduinos or an FTDI).

63

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

With the second SPI, you could put a second microSD socket or at least break that out so it would be easy to put an SD on it.  The EyeFis will send valid jpegs over wireless (I was doing it with an AVR).

64

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

I now have bluetooth keyboard and mouse under X in my fedora rootfs.  Of course I have things like serial ports (for gps, etc), and am working on audio

65 (edited by ekrem 2010-12-01 06:12:44)

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

Hi

some times I am using the hacker board whit 3.7 v lion batt.

when connected 5v adapter is the hacker board charging the lion batteries itself ?

thank you for your replies

answer from me  when tied yellow cable to gnd whit 10k resistor charge is on

66

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

The first thing so far which I find BROKEN!!!.  I can't build kernel modules for the hacker board.  There is NO kernel source which builds the IDENTICAL binaries (this is required by the GPL!), the /lib/modules/2.6.../build directory points into a nonexistent directory (which is all I would really need).

I rebuilt the kernel source pointed to around here with the falconwing tools also from here, and it builds a DIFFERENT BINARY!!!.  I can't build a kernel module for the rtl8188 USB module that works - it says the module format is invalid when I try to load it.

WHERE IS THE SOURCE? - The complete source to the actual binary or the complete build directory to ANY SD image - the one distributed with the hacker board or any other that works with it?

67

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

I managed to get the kernel from the archive into the image so the compiled driver works (and that .config left bluetooth off but I'm fixing that).

Now I have the tiny Wifi adapter from DX working. http://www2.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.48166  (the customer images show the one on the board after I removed the plastic to expose the LED but before I put ShoeGoo on)

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2Y … directlink

68

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

Meritline has the EDUP and AirLink.  Both work with an updated kernel and driver,

EDUP doesn't show a green LED (without hacking).  There are steep discounts for 2 packs or higher.

http://www.meritline.com/11n-wireless---c-13694.aspx

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

Something easier to connect to for the power supply would be nice. I want to power a powered USB hub and the hackerboard from the same supply, and soldering wires from the power supply to the current pins is a little tighter than I like with my fire-starter soldering irons, and does not really lead to a mechanically reliable connection.

It would also be nice to have a bit better of an idea of the connection between the software devices and the hardware pins. I've had a hard time finding header files for getting to the "analog in" set of pins on the back. And that would really help with the analog sensors that are currently sitting next to my Chumb-hackey, but not getting read by the software thereon.

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

tz wrote:

I managed to get the kernel from the archive into the image so the compiled driver works (and that .config left bluetooth off but I'm fixing that).

Now I have the tiny Wifi adapter from DX working. http://www2.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.48166  (the customer images show the one on the board after I removed the plastic to expose the LED but before I put ShoeGoo on)

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2Y … directlink

Could you give me some pointers as to how you did this? What kernel did you use from the source section on the chumby site? and how did you compile the module? No real need for step by step but some help would be appreciated.

71

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

I think it was just the most recent mx233 from the ftp site, and the gcc toolchain (initially) from the ladyada wiki page.  I'll see if I can reconstruct it.

Re: Feedback on the beta boards

Happy to say I fixed it, yes downloading last kernel from http://files.chumby.com/source/, toolchain from ladyada, and compiled a new kernel and then the module, source from a link you gave somewhere.

Lot's of fun, my first embedded linux! smile Something else than "apt-get install this and that" smile