RB-Quick Start Guide

RuggedBoard Features

Specifications

Before starting to work with RuggedBoard you have to understand the interfaces available with RuggedBoard.

RB-i.MX6UL

Specifications:

• Processor: NXP-i.MX 6 UL

• SOM: phyCORE-i.MX 6UL

• Processor Architecture: ARM-Cortex A7

• Clock Frequency: 686 MHz

• OS Build: Yocto Linux

• Kernel-Version: Linux Kernel 4.9

• RAM: 512MB

• ROM: 512MB NAND Flash

• Temperature Range: - 40° to + 85°C

• Industrial Interfaces:

• 1x CAN

• 1x RS485

• 1x RS232

• 8x D I/O

• 1x Ethernet (10/100)

• 2x USB

• GPIOs (Number Configurable)

• Standard mikro-BUS

• 1x mPCIe

• 1x SIM and SD card slot

• Expansion: I2C, SPI, UART, PWM

Block Diagram

Setup your host System to work on RuggedBoard

Components Required

• RuggedBoard - i.MX6UL

• USB to microUSB cable

• A PC/Laptop (Windows or Ubuntu OS)

Linux Host

Installing Ubuntu

Host PC requires Ubuntu-20.04 , 64-bit. To install Ubuntu, follow the below link :- To install Ubuntu, follow the below link - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

After successful installation let us start working with Linux – Ubuntu OS

Step 1: Open an application on your computer called “Terminal” by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T

$ sudo apt-get update

$ sudo apt-get upgrade

Fig: Ubuntu Terminal Window

Step 2: In terminal, type the following for testing of internet and press Enter.

sudo apt-get install iputils-ping
ping www.google.com

Fig: internet checking log Terminal Window

Make sure your PC has internet connectivity. If there is no internet please connect to internet and the try again.

Step 3: Install minicom Serial terminal on the host PC to see RB Console.

sudo apt-get install minicom

Step 4: Connect the RuggedBoard to the HOST PC using USB cable provided inside the Box.

Configure Minicom Serial Terminal

Step 5: To find your Serial Port

dmesg | tail

You should see something like

[ 3158.820281] usb 2-1.3: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0

The port number (ttyUSB0) may vary based on your PC port availability.

If nothing such is shown in the terminal remove and reconnect the USB cable. Now try the command once again.

Step 5: To configureminicomto be used as a Serial terminal by using below command

sudo minicom –s 

Fig: Minicom Configuration menu

Step 6: Select "Serial port setup" and press the respective key as shown below to change the value.

Serialdevice : /dev/ttyUSB0 (Press “A” to modify the device and Press "Enter" to save it)
 
Baudrate : 115200 8N1 (Press “E” to modify the Baudrate and Press "Enter" to save it)
 
Hardware Flow Control : No (Press “F” to modify the Hardware Flow Control and Press "Enter" to save it)
 
Software Flow Control : No (Press “G” to modify the Software Flow Control and Press "Enter" to save it)

Fig: Minicom Configuration menu

step 7: Press the "Enter" on "Save setup as dfl", it will save the modified settings as default and press "Enter" on "Exit".

Step 8: Press “Enter” once the minicom terminal window shows up. It will ask you to enter login credentials if everything is successful. Type "root" as login username and press "Enter". There is no default password for RuggedBoard.

Fig: board login prompt

Windows Host

Step 1: Visit the link below to download suitable version of Putty terminal.

https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html

Step 2: Install Putty with the default configuration.

Step 3: Connect the USB to micro-USB cable to a windows PC and RuggedBoard-i.MX6UL respectively.

Once the cable is connected, will be prompted with a USB connected sound on your host PC. But at this point you will not see any mass storage symbol in task-bar/File Manager.

Step 4: Go to Start Menu and Type

device manager

This will Launch device manager of your Host PC. Device manger shows all the device and Devices Connected on the PC.

Step 5: Look for COM port as shown in the image below. Mostly you should look for Ports (COM & LPT).

Your device will be displayed as USB Serial Port (COMx). Here x means the COM port number. In my case its COM8

Fig: Device Manager and Putty Configuration Window

Step 6: Open Putty.exe installed recently. Click on Serial and replace the COM port with your COM port shown in device manager seen in Step 5. Set the speed as 115200 and click “Open”.

Step 7: Press “Enter” once the terminal window shows up. Type “root” as login username and press enter. There is no default password for RuggedBoard

Fig: login to rugged board

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

This section is under Development. Keep Following ...