Jan 07, 2010 9:49am GMT
To build the Angstrom distribution from source you need to set up the Openembedded environment. With help from the build tool Bitbake it can cross compile software for many embedded targets on a host PC. You will find Bitbake in the repositories of many standard Linux distributions. However I had some problems with the tool shipped in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala, so I just downloaded the Bitbake... more »
USB WoesJul 25, 2009 6:48pm GMT
[edit: this blog post is about the Beagleboard Rev B. As Jason Kridner points out in the comments, Rev C features two USB ports, so you can use one for host mode and the other as a USB slave] I have been using the Beagleboard with a terminal connection over the serial line for quite a while. But now I want to attach keyboard and mouse to use it as a standalone computer. For this I need a USB... more »
OMAP everywhereJul 06, 2009 5:20pm GMT
My preoccupation with the Beagleboard has made me more aware of ARM and in particular OMAP based hardware products. Even more so as I am very much interested in low power computing and rumour has it that ARM cores use a lot less power than any i386 architecture including Atom chips. In my view using ARM cores with an additional DSP (which can be seen as a kind of asymmetrical multi-core) is a... more »
...and there was lightJul 02, 2009 3:32pm GMT
I got mail! Snail mail, that is. It's a package from Lyon in the south of France where Texas Instruments' DLP subsidiary is located (did you know that the DLP projector technology is owned by TI? see Wikipedia for more). Peeling away the packaging layer after layer I finally get to the actual package that contains the micro projector. After opening it I grab something small and black, but it's... more »
Connecting to the worldMar 20, 2009 4:44pm GMT
Controlling the Beagleboard over a serial line with a terminal program such as Minicom is working just fine, but it's much more convenient to have a real network connection. For instance to update the Linux distribtion on the SD card without having to unplug it and plug it into a PC's card reader. There's just one little obstacle to overcome: The board does not feature either an Ethernet port... more »
Coming to lifeMar 05, 2009 5:00pm GMT
There are several options for running a Linux system on the BeagleBoard. The most common is the Angstrom distribution, alternatives include an Android port by the Embinux company, a custom Ubuntu, and maybe more I don't even know of. I'll go with Angstrom for now, others distributions will have to wait. The BeagleBoard has a card reader slot that can read SD and SDHC cards, so I am getting a... more »
A tale of a serial cableFeb 17, 2009 4:20pm GMT
Finally the BeagleBoard has arrived. Unfortunately custom offices are charging me additional US$ 30. Ripping the package open I am shocked: It's so tiny! On first sight I can't find the OMAP processor. Almost by chance I find the explanation reading through some web site. Following the PoP construction principle (Package on a Package) the memory chip is mounted on the CPU. A yellow... more »
