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Getting Started with the DM365

Steven Gutierrez
Prodigy 190 points

Hello. I have a few questions. First, is it possible to compress raw 640x480 video coming from a sensor using the DM365? If not, please don't answer my other questions. If so...

 

I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out what I need hardware-wise to get a board capable of just continuously compressing 640x480 video onto an SD card. All of the documentation seems to be geared toward the evaluation board and I'm not sure I understand some of the fundamentals yet. Specifically, I'm concerned about the on-board memories necessary to be able to program and debug the device. I know that the board can boot off of the SD card, but all of the documentation keeps making references to NAND, so I'm a little worried. Can someone please clarify what kind of memories I need in order to be able to boot off of something and get code/codecs running on the board?

 

Also, I could really use some help being pointed in the right direction as far as where to start with the software. I've tried ordering OMAP and DaVinci Software for Dummies, but I won't have it for more than a month or so, according to the order confirmation screen. I have experience with ARM processors and am confident that I can configure all of the registers and stuff to get the ARM system going, but I'm not sure how to interface that code with the codecs and this bootloader thing I've been hearing about. If anyone has a link I've missed or something, that'd be great.

 

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

  • 0
    Prodigy 150 points

    Hi Steven,

                     I don't have much idea about your first question..

                     But you can refer to this documentation http://focus.ti.com/general/docs/lit/getliterature.tsp?literatureNumber=sprab87&fileType=pdf to get a brief

                    idea about dm365 codec porting on linux.

    Regards,

    kirti.

  • 0 in reply to keerti patil
    Prodigy 190 points

    Okay. Thanks. If someone could help me with the minimum hardware requirements to get going, that'd be great. Thanks!

  • 0 in reply to Steven Gutierrez
    TI__Genius 9510 points

    Steven,

    As you stated the EVM board can be configured (via dip switches) to boot from SD card.  The SD card can be used to flash the nand device.  Afterwards your bootloader, kernel, and filesystem will be contained on the NAND and thereby you're able to switch from SD boot to NAND boot.  Subsequently this frees up you SD slot for storing your video.

     

    Please goto to the following link http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/Category:DM365

    The following topics are discussed in section "G"

    In addition,  a JTAG emulator (Blackhawk or Spectrum digital) is useful for debugging, especially when you migrate to your custom board. 

     

  • 0 in reply to Marcus Cooksey
    Prodigy 190 points

    Thanks for your help.

     

    Oops. I might not have been clear; I don't have an EVM board. I'm just going to go straight-out custom. There doesn't seem to be a good guide for doing this. You mentioned JTAG. Okay... I also understand that a fast DRAM is used for video processing. I get that I need NAND for storing the kernel and filesystem. I'm worried about other things I might need. For instance, I've got Code Composer Studio going, but don't understand how this relates to the linux and codec side of things. For CCS, I can use JTAG to communicate with the computer. For the linux side, don't I need either ethernet or USB? Is there anything else, hardware-wise?

     

    That brings me to another point: what software do I need to get up and running? I've got Windows XP running CCS and linux with the toolchain. Thanks in advance.

  • 0 in reply to Steven Gutierrez
    TI__Genius 9510 points

    First, If you're going straight to custom, may I ask what are you using as a hardware reference design and is it similar to EVM.

    Let's start with your understanding that NAND is require for storing bootloader, kernel and filesystem.  Assuming this is setup (via the SD card) you should be able to boot the linux kernel.  You may need ethernet if you plan to run NFS, or plan to tftp the kernel and Filesystem over ethernet, which is customarily done (refer to Getting Starting guided http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/DM365_Getting_Started_Guide).  This guide will explain how to setup the NFS and TFTP on you host linux server and target platform, setup DVSDK software and run demos.

    Of course this is based EVM so you'll need to translate any differences between your custom board.  For example your customer board may have the boot mode pins tied off and not configurable via dip switches.

    CCS is useful low level debugging (register read, memory dump, stepping through code on the ARM).

  • 0 in reply to Marcus Cooksey
    Prodigy 190 points

    Marcus Cooksey said:

    First, If you're going straight to custom, may I ask what are you using as a hardware reference design and is it similar to EVM.

    I've been consulting the EVM board schematics for reference.

    Marcus Cooksey said:

    Let's start with your understanding that NAND is require for storing bootloader, kernel and filesystem.  Assuming this is setup (via the SD card) you should be able to boot the linux kernel.  You may need ethernet if you plan to run NFS, or plan to tftp the kernel and Filesystem over ethernet, which is customarily done (refer to Getting Starting guided http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/DM365_Getting_Started_Guide).  This guide will explain how to setup the NFS and TFTP on you host linux server and target platform, setup DVSDK software and run demos.

    Okay. I'm pretty new to Linux in general. So, just to clarify, all I need is an SD card and NAND to get Linux running, right? Because I can do an SD card boot and flash the NAND? If that's the case, I'm wondering how it is that people post what seem like logs coming out of Linux. That requires some kind of connection between the board and the computer, right? Do you have any idea how this is done? I think that might be useful to have for debugging, based on what you say about CCS below.
    Marcus Cooksey said:

     

    Of course this is based EVM so you'll need to translate any differences between your custom board.  For example your customer board may have the boot mode pins tied off and not configurable via dip switches.

    CCS is useful low level debugging (register read, memory dump, stepping through code on the ARM).

    The board I'm designing has a switch between NAND and SD Card boot. Thanks so much for all of your help.

  • 0 in reply to Steven Gutierrez
    TI__Genius 9510 points

    Steven Gutierrez said:

    First, If you're going straight to custom, may I ask what are you using as a hardware reference design and is it similar to EVM.

    I've been consulting the EVM board schematics for reference.

     

    Marcus Cooksey said:

     

    Let's start with your understanding that NAND is require for storing bootloader, kernel and filesystem.  Assuming this is setup (via the SD card) you should be able to boot the linux kernel.  You may need ethernet if you plan to run NFS, or plan to tftp the kernel and Filesystem over ethernet, which is customarily done (refer to Getting Starting guided http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/DM365_Getting_Started_Guide).  This guide will explain how to setup the NFS and TFTP on you host linux server and target platform, setup DVSDK software and run demos.

     

    Okay. I'm pretty new to Linux in general. So, just to clarify, all I need is an SD card and NAND to get Linux running, right?

    Marcus Cooksey said:

    This is correct.  You may afterward what to setup NFS and TFTP so that you can easily transfer/or flash new kernel images.

    Because I can do an SD card boot and flash the NAND? If that's the case, I'm wondering how it is that people post what seem like logs coming out of Linux. That requires some kind of connection between the board and the computer, right? Do you have any idea how this is done? I think that might be useful to have for debugging, based on what you say about CCS below.
    Marcus Cooksey said:

     

    The output from the linux kernel is sent via serial logs, which is a connect from the target board and PC using a serial cable.

     

    Of course this is based EVM so you'll need to translate any differences between your custom board.  For example your customer board may have the boot mode pins tied off and not configurable via dip switches.

    CCS is useful low level debugging (register read, memory dump, stepping through code on the ARM).

     

    [/quote]

    The board I'm designing has a switch between NAND and SD Card boot. Thanks so much for all of your help.

     

    [/quote]

  • 0 in reply to Marcus Cooksey
    Prodigy 190 points

    How would I go about setting up the hardware to establish the serial connection? Can I connect a serial cable jack directly to the DM365? If so, where? Thanks for all of your help.

  • 0 in reply to Steven Gutierrez
    TI__Genius 9510 points

    Please consult the schematics for UART connectivity (see link below).  Of course, more is required that just setting up the connectivity.  You'll need to configure the UART.

    There are example projects for UART configuration (section DM365 EVM Target Content section)

    http://support.spectrumdigital.com/boards/evmdm365/revc/

  • 0 in reply to Marcus Cooksey
    Prodigy 190 points

    Thanks a lot, Marcus. You've been extremely helpful.