Basic Getting Started guide

Hi David,

Have you looked through some of the information on this site?

http://www.pandaboard.org/

Please keep us informed whether there is enough to assist you there or not.

Best Regards,

Lisa

Yes, I've been all over the pandaboard site - essentially, they provide the ability to download preconfigured images, store them on SD cards and run them on the target system using the RS232 interface as a unix window.  My problem is matching what they provide with what is necessary to run the basic demo video I found on the TI support page - the one about debugging code on the target platform.

That video loads the unix system and the application by NFS transfer to the target.  To use NFS, there must be something running on the target computer, so something has to get loaded via the SD card method, I presume.  I want o know how to get that initial configuration - is it by compiling something that includes the NFS server?  I don't mind struggling through a process of compiling, linking and uploading that original load.  All I need is the appropriate source files and some guidance on how the board gets booted.

Hi David,

ok, glad to hear you are familiar with that material. 

Have a look at the material indicated in this post and keep us informed whether it helps. 

http://e2e.ti.com/support/development_tools/code_composer_studio/f/81/p/121564/434948.aspx#434948

Best Regards,

LIsa

I read the post.  The first line was: "I am working with a OMAP3530, specifically with ARMCortex and an operating system linux running in the device. "  I don't have anything running on the device (A Pandaboard ES).  So my question is what do I need to get running on the device in order to be able to load files via NFS as the tutorials seem to indicate.

Hi David,

ok, let me get a colleague to help out here ... my appologies ..

Best Regards,

Lisa

Hi David,

I am still waiting on feedback from a few more expert colleagues.  However in the mean time, do you think this thread I found might help ...

http://groups.google.com/group/pandaboard/browse_thread/thread/742d9a25743a0352?pli=1

Best Regards,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,

first let me say that I really appreciate your taking the time to understand my dilemma, and to dig for answers. I am firmly committed to the integrated solution approach offered by this TI product, and while anxious to make progress, am not pacing the floor.  This project has been 10 years since its inception, mostly because we are having to wait for technology to catch up to our expectations. 

I will try to wade through the link you suggested, and I'll let you know if anything develops. 

Well, that link wasn't helpful.  It was all about environment configurations once the unix code is booted on the target computer.  What I need to know is how to get the unix running originally.  I had a thought - the debugging tutorial refers to a bunch of source code that is compiled and linked with the application code and downloaded to the target system via NFS.  Perhaps all I need is the technique for compiling that code without the application and getting it onto an SD card for the initial boot of the target computer.

Hi David,

ok, ... I do have a colleague who is more focused in this area and is going to try to get you the answer/information you need later today if possible.

Appologies, but unfortunately this is not my area of strength in this case.

Best Regards,
Lisa

David,

I was reading the thread and got a bit confused. Based on your first post you just want to be able to transfer your application between your host PC and your target board  so you can debug it using CCSv5, is that so?

If so, this can be done in multiple ways; either by copying the application file directly to the SD card's filesystem or by booting your board directly from a filesystem in a remote NFS server and copying your application file to the shared directory. 

The first method is covered in the site sent before by Lisa. For the second method Google is your friend: I found an interesting blog that talks about the process of setting up a NFS server and booting Pandaboard:

http://morschi.com/2011/08/17/booting-the-pandaboard-over-nfs/

Since the NFS server setup process is heavily dependent on the Linux distribution you are running on your PC, I also suggest taking a look at the specific instructions for the distro you are running. In the case of the popular Ubuntu 10.04 (supported by CCSv5.1) you can look at:

https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/serverguide/network-file-system.html

Unfortunately I can't help you much further with these aspects as they vary greatly from platform and Linux distribution and are not related to CCS itself. In any case, if that is not what you were originally asking, please feel free to let me know, ok?

Hope this helps,

Rafael

I think that will get me there.  I have just one question.  I'm currently running Ubuntu 12.04 on my host computer.  Are you saying that I need to downgrade it to 10.04?

OK, sorry to be persistent, but I just want to be sure.  My goal is to have a significant (>12) number of Pandaboard ES machines that boot Ubuntu from an SD card and run my code automagically.   With Ubuntu 12.04 on my host machine, I can use CCSv5 (currently, I have v5.1.1.00033) to do the development and remote debugging.  Does that sound right?

So I went back to my original point of confusion - the Design World video entitled "Training Linux Application Debug with CCS", and recognized the name of the instructor.  This is exactly what I want to be able to do. Being an educator, I won't hold you accountable for everything in the materials.  However, when the demo starts, you refer two things:

1. forcing the target machine to boot  ... what?

2. a specific SDK for the OMAP 3530 with the kernel source code.  Could you please indicate where to find that?

Hi,

David Smith1 said:

So I went back to my original point of confusion - the Design World video entitled "Training Linux Application Debug with CCS", and recognized the name of the instructor.  This is exactly what I want to be able to do. Being an educator, I won't hold you accountable for everything in the materials.  However, when the demo starts, you refer two things:

Thanks, I had no idea this training was hosted there...

1. I am not sure where this is exactly located in the video, but for "target machine" I mean the target board. Therefore what I probably mean is to make the target board to boot its embedded Linux.

2. Several devices have Software Development Kits (SDKs), which allow the developers to create applications and even build the embedded linux kernel, bootloaders, etc. I just found one forum thread that mentions such SDKs for OMAP4.

Other SDK examples can be found at TI website. For example, for OMAP3530 you can check here.

Regards,

Rafael

OK, I'm making progress.  I found a Debian distribution that actually boots and runs on the Pandaboard ES - at least, using minicom, I get the login prompt and can log in as a user or root.  However, I don't know what I need to look for in the somewhat sparse collection of SDKs.  In your demo video, you were running on a different board with the OMAP 3530 SDK.  There is no equivalent SDK for the OMAP 4460 that I can find.  In browsing the TI data sheets for the OMAP 4 platform, I find in swpt034b.pdf this statement:

"OMAP 4 platform comprehensive software suite
--------------------------------------------
In addition to the OMAP 4 platform hardware, TI also provides a comprehensive software suite that supports the leading mobile OSes and is integrated and tested up to the application level, enabling faster and easier development for end equipment manufacturers and application developers. Additionally, the software platform has been performance and power optimized for the OMAP 4 platforms to ensure the highest performance in customers’ products. The software suite allows OEMs and partners to spend their resources on differentiating their product at the user interface and application level while reusing most of the system platform software components directly from TI. The software components include:
 • Mobile OS drivers, BSP (board support package) and Base enablers
 • Pre-integrated hardware accelerated multimedia codecs with multimedia and UI/Applications frameworks
 • Pre-Integrated connectivity (GPS, Bluetooth, FM, WiFi) solutions as a single software package with system-level optimizations
 • System-level power management
 • Integrated 3D graphics and hardware based security framework
 • Integrated application suite and UI across multiple OSes
With mature, tested and validated software, handset manufacturers and applications developers will have faster development and will be ensured real-world use cases. Support of multiple mobile OSes on a single platform gives customers the flexibility to address multiple segments of the Smartphone and MID markets with minimal redesign."

That's what I'm looking for, isn't it?  Can't find it, though.  (sigh!)

Hi,

Yes, that would be. It seems there is no SDK for OMAP4460; however, check the thread below where one developer mentions some distributions that can be used with this board.

http://e2e.ti.com/support/omap/f/849/t/155859.aspx

Hope this helps,

Rafael

I'm sure you are as frustrated and disappointed as I am when a sales promise has been made that is clearly a. not available and b. not even on the schedule (both Rafael and the tech guy to whose thread he pointed me said "there isn't one" not "there will be one <at some date>).  Unless I missed something (which is entirely possible) the thread referenced is all about the 'stone tablet' approach of getting an image onto the 4460 and then hacking away with vi and gcc.  This won't do it for me.  I need an IDE that can create boot loadable images containing a stripped OS and my code, and comes up running my code.

Absent any hope at all of this happening, it seems I have to look elsewhere for a host platform.

I'm baaack!  I hate giving up on what is obviously the right way to do a job.  I'm in the middle of downloading the complete Ubuntu 12.04 source deck.  My question is this:  what else does it take to cobble together an SDK?  Seems to me that I need the following at least:

1. a means to compile and link for the target platform (OMAP4460)

2. user-level libraries that interconnect drivers with user applications.

3. Include filesfor those libraries

4. the ability to specify a start-up command after booting

5. A means to get the combined OS and user application onto an SD card the target machine can boot.

Any guidance as to where to get this stuff for the Pandaboard ES implementation of the OMAP4460 would be greatly appreciated.

David,

the easiest for you to get started with each of the items you have asked about is to use the Narcissus online build system:

http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/builder/

you can select the pandaboard as your system type. this will make generic builds for the root file system and if you select the option for SDK, will also create a cross-compiler toolchain for your system.

Dave

Thanks - I'm looking into it now.  Will report on progress.

Hi David,

have you made any progress? I am also intressted in your post. I have started with Pandabaord ES and now I am searching for possibilty to write code for it. I don't want to use an JTAG Emulator, so the best way to go is to have some IDE with create an executebale that I can copy on Pandaboard where Unbuntu is run on. Have yout tested the an Narcissus-Image? I build one but at this state it won' t run.

Greetings,

Juergen

Regrettably, I made no significant progress trying to find an IDE that would generate a bootable SD card for either flavor of Pandaboard using the TI tools or Narcissus.  I found a Gentoo community that seemed to have a good track to success, but was unable to get a basic Gentoo system to run on my host box.  My current plan is to attempt to use the Pandaboard target tools suggested by the Gentoo folks in the nice, safe Ubuntu 12.04 world.  I'm still working that angle.

Thats bad....I have now found a cross compile possibility. By using Sourcery CodeBench Lite, it seems possible to create application which can run on Pandaboard with Ubuntu. Perhaps, it is something for your...

Greetings

Juergen