8 devices Carambola 2 Manual - User Manual

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Carambola

manual

Table

Contents

Introduction

.......................................................................................................................

Where

start

....................................................................................................................

Install packages to your PC ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Get latest sources .............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Get older revision ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Stable version ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5
More packages ................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Build image ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Connect

using

serial

cable

..................................................................................................

RS‐232 level ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
TTL 3.3V level..................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Software ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Start

terminal

.....................................................................................................................

Connection settings ......................................................................................................................................................... 9

Windows .............................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Linux minicom ................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Linux picocom .................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Other Linux uart settings and useful commands ................................................................................................. 9

Set

TFTP

server

............................................................................................................

Upload

new

firmware

Carambola

..............................................................................

sysupgrade ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12
mtd ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Serial connection only ................................................................................................................................................. 12
TFTP .................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Upgrading bootloader .................................................................................................................................................. 12
Web interface / LUCI .................................................................................................................................................... 12
Terminal programs for various OS, settings and usage examples ............................................................ 12
Carambola2 automated flashing (linux version) .............................................................................................. 12

Change

default

configuration

...........................................................................................

Change Network parameters .................................................................................................................................... 13
Cahnge default banner (welcome screen) ........................................................................................................... 13

Appendix

Cheat

sheet

...................................................................................................

Introduction

8devices Carambola 2 is a member of Carambola wireless modules family and is based

on Qualcomm/Authors AR9331 SoC. Carambola 2 is a surface mountable, single sided,
Wi‐Fi enabled Linux module, featuring the lowest power consumption in the industry.

Module comes bundled with an open source development board for a quick start of your
new Internet of Things era project. 8devices is providing OpenWRT linux distribution

source code with necessary patches on GitHub https://github.com/8devices and is
supported by our growing community on http://www.8devices.com/community forum.

Carambola 2 specification overview

CPU

AR9331, 400 MHz

Memory

16 MB SPI Flash with 64 MB DDR2 RAM

Frequency

2.4 GHz

Max output power 21 dBm

Wireless standard 802.11 bgn

Antenna (port)

U.FL connector

Power supply

3.3 V, power consumption 0.5 W

Interfaces

USB host/slave, serial port, 2 x Ethernet, I2S, SLIC, SPDIF, 23 x GPIO

Size

28 by 38 mm

Software

OpenWRT

Antennas

：

12dBi

omni

directional

antenna

Model

：

2400A-12

Gain-dBi

Manufacturer

：

Anteny24

3dBi

built

ceramic

antenna

Model

：

ACA-5036-A2-CC-S

Gain-dBi

Manufacturer

：

INPAQ TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

Where

start

Install

packages

your

sudo apt-get install subversion g++ ncurses-term zlib1g-dev gawk flex patch
openssh-server minicom picocom tftp tftpd gettext libncurses5 libncurses5-
dev unzip quilt git git-doc git-gui

Get

latest

sources

git clone https://github.com/8devices/carambola carambola cd carambola

Get

older

revision

For some reason you might wish to get older source revision. To see available tags execute these commands:

git tag -l

You should see something like this

carambola/v1.0 carambola/v1.1 carambola/v1.1-rc1 carambola/v2.0
carambola/v2.0-rc1 carambola/v2.1 carambola/v2.1-rc1 carambola/v2.1-rc2
carambola/v2.2-rc1 carambola/v2.3-rc1

In order to get older version, type this command (but this should be rare case)

git checkout carambola/v1.0

Stable

version

At this point (2012-11-11) stable version is

carambola/v2.3-rc4

. To get this version type command:

git checkout carambola/v2.3-rc4

More

packages

Edit file:

vi feeds.conf.default
src-git packages git://github.com/8devices/packages.git #src-git luci
https://github.com/8devices/luci.git src-git luci src-git
git://nbd.name/luci.git #src-svn packages
svn://svn.openwrt.org/openwrt/packages src-svn xwrt http://x-
wrt.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/package #src-svn luci
http://svn.luci.subsignal.org/luci/trunk/contrib/package #src-svn phone
svn://svn.openwrt.org/openwrt/feeds/phone #src-svn efl
svn://svn.openwrt.org/openwrt/feeds/efl #src-svn xorg
svn://svn.openwrt.org/openwrt/feeds/xorg #src-svn desktop
svn://svn.openwrt.org/openwrt/feeds/desktop #src-svn xfce
svn://svn.openwrt.org/openwrt/feeds/xfce #src-svn lxde
svn://svn.openwrt.org/openwrt/feeds/lxde #src-link custom
/usr/src/openwrt/custom-feed

Type

./scripts/feeds update -a ./scripts/feeds install -a

I suppose you would also like to add

luci

Build

image

If you wish you can change kernel settings, but at this time skip this step.

make kernel_menuconfig

Type

make menuconfig

You should see configuration window like this:

Let's leave everything untouched for now and and exit.

Type

make

for standard building procedure or

make -j 2

if you want to use more than 1 thread and you have more than 1 CPU core on your system. This process takes
long time (it took ~1 hour on 4 core machine) or

make V=99

if you need or want to see more details.

You should see build log like this:

Or if you feel really advanced, you can get email notification upon completing build proces. For this you need to
install and configure

email client

. After you are done, type this long command:

date > /tmp/text.txt; make -j 2 >> /tmp/text.txt; date >> /tmp/text.txt;
mail -s "done" email_where_to_send_report@server.com < /tmp/text.txt

If you wish to observe current progress on computer, type in another console

tail -f /tmp/text.txt

Connect

using

serial

cable

‐

232

level

It is best to connect to carambola using standard RS-232 male cable. Just plug cable to carambola, set 115200
8N1 settings without hardware flow control and power up your carambola.

TTL

3.3V

level

However, if you have TTL level USB to serial converter, you should do some soldering.

Remove J9 and J10 jumpers and connect FTDI 3.3V TTL serial to USB cable. J9.1 – RX(input), J10.1 –
TX(output). I used FTDI 3.3V USB to serial converter.

Software

You can use any

terminal

program you wish to communicate.

Start

terminal

Connection

settings

•

115200 8N1, no hardware flow control.

Windows

I recommend using

V-term32

(no need to install just unzip and run) or

TeraTerm

program.

Linux

minicom

TODO

Linux

picocom

picocom -f n -p n -b 115200 -i -r -l /dev/ttyUSB0
picocom -b 9600 /dev/ttyUSB0

•

Picocom

man

•

To exit, press and hold CTRL, A, Q.

Other

Linux

uart

settings

and

useful

commands

If you do not have installed

stty

you should get it by typing

opkg install coreutils-stty

To set options:

stty -F /dev/ttyUSB0 cs8 9600 ignbrk -brkint -icrnl -imaxbel -opost -onlcr
-isig -icanon -iexten -echo -echoe -echok -echoctl -echoke noflsh -ixon -
crtscts

To get options:

stty -a -F /dev/ttyUSB0

To read from device

tail -f /dev/ttyUSB0

Set

Windo

You can

Enable T

TFTP

set up TFTP s

TFTP server. Y

erver

server very qu

Your settings s

uickly using

should look li

TFTP32

sofwa

ke:

are. It is free.

Linux

If you wish, you can use linux machine to do the same task.

sudo apt-get install xinetd tftpd tftp
sudo touch /etc/xinetd.d/tftp
sudo nano /etc/xinetd.d/tftp

Paste this code:

service tftp { protocol = udp port = 69 socket_type = dgram wait = yes
user = nobody server = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd server_args = /home/tftpboot
disable = no }
sudo mkdir /home/tftpboot
sudo chmod -R 777 /home/tftpboot
sudo chown -R nobody /home/tftpboot
sudo service xinetd restart

Upload

new

firmware

Carambola

This topic covers few methods how to upgrade firmware on Carambola. Some methods require only serial
connection, some only LAN, some LAN and Serial. Also you might need to install/setup other software to
perform these tasks.

sysupgrade

sysupgrade

is best ever way to upgrade firmware. For this to work you must be connected to Carambola

terminal. It does not matter using Serial, LAN ir Wireless connection.

mtd

mtd

method is similar to sysupgrade. Use any one you like.

Serial

connection

only

Using

serial

cable is most dangerous one. There many things that can go wrong. Ensure you have good serial

cable (cheaper usb-serial adapters don't work), rock solid power supply and steel nerves :)

TFTP

TFTP

method to upgrade firmware requires you serial connection to Carambola and configured TFTP server

over LAN. Wireless connection does not work.

Upgrading

bootloader

If for some reason you have older bootloader and wish to upgrade, you must proceed

here

. It is even more

dangerous than upgrading firmware using serial connection only. If something fails, there are big chances you
render your module useless.

Web

interface

LUCI

This method is recommended for novices. Connect Carambola web interface, browse for firmware upgrade,
select file and press upgrade.

Terminal

programs

for

various

OS,

settings

and

usage

examples

terminals

Carambola2

automated

flashing

(linux

version)

Pyton based flash utility for Carambola2

Change

default

configuration

Change

Network

parameters

Edit:

carambola/target/linux/ramips/base-files/etc/config/network

Cahnge

default

banner

(welcome

screen)

Change welcome screen example

Edit:

carambola/package/base-files/files/etc/banner

Appe

If you are

eet

where to start,, reading this flow chart mig

ght be helpfull.

FCC Warning Statement:

Any Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could
void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference
will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

FCC Radiation Exposure Statement

This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an

uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with
minimum distance 20cm between the radiator

include antenna and

your body

Labeling requirement

The Host device of OEM integrator must be labeled with ‘Contains FCC ID: Z9W‐CM2’

IC warning

This device complies with Industry Canada licence-exempt RSS standard(s).
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference and (2) this device must accept any interference,
including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d'Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de
licence.L'exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes :
(1) l'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et
(2) l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est
susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement.

Under Industry Canada regulations, this radio transmitter may only operate using an antenna of a
type and maximum (or lesser) gain approved for the transmitter by Industry Canada. To reduce
potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the
equivalent isotropically radiated power (e.i.r.p.) is not more than that necessary for successful
communication.
This radio transmitter (identify the device by certification number, or model number if Category II) has
been approved by Industry Canada to operate with the antenna types listed below with the maximum
permissible gain and required antenna impedance for each antenna type indicated. Antenna types not
included in this list, having a gain greater than the maximum gain indicated for that type, are strictly
prohibited for use with this device.

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