CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

December 13, 2014February 13, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

How to Modify HDMI Output Parameters in Linux for ODROID-XU3 (Lite) Development Board

Good news, I’ve finally managed to make HDMI output in my ODROID-XU3 Lite development board work with the Ubuntu image after some more tweaking. So ODROID XU3 Lite Ubuntu review is coming in the next few days. But first, I’ll explain the few steps I went through, in case others experience a similar issue. I downloaded, extracted, and flashed the latest Ubuntu image to a micro SD card with dd to give another try at running Ubuntu on my board, but no luck, I still got that black screen, albeit the system boots properly, as I got the command line using the serial console. During my Android review of ODROID-XU3 Lite, I noticed the system would always revert back to 720p60 video output, and HDMI output settings can be selected in /media/boot/boot.ini with the following content:

ODROIDXU-UBOOT-CONFIG

# U-Boot Parameters
setenv initrd_high "0xffffffff"
setenv fdt_high "0xffffffff"

# Mac address configuration
setenv macaddr "00:1e:06:61:7a:39"

#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Basic Ubuntu Setup. Don't touch unless you know what you are doing.
# --------------------------------
setenv bootrootfs "console=tty1 console=ttySAC2,115200n8 root=UUID=e139ce78-984"
                                                                                
# boot commands                                                                 
setenv bootcmd "fatload mmc 0:1 0x40008000 zImage; fatload mmc 0:1 0x42000000 u"
                                                                                
# --- Screen Configuration for HDMI --- #                                       
# ---------------------------------------                                       
# Uncomment only ONE line! Leave all commented for automatic selection.         
# Uncomment only the setenv line!                                               
# ---------------------------------------                                       
# ODROID-VU forced resolution                                                   
# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1280x800@60"                               
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1920x1080 (1080P) with monitor provided EDID information. (1080p-edid)        
# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1920x1080@60"                              
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1920x1080 (1080P) without monitor data using generic information (1080p-noedi)
# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1920x1080.bin"          
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1280x720 (720P) with monitor provided EDID information. (720p-edid)           
# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1280x720@60"                               
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1280x720 (720P) without monitor data using generic information (720p-noedid)  
# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1280x720.bin" <strong>          </strong>  
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1024x768 without monitor data using generic information                       
# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1024x768.bin"           
                                                                                
                                                                                
# final boot args                                                               
setenv bootargs "${bootrootfs} ${videoconfig} smsc95xx.macaddr=${macaddr}"      
# drm.debug=0xff                                                                
# Boot the board                                                                
boot

ODROIDXU-UBOOT-CONFIG

# U-Boot Parameters

setenv initrd_high "0xffffffff"

setenv fdt_high "0xffffffff"

# Mac address configuration

setenv macaddr "00:1e:06:61:7a:39"

#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Basic Ubuntu Setup. Don't touch unless you know what you are doing.

# --------------------------------

setenv bootrootfs "console=tty1 console=ttySAC2,115200n8 root=UUID=e139ce78-984"

# boot commands

setenv bootcmd "fatload mmc 0:1 0x40008000 zImage; fatload mmc 0:1 0x42000000 u"

# --- Screen Configuration for HDMI --- #

# ---------------------------------------

# Uncomment only ONE line! Leave all commented for automatic selection.

# Uncomment only the setenv line!

# ---------------------------------------

# ODROID-VU forced resolution

# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1280x800@60"

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1920x1080 (1080P) with monitor provided EDID information. (1080p-edid)

# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1920x1080@60"

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1920x1080 (1080P) without monitor data using generic information (1080p-noedi)

# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1920x1080.bin"

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1280x720 (720P) with monitor provided EDID information. (720p-edid)

# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1280x720@60"

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1280x720 (720P) without monitor data using generic information (720p-noedid)

# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1280x720.bin" <strong> </strong>

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1024x768 without monitor data using generic information

# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1024x768.bin"

# final boot args

setenv bootargs "${bootrootfs} ${videoconfig} smsc95xx.macaddr=${macaddr}"

# drm.debug=0xff

# Boot the board

boot

I actually tried a few settings in my previous attempt but unsuccessfully. Now […]

December 13, 2014December 13, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 27 Comments

WeTek Play Android & Linux DVB-S2 / DVB-C/T/T2 Receivers are Now Available for 109 Euros

I reviewed Wetek Play Android media player with a DVB-S2 tuner this summer, and although I found it pretty good for a dual core media player, and liked its PVR functions, more work was needed to fix several bugs, and improve “WeTek Theater Live TV” app. Several months later, they must consider their devices ready, as they’ve now launched their online store selling the DVB-S2 and DVB-C/T/T2 versions for 109 Euros, and a version without DVB tuner for 99 Euros, all including free shipping worldwide. Let’s remind us of the specifications: SoC – Amlogic AML8726-MX dual core Cortex A9 @ 1.5GHz with a dual core Mali-400MP GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 4 GB NAND flash + 1x micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI, AV (CVBS + R/L audio) Audio Output – HDMI, AV, and optical S/PDIF Tuners – DVB-S2, or DVB-C/DVB-T/DVB-T2 depending on model with two […]

December 12, 2014January 7, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 48 Comments

MINIX NEO X8-H Plus Review

I posted pictures of MINIX NEO X8-H Plus media player a few days ago, and in this post I will report my impressions and testing results for the box, the first Amlogic S812 device I’ve fully reviewed so far, which adds H.265 video decoding up to 2160p, Gigabit Ethernet, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi to the original MINIX NEO X8-H. You can check my previous post for the full specifications of MINIX NEO X8-H Plus. First Boot, Settings and First Impressions The package includes both MINIX IR remote, and MINIX NEO M1 RF air mouse. I did not use the infrared remote at all, and instead I mostly used the provided air mouse, together with Mele F10 Deluxe air mouse when I needed to input text, or for comparison. NEO M1 comes with a built-in battery, and Off/On button, and can be used as a standard remote control, or as a wireless […]

December 12, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

PopMetal Rockchip RK3288 Development Board Features Multiple Display Interfaces (HDMI, VGA ,eDP, LVDS, MIPI), GPS and NFC Connectivity

Up to now, we’ve had mainly two development boards based on Rockchip RK3288 Cortex A17 processor: Firefly-RK3288 is a low cost development board powered by Rockchip RK3288 processor selling for as low as $140 shipped, and Radxa Rock 2, a more professional and expansive solution with dual Ethernet, 3G modem and so on. A third RK3288 board has now surfaced which offers a middle ground between Firefly and Radxa boards. PopMetal development board comes with 2GB RAM, 8GB eMMC, 5 video outputs / display interfaces namely HDMI, VGA, embedded DisplayPort (eDP), LVDS, and MIPI DSI, as well as the usual Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity, complemented with GPS and NFC. PopMetal technical specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad core ARM Cortex-A17 processor @ 1.8Ghz with ARM Mali-T764 GPU with support for OpenGL ES1.1/2.0/3.0, OpenVG 1.1, OpenCL 1.1, DirectX 11 System memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8 GB eMMC, […]

December 12, 2014December 12, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

PiPo X7 is an Intel Atom Bay Trail Powered “TV Box” Running Windows 8.1 with Bing

PiPo, a Chinese manufacturer better known for its tablets, has just listed PiPo X7 “Intel TV Box” on their website. This mini PC is powered by an Intel Atom Bay Trail-T processor with 2GB RAM, an unspecified amount of internal store, and running Windows 8.1 with Bing. PiPo X7 specifications: SoC – Intel Atom Bay Trail Z3735F up to 1.83 GHz or Z3736F up to 2.16 GHz with Intel HD graphics up to 646 MHz System Memory – 2GB DDR3L Storage – Internal Storage (Capacity unknown) + micro SD slot Video & Audio Output – HDMI Audio Output – HDMI and audio jack Connectivity – Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth USB – 4x USB 2.0 host ports Power Supply – 5V/2A Dimensions – 188 x 129 x 25.6 mm Weight 440g PiPo’s computer only comes with a power adapter. I always thought Windows 8.1 with Bing was a free […]

December 11, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 24 Comments

Boot Ubuntu (Linux) or Android from an SD Card on Rockchip RK3288 Devices

There’s already a method to boot Android from an SD Card on RK3188 devices, which should work with all Rockchip RK3188 devices. Ian Morrison (Linuxium) has now provided a instructions to boot Linux or Android from a (micro) SD Card in Rockchip RK3288 based devices, leveraging work from linux-rockchip community, and especially naobsd. The Android flashing method is slightly different between RK3188 and RK3288, because most Rockchip RK3288 devices make use of eMMC flash, while older Rockchip RK3188 products feature NAND flash, and it appears Rockchip RK3xxx boot priorities (in the BootROM stored in the SoC itself) are as follows: eMMC, SD card, and NAND flash. All that means is that an updated version of the bootloader is needed which looks for a bootable SD card, and although very unlikely, your device could end up being bricked during this procedure. This is not a problem for Open Hour Chameleon since […]

December 11, 2014October 11, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Mediatek MT8173 Quad Core big.LITTLE ARM Cortex A72/A53 Processor Code Submitted to Linux Mainline

[Update: MT8173 processor has now been announced, and it’s using Cortex A72 and A53 instead of A57/A53, as initially shown in the Linux kernel source code] Mediatek is not exactly known to compliant with open source licences, or be involved with the open source community. But the company is certainly going into the right direction with their cooperation with Google leading to source code release for Android One smartphones, and the recently launched Mediatek Labs for community projects, starting with LinkIt One IoT platform. Mediatek is also regularly submitting code to the Linux ARM Kernel mailing list, and yesterday code was submitted for Mediatek MT8173 SoC, a 64-bit ARMv8 processor with two Cortex 53 and two Cortex 57 cores in big.LITTLE configuration. As far as I know, it could be the first Mediatek SoC with “big” Cortex A57 cores. Code snippet from mt8173.dtsi related to CPU cores:

cpus {
+		#address-cells = &lt;1&gt;;
+		#size-cells = &lt;0&gt;;
+
+		cpu0: cpu@0 {
+			device_type = "cpu";
+			compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";
+			reg = &lt;0x000&gt;;
+			enable-method = "psci";
+		};
+
+		cpu1: cpu@1 {
+			device_type = "cpu";
+			compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";
+			reg = &lt;0x001&gt;;
+			enable-method = "psci";
+		};
+
+		cpu2: cpu@2 {
+			device_type = "cpu";
+			compatible = "arm,cortex-a57";
+			reg = &lt;0x100&gt;;
+			enable-method = "psci";
+		};
+
+		cpu3: cpu@3 {
+			device_type = "cpu";
+			compatible = "arm,cortex-a57";
+			reg = &lt;0x101&gt;;
+			enable-method = "psci";
+		};
+	};

cpus {

+ #address-cells = <1>;

+ #size-cells = <0>;

+ cpu0: cpu@0 {

+ device_type = "cpu";

+ compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";

+ reg = <0x000>;

+ enable-method = "psci";

+ };

+ cpu1: cpu@1 {

+ device_type = "cpu";

+ compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";

+ reg = <0x001>;

+ enable-method = "psci";

+ };

+ cpu2: cpu@2 {

+ device_type = "cpu";

+ compatible = "arm,cortex-a57";

+ reg = <0x100>;

+ enable-method = "psci";

+ };

+ cpu3: cpu@3 {

+ device_type = "cpu";

+ compatible = "arm,cortex-a57";

+ reg = <0x101>;

+ enable-method = "psci";

+ };

A short […]

December 10, 2014December 11, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 22 Comments

TV01II Android Media Player with Rockchip RK3288 Processor Sells for $53 (Promo)

I’ve been informed that GeekBuying is running a promotion for a Rockchip RK3288 TV Box called TV01II that normally sells for $75.99, but you can follow this link, apply PAYPALSALE coupon, and pay by PayPal to get it for just $53.19 including shipping by registered mail. [Update: The product is now out of stock]. TV01II specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad core ARM Cortex A17 processor @ 1.8GHz with ARM Mali-T764 quad-core 3D GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenCL 1.1, and DirectX11 System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB NAND Flash + micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI 1.4 up to 4K @ 30fps, AV port Audio I/O – HDMI, AV, and optical S/PDIF, built-in MIC. Video Codecs – MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4,H.263, H.264, H.265,AVS, VC-1,RV, VP6/VP8, Sorenson Spark, MVC 3800 x 2160P 60FPS Audio Codecs – MPEG1, MPEG2 (Layer I/II), MP3, AC3, E-AC3, AAC-M4A, WMA, M4A, […]