stockwerk » Research

USB ethernet adapter 0xdroid (Android) configuration on the BeagleBoard

Boris Stock — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:37:50 +0000

If you’ve compiled the kernel with the correct drivers and enabled the general ethernet support correctly you should see the following entries when you type

netcfg

in the console:

lo    UP    127.0.0.1  255.0.0.0
usb0  UP    0.0.0.0    0.0.0.0
eth0  DOWN  0.0.0.0    0.0.0.0

The usb0 interface is the USB OTG ethernet gadget device (which is by default enabled in the kernel).
Now (do not forget to connect a network cable to your USB ethernet adapter and your router/switch) type the following commands in the console to configure the eth0 interface:

netcfg eth0 dhcp

This triggers the eth0 interface to get the IP etc. via DHCP (of course you need a router with DHCP enabled).
The eth0 interface now should have assigned a valid IP address if everything works like expected.

USB bluetooth and ethernet adapter support in 0xdroid (Android) on the BeagleBoard

Boris Stock — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:09:43 +0000

If you’re using a build of 0xdroid on your BeagleBoard, you might come to a point where you want to use an USB bluetooth dongle or an USB ethernet adapter instead of the USB-OTG ethernet gadget solution. USB ethernet and bluetooth support is by default enabled in the 0xdroid kernel, but you might have to enable some drivers for your USB dongle to get everything working as expected.

To easily change the drivers which have to be integrated into the kernel or have to be loadable as a module follow the instructions on the 0xdroid kernel wiki page.

The key to an easy kernel configuration is

$ make menuconfig

which gives you a graphical interface to configure the kernel and selected the wanted drivers. Store the custom kernel configuration as .config.

Then build the kernel with the following commands:

$ make ARCH=arm .config
$ make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=../beagle-donut/prebuilt/linux-x86/toolchain/arm-android-eabi-4.4.1/bin/arm-android-eabi- uImage
$ make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=../beagle-donut/prebuilt/linux-x86/toolchain/arm-android-eabi-4.4.1/bin/arm-android-eabi- modules

If the build fails, deactivate the support for the faulty driver.

Then copy arch/arm/boot/uImage to 0xkernel-beagle.bin, copy the file on the SD card along with the android-beagle.ubi system image and the installer as uImage (copy the installer uImage as the first file on the SD card, then all the others). Insert the SD card into your board and boot it. The new kernel along with the 0xdroid Android build should be flashed to the NAND of the BeagleBoard. Beware: Your current installation will be wiped!

Android (0xdroid, eclair build) running on the BeagleBoard

Boris Stock — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 10:22:30 +0000

After getting all necessary accessories and having everything wired up (aprox. 100 cables) I’ve compiled 0xdroid (a Android port for the BeagleBoard) from scratch and flashed it to the BeagleBoard NAND from the SD Card.

It compiled without any problems on my Ubuntu 9.10 virtual machine by following the instructions.

Now Android is up and running on my BeagleBoard connected (via HDMI) to a HP 22″ display.

More BeagleBoard accessories

Boris Stock — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:24:58 +0000

To be more flexible and to have more USB-ports available I’ve also ordered the following accessories at Reichelt:

5 Volt, 15 Watt external power supply

Wall plug/cable for the power supply

USB 2.0 4-port self powered hub (the beagleboard needs a self powered usb hub if you want to connect a lot of devices)

8GB SDHC Card (this is the actual “hard disk” of the BeagleBoard which I will boot Android from)

BeagleBoard accessories

Boris Stock — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:06:24 +0000

I’ve also ordered the following accessories to get my BeagleBoard up and running (all ordered at Mükra Elektronik):

USB-Serial Adapter (you can get the drivers for MAC OS X and Windows here)

Serial Null-Modem Cable (9-pin d-sub to 9-pin d-sub)

USB 2.0 Mini-A Cable (for connecting the BeagleBoard USB OTG port to my MacBook as the power source)

The BeagleBoard arrived!

Boris Stock — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:50:32 +0000

I’ve finally received my BeagleBoard which I’ve ordered at Mükra Elektronik (Shop Link).
It shipped two days after my order: Thumbs up to Mükra for the fast and reliable shipping.

I will soon post my first research results here. Stay tuned!

After getting used to the environment I will start my first project: A customized Android UI (based on rowboat or 0xdroid).