Difference between revisions of "Zero/getting started"

Latest revision as of 03:35, 29 September 2022

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 Radxa Zero >  Getting started

This guide is designed for new Radxa Zero user. In this guide, you can learn about the basic of Radxa Zero as well as how to prepare the board for basic use. Radxa Zero comes in different configurations and hardware revisions. As such, please make sure you have a supported board before proceeding, as some information is only applicable to a specific configuration. You can find the model and the hardware revision number on the top side of the board, while the memory / eMMC size can be identified via part number on the chip. You can learn how to identify those parts in here.

What you need

Required

Radxa Zero main board

Storage media:
- Built-in eMMC module, or
- A microSD card that is at least 8GB if your board doesn't have an eMMC module. You can confirm this by checking if there is a big chip soldered on the bottom side of the board.
  For desktop usage we recommended at least 16GB, preferably 32GB.

USB-C hub
- Radxa Zero comes with one USB 3.0 Type-C port, located on the top side and is close to the center of the board. This port can be expanded into multiple USB 3.0 Type-A ports as well as Ethernet.
  No HDMI or DisplayPort Alternate Mode was implemented on this port, so you won't get video output even if your USB-C hub has those connectors.

USB Keyboard and Mouse
- Once a USB-C hub is connected, Radxa Zero can be controlled with a full sized keyboard and mouse.

Monitor and HDMI Cable
- Radxa Zero is equipped with a micro HDMI connector. A micro HDMI (Type-D) to HDMI (Type-A) cable is required. HDMI capable monitor/TV is recommended.
- HDMI EDID display data is used to determine the best display resolution. On monitors and TVs that support 1080p (or 4K) this resolution will be selected. If 1080p is not supported the next available resolution reported by EDID will be used. This will work with MOST but not all monitor/TVs.

USB A to C or USB C to C cable
- The USB cable is used for powering the Radxa Zero as well as data transmission from your host PC to the Zero. Depending on host PC's USB port, you may need USB A to C(host PC is USB-A) or USB C to C(host PC is USB-C) cable.

microSD Card Reader (required for configuration without built-in eMMC)
- For flashing the image into microSD Card.

Optional

Power supply
- Yes, power supply is optional for Radxa Zero since the power consumption is so low it can be powered directly from host PC's USB port.
  If you plan to use Zero independently from PC, you can use any 5V USB power supply with at least 1A output.
  If you do power the Zero from host PC's USB port, make sure it is a USB 3.0 port so it can provide up to 900mA power. Old USB 2.0 port can only provide up to 500mA.

USB to TTL serial cable
- This is needed if you intend to use serial console.

Close look of Radxa Zero

Zero front view

Zero front with an angle view

Zero back view

Specifications

Model	Radxa Zero 512MB/1GB	Radxa Zero 2GB/4GB
Processor	64bits quad core processor Amlogic S905Y2 Quad Cortex-A53@1.8GHz ARM G31 MP2 GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.0, and OpenCL 2.0.
Memory	LPDDR4 32bit LPDDR4@3200Mb/s
Storage	microSD card (microSD slot supports up to 128 GB microSD card)	on board 8GB eMMC(2GB ram model) or 16GB/32GB/64GB/128GB eMMC(4GB ram model) microSD card (microSD slot supports up to 128 GB microSD card)
Display	HDMI 2.0 up to 4K@60
Camera	None
Wireless	802.11 a/b/g/n (WiFi 4) BT 4.0 with on board antenna (optional external antenna)	802.11 ac (WiFi 5) BT 5.0 with on board antenna (optional external antenna)
USB	1 x USB 2.0 Type-C OTG & Power combo port 1 x USB 3.0 Type-C HOST
IO	40-pin expansion header 2 x UART 2 x SPI bus 3 x I2C bus 1 x PCM/I2S 1 x SPDIF 2 x PWM 1 x ADC 6 x GPIO 2 x 5V DC power in 2 x 3.3V DC power in
Others	One button for force USB boot or firmware upgrading
Power	USB-C, 5V/1A
Size	66mm x 30.5mm

Starting the board for the first time

Radxa Zero can boot from either eMMC or microSD Card. However, for beginner it's best to stick with your board's default storage, i.e. use eMMC when it is present, and microSD when eMMC is not available. This avoids the need to update U-Boot configuration to boot your chosen device, which can be challenging for the beginner.

Choose your storage option

Flash image to eMMC

If you want to install another OS to eMMC, you will first need to erase the eMMC, then you can install any supported Linux distros from our download page. You can also follow this guide to reinstall Android to eMMC.

Flash image to microSD card

Please follow the guide below.

Write Image

Put the microSD card into your host computer.

Download the flash tool, balenaEtcher, from Downloads, or directly from their GitHub release. Choose the version that suits your host operation system. In this guide we are using Ubuntu with Etcher 1.4.5. Later version can be operated similarly.

After unpacking the package, launch balenaEtcher with following command:

$ ./etcher-etcher-electron-1.4.5-x86_64.AppImage

If you get an error message No polkit authentication agent found you can try and start it with sudo, but do know that this is running the tool as root.

Click Select image to choose your system image.

IClick Select Drive to select your microSD card. Please read your options carefully, as you may lose precious data when choosing a wrong drive!

Click Flash to begin the flashing process.

Once the window shows Flash Complete! you can now safely remove the microSD card from your host computer.

Boot

To boot from microSD card, put flashed card into your Radxa Zero.
To boot from eMMC, eject Radxa Zero from your host PC and unplug the USB-C cable from host PC.
Connect Radxa Zero to your display with the HDMI cable. Make sure the display's input source is correctly set to your Radxa Zero.
Connect the USB-C hub with keyboard and mouse to your Radxa Zero.
Connect the power supply to your Radxa Zero. The board will boot immediately.

Enjoy!

Troubleshooting

Refer Troubleshooting page
Post your issue on our forum
Join our discord

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Zero_header}}
 {{Languages|zero/getting_started}}
+ [[Zero | Radxa Zero]] > [[zero/getting_started | Getting started]]
 __NOTOC__
-This guide is designed for Radxa Zero  enthusiast. The purpose is to learn about the Radxa Zero SBC as well as how to prepare and set up for basic use. The Radxa Zero comes in different ram models. When you get a board, you need to know what zero model it is and which hardware version it is. The information is printed in the top side of the board package. We will cover the board information as much as possible in this start page.
+This guide is designed for new Radxa Zero user. In this guide, you can learn about the basic of Radxa Zero as well as how to prepare the board for basic use. Radxa Zero comes in different configurations and hardware revisions. As such, please make sure you have a supported board before proceeding, as some information is only applicable to a specific configuration. You can find the model and the hardware revision number on the top side of the board, while the memory / eMMC size can be identified via part number on the chip. You can learn how to identify those parts in [[Zero/hardware/zero | here]].
 == What you need ==
-=== Necessary ===
+=== Required ===
 * Radxa Zero main board
-** Any ram size model of Zero
-* One of the Storage media below:
+* Storage media:
-** If your Zero model is 512MB ram or 1GB ram, you need a [[rockpi4/hardware/μSD | μSD card]],  larger than 8GB, for desktop usage, we recommend 16G or 32G uSD card.
+** Built-in eMMC module, or
+** A microSD card that is at least 8GB if your board doesn't have an eMMC module. You can confirm this by checking if there is a big chip soldered on the bottom side of the board.<br/>For desktop usage we recommended at least 16GB, preferably 32GB.
-* USB C hub
+* USB-C hub
-** Radxa Zero come with one USB 3.0 C port, which can be expanded as multiple USB 3.0 A ports as well as Ethernet. If the hub supports USB C to display(HDMI or DP/VGA), the display port will not work on the Zero.
+** Radxa Zero comes with one USB 3.0 Type-C port, located on the top side and is close to the center of the board. This port can be expanded into multiple USB 3.0 Type-A ports as well as Ethernet.<br/>No HDMI or DisplayPort Alternate Mode was implemented on this port, so you won't get video output even if your USB-C hub has those connectors.
 * USB Keyboard and Mouse
-** With USB C hub, Radxa Zero can be equipped with a full sized keyboard and mouse.
+** Once a USB-C hub is connected, Radxa Zero can be controlled with a full sized keyboard and mouse.
 * Monitor and HDMI Cable
-** Radxa Zero is equipped with a micro sized HDMI connector. A Micro HDMI(type D) to HDMI(type A) cable is required. HDMI capable monitor/TV is recommended.
+** Radxa Zero is equipped with a micro HDMI connector. A micro HDMI (Type-D) to HDMI (Type-A) cable is required. HDMI capable monitor/TV is recommended.
-** HDMI EDID display data is used to determine the best display resolution. On monitors and TVs that support 1080p (or 4K) this resolution will be selected. If 1080p is not supported the next available resolution reported by EDID will be used. This selected mode will work with MOST but not all monitors/TVs.
+** HDMI EDID display data is used to determine the best display resolution. On monitors and TVs that support 1080p (or 4K) this resolution will be selected. If 1080p is not supported the next available resolution reported by EDID will be used. This will work with MOST but not all monitor/TVs.
-*USB Male A to C or USB C to C cable
+* USB A to C or USB C to C cable
-** The USB cable is used for powering the Radxa Zero as well as data transmission from your host PC to the Zero. Depends on the USB port on host PC, you may need USB A to C(host PC is USB A) or USB C to C(host PC is USB C) cable.
+** The USB cable is used for powering the Radxa Zero as well as data transmission from your host PC to the Zero. Depending on host PC's USB port, you may need USB A to C(host PC is USB-A) or USB C to C(host PC is USB-C) cable.
-* μSD Card Reader(Necessary for 512MB/1GB ram model)
+* microSD Card Reader (required for configuration without built-in eMMC)
-** For flashing the image into μSD Card.
+** For flashing the image into microSD Card.
 === Optional ===
 *  Power supply
-** Yes, power supply is optional for the Zero since its low power consumption and can be powered from host PC USB. If you plan to use Zero independent from PC, you can use power supply with 5V/1A. If you power the Zero from host PC USB ports, may sure plugging it to the USB 3.0 port which can provide up to 900mA power.
+** Yes, power supply is optional for Radxa Zero since the power consumption is so low it can be powered directly from host PC's USB port.<br/>If you plan to use Zero independently from PC, you can use any 5V USB power supply with at least 1A output.<br/>If you do power the Zero from host PC's USB port, make sure it is a USB 3.0 port so it can provide up to 900mA power. Old USB 2.0 port can only provide up to 500mA.
 *  USB to TTL serial cable
-** This is needed for serial console.
+** This is needed if you intend to use serial console.
 == Close look of Radxa Zero ==
@@ Line 46: / Line 49: @@
 [[File:zero_back_view.jpg|700px]]
-== <span id="get_start_specs"></span> Features ==
+== <span id="get_start_specs"></span> Specifications ==
 {| class="wikitable"
@@ Line 55: / Line 58: @@
 |-
 ! Processor
-| colspan="2" | 64bits quad core processor<br />Amlogic S905Y2<br />Quad Cortex-A53, frequency 1.8GHz<br />ARM G31 MP2 GPU supports OpenGL ES 3.2 Vulkan 1.0 and OpenCL 2.0,
+| colspan="2" | 64bits quad core processor<br />Amlogic S905Y2<br />Quad Cortex-A53@1.8GHz<br />ARM G31 MP2 GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.0, and OpenCL 2.0.
 |-
 ! Memory
@@ Line 61: / Line 64: @@
 |-
 ! Storage
-| colspan="1" | μSD card (μSD slot supports up to 128 GB μSD card)
+| colspan="1" | microSD card (microSD slot supports up to 128 GB microSD card)
-| colspan="2" | on board 8GB eMMC(2GB ram model) or 16GB/32GB/64GB/128GB eMMC(4GB ram model) <br />μSD card (μSD slot supports up to 128 GB μSD card)
+| colspan="2" | on board 8GB eMMC(2GB ram model) or 16GB/32GB/64GB/128GB eMMC(4GB ram model) <br />microSD card (microSD slot supports up to 128 GB microSD card)
 |-
 ! Display
-| colspan="2" | HDMI 2.0 up to 4k@60<br />
+| colspan="2" | HDMI 2.0 up to 4K@60<br />
 |-
 ! Camera
@@ Line 71: / Line 74: @@
 |-
 ! Wireless
-| colspan="1" | 802.11 a/b/g/n wifi(WiFi 4)<br />Bluetooth 4.0<br />with on board antenna(optional external antenna)
+| colspan="1" | 802.11 a/b/g/n (WiFi 4)<br />BT 4.0<br />with on board antenna (optional external antenna)
-| colspan="2" | 802.11 ac wifi(WiFi 5)<br />Bluetooth 5.0<br />with on board antenna(optional external antenna)
+| colspan="2" | 802.11 ac (WiFi 5)<br />BT 5.0<br />with on board antenna (optional external antenna)
 |-
 ! USB
-| colspan="2" | USB 2.0 OTG X1, shared with USB power<br />USB 3.0 HOST X1 in USB C type
+| colspan="2" | 1 x USB 2.0 Type-C OTG & Power combo port<br />1 x USB 3.0 Type-C HOST
 |-
 ! IO
@@ Line 84: / Line 87: @@
 |-
 ! Power
-| colspan="2" | USB C, 5V/1A
+| colspan="2" | USB-C, 5V/1A
 |-
 ! Size
@@ Line 94: / Line 97: @@
 == Starting the board for the first time ==
-Radxa Zero can boot from eMMC or μSD Card. Now, you are presented with two options when installing your new operating system onto your zero.
+Radxa Zero can boot from either eMMC or microSD Card. However, for beginner it's best to stick with your board's default storage, i.e. use eMMC when it is present, and microSD when eMMC is not available. This avoids the need to update U-Boot configuration to boot your chosen device, which can be challenging for the beginner.
-===  Prepare ===
+===  Choose your storage option ===
-* OS boot from eMMC(2GB or 4GB ram model only)
+* Flash image to eMMC
-Radxa Zero is preloaded Android in the eMMC, it works out of box. If you want to install other OS to eMMC. You need to Erase eMMC first, then install to eMMC. Follow the [[Zero/install/eMMC_erase | erase eMMC guide]] to erase eMMC and [[Zero/install/eMMC | install to eMMC guide]] to install the OS to eMMC.
+If you want to install another OS to eMMC, you will first need to [[Zero/install/eMMC_erase | erase the eMMC]], then you can [[Zero/install/eMMC | install]] any supported Linux distros from our [[Zero/downloads | download]] page. You can also follow this guide to [[Zero/install/eMMC_Android9 | reinstall Android to eMMC]].
+* Flash image to microSD card
-* OS boot from μSD Card
+Please follow the guide below.
-Insert the μSD Card into μSD Card Reader, which connects to host computer. The picture below shows.<br />(add μSD Card and μSD Card Reader picture)
 ===  Write Image ===
-* Download the flash tool, etcher, from [[zero/downloads | Downloads]]. Choose the right version for your host operation system. Here we operate on host Ubuntu 16.04.
+* Put the microSD card into your host computer.
+* Download the flash tool, <code>balenaEtcher</code>, from [[zero/downloads | Downloads]], or directly from [https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases/latest their GitHub release]. Choose the version that suits your host operation system. In this guide we are using Ubuntu with Etcher 1.4.5. Later version can be operated similarly.
-* After unpacking the package, we run the tool by executing the command
+* After unpacking the package, launch balenaEtcher with following command:
   $ ./etcher-etcher-electron-1.4.5-x86_64.AppImage
-If you get an error message: "No polkit authentication agent found" you can try and start it with sudo, but do know that this is running the tool as '''root'''.
+If you get an error message <code>No polkit authentication agent found</code> you can try and start it with <code>sudo</code>, but do know that this is running the tool as '''root'''.
-*  In the etcher window, click '''Select image'''.
+*  Click '''Select image''' to choose your system image.
 [[File:linux_etcher_select_image.png]]
-* In the etcher window, click '''Select Drive'''.
+* IClick '''Select Drive''' to select your microSD card. Please read your options carefully, as you may '''lose precious data''' when choosing a wrong drive!
 [[File:linux_etcher_select_driver.png]]
-* In the etcher window, click '''Flash'''.
+* Click '''Flash''' to begin the flashing process.
 [[File:linux_etcher_select_flash_button.png]]
-* In the etcher window, once it shows us Flash Complete! It is done and can be put into the RockPi.
+* Once the window shows <code>Flash Complete!</code> you can now safely remove the microSD card from your host computer.
 [[File:linux_etcher_show_complete.png]]
@@ Line 133: / Line 137: @@
 ===  Boot ===
-* If boot with uSD card, plug in the uSD card to the zero
+* To boot from microSD card, put flashed card into your Radxa Zero.
-* if boot from eMMC, eject the zero from host PC and unplug the USB C cable from host PC
+* To boot from eMMC, eject Radxa Zero from your host PC and unplug the USB-C cable from host PC.
-* Connect the zero to your display with the HDMI cable. Ensure that the source for the display is switched to the HDMI port you are using.
+* Connect Radxa Zero to your display with the HDMI cable. Make sure the display's input source is correctly set to your Radxa Zero.
-* Connect the USB keyboard and mouse.
+* Connect the USB-C hub with keyboard and mouse to your Radxa Zero.
-* Connect the power supply to the zero. The board will begin to boot immediately. (You might not see the boot sequence, on Ubuntu Server you will see the login prompt)
+* Connect the power supply to your Radxa Zero. The board will boot immediately.
-Wish you good luck!
+Enjoy!
 === Troubleshooting ===
 * Refer [[zero/getting_started/troubleshooting | Troubleshooting page]]
-* Post your issue on the forum: https://forum.radxa.com/c/zero
+* Post your issue on [https://forum.radxa.com/c/zero our forum]
+* Join [https://rock.sh/go our discord]