Zero/Ubuntu

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    Radxa Zero >  Ubuntu

Work with Radxa Zero Ubuntu

Introduction to Radxa Zero Ubuntu

Radxa Zero Ubuntu is an easy to use system. Our Ubuntu image contains no desktop environment, makes it suitable to hosting simple home services such as PiHole, WireGuard, and SMB file share.

Radxa Zero Ubuntu uses systemd to manage system.

Command prepended by $ means the command may be executed by an unprivileged user. And command prepended by # means the command may be executed by an privileged user. But the symbol, $ or #, is not part of the command.

Access from the Host PC/Laptop

Option 1: USB access(adb)

By default, the Radxa Zero Linux image enables adbd services, which is a debug bridge from Android now ported on Linux. With one USB A to C cable you can power and access the board, very handy.

To use adb, you need to install adb tool on the PC/Laptop. Check instructions for Windows and Linux.

See Using ADB.

Option 2: Serial console

See Serial Console

Option 3: SSH

SSH server is enabled on port 22 of Radxa Zero image.

Please use angryip to find your board IP address.

 $ ping ip-of-device
 $ ssh rock@ip-of-device

Ubuntu Default User Account

System image name starting with radxa:

Non-root User:

 User Name : rock
 Password  : rock

System image name starting with Armbian:

 User Name : root
 Password  : 1234

Server

Our Ubuntu image contains no desktop environment, suitable for hosting services and running headlessly.

Install and update necessary packages

Add Radxa APT, see Radxa APT.

Install packages;

 $ sudo apt-get update

Network Connection

There is one method for network connection, WIFI.

WIFI Connection

Radxa Zero supports 2.4G/5G WIFI wireless network.

To test the WIFI performance, we need to follow the steps:

Switch to super user mode

 $ sudo su

Open the WIFI

 $ nmcli r wifi on

Scan WIFI

 $ nmcli dev wifi

Connect to WIFI network

 $ nmcli dev wifi connect "wifi_name" password "wifi_password"

Test WIFI perpormance by tool iperf.

Common Hardware Interfaces, I2C, PWM, SPI, UART, etc

The Radxa Zero system images use configuration file /boot/uEnv.txt.

Warning: Remember there is only one line including item "overlays=" in file /boot/uEnv.txt.

Make sure that kernel is at least version 5.10.69-4-amlogic. If not, then try

 $ sudo apt update
 $ sudo apt install -y linux-headers-5.10.69-4-amlogic-g37ae4051315a
 $ sudo apt install -y linux-image-5.10.69-4-amlogic-g37ae4051315a

I2C

To enable I2C_EE_M1 on GPIOH_6 and GPIOH_7 (/dev/i2c-1), add item "meson-g12a-i2c-ee-m1-gpioh-6-gpioh-7" to the "overlays=" line.

 overlays=meson-g12a-i2c-ee-m1-gpioh-6-gpioh-7

To enable I2C_EE_M1 on GPIOX_10 and GPIOX_11 (/dev/i2c-1), add item "meson-g12a-i2c-ee-m1-gpiox-10-gpiox-11" to the "overlays=" line.

 overlays=meson-g12a-i2c-ee-m1-gpiox-10-gpiox-11

To enable I2C_EE_M3 (/dev/i2c-3), add item "meson-g12a-i2c-ee-m3-gpioa-14-gpioa-15" to the "overlays=" line.

 overlays=meson-g12a-i2c-ee-m3-gpioa-14-gpioa-15

To enable I2C_AO_M0 (/dev/i2c-4), add item "meson-g12a-i2c-ao-m0-gpioao-2-gpioao-3" to the "overlays=" line.

 overlays=meson-g12a-i2c-ao-m0-gpioao-2-gpioao-3

Please note that do not add overlays meson-g12a-i2c-ee-m1-gpioh-6-gpioh-7 and meson-g12a-i2c-ee-m1-gpiox-10-gpiox-11 at the same time.

PWM

PWM_C channel

To enable PWM_C, add item "eson-g12a-pwm-c-on-gpiox-8" to the "overlays=" line.

 overlays=meson-g12a-pwm-c-on-gpiox-8

You would see directory /sys/devices/platform/soc/ffd00000.bus/ffd1a000.pwm is generated.

Then you can set up PWM-C channel with directory /sys/devices/platform/soc/ffd00000.bus/ffd1a000.pwm/pwm/pwmchipY.

PWMAO_A channel

To enable PWMAO_A, add item "meson-g12a-pwmao-a-on-gpioao-11" to the "overlays=" line.

 overlays=meson-g12a-pwmao-a-on-gpioao-11

You would see directory /sys/devices/platform/soc/ff800000.bus/ff807000.pwm is generated.

Then you can set up PWMAO_A channel with directory /sys/devices/platform/soc/ff800000.bus/ff807000.pwm/pwm/pwmchipY.

SPI

To enable SPI_A (/dev/spidev0.0), add item "meson-g12a-spi-spidev" to the "overlays=" line.

 overlays=meson-g12a-spi-spidev
 param_spidev_spi_bus=0
 param_spidev_max_freq=10000000

To enable SPI_B (/dev/spidev1.0), add item "meson-g12a-spi-spidev" to the "overlays=" line.

 overlays=meson-g12a-spi-spidev
 param_spidev_spi_bus=1
 param_spidev_max_freq=10000000

UART

One uart port cannot be used as common serial communication and serial console at the same time.

Common serial communication

To set UART_AO_A as common serial communication devices, add this item "meson-g12a-uart-ao-a-on-gpioao-0-gpioao-1" to the "overlays=" line. The device /dev/ttyAML0 is available.

 overlays=meson-g12a-uart-ao-a-on-gpioao-0-gpioao-1

To set UART_AO_B as common serial communication devices, add this item "meson-g12a-uart-ao-b-on-gpioao-2-gpioao-3" to the "overlays=" line. The device /dev/ttyAML1 is available.

 overlays=meson-g12a-uart-ao-b-on-gpioao-2-gpioao-3

To set UART_AO_B as common serial communication devices, add this item "meson-g12a-uart-ao-b-on-gpioao-8-gpioao-9" to the "overlays=" line. The device /dev/ttyAML1 is available.

 overlays=meson-g12a-uart-ao-b-on-gpioao-8-gpioao-9

To set UART_EE_C as common serial communication devices, add this item "meson-g12a-uart-ee-c" to the "overlays=" line. The device /dev/ttyAML4 is available.

 overlays=meson-g12a-uart-ee-c

Please note that do not add overlays meson-g12a-uart-ao-b-on-gpioao-2-gpioao-3 and meson-g12a-uart-ao-b-on-gpioao-8-gpioao-9 at the same time.

Serial console

To set UART_AO_A as serial console, add the following two lines to /boot/uEnv.txt

 console=ttyAML0,115200
 overlays=meson-g12a-uart-ao-a-on-gpioao-0-gpioao-1