Date: Sun, 31 May 2020 15:50:45 -0300 From: "Dr. Rolf Jansen" <freebsd@cyclaero.com> To: Oskar Holmlund <oskar.holmlund@yahoo.com> Cc: freebsd-arm@freebsd.org Subject: Re: BeagleBone AI Message-ID: <F632BA3C-10B5-4351-91A6-1D2A2042333E@cyclaero.com> In-Reply-To: <1475482977.403029.1590862144455@mail.yahoo.com> References: <DCF67826-C2CA-461F-9A61-F934F6FB042A@cyclaero.com> <1475482977.403029.1590862144455@mail.yahoo.com>
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> Am 30.05.2020 um 15:09 schrieb Oskar Holmlund = <oskar.holmlund@yahoo.com>: >=20 > Hello Rolf, >=20 >> Den l=C3=B6rdag 30 maj 2020 04:22:12 CEST, Dr. Rolf Jansen = <freebsd@cyclaero.com> skrev:=20 >>=20 >> ... >>=20 >> First Question: >>=20 >> What modern SBC with more than 1 I=C2=B2C bus and which can run = FreeBSD 13++ would you suggest? >>=20 >> ... >>=20 >> Two more Questions: >>=20 >> Is it reasonable to assume that FreeBSD would run on a BBAI in the = future, let=E2=80=99s say in 2 to 3 years? >>=20 >> Perhaps I could help porting FreeBSD to a BBAI. What would be the = general steps? >>=20 >>=20 >> Many thanks in advance for any suggestions, advices and = clarifications. >>=20 >> Best regards >>=20 >> Rolf >=20 > I'm also into industrial embedded systems, we currently use am3358 and = in our roadmap we have a plan to use am57xx in the future. We build our = own custom hardware and dont use Beaglebone* in the products. >=20 > First question; have a quick look at the hardware documentation from = the SoCs vendor listed insys/arm and sys/arm64. If you like the = structure of the documentation talk to the vendor and see if you can get = the product life time your project needs, do the support organisation = give some kind of design review of schematics...do the support = organisation "know" something about the BSDs? :) > I think its good if you can fix problems in the future on your own due = to the lack of manpower in freebsd@arm as both Ian Lepore and Emmanuel = Vadot has pointed out several times.=20 >=20 > Steps to get AM57xx SoCs to work: > 1 Print the schematics and parts of the documentation ( = https://www.ti.com/lit/ug/spruhz6l/spruhz6l.pdf ) on paper. > 2 Find marking pens. > 3 Build & boot u-boot - probably easy check out = ports/sysutils/u-boot-* change model/board_config maybe some patches are = needed. > 4 Dive into the devicetree (moving target and not always correct) and = understand the concept. The relationship between different parts of the = system and the documentation, find the registers & bits you need and = issue read/write (maybe some glue are needed aswell).=20 > 5 Write new/rewrite drivers. > 6 goto (4) >=20 > It will probably take a year or two to have stable support for am57xx. = If you have time to work on making freebsd boot on BBAI it will be great = - maybe we can get it done in 6 months ? :) >=20 > I will put up an initial proposal for am335x clock on = reviews.freebsd.org as soon as my account has been approved. Head boots = and i have tested most of the function except PRUs.=20 > I assume am57xx/dra7xx have some new type of clock/dpll but it should = not be too hard to add. Oskar, Thank you very much for your reply. I looked into sys/arm and = sys/arm64, however, I cannot easily figure out the responses of my two = main concerns, namely number of supported I=C2=B2C busses (and its = speed) and what=E2=80=99s the future of the board (next 5 years or so).=20= The ARM board will be build into a rugged housing, together with the = other components. In this respect the beauty of the BeagleBone series = would be, that we may start with the BeagleBone Black and in the future = replace this with the BeagleBone AI without needing to change anything = in the housing, even the I=C2=B2C pins are at the same place, and the = BBAI could even serve as a replacement part for BBB systems which are = already shipped to customers. The mechanical compatibility alone is = quite appealing, isn=E2=80=99t it? I will have a closer look at the Pine boards, though. In the specs I see = only 1 I=C2=B2C bus. John-Mark Gurney told in another message, that = there are lots more. If this turns out to be true, then these would be = worth a serious consideration. Anyway, I take form our discussion, that the BeagleBone AI would be an = option in future, albeit a lot of work needs to be done. Best regards
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