Newbie question - first step with Olinuxino A13

ellecieffe · February 08, 2013, 08:35:54 PM

Hello to all.
I have a OlinuXino A13-wifi, but I haven't a VGA monitor and not even the LCD screen. It is possible to use the PC screen (Acer TravelMate 6592)?
Sorry for this newbie question,be lenient

bernard · February 08, 2013, 09:23:58 PM

Subject line matters.

Here I am going to help you on all aspects of the web: the next time you post something on the web, follow this simple rule: always put a catchy, small sentence in the subject line. You will get much more answers this way. People often only look at subjects, and will only open the post if it interest them. Subjects like "newbie question" is ultra-generic and does not help anyone. You should craft your subject line super short and by putting the most important words first (because not everybody reads to the end of the line and sometimes you do not see the whole line).

As for your specific question, well, the board connects VGA or LCD, that's it. You can access it via ADB / USB (once booted) -- if using Android -- but what you can do there is rather limited. There might be tricks to have an external "VNC" and access your board UI "remotely" (or something like that) but I wouldn't know how to setup that in the first place. If not using Android, there might be more options for remote UI access through X Windows and/or VNC.

The "PC screen" (Acer TravelMater 6592) -- is... A laptop! Why do you refer this to a "PC Screen"? Do you mean that this laptop is dead and you want to remove the LCD out of the laptop and connect it? If so, you can buy a compatible VGA monitor kit to do so. (search for NJYTouch on ebay, do not buy before knowing what you are doing). If your laptop is well alive, then you cannot use it as a "bare VGA monitor".

JohnS · February 08, 2013, 09:37:59 PM

Running Linux without a screen is quite easy but you need to know Linux and be able to connect up something such as a USB to RS232 device. If this sounds mysterious you really want to make your life easy by getting a VGA monitor or the like.

The advice above is excellent, btw.

John

ellecieffe · February 08, 2013, 10:26:44 PM

Thanks for replies and for helpful advices about the subject line.

With regard to my specific question, in fact, I wanted to use the screen of my Acer as "bare VGA monitor" but, as I understand it, it can not really do. I don't want to use Android but the "X Windows and / or VNC" solution,as well as the John solution,in fact, sound mysterious for me. I think I will buy the A13-LCD7-TS.

Thank you again. Best Regards.(Sorry for my poor English)

JohnS · February 08, 2013, 11:10:16 PM

You could boot one of the kernels posted by jwischka but remember without a VGA monitor you will see no output so any problems will be very hard to debug - unless you get the sort of device I mentioned. The cheapest use a PL2303 such as this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-To-RS232-TTL-PL2303HX-Auto-Converter-Module-Converter-Adapter-5V-3-3V-Output-/180836792643?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a1ab67943

you connect it to the pins marked uart1 (just Rx, Tx and Gnd) on your board and plug in to a USB port on your computer. Linux should see it and say it is such as ttyUSB0
You run e.g.
screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200

Get one and try it - even with Android you will get debug messages. With Linux you get those and then a login prompt.

John

bernard · February 08, 2013, 11:26:47 PM

/dev/ttyUSB0 -- I thought this was only if you were to connect the PL2303 **USB port** to the Olimex board (instead of the TTL/CMOS side). Of course you could get "two" of them back to back: USB --- TTL --- USB

BTW, this makes me thinking: Is there such a device? (like a USB-UART-USB -- with only USB plugs -- emulating a serial port on both sides. But in the middle there is none really -- it should be extremely fast -- as the baud rates would simply be ignored).

ellecieffe · February 09, 2013, 05:10:04 AM

Wait!
I already have the USB-Serial-Cable-F of the Olimex ... is what I need, right?

jwischka · February 09, 2013, 05:34:32 AM

Quote from: ellecieffe on February 09, 2013, 05:10:04 AM
Wait!
I already have the USB-Serial-Cable-F of the Olimex ... is what I need, right?

Yes. Connect to your uart (TX, RX, GND pins only) and then open a connection in Putty. You'll be able to see what's going on.

You can also boot one of my images, which launches VNC/SSH on boot - though this assumes you can get a network connection. You will probably need the serial cable to enter wifi information (though if you have a Linux box, you could edit /etc/network/interfaces on the card itself before putting it in the board).

ellecieffe · February 09, 2013, 05:57:12 PM

Well.. I have connected the cable on uart1 and on the USB port on my laptop .... I have downloaded the driver for windows on the Olimex site but didn't work, so I have wanted to try with those on the prolific site but nothing... So I've decided to go on Ubuntu OS and, after upgrading to Ubuntu 12.04,I've tried to connect the cable following this guide http://www.gokulvarma.com/blog/using-usb-to-serial-port-converter-in-windows-7-and-ubuntu-12-04/ until 15 point (Set Speed is 115200 really)... In this way I have done to boot the system from nand flash but then are displayed some errors ... the last line is

Quotepmu_suspend_chgcur=1000000

jwischka · February 09, 2013, 05:59:06 PM

Quote from: ellecieffe on February 09, 2013, 05:57:12 PM
Well.. I have connected the cable on uart1 and on the USB port on my laptop .... I have downloaded the driver for windows on the Olimex site but didn't work, so I have wanted to try with those on the prolific site but nothing... So I've decided to go on Ubuntu OS and, after upgrading to Ubuntu 12.04,I've tried to connect the cable following this guide http://www.gokulvarma.com/blog/using-usb-to-serial-port-converter-in-windows-7-and-ubuntu-12-04/ until 15 point (Set Speed is 115200 really)... In this way I have done to boot the system from nand flash but then are displayed some errors ... the last line is
Quotepmu_suspend_chgcur=1000000

Will probably need more lines than that - can you copy/paste a fairly significant chunk?

JohnS · February 09, 2013, 06:28:47 PM

True.

Note that Android will keep suspending itself by default so you'd be better off debugging with Linux - try one of jwischka's kernels. You should get to a login prompt.

John

ellecieffe · February 09, 2013, 06:31:54 PM

Great! I have tried to boot from SD card and it has worked with Debian....
About the above error I can't copy on Putty display...I try in this way ,hoping it is helpful...

JohnS · February 09, 2013, 07:40:10 PM

screen -L creates a logfile

Your pic looks like it's just Android suspending (fairly poorly).

John

ellecieffe · February 10, 2013, 01:03:53 PM

Thanks to all !!!

Debian runs correctly but ... now I have another problem: i can't get a wifi connection .

I have opened a new topic. See you there

ellecieffe · February 10, 2013, 01:47:53 PM

Extra: to copy and paste between PuTTY and other Windows applications follow this

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/faq.html#faq-cutpaste

Best regards