DART-SD410 Android Getting Started

DART-SD410 - First Time? Start Here.

This WIKI describes:

• Variscite's FTP tree explanatioon.
  
• Switching between Android and Linux.
  
• How to start using your VAR-SD410CustomBoard.
  

Variscite's FTP

The Variscite's FTP directory tree is as following:

dart-sd410
├── Software
│   ├── Android
│   │   ├── LL.1.2.4-01810-8x16.0-3
│   │   ├── ...
│   │   └── RescueImages
│   ├── Yocto
│   │   ├── ...
│   │   └── RescueImages
│   ├── Ubuntu
│   │   ├── ...
│   │   └── RescueImages
│   ├── Windows
│   │   ├── ...
│   │   └── RescueImages
│   └── EmmcRecovery
└── Hardware
    ├── Schematics
    ├── Datasheets
    └── Layout

• dart-sd410 -> Software -> EmmcRecovery directory contains a recovery SD Card image for switching OSes and Recovery
• dart-sd410 -> Software -> OS -> RescueImages directory contains prebuilt last version of the system together with partition table file and boot loaders.

NOTE:
Please refer to support@variscite.com for obtaining FTP credentials.

NOTE:

The partition table file and bootloaders are supplied in binary format and cannot be altered by the customers.

Please contact variscite support for changes.

Switching between OSes

• Download the Recovery SD Card Image (RecoverySD_rev2.1.img.gz) from Variscite's FTP site. It is located in dart-sd410 -> Software -> EmmcRecovery directory
• Check that the MD5 check sum is exactly the one that is written in RecoverySD_rev2.1.img.md5sum file

$ md5sum RecoverySD_rev2.1.img.gz

Preparing rescue SD-Card

• Extract the image from the archive

$ tar -xzf RecoverySD_rev2.1.img.gz

• Plug your SD card to your Linux machine, run dmesg and see what device is added (i.e. /dev/sdX)
  
• Run the following command to write the image file to the SD card

$ sudo dd if=~/RecoverySD_rev2.1.img of=/dev/sdX bs=128k
Change the /dev/sdX with your SD card device.

After the write process is finished run
$ sudo sync

• Remove the SD card from your PC and insert it into the SD card slot of the VAR-SD410CustomBoard
• Set Boot Select switch (SW3) to the ON position. This directs the DART-SD410 to boot from an external SD card. After this step the system will read the image from external SD card and boot into Debian.
• Connect VAR-SD410CustomBoard to a PC using USB cable. Please pay attention to use Debug USB connector (J21). A new COM port should be found on a PC.
• Open any terminal to a newly created com port using 115200,8,n,1 settings.
• Power up the board.
• Navigate to /media/Linaro/OSes/Android or /media/Linaro/OSes/Debian directory.

# cd /media/linaro/OSes/Android
or
# cd /media/linaro/OSes/Debian

• Execute update.sh script.

# ./update.sh

• Let the script finish the update process.
• Remove the SD
• Cycle the power of VAR-SD410CustomBoard.

The needed OS will start

NOTE:
To get the most updated images it is suggested to use fastboot and precompiled images to upgrade to the latest version

Start using your VAR-SD410CustomBoard

• Upack the contents of the package
• Veryfy that the DART-SD410 SoM is connected properly into VAR-SD410CustomBoard card
• Connect the screen LVDS cable to the LCD (the red wires should be at pin 1 position)
• Connect the other side of the cable to VAR-SD410CustomBoard J11 (the red wires should be at pin 1 position i.e. closer to HDMI connector)
• Connect the touch screen flat cable to J4 (the copper contacts should face PCB card)
• Connect USB cable to a PC
• Connect the Micro USB plug to VAR-SD410CustomBoard J21. Wait for USB device enumeration and driver installation
• Open any serial port console program (we suggest using Putty) and set it to 115200,8,1,n baudrate
• Plug in the power supply to 100/220V

NOTE:
If Camera adapter was purchased then it should be plugged in before the first power up. Otherwise the Android will remove Camera program and it will not be accessible untill system re-flash

• Plug in the power adapter 5V to VAR-SD410CustomBoard J18

Immideately the serial console will show the booting process and after about a minute the LCD will show the boot animation and Android will be started

NOTE:
The first Boot up of the Android takes more time because of database initialization

NOTE:
Please remove SD card from the slop before boot

Switching display options in Android

To switch between LCD and HDMI the following fastboot commands should be run

To switch to HDMI

$ fastboot oem select-display-panel adv7533_1080p

To switch to LCD

$ fastboot oem select-display-panel