Gumstix Verdex Configuration

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Product image for Gumstix Verdex Pro Package

Overview
Command Line Access
Networking Configuration
Edit the Gumstix Hostname
Edit the Gumstix Hosts file
Installing Acroname Development Tools
Edit Configuration File(s)
Modifying the Console-VX board to use the BTUART

Overview

Gumstix Verdex processors come flashed from the factory with Open Embedded Linux installed. This document outlines the steps taken to modify a Gumstix boards into an Ad-Hoc wireless mobile robot network. Although the steps taken are specific to configuring Gumstix Verdex Pro package on a Garcia robot, the general steps can be used for other embedded systems.

Gumstix Verdex Pro interfaces on the Garcia

Contents

Command Line Access

One must have command line access on the Gumstix Verdex Pro before any configurations or modifications can happen. If you are unsure on how to gain command line access, a supplemental page goes into detail on how to use the serial port to log into the Gumstix .

Contents

Networking Configuration

Gumstix Verdex Pros have the ability to exist on many different types of networks. A Garcia with a Gumstix Verdex Pro is configured at the factory to work in an Ad-Hoc network mode.

Various common networking configuration options are presented .

Contents

Edit the Gumstix Hostname

We want the Gumstix prompt to come up with the name "garcia". Edit the Gumstix's hostname file (/etc/hostname) on the first line. One could reboot after this to see the name change take effect.

garcia

Contents

Edit the Gumstix Hosts file

Acroname software tools learn about the current networking setup by reading the (/etc/hosts) file. One line is added to map the hostname to the current IP address. The following example demonstrates having the Gumstix with an IP address of "192.168.2.2".

192.168.2.2 garcia

Contents

Installing Acroname Development Tools

Acroname tools have been cross compiled for your convenience to run on the Gumstix Verdex Pro. They are packaged into a TGZ file in the Garcia downloads for the appropriate target processor that is on your Garcia. These tools get installed and tested before leaving the factory. Instructions on how to install (or upgrade) the Acroname tools can be found on the Garcia Tools page.

You will also need to copy up the libstdc++ shared object to run Acroname tools. This is created when the toolchain for the Gumstix is built. Acroname installed the library. You will need to substitute in your configured IP address for the Gumstix.

yourmachine$ cd ~/gumstix/gumstix-oe/tmp/staging/arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/lib/ yourmachine$ scp libstdc++.so.6 root@192.168.1.217:/lib

Contents

Edit Configuration File(s)

Once the Acroname Garcia distribution is extracted on the Gumstix, the configuration files will need to get edited. The one edit that will need to get made is to change which serial port to have the compiled applications use. In the aConsole (and the aRelay) configuration file (/home/acroname/aBinary/console.config), edit:

portname = ttyS1 baudrate = 38400

Contents

Modifying the Console-VX board to use the BTUART

Minor physical modifications need to be made to the Gumstix Verdex Pro package to allow serial based devices, like the BrainStem network inside the Garcia, to communicate with the Gumstix Verdex. The Console-VX board has two 0 ohm resistors connecting the BTUART RX and CTS lines to a level shifter. Removing these two resistors allows other UART based devices to communicate directly with the Verdex Pro through serial communication. Use a soldering iron to carefully remove the resistors shown in the following figure:

Image of which resistors to remove on the Console-VX board.

Remove the two resistors for the BTUART CTS and receive lines (Incorrectly labeled on silkscreen).

Revision History:

2008-11-06: Page created detailing wireless configuration and Console-VX modifications.
2008-11-13: Changed the power management line from "power on" to "txpower on" under the network interface file configuration.
2008-12-02: Corrected the information on which resistors to remove from the Console-VX board. Silkscreen text is incorrect and noted now.
2009-03-06: Added notes on how to cross compile Acroname C Development using the OE build tools.
2009-06-12: Separated the networking information to another page. Included information on how to log in via serial console.
2009-06-15: Included information on editing hosts file.