IntroductionThis is a list of all the items that I needed to create my Beagleboard setup. I think this will be helpful to others. DetailsSection I: What You Probably Have AlreadyYou likely have all of the below. And you can use them as-is with the Beagleboard. If you don't have them, you'll need them. | Vendor | URL | Part No. | Description | Price | Comments | | You | - | - | Windows or Linux PC | $0.00 | A PC or Laptop either Linux or Windows with a RS-232 Serial port to act as the Beagleboard's console terminal, and to program SD Cards. | | You | - | - | DVI-D Monitor | $0.00 | A monitor with a DVI-D input to connect as the Beagle's Monitor. | | You | - | - | Keyboard | $0.00 | Any old keyboard. | | You | - | - | Mouse | $0.00 | Any old mouse. | | You | - | - | RS-232 Null-Modem DB9-F to DB9-F Serial Cable | $0.00 | You will need one of these. If you don't already have one, see the Likely section below. | | You | - | - | Powered Speakers | $0.00 | If you want to listen to the Beagleboard, you'll need a set of amplified speakers. | | You | - | - | Power Strip | $0.00 | The Beagle Board, USB Hub, and Speakers will each need to plug in, and each has a power brick. So a six-position power strip is a good idea. | | You | - | - | Patience | Priceless | It takes a long time to burn SD Cards, download images, etc etc. |
Section II: The Minimalist Kit: What You'll Need But Won't Already HaveIf you are planning to use the Beagleboard as a Host (i.e. with peripherals like keyboard, mouse, ethernet, etc. attached), then here is a list of how to get started easily. More details are contained in the sections below as well. In order to be small and inexpensive, the Beagleboard uses some connectors for which you may not already have the proper cabling. So via use of the adapters below, you can convert your Beagleboard into a standard DVI-D, RS-232 Serial Port, and USB Host. Important note: The Beagleboard does not produce the DVI-Analog signals -- so it's DVI-D only. You cannot connect a VGA monitor to the Beagle -- (without expensive Analog to Digital Converters). It's not good enough to use a gender changer etc. Another note: Take a look at Special Computing's website. They are selling a package that includes the Beagleboard, case, and some of the cables etc. I've listed the individual pieces below. | Vendor | URL | Part No. | Description | Price | Comments | | DigiKey | http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=296-23428-ND | 296-23428-ND | Beagle Board | $149.00 | Here's the starting point! BTW, this board is now also available from Special Computing, Spark Fun, and a few other vendors worldwide. | | Special Computing | http://www.specialcomp.com/beagleboard | - | USB-Std-A Male to 5.5x2.1mm Barrel Connector | $8.00 | This will use up a port on the USB Hub. But allows the USB Hub's power supply to power the Beagleboard -- along with the other peripherals. Also available from SparkFun Electronics. | | Special Computing | http://www.specialcomp.com/beagleboard | - | Acrylic Case for Beagle | $29.00 | This will keep your board safe. | | Special Computing | http://www.specialcomp.com/beagleboard | - | Monitor Cable (HDMI-A-male to DVI-D male) | $11.00 | This cable connects the DVI-D Monitor directly to the Beagleboard without any adapter. | | Special Computing | http://www.specialcomp.com/beagleboard | - | USB Std-A-Female to Mini-A-Male Adapter | $9.00 | Adapter: USB Host. This gets your Beagleboard to have a USB Standard-A Receptacle so that you can use any standard USB peripheral with the Beagle (including of course a USB Hub). Note: The Mini-A OTG Plug is not what you have on any normal USB Cable. So if you want to plug a USB Hub or other USB Device into the OTG port on the Beagle, then you must have this Mini-A OTG Plug to get it to work. The normal setup is to have a Mini-B Plug, and that is for connecting the Beagle as a device to another computer. | | Special Computing | http://www.specialcomp.com/beagleboard | - | DB9M to IDC10F AT/Everex Serial Adapter | $5.00 | Adapter: Serial Port. This gets your Beagleboard to have a DB9-Male RS-232 Serial port connector that can work with any null-modem serial cable. You may be able to scavenge one of these AT/Everex Cables out of an old PC. Make sure that it is "straight through" wiring -- i.e. pin 1 to pin 1, pin 2 to pin 2, etc. | | Special Computing | http://www.specialcomp.com/beagleboard | - | Null Modem RS-232 DB9F-DB9F Cable | $4.00 | A cable to connect the Beagle's serial port to a PC. | | Special Computing | http://www.specialcomp.com/beagleboard | - | 3-port USB Hub with 10/100 Ethernet | $34.00 | This will allow keyboard, mouse, 10/100 ethernet, and Beagleboard power cable to connect to Beagleboard. If you need more USB ports than that, you will need a separate USB Hub and Ethernet adapter (see below). | | Special Computing | http://www.specialcomp.com/beagleboard | - | USB SD Card Reader | $5.00 | SD Card reader for creating SD Cards on your PC. | | Supermediastore.com | http://www.supermediastore.com/apacer-2gb-60x-secure-digital-sd-card.html | ME-001-1789 | Apacer 2GB 60X SD Cards | $8.99 | You'll need a handful of SD cards. |
Section III: Other Not Mandatory Purchases:Section IV: Powering your BeagleboardIf you are going to use your Beagleboard as a device/gadget connected to a laptop, then you can power the Beagleboard through the USB OTG port (using a standard USB A to MiniB cable). So no external supply will be necessary. However, if you plan to use your Beagleboard as a USB Host (with peripherals attached to the Beagleboard), then you must supply power to the alternate power jack on the board. The Alternate Power Jack is a 5.5mm outer diameter x 2.1mm inner diameter jack. And the board wants 5 VDC with positive tip, and ground on the outer barrel. Another important note: The USB OTG Mini-AB receptacle the Beagleboard can only supply 100 mA to devices through the OTG port. To get more power for a device, it must either be through a powered USB Hub, or through the USB Host Standard-A receptacle. This means that in all likelihood, the way you will use the Beagleboard is to connect an externally-powered (not bus powered) USB Hub to the Beagleboard. So the USB Hub will supply power to the peripherals. And last but not least, if the USB Hub is powered, then it can supply power to the Beagleboard as well as the peripherals. So one interesting setup is to have a single power supply connected to the USB Hub. Then have all the peripherals, and the Host Beagleboard connected to the USB Hub. Thus, there would be two cables from the Beagleboard to the USB Hub. The Powering Cable would run from one of the USB Hub's Standard A Receptacles to the Beagleboard's Alternate Power Barrel Connector. The Communicating Cable would run from the outbound connection on the USB Hub to either the Beagleboard's Host A Receptacle or to the Beagleboard's Mini-AB OTG Receptacle. Special Computing has a very nice picture of this setup on their website at: http://specialcomp.com/beagleboard/RevC0.htm. So in summary, there are four common ways to power the Beagleboard. - In Gagdet Mode, via the USB OTG connector by connecting a typical USB A Male to USB Mini-B Male cable from your PC to the Beagleboard. In this mode, the Beagleboard is a device that is connected to and powered by the Host PC.
- In Host Mode, via a USB to Barrel connector from a powered USB Hub (see above).
- In Host Mode, via a 5V DC power supply purchased with the 5.5 x 2.1 mm Barrel Connector (see Digikey power supply below).
- In Host Mode, via a 5V DC power supply by splicing on the appropriate 5.5 x 2.1 mm Barrel Connector (see Digikey pigtail below).
Listed below are sources for the three Host Mode methods. Section V: Software for using a Windows PC: Terminal Emulator, Virtual Machine Software, Linux DistroNOTE: If you are using a Linux PC for development, then you don't need the following items. They will let you use a Windows PC.Section VI: Community Websites:You'll need to peruse each of these sites, collect valuable tidbits and print out many important how-to documents:
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Wow, this is a great page. I don't know how much time you spent gathering all this info, but you made so many people's lives SOOOOOOOOO much easier!!
I agree! This page rocks. I wish I had this before BeagleBoard arrived. I would have gone to local stores to buy needed equipment listed here.
Fantastic overview! Really nice layout and pics. Ordering online with connectors etc. can be time consuming. Thanks.
nice convenient and useful list :-) thanks.
i am looking for a good case to hold a beagle-board, usb hub etc. so everything fits in one case with only connects seen on the outside. the "acrylic" case shown above is kinda cute, but wont host the usb hub etc.
my aim to create something similar to www.fit-pc.com but based on superior (imo) beagleboard (fit-pc is based on geode lx800). any ideas on the case? has anyone tried using a pico-itx (or some such) case?
thanks!
Thanks much for a to-the-point list! It was very helpful in sorting out all the stuff that I needed to buy before my beagle arrived!
A suggestion:
I do not own a digital flat panel - I have a CRT based monitor. I had thought that a HDMI to VGA cable might work and bought one too. I hadn't gone through the system reference manual completely, so didn't know then, that this cable wouldn't work for me, since the DVI output on the beagle does not output the analog signals required for such converters to work.
I think it would definitely help future first time beaglers if a note be put up in the list indicating that the DVI signal coming out of HDMI port on beagle does not have an analog signal in it, and hence connectors like HDMI to VGA will not work.
Thanks! Radha.
The link for a USB Std-A-Female to Mini-A-Male Adapter actually points to a USB Std-A-MALE to Mini-A-Male Adapter (The standard connection on the page is male, not female)
An excellent compilation of information - something that would help in a fast ramp up on the Beagle Board
wow, very useful
Thanx for providing such useful info in a very precise format
Just as I got linux working I broke off the OTG USB connentor when the cable flexed. This connector is very fragile, so be very carefull. I'd recomend putting the board I a case.
This is very useful but being based in the UK, it was not so easy to source the parts. However, Maplins stock most of the stuff required. I had to build the AT Everex 10way header to RS232 cable myself (only need to solder pins 2,3+5) using connectors and 16way ribbon cable from Maplins. Have not been able to the find the Mini A male to USB B female cable anywhere but I have a gender changer and hope to make this work. It would make sense for the BeagleBoard to have a jumper for connecting Pin4 and GND on the OTG USB connector so people could use a normal Mini B connector - not sure if this is strictly within the USB spec but it is a practical trick to help people get started quickly.
Thanks, great list of equipment gives a good idea of what beyond just the board itself is required! An alternative to the linked USB adaptor (which is wrong as DavidABaker noted) is the swivel OTG one: http://www.electronicproductonline.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2043
Another source for OTG cable is serialio.com: https://serialio.com//store/product_info.php?cPath=54_61&products_id=456&osCsid=cf0c6582b0a7c6d52c5ee324b574fbbf
a cheap solution to connect a ps/2 kbd and/or mouse to the beagle: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1440
wish i could hook up a VGA monitor on my beagleboard!! bummed!
http://us.kensington.com/html/17164.html us.kensington.com
The Kensington USB Mini Dock with Ethernet gives you quick access to your peripherals and the Internet. Simply plug the USB cable into your notebook and you’re instantly connected to your keyboard, mouse, printer, and even broadband Internet. Model number: K33931US Price: $49.99 c/w wall power adaptor.
Identical to Hub with ethernet vended by supermedia store and special computing except it comes with power adaptor, cheaper shipping rates, Kensington two year guarantee. Also available at apple.com and brick & mortar Apple Stores.
Is there a source of the 14 to 20 pin jtag dongles that would be required to use jtag with most of the low cost jtag solutions (amontex, olimex, etc etc)?
Even I too have only analog monitors.. I have not tried with the DVI-D to analog convertor but it is easily available. If we use TV as display then will keyboard and mouse work? suggestions are welcome....