This post is mainly directed at the owners/operators/admins/mods/etc. of the entire Pine64 project, but I welcome community feedback as well. The question is simple: Just how open source is Pine64 anyway?
Some context:
A friend of mine is absolutely in love with the concept of the Librem 5 phone, as well as pretty much everything else that organization does. My understanding there is that that org has gone above and beyond the reaches of the entire bloody galaxy to open source their hardware and software. As an example, not only is all of their Software FOSS, and not only do they provide datasheets (and I'm pretty sure schematics), but they've even collaborated with chip manufacturers to ensure components are FOSS-respecting, removed IME code from their intel CPUs (I think), written their own BIOS and UEFI bootloader, and I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that they replaced microcode on something somewhere.
But, as expected, this attention to minute detail comes at a cost, and their products are rather expensive.
So, Pine64 organization, I ask you: Just how open source is Pine64 anyway? You've certainly avoided the issues of intel's IME by using a different chip on your products. Do you, too, speak with your chip manufacturers? Is it a non-issue because everything is an SOC which is itself FOSS? Do you have any sort of custom super swanky bootloader?
I ask all of this, because the aforementioned friend also told me that he just didn't get a good vibe from you folks (several years ago when he first encountered you). I have no such qualms (I encountered you much more recently), and he couldn't put his finger on what exactly he took issue with, but I'm mostly curious to see how you would respond to such an initial reaction.
I am looking to attach a custom PCB to the RockPro64 board, a simple extension board with custom firmware that communicates over UART.
Up until now I have no luck getting even a basic two-way communication over UART2 working.
Steps taken:
* The RockPro64 runs on Armbian Ubuntu 18.04
* The RP64 is connected to a Ubuntu Laptop with the Pine64 UART-USB adapter. Due to voltage issues, we regulated the TXD and RTX pins to exactly 3.3V (see schematic attached). Bidirectional communication works fine for the serial login prompt.
* Serial console on ttyS2 is now disabled. We get some Uboot messages on boot, after that the port is silent
* picocom is running both on the RP64 (over SSH) and on the Ubuntu laptop
Expected result:
* Both machines should be able to communicate usint picocom, if started e.g. like `picocom -b 1500000 /dev/ttyS2`
Actual result:
* The RP64 is able to output some characters unreliably to the laptop
* The laptop cannot send any characaters to the RP64, instead mirroring some <?> characters despite local echo off
Some status logs:
Code:
$ dmesg | grep tty
[ 0.000000] Kernel command line: earlycon=uart8250,mmio32,0xff1a0000 swiotlb=1 no_console_suspend=1 usbcore.autosuspend=-1 root=UUID=4e0c7993-7cbb-46f7-acd0-2e3acdfa20ef rootwait rootfstype=ext4 console=tty1 panic=10 consoleblank=0 loglevel=1 ubootpart=350ce75a-01 usb-storage.quirks=0x2537:0x1066:u,0x2537:0x1068:u cgroup_enable=cpuset cgroup_memory=1 cgroup_enable=memory swapaccount=1
[ 0.001397] console [tty1] enabled
[ 0.328959] Registered FIQ tty driver
[ 1.945780] ff180000.serial: ttyS0 at MMIO 0xff180000 (irq = 36, base_baud = 1500000) is a 16550A
[ 1.946282] ff1a0000.serial: ttyS2 at MMIO 0xff1a0000 (irq = 37, base_baud = 1500000) is a 16550A
[ 4.946846] systemd[1]: Created slice system-serial\x2dgetty.slice.
[ 15.681434] ttyS2 - failed to request DMA, use interrupt mode
The PineBook Pro is due to arrive Really Soon Now™, and I'm surely getting one. However, I find myself missing a lapdock-like solution. With the PineBook Pro and PineBook already equipped with screen, keyboard/touchpad, HDMI and battery, we're almost there. Add an input-board with signal converter for the onboard screen, an internal powered USB3 hub for external keyboard/touchpad/wifi and a dedicated port (USB-C?) to power an external SBC in a portable product, and you're there. I see several potential use-cases:
Portable KVM-machine for datacenter work
Troubleshooting SBCs that usually run headless
Pine64 SBC workstation
Super-portable video editing workstation (add a NUC or equivalent mITX computer)
A soberly priced (and available) alternative to PiTop
Convert a PinePhone (or really any phone) to a laptop
Are there any other users on this forum that would buy a product like that from Pine64?
Hi, I am using rockpro64 with Ubuntu18.04 LXDE image.
I made a project on rockpro64 that runs continously 24x7.
Sometimes when light goes or i do software restart, it does not reboot. I have to plug out the power jack and plug it again. SOmetime it reboots automatically after restart.
Is this common issue? Is it related to Hardware or Image? Any idea?
Thanks.
Hello,
I would like to use the PWM fan from Noctua (‘NF-A8 PWM’ - https://noctua.at/en/nf-a8-pwm) with my ROCKPro64. This fan requires PWM signal at 5 V and 25 kHz frequency.
As I understand, the only easily available PWM signal on ROCKPro64 board is PWM_1 (GPIO4C6) connected to board connector J8 (FAN). But it has 12 V at this connector. Somehow I do not like idea of shifting it back to 5 V.
Is there any place on the board, where I could obtain this signal before it gets shifted to 12 Volt? Maybe with little soldering...
Also, may I cause any problem, if I change frequency of this signal to 25 kHz?
Greetings to ROCKPro64 community at my first post!
Gienek.
PINE64 is making a commitment to financially support the community and PinePhone partner projects.
Moreover, a scheme will be put in place to aid closing the digital divide.
