Pinedio Project: Notes Sharing/Log

[RTP]

New PineDio Gateway img available for download with kernel / chirpstack upgrades, working ethernet, ability to switch between TTN (TheThingsNetwork) and Chirpstack.

• Linux Kernel 5.15.89-sunxi
  
• Chirpstack upgrades
  

Concentrator / GPS starts automatically at boot , along with 'chirpstack-onion', a single command to (optionally) turn Chirpstack access into a Tor Hidden Service (easy way to add end-to-end encryption & ability to keep private address for worldwide remote admin).

Direct Download: https://mega.nz/file/hLVAWLDT#DMFOugfIHa...6uakEc_xmY

I have not been able to boot any of the Armbian PineDio Gateway images, nor any Armbian images linked from the Sopine/A64-LTS wiki software page on my Pine A64 LTS Version 2 (2021-05-13). Since the Pine Store images show the same model A64-LTS in the PineDio kit as the board I'm attempting to boot, but a different A64-LTS board version in the Lup Yuen Lee tutorial, I am reluctant to invest in the PineDio Gateway kit if I cannot get a similiar OS on my current board. I have the PineDio LoRa USB adapter Lup Yuen Lee has in a different tutorial but would eventually like to purchase the PineDio LoRa Gateway kit with confidence. The early version of the Pine A64-LTS board has an SPI chip soldered on, and the later version of the board, which I own, and is pictured in the store with thecurrent kit does not have an SPI chip.

The question I have to ask is do the images being developed work on both versions of the A64-LTS board, has anyone verified this?

The only OSes I have been able to boot on my board are the NetBSD release linked in the wiki software release, and one of Ayufan's early Ubuntu server releases. I've also tried some of Slarm's Sopine Slackware releases to no success. UART does not work on my board (sudo picocom -b 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0) with any of the Armbian or Slackware releases. And with most non-bootable images they go as far as turning the system over to the kernel, hang for a moment, then the board power cycles. I've had the same results with various microSD cards, and eMMC modules. I know my UART adapter is working and the wires are not crossed, and on my machine it is ttyUSB0.

Any help is appreciated. I will try Alpine Linux from the above wiki link but am more comfortable working within Debian forks so it would be nice to have the Armbian releases working. Thank you.

**********************************
Edit: I figured out UART using the Euler Pins. I had been using the GPIO under the assumption it behaved the same as my other Pine64 SBCs. Followed the directions described in the below link after successfully installing FreeBSD 13.2-Release.

https://github.com/epsilon-0/openbsd-pine-a64-lts
https://linux-sunxi.org/File:Pine64_UART0.jpg

Can answer for PineDio gateway img: LTS V2 board boots (v2 listed as coming with gateway) & verified moment ago PineDio img also booted on v1.2 (2018-10-29: different hw version from gateway).

If for some reason there are issues on other debian img, as a temp solution for your other board could grab PineDio gateway img (most recent), then disable concentrator stuff with:

sudo systemctl stop ttn-gateway && sudo systemctl disable ttn-gateway

Thank you for the reply, it eliminates a variable since it isn't a board revision mismatch with the software. I have hardware alternatives to follow the tutorial. Just was trying to work in as close of an environment as possible. Troubleshooting this devil is a distraction from the goal of learning more about LoRa.

My board isn't booting past the initial kernel hardware detection, it will crash and reboot or crash and turn off. Since some OSes do work; NetBSD, FreeBSD, and an old Ubuntu Bionic port, I'm curious about the root of the problem but I have too many projects going to spend anymore time on this tangent.

 
Your board is repeatedly powering off on its own? That's an odd issue you are having. And seeing no clues as to failure by serial?

Has this been happening since you received your board?