Embedded Linux Design & Development

With Beagle Bone Black Expansion board

Hardware used
 The practical exercises will be run on a Beagle Bone Black (BBB) with a Cortex ARM.
 All exercises will be applicable to any other type of board supported by Linux.
 Online practical demonstration for Linux porting on BBB. Later on you can buy and practise,
support will be provided. Material will be provided with step by step procedure for lab
guidance.

Prerequisites:
 We assume that attendees are fully fluent in C, data structures and that the Linux/Unix
command line is a familiar environment.
 Embedded systems development knowledge.
 Linux System Programming & Device Drivers.

Audience:
 This session is mainly intended for those looking to start their career in embedded Linux or for
those already working in Linux porting.

End of the course you’ll be able to (Session Highlights):

 Build a customized kernel and u-boot for a designated target.
 Configure a bootloader for booting a customized kernel with its root filesystem from a solid-
state storage device.
 Choose a GNU toolchain for cross-development.
 Develop a deep understanding of the board support packages with Real Time Examples.
 Add the following skill set to your profile: Board support packages, boot loaders, Setup
Embedded Linux Development Environment, Board Bring up, Boot Time Optimization etc.
 And more.

Note: All Sessions are highly interactive hands-on-sessions.

 Embedded Linux With Beagle Bone Black
Embedded Linux Syllabus Summary: (Detailed agenda below)
Session 1: Introduction to Embedded Linux
Session 2: Setup Embedded Linux Development Environment
Session 3: Developing Embedded Linux Device Drivers
Session 4: Project: Falling Edge Interrupt porting on AM335x Controller.
Session 5: Embedded Linux Build System

Session 1: Introduction to Embedded Linux (Prebuilt Images)

Objective: To understand Embedded Linux platform and cross compilation toolchain. Understand
Beagle Bone Black (BBB) specifications, Block Diagram and Memory Mapping and also AM3358 Boot
Sequence. Understand KM-BBB Specifications and Bock Diagram. How to install Prebuilt images on
KM-BBB.
1.1. Embedded Hardware and Software.
1.2. C libraries. Building a cross-compiling tool chain.
1.3. BBB Specifications and Block Diagram
1.4. AM3358 Specifications, Block Diagram and Memory Mapping
1.5. X86 vs Embedded Boot Sequence. (AM3358 Boot Sequence)
Hands-On-Session:
 Debian 10 Prebuilt Images porting on KM-BBB.
Session 2: Setup Embedded Linux Development Environment (Own Built Images)
Objective: To understand how to create Own built images for u-boot, Kernel and RFS.
Topic 1: Boot Loaders and U-boot
1.1. Board Support Packages
1.2. U-boot commands and Environment variables.
1.3. U-boot Source code flow
1.4. U-boot Customization
Topic 2: Linux Kernel
2.1. KBuild System
2.2. Configuring, (cross) compiling and booting a Linux kernel
2.3. Kernel boot-up flow
Topic 3: Device Tree
3.1. What are Device Trees?
3.2. What Device Trees Do and What They Do Not Do
3.3. Device Tree Syntax
3.4. Device Tree Walk Through
3.5. Device Tree Bindings
3.6. Device Tree support in Boot Loaders
3.7. Using Device Tree Data in Drivers
3.8. Coexistence and Conversion of Old Drivers
Topic 4: Root File System
4.1. Creating a simple, Busybox based root file system from scratch
4.2. Flash file systems – Manipulating flash partitions
4.3. mmc vs emmc
Hands-On-Session:
Walkthrough BBB Device tree source and understand its importance.
Built Own boot loader and Kernel and Root File System.

LIG 420, 2nd Floor, 7th Phase, KPHB Colony, Hyderabad 1

Email: [email protected] www.kernelmasters.org
 Embedded Linux With Beagle Bone Black
Session 3: Developing Embedded Linux Device Drivers
Objective: To Learn, GPIO Framework from Bottom to Top. Understand how to develop GPIO API’s
using system calls and application programming using Shell Program, ‘C’ and Python GPIO modules.
GPIO Driver Framework
Step 1: Study GPIO Basics and AM335x GPIO controller:
1.1. What is GPIO? GPIO Applications?
1.2. AM335x GPIO Controller
Step 2: GPIO @ U-boot Space:
2.1. Control Mux Configuration from U-Boot Command prompt.
2.2. Control LED and Switches from U-boot Command prompt.
2.3. Customize u-boot source code and verify Mux Configuration and LED/Switches
2.4. Understand GPIO Framework in U-boot
Step 3: GPIO @ Kernel Space [GPIO user space driver]:
3.1. Control GPIO functionalities from sys file system entry.
3.2. Monitoring Mux Configuration and GPIO using debug file system.
3.3. Control Mux Configuration using device tree source
3.4. GPIO Test Modules
3.5. Understand GPIO Framework in Kernel
Step 4: GPIO @ User Space:
GPIO System Programming
4.1. Cross compilation of hello world system program
4.2. Implement GPIO API’s using system calls
GPIO Application Programming
4.3. C Program using GPIO API’s
4.4. Shell Scripting using Linux commands
4.5. Python Program using python modules
Hands-On-Session:
Two ways possible to Control Mux configuration, one is u-boot and second one is device tree source
code. LED and Switches control from u-boot, kernel and user space.
Session 4: Project
Falling Edge Interrupt porting on AM335x Controller [Input Sub system in Kernel]
1.1. Add GPIO Key Mux configuration in u-boot source code.
1.2. Test GPIO Key functionality using gpio command at u-boot command prompt
1.3. Enable GPIO keys driver and interrupt in Device tree source code.
1.4. Enable GPIO Key driver as module and cross compile.
1.5. Test GPIO key from user space using evtest application.
1.6. Prepare a GPIO Key Input sub system framework.
Session 5: Embedded Linux Build System
5.1. Buildroot - Configuring Buildroot for bbb.
5.2. Yocto Project/Open Embedded

Note: For more No. of Drivers (I2C, UART, SPI and Network), attend separate sessions offered by
Kernel Masters.

Authored and Compiled By: Boddu Kishore Kumar

Email: [email protected]
Reach us online: www.kernelmasters.org
Contact: 9949062828

LIG 420, 2nd Floor, 7th Phase, KPHB Colony, Hyderabad 2

Email: [email protected] www.kernelmasters.org