Frequently asked questions/Gumstix connex, etherstix and cfstix
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If your question is not in this FAQ, please feel free to ask it on the Mailing list
Which expansion boards can be connected to the gumstix motherboards?
To expand function in the gumstix product line, our engineering team has designed the gumstix motherboards with connectors on one or both sides as follows:
basix motherboard
Only one 60-pin expansion board may be connected to the basix motherboard via the 60-pin hirose connector.
connex motherboard
Two expansion boards may be connected to the connex motherboard: one expansion board on either side forming up to a three board sandwich.
Only one 60-pin expansion board may be connected via the 60-pin hirose connector while, on the other side of the connex, only one 92-pin expansion board may be connected via the 92-pin bus header.
verdex motherboard
Two currently available expansion boards may be connected to the verdex motherboard: one expansion board on each side forming up to a three board sandwich.
Only one 60-pin expansion board may be connected via the 60-pin hirose connector while, on the other side of the verdex motherboard, only one 120-pin expansion board may be connected via the 120-pin bus header.
The one exception to the statements above is the tweener board which can connect between the 60-pin expansion board and any of the three motherboards on the 60-pin hirose connector side.
Notes:
1. Connecting the tweener with the robostix board requires this tweener modifications.
2. The tweener must be connected in the direction that makes it face outside the connex board configuration in order to function properly.
This picture may help explain the tweener setup better:
The tweener board can work with all 60-pin expansion expansion boards EXCEPT the breakout-SMT, the breakout-TH or the thumbstix. These three boards have physical limitations that prevent the connection to the tweener board.
.
Can all of the 60-pin expansion boards be connected to a connex platform?
Yes, the gumstix connex platform has the same hirose 60-pin connector as the current gumstix basix platform so most of the existing 62-pin expansion boards connect to both the gumstix basix and the gumstix connex platforms - with some programming exceptions, eg
Note the HWUART signal conflicts in the next FAQ.
Why does the connex platform not have an MMC adapter?
The gumstix boards only have room for either an MMC adapter (basix) or a 92-pin connector (connex) in that physical position along the board.
- For the gumstix basix, we placed the MMC adapter slot.
- For the gumstix connex, we chose the 92-pin bus header.
If you need MMC storage with a connex platform, use the netMMC expansion board.
Are there any signals that conflict between the 60-pin and the 92-pin headers when both a 60-pin and a 92-pin expansion board are connected to the gumstix connex platform?
Yes, there are a few signal lines that are used by both the 60-pin hirose connector and the 92-pin bus header which need attention to avoid conflicts.
Specifically, the HWUART lines have a dual function controlling VLIO (Variable Latency I/O) and, therefore, the HWUART lines cannot be used for controlling VLIO when both a 60-pin (basxix) and a 92-pin (connex) expansion board are connected to the gumstix connex platform at the same time.
You can use Audiostix with the gumstix connex and etherstix BUT the HWUART would not be available with this combination of boards.
Note: the HWUART lines could be used to communicate between a basix and a connex expansion card if the PXA only uses them as Input or HiZ.
Where are the manufacturer specs for the SMSC ethernet module?
As of the Spring 2007, Gumstix uses the SMSC LAN91C111 ethernet module for the various 92-pin and 120-pin expansion boards. The manufacturer specs for the SMSC module are posted here.
Can both an ethernet board (e.g. etherstix) and a compact flash board (e.g. cfstix) be connected to the gumstix connex platform at the same time?
No, you can connect only one 92-pin expansion board at a time on the gumstix connex platform.
The gumstix connex platform accepts two expansion boards at the same time but the boards must fit into the two different connectors, on either side of the gumstix connex platform: one 60-pin expansion board plus one 92-pin expansion board, only.
If you need both ethernet and compact flash, use the netCF expansion board with a connex platform.
What is the part number and pin-out information for the 92-pin bus header?
The pinout information is available for the 92-pin bus header here
Note: the 92-pin bus header, part # FX11LA-92P-SV, is available on the gumstix connex platform but not on the gumstix basix platform.
For connecting to the 92-pin bus header with a custom-made board, part #FX11LA-92S-SV belongs on the daughtercard side.
Which WiFi adapter cards do the cfstix and netCF expansion boards support?
http://linux-wless.passys.nl/ where you choose "CF" as interface and it returns http://linux-wless.passys.nl/query_hostif.php?hostif=CF list. The cfstix and netCF expansion boards should support a wide range of compact flash cards.
- a Netgear MA701 compact flash card for WiFi. This netgear card is available via Amazon dot com.
- The SMC 2632W
- the Ambicom WL1100C-CF card which is 802.11b works fine - edit the init.d file and comment out mmc stuff to enable CF and it should dhcp just fine. (Beware! Newer AmbiCom WL1100C WiFi cards do not seem to work at all, or poorly at best, even with the patch suggested in the Mailing list by Michael Taylor! [1])
- A Belkin F5D6060? - from TigerDirect for $20.
- A Pretec CompactWLAN 802.11b card. You have to enable the compact flash stuff as with other cards. You have to add the following to /etc/hostap_cs.conf if you want to use it with the hostap driver.
card "Pretec WLAN"
version "Pretec", "CompactWLAN Card 802.11b", "2.5"
manfid 0x0156, 0x0002
bind "hostap_cs"
Do the cfstix and etherstix expansion boards have a power jack?
Yes, etherstix does have a power jack. However, cfstix does NOT have a power jack.
cfstix takes power via the gumstix connex platform, which would need to be connected to an expansion board on the 60-pin connector side which offers power.
For power on the 60-pin side, the choices include a waysmall, which has it's own power jack or a USB powered board. Remember to check the FAQ 109 and 110 to prevent any conflicts when connecting boards on both sides of the gumstix connex platform.
Are there any ribbons available for connecting into the gumstix platforms?
Not at this time, but the idea has been submitted to gumstix engineering.
Do you know if cfstix works with CompactFlash WiFi cards other than the Netgear MA701?
Any Compact Flash card for which there is a linux driver ought to work fine — so if you can find a compact flash 802.11g card which has linux drivers, then you should be fine, assuming those drivers are provided in source code form, so they can be compiled for the ARM processor. This generally will be the case since mobile devices which are the ones that tend to use the CF interface, are often built on an ARM processor.
Which ethernet controller does the etherstix use?
The etherstix expansion board uses LAN91C111 from SMSC. The netstix boards, including the netCF, netMMC, netDUO etc all use this same module.
Is it possible to connect a GPRS modem or a GSM compact flash card to the gumstix cfstix board?
At this time, gumstix engineering has not tried out the GPRS or GSM compact flash cards. There are GPRS and GSm compact flash cards available which apparently work under linux but they may make use of the x86 serial driver, which means they might not work on gumstix.
How do the boards of the etherstix audio pack connect, physically ?
Graphically the connection of the gumstix connex sits between the etherstix and the audiostix boards.
++AA++-etherstix-----
++AA++-gumstix connex --++BB++
+----------audiostix------+BB+
AA = 92-pin bus header
BB = 60-pin hirose connector
or
++AA++-gumstix connex --++BB++
++BB++--------- tweener
+----------audiostix------+BB+
If the tweener board is added, connect the tweener to extend outside of the sandwich. Note: the etherstix cannot be connected at the same time as the tweener due to connectors getting in the way of each other.
Does it matter in what direction expansion boards are connected as long as the right connecter is used?
Yes, connection direction does matter for all expansion boards. The expansion boards will only work when connected the right way round, even though the connector is nearly symmetrical and will physically allow itself to be plugged in backwards. The three (3) boards should all overlap each other, aligned the same way, in the sandwich configuration. Audiostix/connex/etherstix should all fit comfortably for example.
When the tweener board is used, it does not align with the other boards, but rather sticks out of the end.
Can the gumstix become a wifi access point or it is just a device on a wifi network?
This will depend on what method you use for wifi access. Any device which supports (and is using) the hostap drivers should work. Note that the wifistix does not support the hostap drivers.
In order to configure the device as an access point change the following in /etc/pcmcia/wireless.opts from:
case "$ADDRESS" in
*,*,*,*)
INFO="Any ESSID"
ESSID="any"
;;
esac
to:
case "$ADDRESS" in
*,*,*,*)
INFO="Any ESSID"
ESSID="gumstix"
MODE="master"
;;
esac
Wifistix
The wifistix does not support running as an Access Point (AP) at this time.
Other options
The gumstix software provides the necessary software support to become an AP (wireless Access Point) when using the connex motherboard with a WiFi card, like the netgear ma701, in either a cfstix or netCF expansion board. Wifi cards like this netgear card support AP mode (through the hostap driver) unlike the wifistix expansion board which does not support the hostap driver.
What is the screw size for sandwiching the gumstix boards?
Use a 0-80 (or 1.5mm) screw
A 0-80 screw has a major diameter (where the crests of the threads would be if they weren't rounded off) of 0.060" which is 1.524mm, so a 1.5mm metric screw should fit (since it's a teeny bit smaller).
Is a waysmall STUART and a serial null-modem cable needed with a netstix or etherstix configuration for console access?
(note: netstix boards = netDUO, netCF and netMMC)
Yes, if console access is desired in any configuration, including a netstix or etherstix setup, then a waysmall and a null-modem cable is required. Bluetooth and usbnet are started but the ethernet connection is not brought up by default on boot.
Once a serial connection is established, add
auto eth0
to
/etc/networks/interfaces
to bring up eth0 after a reboot.
Note that the tweener board does not fit on a connex when a netDUO board is connected on the other side.
Is ethernet brought up by default in a netstix computer or 10/100 Ethernet gumstix configuration?
Yes, ethernet is brought up be default on the netstix computer and in any configuration with a 10/100 Ethernet-capable gumstix expansion board, such as a netMMC, netCF, netDUO-mmc or cfstix.
Bringing up ethernet automatically has been the default since rootfs r782 -- to find the latest version of the buildroot, check here.
The netstix computer, and any connex motherboard, comes configured to start the ethernet device and request an IP address from the network via DHCP. You need an active DHCP server on the LAN in order for the ethernet to come up.
If you have a working DHCP server on your LAN and the netstix is not obtaining an IP address from it, then it's possible that the netstix computer is defective. contact sales at gumstix.com.
Can a tweener board be used when a netDUO board is connected on the other side of the connex platform?
No, the tweener board does not fit on a connex when a netDUO board is connected on the other side.
