ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1 - Booting a Linux® Image

Last modified by Microchip on 2023/11/10 10:59

Objective

This training topic lists step-by-step instructions for booting a Linux image to the ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1 evaluation kit. As an example (and demo), you will download and flash a demonstration image from the Linux4SAM website. The demo image is readily available, so you do not have to build it from the source.

Contents

Reference Materials

  • ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1
  • Micro-B USB cable (included in the ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1 box)
  • Personal computer (Windows®, macOS®, Linux®) running a terminal program
  • SD Memory Card (1 GB or larger)

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Procedure

Familiarize Yourself with the Features of the ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1

Take a moment and familiarize yourself with the ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1 Evaluation Kit features.

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Download Demonstration Image

The latest demonstration images for the ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1 are available on the Linux4SAM.org website. There you will find three sets of images created from one of three Build Systems:

Note:

If this is your first time downloading an image, and you are not sure which one to download, try the Buildroot-based demo without display: linux4sam-buildroot-sama5d27_som1_ek-X.Y.img.bz2 where X.Y is the version number.

ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1 Demo images

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Flash and Insert SD Memory Card

Flash Demo Image to SD Memory Card

The easiest method to flash an image to an SD Memory Card is to use the utility program balenaEtcher. It is available for Windows, macOS, or Linux.

First, open the Etcher utility and click on Select Image to load the image. Browse and select the image file you downloaded from the previous step.

Etcher Utility Select Image button

Second, insert an SD Memory Card into the SD Memory Card slot on your PC, if one is available. If not, the easiest way is to use an external USB SD Memory Card reader.

Third, locate and select the SD Memory Card. Once the SD Memory Card is inserted into your PC, Etcher will automatically detect it.

Etcher Utility Select Drive button

Fourth, select Flash!. This will take a few minutes.

Etcher Utility Flash button

Insert SD Memory Card into J12

Once the image has been successfully flashed to the SD Memory Card, insert it into slot J12 on the ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1.

Insert an SD-card into the atsama5d27-som1-ek1

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Download, Install, and Configure a Terminal Program onto your Personal Computer

There are several choices for terminal programs. Many are free to download. Refer to "ATSAMA5D27-SOM1-EK1 - Console Serial Communications" page for a list of popular terminal programs.

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Ensure the Jumpers are in the Correct Position

atsama5d27-som1-ek1 default jumper positions

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Connect Your PC to J10 Using a Micro-B USB Cable

 This will also power the development board.

USB Connection for atsama5d27-som1-ek1

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Press the Reset Button PB1

Press the Reset Button on the atsama5d27-som1-ek1

The boot sequence will display in the terminal window (console serial port). At the end, the command line will prompt the user to log in.

LEDs for indicating Linux and J-Link Debugger operation on atsama5d27-som1-ek1

Proper operation of the image and the on-board J-Link Debugger will be indicated by:

  • LED D5 - Flashing Blue indicates the operation of the Linux operating system image
  • LED D4 - Flashing Green indicates the operation of the J-Link Debugger

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