Configure the host PC

This section contains the instructions on how to setup a serial console, in order to establish a serial connection with the boards.

Before starting, make sure that the host PC and the SBC or the carrier board are connected via a UART serial null modem cable.

There are several software applications that allow you to serial connect with the board. The most common are Minicom, Cutecom, Gkterm. We will show you how to install and configure Minicom.

The BSP tools are routinely tested in house on Ubuntu LTS (20.04) and Debian testing.

Most of the other distributions should have the required tools available.

Required packages are natively distributed inside Ubuntu distros, but you may install them using the following commands:

sudo apt-get install fdisk dosfstools e2fsprogs coreutils

Almost all the available SECO solutions can be interfaced to the end user terminal using a debugging UART with a baudrate of 115200; to achieve that a TTL-to-RS232 transceiver must be connected first to the host PC, then to the serial port adapter exposed by the target device.

Once the connection between the host PC and the target device has been established, you have to install a serial communication program on your host PC. A common solution for this purpose is Minicom.

Minicom is a serial communication program that connects to the device through a GNU/Linux PC’s serial ports.

Executing the following command:

sudo apt-get install minicom

Minicom will be available on your host PC.