Sure, it’s very nice to have a tiny and inexpensive computer that runs Linux, a 
TCP stack, etc.  But you probably have your BBB connected to a PC that can do 
that stuff already, much faster and with a keyboard, mass storage, and so 
forth.  BBB is a both an embedded Linux platform AND two very fast little 
real-time processors that can use the Linux platform for all of the higher 
level support functions.  The PRUs have access to all of the fancy hardware 
interfaces in the AM3359 chip, with none of the “Linux way” layers and 
protocols in the way.

Of course, you should NOT let a Linux driver have access to or attempt to 
control any device you are using in a PRU program or you are asking for a lot 
of trouble.  But as long as you are careful about that, you should be able to 
do all the high-speed, low-latency bare metal embedded stuff you want on one or 
both of the PRUs.  (EG. about 1000 times the speed of going through the GPIO 
pin driver.)

From: Brandon I 
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2014 6:31 PM
To: [email protected] 
Subject: [beagleboard] Re: Encouragement for the disencouraged

> My only real issue that I have no idea what the Angstrom is really capable of 
> and what really comes with it. 

I think the biggest hurdle for people is they have some embedded mindset with 
talk of processors and whatnot. Think of this as it is, a resource limited 
general purpose Linux computer in a small form factor. You develop for it just 
like you would a normal desktop computer.

Don't think of it as what Angstrom is really capable of because Angstrom has 
nothing to do with it. Install Debian if you want and you'll be able to 
accomplish the same (maybe with less free RAM) using almost identical code.

The biggest hurdle I had was to do things right the "Linux way", as in using 
the abstracted to infinity drivers and sysfs interfaces to do something like 
access a single register for some hard ip. You can go bang registers and be 
done with it, but the whole point is that you don't have to care about the 
specific platform if you use the standard interfaces allowing you to port your 
code to some other future embedded (or not) system.

2 ranty cents for you.

On Thursday, March 20, 2014 3:05:17 PM UTC-7, Thorsten Gonschior wrote: 
  Hi to you all out there, new to the BBB, new to Linux, new to whatever?

  This is no request for a particular solution but somehow a thought to whats 
wrong with me, ... or some of the others?

  Never worked with Linux or Unix, never did anything else than windows and TI 
embedded stuff. I would think of me as a professional senior engineer for 
embedded systems, automotive and industrial control.

  Now, I entered the embedded Linux world and I am thrilled and frustrated at 
the same time. Before some days system and software engineering was somehow 
deterministic to me, something you plan and do. yea, welcome to waynes world.

  After reading some hundred hours in the internet, peeking through about 12 
new books I bought like hands on the beagle bone black for hyperdummies down to 
realtime driver development in subatomicmicrokernels I am almost as clueless as 
before. almost ;) 
  After trying to do some really complex stuff like hello world on a php web 
page I am beginning to understand that I have to let go some very basic 
principles of thinking like an engineer if I want to act in and survive this 
new scene.

  My first impression on the BBB was somehow, oh wow now I can do everything I 
always wanted for free. Today I am more on the way of thinking what I could do 
if noone or nothing unavoidably unseen screws me up, kicks me in the back and 
stabs me with a fork in my ass (in my sleep).


  After this esotheric discourse for all you out there finding yourself here I 
will come to the encouragement thing I promised.
  You cannot make it run? its not there? dont know where, why, how or when?

  Its there and it is quite simple and so much more complex you will ever 
imagine. Know what? give a damn, go get it and make it any way you can.

  Newbie/Noob Rule 1: there is no correct way, there ist never only one way, 
and what ever way you find out, if ever, its the wrong one anyway.
  Newbie/Noob Rule 2: dont do it on your own. its already there. dont even 
start thinking how you can solve a subtask. just go and get your component out 
of the internet. talking caipirinha serving robots doing your laundry, just 
call for it. it will never be a 100% solution. be happy if it works just good 
enough, more or less. On the other hand, if you do it on your own, how perfect 
would you think you would do it, after endless doing your stuff ..... There is 
just nothing you can do on your own against the 10.000 man years of productive 
work you buy with your cellphone ;) 
  Newbie/Noob Rule 3: dont believe in all the creeps out there. my impression 
is that there are seemingly 50 people out there not talking crap. they are easy 
to find.
  Newbie/Noob Rule 4: if you are confronted with the fishermans feed fish and 
net crap, skip the page, its not with it.
  Newbie/Noob Rule 5: I dont know how, but all the people out there managed to 
make it somehow. even if you have no Idea what you are doing, in the end it 
works. you dont know why, or for how long, but it does. thanks and regards to 
all of you out there contributing to this vast community. With the stuff you do 
and how you do it, you would not have survived in any kind of industrial 
working environment. On the other hand this so professional industrial working 
environment is just loosing the edge against you. And that feels great :D


  In direct words to the BBB and my experiences of the first days:
  after two days of stumbling around to understand how to get ubuntu on my BBB 
I was able to set up my SD Card and power up the ubuntu. Just early enough to 
undertsand that Angstrom ist not half as bad as everybody tries to state. Now I 
am back to angstrom and I like it (today).
  After endless discussions from guys who tried to provide the perfect way of 
setting up a so much better web server and endless attempts from me to make 
those explanations work, I found out that the BBB comes with a webserver and to 
enable stuff like php its just a two lines command. it works fine to me (today).
  After reading horrific stories of how not to find a working FTP server 
solution for the not usable and totally crappy Angstrom distribution, I found 
out that I had to load and start an SFTP capable transfer program on my windows 
machine, connect it to my BBB and do stuff I better had done but reading these 
stories.

  Some more of this happened.


  My conclusions are:
  1. No you dont have that problem! Its just that creep over there who fumbled 
his BBB or OS to death. Do your own stuff.
  2. No its probably not perfect but its great and it works (most of it)
  3. Angstrom server is currently down. I am missing documents on the 
distribution and some manuals or tutorials that are NOT written from the wise 
guys out there.
  4. I am looking forward to work with this great device, the good community 
and these damn ideas I still have with the BBB

  My only real issue that I have no idea what the Angstrom is realling capable 
of and what really comes with it. Yes I know I can read the manifest, but it 
does not read like a Perry Rhodan SF Story to me, more like the matrix reverse 
with black letters on a dark screen ;)






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