Breakout Board

[zevdawg]

Curious to know, if breakout boards will be released by OP in the future (possibly when?). Wiki mentions something about Gerber files being released as well (possibly) - only manufacturing plants use those (so I thought), so what's that about?

2) Does anyone here know how to read a schematic, and could you build one based off the info in Wiki?

3) The breakout board's needed for realtime debug info isn't it? I would like to become active with helping with all sorts of applications and what have you on the pandora, so a debug log in a console could prove useful to me (for the record I am interested in development, when I get a Panda), but also especially to devs as well

4) what are all the connections on that board?

 

[kriskelvin]

Nah, Gerber files are sufficient for homemade PCB production... there are several viewing/printing applications.

Though you should also know how to read a schematic, in case they don't deliver a component placement diagram.

The layout doesn't look too complicated to me. If you could replace the SMD parts (or use adapters), you could even assemble it on a breadboard without etching a PCB.

 

[kingoddball]

I would also like one. Not that I would ever use it, I just want.

 

[CokeCanNinja]

I would also like one. Not that I would ever use it, I just want.

Lol, me too.

 

[Exophase]

You don't need a BoB for debugging. You'll be able to SSH in via USB or WiFi. UART access should be generally unnecessary.

 

[torpor]

I want one for hacking OS releases. Nothing beats a serial console for debugging a new boot image.

 

[diegor]

I want one for hacking OS releases. Nothing beats a serial console for debugging a new boot image.

Yes. A jtag cable for example

BTW, a seriale console is not strictly needed, we have a screen and a keyboard for the console, after all.

 

[torpor]

.. its strictly needed if you want to watch kernel messages on boot while debugging why your keyboard and LCD don't work. D'uh.

And I challenge you to see those messages with a JTAG cable!

 

[XavierBlak]

4) what are all the connections on that board?

I did a little digging and I realized that the bread out board is actually breaking out the EXT connector on the back of the pandora. I had just assumed it was connected to an internal header. I guess the ribbon connector threw me but if you check this photo you can see there is a second board that converts the EXT connector to a ribbon connector that then connects to the break out board.

As far as all the connectors:
J1 - Audio In - 2 x RCA Connectors
J2 - Audio/Video Out - 3 x RCA Connectors
J3 - Serial female DB9 connector - Can be swapped between uart2 or uart 3 via jumpers
J4 - Serial male DB9 connector - Can be swapped between uart2 or uart 3 via jumpers
J5 - Can't tell for sure but mostly likely a mini-din connector for s-video.
J6 - 5x2 connector - Breaks out the alt functions allowing for GPIO on some pins.

 

[diegor]

.. its strictly needed if you want to watch kernel messages on boot while debugging why your keyboard and LCD don't work. D'uh.

And I challenge you to see those messages with a JTAG cable!

And what if the serial is not working?

 

[torpor]

Then I'd use JTAG! Which is of course also on the Breakout board. But at that point I'd just get another Pandora, because it'd obviously be a hardware problem, and I'm not getting a Breakout board to debug hardware problems, but to debug new OS boot images ..

Anyway, pedantish cur, begone!