USB Expander and Debug Add-On Board User Guide

Support

Table of contents

1. USB Expander and Debug Add-On Board User Guide
   1. Summary
   2. Board Connections
   3. Specification
   4. USB2 Host Pinout
   5. Connecting to VOXL
   6. Connecting a USB2 Peripheral
   7. Forcing the VOXL into Fastboot to Unbrick
   8. Using the Debug Console
   9. Forcing the VOXL into Emergency Boot

Summary

The VOXL USB Expander and Debug Add-On board provides:

• Ability to connect an additional USB2 peripheral device to VOXL
• A debug console for low level system debugging
• A switch that will force VOXL to boot into fastboot mode (for reflashing the System Image if the unit is bricked in the field)
• A switch that will force VOXL to boot into emergency boot mode (used at the factory only)
  • NOTE: newer versions of the board don’t have this switch populated

Board Connections

Specification

USB2 Host Pinout

Pin 1 is marked in the Board Connections graphic above.

Connecting to VOXL

To connect the USB Expander and Debug Add-On board to VOXL:

• Attach the daughter board’s J1 connector to VOXL’s J13 connector

Connecting a USB2 Peripheral

A USB2 peripheral can be connected via a JST GHR-04V-S connector following the pinouts specified in the datasheet.

To validate the connection:

• Power off the VOXL
• Attach the USB Expander and Debug Add-On board
• Ensure the FASTBOOT labeled switch is set to off
• Ensure the EMERG BOOT labeled switch is set to off
  • NOTE: if your board is missing the EMERG BOOT switch, this is OK as its default un-populated state is OFF
• Attach the USB2 peripheral
• Power on the VOXL
• Connect a Micro USB cable to VOXL’s USB port and connect to a Linux PC

Open the terminal in the Linux PC and run the following:

adb shell

Now you’re inside VOXL, run the following, where in this use case we’ve attached a Flight Core board to the USB2 Host connector (showing up as the STMicroelectronics MCU):

/ # lsusb
...
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0483:a32f STMicroelectronics
...

Forcing the VOXL into Fastboot to Unbrick

Follow the unbrick procedure found at docs.modalai.com/unbrick-voxl

Using the Debug Console

You’ll need two MicroUSB cables for this procedure.

• Power off the VOXL
• Attach the USB Expander and Debug Add-On board
• Ensure the FASTBOOT labeled switch is set to off
• Ensure the EMERG BOOT labeled switch is set to off
• Connect a Micro USB cable to VOXL’s USB port and connect to a Linux PC
• Connect a second Micro USB cable to the Add-On board’s Micro USB port and connect to a Linux PC. It may display as FT232R USB UART and will exist as /dev/ttyUSB0
• Power on the VOXL

Open Terminal A in the Linux PC and run the following command (if screen isn’t installed, first run apt install screen):

screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200
[HIT ENTER]

Open Terminal B in the Linux PC and run the following commands:

adb shell
reboot

You should now see debug information in Terminal A:

[10] Opening SSR Glink Port success
[20] Glink Connection between APPS and RPM established
[20] Glink Connection between APPS and RPM established
[40] UFS init success
[80] pm8x41_get_is_cold_boot: cold boot
[90] Unable to locate /bootselect partition
[90] Loading (boot) image (57376768): start
[300] Loading (boot) image (57376768): done
[310] use_signed_kernel=1, is_unlocked=1, is_tampered=0.
[310] decompressing kernel image: start
[630] decompressing kernel image: done
[640] Best match DTB tags 291/00000008/0x00000003/30001/20009/10013/0/0/940319e2/51297
[650] Using pmic info 0x20009/0x10013/0x0/0x0 for device 0x20009/0x10113/0x0/0x0
[650] cmdline: noinitrd rw console=ttyHSL0,115200,n8 androidboot.hardware=qcom ehci-hcd.park=3 msm_rtb.filter=0x37 lpm_levels.sleep_disabled=0 rootwait net.ifnames=0 androidboot.bootdevice=624000.ufshc androidboot.serialno=a0259b4a androidboot.baseband=apq root[670] Updating device tree: start
[680] Updating device tree: done
[680] RPM GLINK UnInit
[690] booting linux @ 0x80080000, ramdisk @ 0x82200000 (0), tags/device tree @ 0x82000000
[690] Jumping to kernel via monitor

Forcing the VOXL into Emergency Boot

This is typically done at the factory and not in the field by a normal user. To force the VOXL to boot into emergency boot mode:

• Power off the VOXL
• Attach the USB Expander and Debug Add-On board
• Ensure the FASTBOOT labeled switch is set to off
• Ensure the EMERG BOOT labeled switch is set to on
• Attach
• Power on the VOXL

The device will show up on a Linux PC as Qualcomm, Inc. Gobi Wireless Modem:

/ lsusb
...
Bus 001 Device 015: ID 05c6:9008 Qualcomm, Inc. Gobi Wireless Modem (QDL mode)
...