🛠 Connect an IO device to PICO-PTH4

Objectifs

This tutorial aims to familiarize beginner users with the Input/Output (I/O) interfaces of the AAEON PICO-PTH4 card. We will explore how to access internal connectors to communicate with simple peripherals, such as sensors or displays, by leveraging the available serial ports and GPIO bus on this compact Pico-ITX board.

Matériel nécessaire

• AAEON PICO-PTH4 card (any Ultra 5, 7, or X7 variant).
• Compatible 12V DC power supply.
• A simple serial peripheral (e.g., GPS module, environmental sensor compatible with RS-232/422/485, or a microcontroller).
• Connection cables suitable for the card's internal connectors.
• Linux operating system installed (Ubuntu or Debian recommended).
• SSH terminal or direct screen/keyboard access.

Étapes

1. Connector Identification: The PICO-PTH4 features internal connectors for GPIO, SMBus/I2C, and two serial ports (RS-232/422/485). Consult the specific technical documentation for your revision to identify exact pinouts, as physical formats may vary by chassis model.

1. Physical Connection: Power off the card and disconnect the 12V supply. Connect your peripheral to the appropriate internal serial connector. Ensure voltage levels (typically 3.3V or 5V for TTL signals if converted) match the peripheral's specifications to avoid damaging the board.

1. System Access: Reboot the card and connect via SSH or locally. Verify that the system detects serial ports using the following command:

dmesg | grep tty
ls /dev/ttyS*

1. Port Configuration: If the port does not appear, check BIOS settings. Classic serial ports are often mapped to /dev/ttyS0 or /dev/ttyS1. Configure the baud rate using stty:

sudo stty -F /dev/ttyS0 9600 cs8 -cstopb -parenb

1. Communication Test: Use a tool like minicom or cat to read data from the connected peripheral:

sudo cat /dev/ttyS0

You should see raw data sent by your sensor or peripheral displayed in the terminal.

Vérification

To validate functionality, send a specific command to the peripheral if it accepts instructions (e.g., a temperature read command). If the response is coherent and free of transmission errors, the physical and logical link is established. Check for communication errors in system logs (/var/log/syslog).

Pour aller plus loin

Once serial communication is mastered, explore using the I2C/SMBus bus to connect more complex digital sensors requiring precise addressing. The computing power of the Panther Lake SoC (up to 180 TOPS) also allows for local processing of IO data for advanced IoT applications.