Black Beaglebone microcontroller specs, applications & working principle

Beagleboard in collaboration with Newark element 14 and Digi-Key is an educational board developed by a group of engineers with necessary software and hardware functions and designed with Cadence or CAD for plans. It does not require any emulator software.

They made a few wizards like the Beagleboard review. C, Beaglebone, Beaglebone Black Microcontrollers, Beagleboard-XM, Beagleboard-X15. This article provides a brief description of the Beaglebone Black Microcontroller with an example.

What is a black Beaglebone microcontroller?

The Beaglebone Black is just like a PC, which comes in a compact package with a processor, graphic acceleration, memory, and all the required integrated circuits soldered to form a single circuit board. It uses a powerful processor called an ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz AM335x processor.

Beaglebone Black Microcontroller will offer all important and necessary connections to the screen, Ethernet, mouse and keyboard. This wizard runs using Linux OS.

Black Beaglebone controller

This tool is mainly used by researchers to design complex projects and get familiar with the Linux operating system effectively. This Beaglebone Black is similar to this Beaglebone with additional features. The running speed is faster and more widely used as compared to Beaglebone. It is used in: IoT projects, robotics, automation and many field.

Steps to start Beaglebone Black easily and quickly

Firstly, turn on Beaglebone Black in your PC/computer with the help of a micro USB cable. Then it runs in Linux OS. This is a Linux distro, Angstrom.

Now connect all the peripherals like USB and monitor.

To connect the Beaglebone Black to the web browser and control the computer, a driver is installed.

Now, Beaglebone Black is ready with Linux OS, where users can write and run the program using library and python functions without any limits. It helps to control and manage all the GPIO pins of the central processing unit (processor).

There are 8 different modes: Mode 0, Mode 1, Mode 2, Mode 3, Mode 4, Mode 5, Mode 6, Mode 7 in black two-tone color for each digital input output I/O pin, including the GPIO pins. It has two expansion headers P9 and P8 with 46 pins each and can provide a 3.3V I/O signal.

If 5V is supplied to the pin, the entire board is damaged.

The black beaglebone microcontroller pin configuration for the P8 and P9 extension head is given in the tabular figures below. The PIN code on the processor is represented by the PROC number.

To generate signals to control the actuators without using any additional CPU cycle, up to 8 PWM I/O pins are configured

In this P9 extension header, pin 32 to 40 contains one 12-bit ADC (analog to digital converter) with 8 channels

It has 2 I2C ports. One of the ports is used to read EEPROM modules and perform digital I/O functions without any interference in the process. The other I2C port is used to configure user needs.

Black Beaglebone Controller Specifications

The specifications of the Beaglebone Black Microcontroller are as follows:

- Processor Type - Sitara AM3358BZCZ100 1 GHz 2000 MIPS

- Graphics Engine- 20M Polygons/S, SGX530 3D

- SDRAM Memory Size - 512MB DDR3L, 800MHz

- Compact Flash - 8-bit MMC Compact Flash with 4GB

- PMIC - 1 LDO Extra, Regulator TPS65217C PMIC

- Correction support - Serial head, optional 20-pin CTI

- Power supply - mini USB, USB or DC socket; 5V DC external through the expansion head

- PCB - 3.4 x 2.1 x; 6 layers

- Indicators Type - 1 Power, 2 Ethernet, 4 LED lights, which can be controlled by the user

- HS USB 2.0 Host Port - USB1 Accessible, Type A Socket, 500mA LS/FS/HS

- Serial Port - UART0 accesses via the 6-pin 3.3V TTL header. inhabited head

- Ethernet - 10/100, RJ45

- User input - power button, reset button, power button

- SD/MMC connector - microSD, 3.3V

- Video Output - 16b HDMI, 1280 x 1024 (max), 1025 x 768, 1280 x 720, 1440 x 900, with EDID support

- HS USB 2.0 Client Port - Access USB0, client mode through miniUSB

- Audio - Stereo, via HDMI interface

- Weight - 39.68 grams (1.4 ounces)

- Expansion conductors - 5V, power 3.3V, VDD_ADC 1.8V.

- 3.3V on all I/O signals - GPIO (69 max), McASP0, I2C, SPI1, LCD, GPMC, MMC1, MMC2, 4 serial ports, 4 timers, 7 AIN (max. 1.8V), CAN0, XDMA interrupt , EHRPWM (0, 2), Power button, Expansion board ID (stacking up to 4).

The main feature of the black beaglebone microcontroller is the addition of different heads to it. The heads are just plug-ins, they have been added to the black beagle to increase its functionality. These heads are provided to control motors, cameras, VGA, LCD and other functions.

LED flashing project with BBB microcontroller

It is used to power and operate heavy systems. As Arduino is not enough for some circumstances during DIY projects. Consider an example of booting the operating system. While the operating system is running, it is necessary to run heavy programs and the Arduino requires more power. In such cases, the bones of the black peagle are used to perform those operations with less force.

- It is used when any project requires connection to large hardware.

- It is used to launch the project very very quickly.

Components required in a blinking LED project using a Pegglebone black microcontroller are:

- resistors 330 ohm

- two lamps

- Single Black Beaglebone microcontroller

- breadboard for connections

- Connect the wires.

Connect the VCC and ground pins of the black beagle bones to the breadboard. Supply pin number. 3 of 3.3 volts from the P9 header and a ground pin from the PIN. 2 of the P8 headers are connected as shown above. The positive and negative leads of the LEDs are connected to resistors of 330 ohms and ground, respectively.

The other end of both resistors is connected to Pin no 8 and pin no. 9 of the P8 header. The power supply is supplied to the black beaglebone with the computer connected via a USB cable. Now the LED blinking circuit is ready.

LED1 = “P8_8” [Pin No. 8 of the P8 header is for LED1]

LED2 = “P8_9” [Pin No. 9 of the P8 header is for LED1]

GPIO. Setting (LED1, GPIO. OUT) [LED1 is configured as output]

GPIO. SETUP (LED2.GPIO.OUT) [LED2 is configured as output]

GPIO. Output (LED1, GPIO. HIGH) [to turn on LED1]

GPIO. Output (LED2, GPIO. High) [to turn on LED2]

GPIO. Output (LED1, GPIO. Low) [To turn off LED1]

GPIO. Output (LED2, GPIO. Low) [To turn off LED 2]

We can see that the two LEDs are connected to the GPIO pins of the BBB. When it's on, the LEDs turn on and off for every second. The state of the pin is clearly configured after performing this operation 5 times.

Where to use / applications of the Beaglebone microcontroller

Let us know where to use/applications of the Biglebone Black Microcontroller.

- Engine Controls

- Robotics

- It can work as a server in many IoT projects

- Monitor and control

Black Beaglebone microcontroller specs, applications & working principle