For easy develop, the VoCore2 3d module and SMT footprint is upgraded to support KiCAD7, have fun 🙂
Consider SMT footprint has better yield rate for mass production, recommend to use this footprint.
Download STEP file at: http://vonger.cn/misc/vocore2/vocore2.3d.stp.zip or https://vocore.io/v2.html
Download Symbol at: http://vonger.cn/misc/vocore2/vocore2.smt.zip or https://vocore.io/v2.html
PS: also we have tape package. Contact us if you need this special package.
For mediatek wifi driver, we can get the internal temperture by command “iwpriv ra0 stat | grep CurrentTemperature”, for example
root@OpenWrt:~# iwpriv ra0 stat | grep Temp
CurrentTemperature = 73For open source wifi driver, we can get temperture by user level driver (need to enable /dev/mem) source code here: https://github.com/Vonger/vocore2/tree/master/utils/mt7628tool
To make your customized official uboot or our standard uboot, it requires two steps.
optional: for simple, after replace vocore2_defconfig, you can directly call make vocore2_defconfig, then call CROSS_COMPILE=mipsel-openwrt-linux- make, it will generate uboot by the default config.
PS: new version uboot compile size over 192KB, need to reduce…unselect Network Support it works. And customize uboot has some risk to brick your VoCore, better to have at least two VoCore or SPI flash loader to unbrick it if anything goes wrong. Check here vocore.io/v2.html, Unbrick VoCore2 part.
Official uboot is very different from the mediatek uboot, not that easy to use but very flexible.
For example, if my firmware stored in USB disk and I want to update firmware from uboot, I will need to load from usb disk to memory first, then erase flash and write to it all by command.
Here is the log:
U-Boot 2022.01 (Oct 29 2022 - 14:39:20 +0000)
resetctl_reboot resetctl-reboot: set_state_simple op missing
mtmips-reset rstctrl@0x34: set_state_simple op missing
CPU: MediaTek MT7628A ver:1 eco:2
Boot: DDR2, SPI-NOR 3-Byte Addr, CPU clock from XTAL
Clock: CPU: 580MHz, Bus: 193MHz, XTAL: 40MHz
DRAM: 128 MiB
pinconfig pin_state: set_state_simple op missing
simple_bus palmbus@10000000: set_state_simple op missing
mt7628-clk clkctrl@0x2c: set_state_simple op missing
mt762x_wdt watchdog@100: set_state_simple op missingg
WDT: Started watchdog@100 with servicing (60s timeout)
MMC: fixed_clock clk48m@0: set_state_simple op missing
pinconfig sd_iot_mode: set_state_simple op missing
mmc@10130000: 0
Loading Environment from SPIFlash... mt7621_spi spi@b00: set_state_simple op mig
mt7621_spi spi@b00: spi_find_chip_select: plat=86fa0258, cs=0
jedec_spi_nor spi-flash@0: set_state_simple op missing
SF: Detected w25q128 with page size 256 Bytes, erase size 4 KiB, total 16 MiB
jedec_spi_nor spi-flash@0: from 0x00030000, len 4096
OK
In: uart2@e00
Out: uart2@e00
Err: uart2@e00
Net: pinconfig ephy_iot_mode: set_state_simple op missing
mtmips-reset rstctrl@0x34: set_state_simple op missing
Warning: eth@10110000 (eth0) using random MAC address - ce:78:14:4e:a5:ac
eth0: eth@10110000
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
=>
=> usb start
starting USB...
Bus ehci@101c0000: ehci_generic ehci@101c0000: set_state_simple op missing
mt76x8_usb_phy usb-phy@10120000: set_state_simple op missing
USB EHCI 1.00
scanning bus ehci@101c0000 for devices... usb_hub usb_hub: set_state_simple op g
2 USB Device(s) found
scanning usb for storage devices... 1 Storage Device(s) found
=> fatload usb 0:0 0x81000000 root_uImage
6292261 bytes read in 245 ms (24.5 MiB/s)
=> sf start
No SPI flash selected. Please run `sf probe'
=> sf probe
mt7621_spi spi@b00: spi_find_chip_select: plat=86fa0258, cs=0
mt7621_spi spi@b00: spi_find_chip_select: plat=86fa0258, cs=0
=> sf erase 0x50000 0xfb0000
jedec_spi_nor spi-flash@0: at 0x50000, len 16449536
SF: 16449536 bytes @ 0x50000 Erased: OK
=> sf write 0x81000000 0x50000 0x600325
device 0 offset 0x50000, size 0x600325
jedec_spi_nor spi-flash@0: to 0x00050000, len 6292261
SF: 6292261 bytes @ 0x50000 Written: OKBecause Simhub makes it very easy to DIY a dashboard for sim racers, many people ask about tech support for DIY projects with VoCore screens. This tutorial will help you choose the parts.
To complete a dashboard, the easiest way is to use existing solutions. The most common one is to use Arduino to control the LEDs, with open-source code that can be found at SimHub; use VoCore as the dashboard display; and use a USB hub to connect everything together.
It seems pretty simple, but there are a few things to consider:
That’s all for now. If there’s anything else to consider, I will update this blog. Have fun with your DIY dash! 🙂
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install raspberrypi-kernel-headers build-essential -y
sudo rebootgit clone https://github.com/Vonger/vocore2 # download code
cd vocore2
cd utils/fbusb/src
make -C /usr/src/linux-headers-`uname -r`/ M=`pwd` modules # compile
sudo mkdir -p /lib/modules/`uname -r`/extra
sudo cp fbusb.ko /lib/modules/`uname -r`/extra/ # install module
sudo depmod -a # load at bootupsudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak
sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.confPaste the code to the end of the file.
Section "Device"
Identifier "vocore screen"
Driver "fbturbo"
Option "fbdev" "/dev/fb0"
Option "SwapbuffersWait" "true"
EndSectionHere is a video about the performance.
20240802 update: recommend to use DRM driver for new raspberrypi, read https://vonger.cn/?p=15535
Some people asked about if it is possible to make VoCore Screen wirelessly, so no need USB or any connection. I think there is such possible, because in Linux we have USBIP which can remotely connect USB by ethernet or wireless. In windows, it also has one named VirtualHere but not open source.
Then we tried the solution, the result…emm, it works but FPS is not high, for simple page like system information or not frequently changed dashboard, it is stable and good(but we did not have game for real test)
Here is a tutorial about how to try it:
Download link here: https://www.virtualhere.com/usb_client_software
win32: https://www.virtualhere.com/sites/default/files/usbclient/vhui32.exe win64: https://www.virtualhere.com/sites/default/files/usbclient/vhui64.exe
VoCore2 is MIPSEL, so we need to use
https://www.virtualhere.com/sites/default/files/usbserver/vhusbdmipsel
And here is a compiled firmware for VoCore2, after upgrade you can directly use. https://vonger.cn/upload/vocore2.virtualhere.bin
VoCore2 and Your Computer must in same network. About network setting, please search VoCore2 tutorial in this site.
Open VirtualHere application on your PC, wait a moment, normally it will be detected and show in the menu, VoCore2 automaticlly when they are in same network. Once it shows in the menu, right click and select use the device, then you can use the screen just like it is connected to your computer. Later we will upload a video about how it performance.
Recently compile openwrt 18.06.9, get this error:
Build dependency: Please install the GNU C Compiler (gcc) 4.8 or later
Build dependency: Please install the GNU C++ Compiler (g++) 4.8 or laterI can not do any further process. But my GCC is pretty new 11.3.0
gcc --version
gcc (Ubuntu 11.3.0-1ubuntu1~22.04) 11.3.0
Copyright (C) 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
So its report is absolutely something not right.
PS: I already can image some lazy coder just compare the first byte of gcc version, so it must think my gcc version is ‘1.x’ but not ’11.x’, so report such stupid error.
Easy to fix, just delete the check it will back to work, I have checked by my eye it is 11.x but not 1.x. Sorry about this dirty fix, I am also one of the lazy coder and even worse I am not good at script. :p
--- a/include/prereq-build.mk
+++ b/include/prereq-build.mk
@@ -26,31 +26,12 @@ $(eval $(call TestHostCommand,proper-umask, \
Please build with umask 022 - other values produce broken packages, \
umask | grep -xE 0?0[012][012]))
-$(eval $(call SetupHostCommand,gcc, \
- Please install the GNU C Compiler (gcc) 4.8 or later, \
- $(CC) -dumpversion | grep -E '^(4\.[8-9]|[5-9]\.?|10\.?)', \
- gcc -dumpversion | grep -E '^(4\.[8-9]|[5-9]\.?|10\.?)', \
- gcc --version | grep -E 'Apple.(LLVM|clang)' ))
-
$(eval $(call TestHostCommand,working-gcc, \
\nPlease reinstall the GNU C Compiler (4.8 or later) - \
it appears to be broken, \
echo 'int main(int argc, char **argv) { return 0; }' | \
gcc -x c -o $(TMP_DIR)/a.out -))
-$(eval $(call SetupHostCommand,g++, \
- Please install the GNU C++ Compiler (g++) 4.8 or later, \
- $(CXX) -dumpversion | grep -E '^(4\.[8-9]|[5-9]\.?|10\.?)', \
- g++ -dumpversion | grep -E '^(4\.[8-9]|[5-9]\.?|10\.?)', \
- g++ --version | grep -E 'Apple.(LLVM|clang)' ))
-
-$(eval $(call TestHostCommand,working-g++, \
- \nPlease reinstall the GNU C++ Compiler (4.8 or later) - \
- it appears to be broken, \
- echo 'int main(int argc, char **argv) { return 0; }' | \
- g++ -x c++ -o $(TMP_DIR)/a.out - -lstdc++ && \
- $(TMP_DIR)/a.out))
-
$(eval $(call TestHostCommand,ncurses, \
Please install ncurses. (Missing libncurses.so or ncurses.h), \
echo 'int main(int argc, char **argv) { initscr(); return 0; }' | \PS: I meet tons of problem after this, like m4 compatible error, and gdb8 need python2, so for simple, just download latest openwrt and copy the tools Makefile to replace the old bones, it will back to work.
Currently latest version of uboot is working well on VoCore2. But because of the partition is not big enough for all uboot features, we have to do such cut off.
We upload the config to https://github.com/Vonger/vocore2/blob/master/uboot/vocore2_defconfig
Have a try 🙂 https://vonger.cn/misc/vocore2/u-boot-with-spl.bin
1. This is for 192KB partition of uboot, for mainline version you will need to adjust the uboot partition size to 312KB, but that will also need to modify Linux partition DTS file.
This define is in vocore2_defconfig of uboot: CONFIG_MTDPARTS_DEFAULT=”spi0.0:192k(u-boot),64k(env),64k(factory),-(kernel)”
2. uboot will not boot Linux after install, you will need to setup, choose and run one of the following uboot commands.
=fast bootup=========================
setenv bootcmd 'bootm 0xbc050000'
saveenv
reset
=common bootup=========================
setenv bootcmd 'sf probe; sf read ${loadaddr} 0x50000 0x200000; bootm;'
saveenv
resetNote: it works after setup env, common bootup pretty slow at load firmware, take totally 15s to load Linux then unzip. fast bootup has limit, your compressed kernel can not >4MB
Note: 0xbc000000 is flash map to memory, and first 0x50000 we used for uboot and factory, so start at 0xbc050000
Now VoCore2 has mainline uboot available, but need more testing to verify that everything is stable.
if you need it, see below:
before replace uboot ,you need read how to fix dead uboot: https://vonger.cn/?p=8054
flash layout difference of mainline uboot and ralink uboot:
mainline uboot:
| uboot | uboot-env | factory | firmware |
|---|---|---|---|
| 312k | 4k | 4k | – |
uboot from mtk:
| uboot | uboot-env | factory | firmware |
|---|---|---|---|
| 192k | 64k | 64k | – |
mainline uboot’s layout can include more code in uboot, but it not compatible with the mtk’s uboot.
if you need 192k mainline uboot, please use uboot/vocore2_defconfig to compile maineline uboot:
cp path/to/thisrepo/uboot/vocore2_defconfig path/to/mainlineubootsrc/.confignote: before replace uboot, you must ensure your ‘u-boot-with-spl.bin’ size is < 192k
To support mainline of the uboot, also need to modify Linux kernel partition DTS. openwrt/target/linux/ramips/dts/mt7628an_vocore_vocore2.dts
partition@0 {
label = "u-boot";
reg = <0x0 0x4e000>;
read-only;
};
partition@30000 {
label = "u-boot-env";
reg = <0x30000 0x1000>;
read-only;
};
factory: partition@40000 {
label = "factory";
reg = <0x40000 0x1000>;
read-only;
};PS: before do anything change to your VoCore, better to backup the hole flash to avoid any calibrate data lost.
PayPal just locked our account this morning, no reason provide and no idea, they required us submit a lot of paperwork to prove our business is real. We have submitted in first time but seems like the review still need three days.
Possible reason: our sales agent is locked at home because of virus and their home network is very slow to login PayPal, so around one week we can not fill trace on PayPal(but we do have trace on our site…)
For recently order, please directly email to sales@vocore.io, so we have to use old way to handle this, email and wire transfer to our company account.
If any other good third party to replace PayPal please suggest. 🙂 Sometimes we are just too lazy to take action but seems like this time we have to move, PayPal is very expansive and not friendly to seller anymore.
PS: at Nov.20, our account is unlocked. But the our stock distinct is locked because of COVID…It is so hard this year. :'(