An Introduction to Beagles

The most common path to using a Beagle is to use a body of open source software. The primary open source targets supported by the BeagleBoard.org community are:

• Getting started with Linux and

• Getting started with Zephyr.

Many other paths are possible, but, if you don’t already have a path, these are the ones to typically go down.

If you are new to embedded systems in general, you might consider starting at:

• Getting started with embedded systems

Getting started with Linux

Most Beagles have on-board flash preconfigured to run Linux. These resources will get you started quickly.

Linux Basics

• Get started at Blink an LED.

• Learn to reset a board back to factory defaults and dive a bit deeper into the IDE at Getting Started Guide.

• Learn a bit about Linux at Introduction to Linux.

• Learn about accessories at Accessories

• Learn about using 3rd party I2C add-on boards at QWIIC, STEMMA and Grove Add-ons in Linux.

• Learn about using mikroBUS add-on boards at Using mikroBUS.

• Learn about using Cape add-on boards at Capes.

• Learn about device tree at Introduction to Device Tree.

• Read BeagleBone Cookbook.

• Read PRU Cookbook.

• Find more books at https://www.beagleboard.org/books.

More on Linux

• Introduction to Buildroot

• Introduction to Debian

Getting started with Zephyr

Our Zephyr-enabled boards ship with a build of Micropython and, in the future, will also ship with a BeagleConnect Greybus node service for quick, transparent access from any BeagleConnect Greybus host enabled system.

Zephyr Basics

• Learn a bit about Zephyr at Introduction to Zephyr RTOS

• See Using Micropython to get started quickly.

• See Using Zephyr to learn to setup the Zephyr SDK.

• See BeagleConnect Technology to learn about BeagleConnect Greybus.

Getting started with embedded systems

An embedded system is a computer designed not to look like a computer. That is, it is designed to work like an applicance, doing what you need when you need it, rather than sitting around trying to get your attention and begging to be told what to do.

An embedded system is built around a computer, but adds additional sensors and actuators to do a task, like make toast or get you to work on time along using the freeway. We don’t typically call these things computers. Instead, we call them “toasters” or “cars”. At the heart of these machines is often a programmable computer, though it might not be programmable by you.

At BeagleBoard.org, we seek to enable you to make embedded systems of your own, rather than relying on other people to make them for you. You could call it DIY, or do-it-yourself, but the reality is more DIT, or do-it-together. The skills and tools to build an embedded system are very complicated and the fundamental manufacturing tools are very expensive, so we need to work together to build even the simplest of embedded systems.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with building a dumb toaster, it might even be preferred. However, if you are building a smart toaster, you might want it to obey you, rather than someone 50,000 km away.

Embedded Systems Basics

Here are some basic skills to building an embedded system:

• Introduction to C

• Introduction to Assembly Programming

• Introduction to Verilog

More on Embedded Systems

Here are some more advanced topics around building an embedded system:

• Introduction to Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)

• Introduction to Verification

• Introduction to Arm

• Introduction to RISC-V

• Introduction to Wireless Communications