Android 4.0.3 ICS on DM814x (Naon)

Info Box Applies to Android Applies to Naon Applies to Maya Applies to Dido

Introduction

Texas Instruments provides the Android developement kits for the Sitara platform, but an official release for the DM814x/AM387x processor is not yet available. However, it is possible to build Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) for the DM814x/AM387x processor and make it run on the Naon/Maya/Dido SoMs.

For further information on Android, please visit Android category page.

Useful links

• Get started building Gingerbread for TI816x or TI814x with support for hardware-accelerated multimedia
• Rowboat Git repository
• Manifest file used for building
• Downloading the source tree
• YouTube video: Android ICS running on Naon

Demo board

Android 4.0.3 ICS has been built to run on the following system:

• Naon SOM with TI DM8148 processor
• NaonEVB-Lite carrier board with custom add-on to provide display support
• 800x480 LCD display (mod )
• Capacitive touch screen

Android ICS on Naon - Demo board

Configuring the build system

Please follow the instructions to initialize the build environment and in particular download the repo tool and the AOSP source code.

Please note that the required manifest file is rowboat-ics-ti81xx.xml. Please enter the following commands to update the source code:

repo init -u git://gitorious.org/rowboat/manifest.git -m rowboat-ics-ti81xx.xml
repo sync

Building Android

Building the kernel

Assuming that rowboat-android is the directory containing the full AOSP source code:

• kernel contains the Android kernel tree that must be patched to add Naon support
• out/target/product/ti814xevm/ will contain the created root file system

To launch Android kernel build, enter the following commands:

umask 0002
export PATH=<path_to_toolchain>:$PATH 
export ARCH=arm
export CROSS_COMPILE=arm-none-linux-gnueabi-
export OUT_DIR_COMMON_BASE=<path_to_build_directory>
export USE_CCACHE=1
export CCACHE_DIR=<path_to_build_cache_directory>
make TARGET_PRODUCT=naon OMAPES=6.x

Makefile customization

N.B: The main Makefile must be modified at rows 71-73 so that the kernel configuration file naon_ics_defconfig is used instead of the default one.

ifeq ($(TARGET_PRODUCT), naon)
ifeq ($(KRN_DBG),1)
	$(MAKE) -C kernel ARCH=arm naon_ics_defconfig V=1 CONFIG_DEBUG_DONT_REORDER_CODE=1
else
	$(MAKE) -C kernel ARCH=arm naon_ics_defconfig
endif
endif

Building the RFS

To build the Android root file system (please note that it will take some time, depending on the host system performaces), launch the following commands:

echo "Make new RFS..."
sudo make TARGET_PRODUCT=naon OMAPES=6.x fs_tarball
echo "DONE!"

N.B: The build/core/root.mk must be modified at row 13:

ifeq ($(TARGET_PRODUCT), naon)
export SYSLINK_VARIANT_NAME := TI814X
CLEAN_RULE := syslink_clean sgx_clean kernel_clean clean
rowboat: sgx
else

row 60

endif

row 83

ifeq ($(TARGET_PRODUCT), naon)
ifeq ($(KRN_DBG),1)
	$(MAKE) -C kernel ARCH=arm naon_ics_defconfig V=1 CONFIG_DEBUG_DONT_REORDER_CODE=1
else
        $(MAKE) -C kernel ARCH=arm naon_ics_defconfig
endif
endif

row 114

ifeq ($(TARGET_PRODUCT), naon)
sgx: kernel_build ti81xx_kernel_modules
else

row 125

endif

Cleaning the build

To clean the build directory and repeat the process, just remove the out directory:

sudo rm -rf out

Running Android on Naon

U-boot environment

The following u-boot environment variables must be set to run Android:

naon_host=evb_lite_android
andrk=tftp ${loadaddr} android/uImage
andrroot=<path_to_android_rootfs>
andrcons=setenv bootargs ${bootargs} console=ttyO0,115200n8 androidboot.console=ttyO0 rootwait noinitrd init=/init rw earlyprintk
andrmem=setenv bootargs ${bootargs} mem=364M vram=16M notifyk.vpssm3_sva=${notify_mem}
andrenv-nfs=setenv bootargs root=/dev/nfs rw nfsroot=${nfsserverip}:${andrroot} panic=5 loglevel=6 rootdelay=5
andrenv-mmc=setenv bootargs root=/dev/mmcblk0p1 rootfstype=ext3 loglevel=8 rootdelay=2 panic=5
android=run andrk andrenv-nfs andrmem andrcons addip; bootm ${buf}
android-mmc=run andrk andrenv-mmc andrmem andrcons addip; bootm ${buf}
andrnand=run andrenv-mmc andrmem andrcons addip; sf probe 0:0; sf read ${loadaddr} 0x80000 0x400000; bootm ${loadaddr}

Display type and resolution

Android detects the display resolution from framebuffer settings. To change the resolution, the load parameter of the vpss.ko module must be adjusted into the rc.syslink init file. Some examples are the following:

• for HDMI output at 1080p, the parameter ismode=hdmi:1080p-60,dvo2:800x480@60
• for HDMI output at 1600x1200, the parameter is mode=hdmi:1600x1200@60,dvo2:800x480@60
• for the 800x480 LCD display, the parameter is mode=hdmi:800x480@60,dvo2:lcd-ta1h

Screenshots

Android ICS on Naon - Boot

Android ICS on Naon - Desktop

Android ICS on Naon - Apps

Android ICS on Naon - Info Screen