Getting Started Guide for Leopard Board DM365 and DM368
From Texas Instruments Embedded Processors Wiki
Contents |
Overview
Leopard Board is an Open Source hardware project, a full featured, ultra low cost, small form factor, high performance development system which includes a TMS320DM365 Processor board. The Leopardboard DM365 is enhanced with more HD Video codecs, Face Detection and HD Video output.
The board is manufactured by Leopard Imaging.
Differences between Leopard Board DM365 and Leopard Board DM355
The following table contains the main differences between Leopard Board DM355 and Leopard Board DM365.
| Feature | Leopard Board DM355 | Leopard Board DM365 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | TMS320DM355 | TMS320DM365 |
| Video output | Composite TV Output | Composite TV/Component HD TV Output |
| Video codecs | MPEG4, JPEG | H.264, VC1, MPEG2, MPEG4, JPEG |
| Audio codecs | MP3, AAC, WMA | MP3, AAC, WMA and Audio Echo Canceller |
| Camera sensors | Support wide range of video resolutions from VGA, 1.3M, 2M, 3M to 5 Mega-pixel CMOS Sensors | Support wide range of video resolutions from VGA, 1.3M, 2M, 3M to 5 Mega-pixel CMOS Sensors |
Hardware
This section shows a brief explanation of the LeopardBoard's hardware, for a little more deep reference you can see the Leopard_Board_DM365_Hardware_Guide.pdf.
Basically the LeopardBoard DM365 is an evaluation board that allows to get access to all the hardware and software capabilities of the TMS320DM365 Texas Instrument's system-on-chip (SoC). This SoC belongs to the DaVinci family oriented principally to multimedia applications.
Components
In the next figures are showed the top and bottom views of the LeopardBoard DM365, over these has been indicated the main hardware components of the LeopardBoard DM365.
The following table describes the main hardware components of the LeopardBoard DM365.
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expansion port | Supports SD/MMC, I2C, UART, McBSP, GPIO ans 3.3V power supply. |
| 2 | JTAG port | Is's a 14 pin JTAG port to allows the software debbuger. |
| 3 | Reset Button | Resets the system. |
| 4 | UART serial output | A RS-232 serial port is provided by a 2.5mm stereo audio jack. |
| 5 | Microphone input | A 2.5mm standard stereo audio jack to receive stereo audio input to the CODEC chip. |
| 6 | Network interface | A standard RJ-45 connector for 10/100 Ethernet networks. |
| 7 | DC Power input | The boards provides a 2.1mm power jack for +5VDC power supply with a power consumption less than 2W (see Hardware Guide for more detail). The power also can be supplied by the USB port. |
| 8 | SD card slot | It is provided as a mean of expansion and also as a interface for this kind of devices. |
| 9 | LCD/DVI interface | A 50-pin connector fully compatible with DM365EVM expansion connector and with support for LCD or DVI daughter card. |
| 10 | Composite video output | The LeopardBoard provides a 2-pin video output connector fully compatible with NTSC or PAL format. It's default at NTSC format. |
| 11 | Camera module interface | This interface supports a wide range of camera modules, from 1.3M to 5 Mega-pixel CMOS sensors. |
| 12 | Component video output | This port provides access to a component video signal with YPbPr format compatible with TV or other component. |
| 13 | Speakers output jack | This is a 2.5mm standard stereo jack which provides a stereo audio signal from the CODEC chip. |
| 14 | USB OTG port | The LeopardBoard DM365 supports both, device and host usb modes. By default the board is working on USB device mode which the capability to be changed on hardware easily (see the LeopardBoard DM365 Hardware User Guide [[1]] for more detail). |
| 15 | TMS320DM365 Processor | The TMS320DM365 processor is an ARM9-based system-on-chip oriented to basic video processing applications like IP cameras or digital photo frames. For a deep description of the processor characteristics you can see the File:Tms320dm365.pdf. |
| 16 | Flash Memory | LeopardBoard DM365 includes a Micron Flash Memory with 256M x 8-bit, 2Gb SLC NAND Flash. |
| 17 | DDR2 SDRAM | This Micron DDR2 SDRAM have 8M x 16 x 8 banks, 1Gb DDR2 SDRAM. |
| 18 | Boot up control switch | This dip switch allows the user to select the boot mode, that is from where the LeopardBoard will start the system. See the LeopardBoard DM365 Hardware User Guide [[2]] for more information about how to set a specific boot mode. |
Camera module
As it was mentioned before, the LeopardBoard DM365 was designed principally for video applications such as IP cameras; is for this reason that there are many camera modules that are compatible with the LeopardBoard DM365. In this section you will find a description table of this camera modules, for more information you can see the [LeopardBoard_DM365_Hardware_User_Guide.pdf].
You can use i2c-tools to read the sensor Chip Version register using the command:
i2cget -f -y 1 0x48 0x0 w # for LI-5M03 / MT9P031
Flip the bytes as i2cget uses anti-Klingon ordering. Different sensors will need different commands (they will be documented as folks with hardware contribute to this page). The table below lists the Chip Version when hardware was available to verify the contents.
| Name | Part Number | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| VGA camera board | LI-LBCMVGA |
| 
|
| 1.3 Mega-pixel camera board | LI-LBCM1M1 |
| 
|
| 2 Mega-pixel camera board | LI-LBCM2M1 |
| 
|
| 3 Mega-pixel camera board | LI-LBCM3M1 |
| 
|
| 5 Mega-pixel camera board | LI-LBCM5M1 |
| 
|
| 5 Mega-pixel camera board | LI-5M03 |
| 
|
| WVGA Global Shutter camera board | LI-VM34LP |
| 
|
| Omni Vision 720p camera board | LI-OV720 |
| 
|
| Omni Vision 1080p camera board | LI-OV1080 |
| Not available. |
Video modules
There are also some additional video function modules that can be attached to the LeopardBoard DM365 to increase its capabilities. The following is a table with a basic description of this modules, some other information could be found in the LeopardBoard DM365 Hardware User Guide [[3]] .
| Name | Part Number | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| DVI output board | LI-DVI1 |
| 
|
| Video composite input board | LI-VI365 |
| 
|
| Video HD component input board | LI-HDI365 |
| 
|
Schematic
You can find the LeopardBoard DM365 (revision 1.3)'s schematic at the following link File:DM365 rev 1.3 Schematic.pdf or you can access to LeopardBoard_Homepage in order to find the latest version.
Besides the above, in the following link is possible to find the camera module schematic for the LeopardBoard DM365:
- Camera module schematic: File:Camera module board.pdf
- 5 Mega-pixels camera module schematic (LI-5M03): File:Li-5m03 camera board v2.pdf
and in the next link the DVI board schematic:
Layout
You can get the PCB layout for the LeopardBoard DM365 revision 1.3 at the following link: LeopardBoard_DM365_PCB.pdf or get it directly from the LeopardBoard_Homepage, in this page you can find also the Gerber version of the PCB.
Clocking
The ARM9 CPU that includes the TMS320DM365 allows to work at clock speeds of 216MHz, 270MHz and 300MHz. In the figure showed above it is possible to see the different clocking values in the LeopardBoard hardware depending of the CPU main clock speed.
Availability
Where to purchase your Leopard Board DM365?
Leopard Board DM365 is available from:
- Leopard Imaging Inc: currently supports North American territory , 29 European Countries, Asia, Australia, South America and South Africa.
What to do in case your country is not on the list of shipping countries?
In case your country is not on the Avnet Express or Leopard Online shopping car, you can follow the next steps:
1. Email purchase order to : sales@leopardimaging.com, listing parts number to buy and QTY.
2. Payment methods: VISA/MasterCard Credit Cards, Paypal or T/T in advance. Please fax the Credit Card information to : 001-510-489-8352 (For security reasons, please do not send credit card information through email).
3. Shipment: UPS, FedEx or USPS.
How to select the shipping method?
- For North American countries, the online shopping cart supports both UPS and USPS (US Postal Service) services.
- For European countries, the online shopping cart supports only UPS shipping service. For cost saving purpose, please send us PO by email if you need USPS shipping service.
- For all other countries, it supports UPS, FedEx and USPS services.
- International USPS shipping rate estimate: Priority Small Flat Rate Box: US$16, Priority International: US$30, Express International Mail: US$38.
- International UPS or FedEx rate estimate: US$80 ~ US$110
Adapters
In this section it will be explained a little about the adapters that you could or must use with the LeopardBoard DM365. For a quite detailed information about the LeopardBoard hardware and its adapters you can refers to the LeopardBoard DM365 Hardware User Guide [[4]].
Serial cable adapter
As it was mentioned at the Hardware section, the LeopardBoard DM365 has a serial interface available through a 2.5mm standard stereo jack. In order to get access to this port through a device with a DB9 serial connector is necessary a serial cable adapter such as the showed in the Figure 4. This adapter converts from 2.5mm stereo plug to female DB9 connector.
Where to buy: LeopardImaging.com
Power adapter
The power adapter is a +5VDC 2.5A switching power supply with an universal AC input. It works either at 50Hz or at 60Hz frequency. The connector is a conventional 2.1mm AC plug polarized with the positive in the center. In the following figure is shown a power adapter for the LeopardBoard DM365.
Where to buy: LeopardImaging.com
USB adapter
As the LeopardBoard DM365 has a mini-USB port, it is necessary to use a USB cable adapter in order to connect the LeopardBoard to a device with a conventional USB connector. In the Figure 6 is showed this USB adapter used for the LeopardBoard DM365.
Where to buy: LeopardImaging.com
Composite video adapter
There is a composite video adapter for the LeopardBoard DM365. This adapter converts the LeoardBoard's 2-pin composite output to the standard RCA port in order to conect the video output to a video device. The following figure shows this composite video adapter.
Where to buy: LeopardImaging.com
Component video adapter cable
It is useful to convert the LeopardBoard's composite video stereo jack to Y/Pb/Pr RCA connector. It is shown in the following figure.
Where to buy: LeopardImaging.com
BootRom
The LeopardBoard DM365 contains a BootRom characteristic, that is, it is able to boot from either its permanent storage device (NAND) or from another external source like a SD Card or through the serial port.
In order to select the boot method with which the board will start, it includes a dip switch called Boot up control switch (see the section 2.1), this switch allows the user to easily selects the boot source the board will looking for.
The possible boot modes are the following:
| Switch 1 | Switch 2 | Switch 3 | Boot mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| off | off | off | NAND Boot Mode |
| off | on | off | SD Card Boot Mode |
| off | on | on | UART Boot Mode |
| on | off | off | USB Boot Mode |
| on | on | off | EMAC Boot Mode |
NAND Boot Mode
This is the default boot mode of the LeopardBoard DM365. The board reads its U-Boot from it and starts the system (which can be allocated either on the NAND flash or in a NFS server).
MMC/SD Card Boot Mode
It is possible to start up the LeopardBoard from the MMC/SD Card. At the moment (July, 2010) this is the only way to load the U-Boot on the NAND memory in the LeopardBoard, if you want to know how to do that you can see the following web page How to flash U-Boot using a SD card.
There is also the following link where it is possible to find how to use the boot and flashing tools with the SD Card: SD card boot and flashing tool for DM355 and DM365. These tools and the images needed are available at the LeopardImaging downloads page.
UART Boot Mode
The TMS320DM365 SoC allows to load a small program (UBL) directly from the serial port to its internal RAM. At the moment (July, 2010) this option is not available for the LeopardBoard DM365.
USB Boot Mode
Although the LeopardBoard's TMS320DM365 SoC allows to boot from a USB device charging a second stage of the UBL (User Bootloader) into the LeopardBoard's RAM and then transferring the control to the user software, now (July, 2010) this option is not available for the LeopardBoard DM365.
EMAC Boot Mode
The TMS320DM365 SoC included on the LeopardBoard DM365 also allows an EMAC boot mode, that is, it is possible to transfer the data boot packages through a Ethernet connection in order to start the processor. Although this characteristic is available on the TMS320DM365 SoC, it is unavailable in the LeopardBoard DM365 at the moment that this note was wrote (July, 2010).
Code
Code and binaries for Leopard Board DM365 are available from different sources.
Binaries
Leopard Imaging offers a series of demos for your Leopard Board, you can find the binaries for the following demos here:
- Leopardboard 365 with Global Shutter MT9V034 Camera Board Vision Kit
- High Definition 720p USB Webcam
- High Definition 720p IPCam
- DM355 ipipe Source Code and Auto Exposure, Auto White Balance Library for DVSDK V1.30
Source
RidgeRun Evaluation SDK for Leopard Board DM365
RidgeRun offers an Evaluation SDK for Leopard Board DM365. The Evaluation SDK will allow you to do the following:
- Allow quick evaluation of hardware capabilities of the Leopard Board.
- Allow persons to get familiar with RidgeRun's SDK and evaluate if it fit their needs for commercial product development.
Some of the goals behind the Evaluation SDK are:
- Support community board projects, by providing the community with an SDK to get started.
- Support education efforts using community boards.
For further development and requirements, you can purchase a Professional SDK.
The following table shows the available version of the Evaluation SDK.
| Version | Features | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Beta Release 844703 |
| |
| New release coming soon |
Some of the main features it will have are:
|
For information on how to install the Evaluation SDK please visit the Installing RR Evaluation SDK for Leopard Board DM365 page.
Compiler
TMS320DM365 processor on Leopard Board contains an ARM926EJ-S general purpose processor.
ARM
There is broad compiler support including gcc - please see ARM Compilers
Board recovery
If your LeopardBoard DM365 is bricked you can refers to the following links in order to recover it:
Beginners guide
You just received your Leopard Board, what do you have to do now? Please review the Beginners guide for Leopard Board DM365.
FAQ
For Leopard Board frequently asked questions (FAQ) see Leopard Board DM365 FAQ
Links
Leopard Board Community
- Leopard Board official forum
- Leopard Board mailing list
- LeopardBoard IRC Channel: join #leopardboard on irc.freenode.net
| For technical support please post your questions at http://e2e.ti.com. Please post only comments about the article Getting Started Guide for Leopard Board DM365 and DM368 here. |
