BeagleBoard Shopping List
From Crashcourse Wiki
While there's an official, mind-numbing BeagleBoard shopping list page [here] for when you get serious, there are really only a few things you truly need to get your hands on after you've ordered your BB so you can get to work the instant it arrives because, remember, when you order a BeagleBoard, you get nothing but the board. No cables. No power adapter. Nothing. So, what you'll want:
- a decent, clean 5V power supply (minimum 500mA, maximum 2A, 2.1mm x 5.5mm, centre hot, available at most decent geek shops),
- null modem cable for serial connectivity,
- DB9M to IDC10F AT/Everex Serial Adapter (an example of which is pictured [here], which you can order or simply rip out of a desktop system while your co-worker's not looking,
- some kind of USB-serial adapter, and
- an SD card to hold the Linux distro you want to run (SD or SDHC format).
About that USB-serial adapter, given that most newer systems don't have actual serial ports anymore, you'll probably want to get some kind of USB-serial adapter to connect your host via a USB port to the BB console port. You can get something like a Targus port replicator, or a simpler USB-serial converter.
Note:
- Some USB-serial converters appear to simply not work properly (at least with Linux). Apparently, there are three major USB-UART converter manufacturers -- FTDI, MosChip and Prolific -- and my experiences with a no-name, Prolific-based converter have been disastrous. I've been told that FTDI is your safest bet.
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