Serial Debug Cable Info Available

Autonomous Machines Jetson & Embedded Systems Jetson TX1
1

I just noticed that some kind soul has added info to make a serial debug cable to the new JetsonTX1 wiki on elinux:

http://elinux.org/Jetson_TX1#Serial_Console_Wiring

How about a section for getting the camera going next?

Thanks!

EDIT:

I removed info about getting FTDI going – that’s only needed to get serial info into the TX1 via an FTDI to USB adapter.

2

It was linuxdev, hats off to him! Great guide.

3

Great guide indeed.

All serial console ports for ARM CPUs I have accessed so far can work with only 3 wires, i.e., TD/RD/GND. If I have TX1, I’d try 3 wires without CTS/RTC first.

It’s easier to connect USB/TTL adapter to TX1 with 3 wires.

4

The CTS/RTS tends to depend on the serial console side of the software…not everyone uses it, and often you can just revert to “software flow control”. I’ve never found such a serial console where the CTS/RTS actually mattered, but in theory the longer your cable is the more likely it would matter (I’ve never used long runs of cable). In the case of a short jumper and then traveling as USB you probably can get away without CTS/RTS. But for completeness, it is included.

5

On the Jetson TX1, I have successfully been using a 4 pin USB to TTL Serial Cable - Debug/Console cable for Raspberry Pi (from Adafruit) connected to an Ubuntu PC running Minicom 115,200 8N1, software flow control with no issues for a while now. The cable is about 3 feet long. The red wire on the cable is not connected to the Jetson, of course. Those types of cable are ubiquitous, and can be had for just a few bucks. I already had one laying about that volunteered for the job.

I’ve only been able to find one or two different cables that terminate with 6 separated female 2.54mm sockets that include CTS/RTS, though it is more fun to make your own cable like discussed on the wiki.

6

Yes, I was using an Adafruit cable with a 3-wire connection, too. It works, but the driver occasionally blue-screens my Windows 7 PC. It supposedly uses a Prolific chip, but Prolific warns that it chip has been counterfeited, so maybe I got a bad one. I’m going to stick with FTDI from now on.