Documentation Setup and Programming Setup and Programming Verdex Pro: setup and programming Getting started
Hardware Introduction to the Verdex Pro series
The Gumstix Verdex Pro computer boards are small. The motherboard, which we call a computer-on-module or COM, is about the size of your index finger. The boards that have the connectors for I/O function such as USB, power input and HDMI are called "expansion boards" by Gumstix. Each expansion board has room for the various connectors or I/O pinouts.
Despite their small size, a Gumstix Verdex Pro computer is a Linux computer that can be programmed to perform a wide range of function in almost any industry including power management, time & attendance, security, access control, IT, location tracking, medical, aviation, robotics and education, to name a few.
The product name Verdex comes the code name "Belvedere" that Intel used in-house when they were developing the PXA270.
A Verdex Pro computer configuration consists of:
Each and every Gumstix Verdex Pro COM can fit on each and every 60-pin and 80-pin expansion board of the Verdex Pro series. In this way, a developer can use the Verdex Pro series as a common development platform to develop products with a wide variety of usages.
The main features of a Verdex Pro COM are:
The pinout details for each connector are posted in the hardware section, linked via here.
Software Introduction and User Wiki
Each Gumstix COM runs Linux. Gumstix preloads Linux on each Verdex Pro COM. Software engineers at Gumstix keep our Linux software at current levels so that the recent, tested function for Linux programming can be available on Gumstix products.
Note: The Gumstix Verdex Pro COM can run other operating systems including Android and Windows CE, which can be obtained from and supported by licensed Microsoft resellers such as those posted via here .
The Gumstix User wiki, accessible via a link at the top of www.gumstix.net, is a forum in which customer how-to's, projects and successes can be posted and linked. User postings include advice on using Ubuntu, Java, Fedora, batteries, Qemu, Qt, Suse, webcams and more. The user wiki is linked via here.
OpenEmbedded Development Environment Introduction
Gumstix now uses the OpenEmbedded build system. The "Getting started" set of pages will show you how to set up a cross development build environment on your Linux desktop or laptop. It will teach you how to check out the most recent source code for the gumstix Linux distribution, and how to use the build system to create standard images for a root file system and Linux kernel.
It will then cover how to establish a serial connection with your gumstix hardware and how to update the onboard flash memory with the kernel and root file system that you just built.
The steps for the entire process are summarized in Quick start, but it is recommended that you read through the more detailed instructions in Setting up a Build Environment and the following sections for a better understanding of the process.
Top Continue to "Connecting Verdex Pro hardware" section
First you'll want to check out the source files for the gumstix OpenEmbedded (OE) build system. With a typical DSL connection this step should take about 20 minutes. You should have at least 10GB of free space on your hard drive.
Note: The build sytem is set up to build for Verdex Pro by default. Instructions to set up a build environment for the Overo series are posted here.
Keeping up to date by rebuilding your root file system and kernel from the latest source code is not the only option available to you. You can update your current software and add functionality using pre-built binary packages. Gumstix-oe uses the ipkg package management tool.
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