Kiwi BBAI software installation instructions [updated 4-Mar-24]

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  • jksjks
    edited December 2019
    Okay, looks like you're now running. Note that the debian account password has been changed to your Kiwi's serial number per the recent password security changes forum topic. Change it and the root password to whatever you like and of course don't forget to close the ssh port. Thank you again.
    WA2ZKD
  • Thanks John, I appreciate the rapid response. I will close the port now.
  • edited December 2019
    @jks If we have temperature monitoring on KiwiSDR software for BB-AI board, maybe a good idea to add automatic server shutdown if CPU temp upper high level (for example 70C)? I think its minimized risk of damage board when cooler stopped (broken).
  • That's already done by the Beagle Linux customizations. It doesn't belong in the Kiwi software. I've had mixed results with how well it works. I believe they're still working on it. There are discussions concerning this on the BBAI mailing list.
  • edited December 2019
    John you can write how regulate it? Usually (by default) for CPU this level is so high. How I can change it to 60-70C?
  • Yes, it seems that other cpus operate at somewhat higher temperatures. A Google shows Intel cpus have a max temp of "66 - 68 deg C" and a typical working temp of "56 - 58". I assume these are die temperatures being measured by the processors themselves.

    The thresholds are set (I think) in the device tree (.dts) file near the bottom. The same file the Kiwi uses to customize the GPIO pins: /boot/dtbs/[kernel name]/am5729-beagleboneai.dtb which is the compiled device tree built from the source: /opt/source/[kernel name]/src/arm/am5729-beagleboneai.dts

    You have to be extremely careful if you change this file. If anything is wrong it will "brick" your BBAI. You can only recover by booting from an sd card, mounting the eMMC filesystem and re-installing a correct .dtb file.

    Some freq/temp command aliases are available in the "# BBAI" block of /root/.bashrc (look for the "# cpu" sub-block).
  • related stuff can be found at /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0 after logging in from ssh

    more info here https://groups.google.com/forum/#!categories/beagleboard/beaglebone-ai
  • jksjks
    edited December 2019
    The cpufreq tools (and especially ' alias opp="omapconf show app" ') are UI front-ends for the stuff in /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/*
  • I found 2 trip_point_ on /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/ for my BBAI:
    trip_point_0_temp:80000
    trip_point_0_type:passive
    trip_point_1_temp:95000
    trip_point_1_type:critical
    Only when temp of this zone cross 95C its generate thermal kernel module event for power off BBAI.
    I correctly understand this data?
  • I'm not sure since I don't know how these Beagle-specific changes work. I don't even know where this code is located.
  • set the critical threshold to 50000 and see if it shuts down early as a test
  • They're read-only. As those things usually are.
  • Is this week a rollover?
  • edited December 2019
    this has been running for 2 weeks, but not WD continuously
  • That field does not wrap over to "G" and seems to go negative.

    You'll find out these things when you have been running an AI as long as I have ;-)

    (joke)
  • my other AI is approaching 1G, so will soon see
  • "my other AI" nicely played sir.

    I think it is admirable that you are still prepared to talk those of us with only one.
  • edited December 2019
    Here's both (or am I a decade off?)



  • Guys, please be considerate of others searching this forum for relevant information. The signal-to-noise ratio has dropped off significantly lately..
  • I tried to backup my BBAI today but the write failed each time, even after a reboot and disconnecting from the Internet. I'm trying to use a 16Gbyte PNY Micro card.
    Ron
    KA7U
  • I have read that disabling HDMI and the GPU on the BBAI will save 500mw of power (heat reduction). I have not found the magic words to disable these functions. I still have a problem backing up the OS on the BBAI as well, although I think I can figure it out from the command line using tools that come with the OS. I have changed the heatsink and added a little fan to blow across it and that keeps it cool at 1GHz with 4 servers active, but I think if I can disable video, and possibly audio, there will be a power savings and consequently, a heat reduction. Any help is appreciated.
    Ron
    KA7U
  • edited January 2020
    re HDMI, I looked and looked.... nope, no info on disabling
  • have you tried the powertop utility? (apt-get install powertop)
  • powertop doesn't cover hdmi FWICT
  • "systemctl disable lightdm.service" seemed to have helped to lower the temp on the BBAI when running 4 full waterfall sessions by about 3 degrees +. I don't know what the GPU is doing, and don't know how to measure the power use change, but the temperature average did come down.



    Ron
    KA7U
  • The Kiwi Makefile (later versions anyway) are supposed to do a one-time disable of lightdm on the BBAI just for this reason.
  • @jks , OK, so the little fan is pulling air through the case and I also added a section of card stock on the fan end to make sure the air was pulling through the fan and case and not churning on the fan end, at the time I disabled lightdm. That must have been the added cooling effect. You are right about lightdm being disabled in the install.
    root@beaglebone:/var/log/lightdm# ls -lta
    total 32K
    drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 4.0K Jan 28 06:25 ..
    -rw------- 1 root root 4.7K Dec 22 03:35 lightdm.log
    -rw------- 1 root root 1.3K Dec 22 03:35 x-0.log
    drwx--x--x 2 root root 4.0K Dec 22 03:17 .
    -rw------- 1 root root 4.7K Dec 22 03:17 lightdm.log.old
    -rw------- 1 root root 1.3K Dec 22 03:17 x-0.log.old
    root@beaglebone:/var/log/lightdm# 
    Reading the log shows it disabled.
    [+517.73s] DEBUG: Display manager stopped
    [+517.73s] DEBUG: Stopping daemon
    [+517.74s] DEBUG: Exiting with return value 0
    
    So now, how do we shut down the GPU, or is that even possible?
    Ron
    KA7U
  • jksjks
    edited January 2020
    I don't know. If there is no code running that requires GPU cycles then I can't imaging it burns any power on its own just sitting idle.
    KA7U
  • edited February 2020
    Is there a simple way to pipe the maximum temperature (in for example 10,20 or 30 second intervals) to the syslog or another log?
    I've set the AI to 1.5GHz and 14ch internal WSPR, at a glance from "cm" I saw 52000 but it is mostly running at about 47C since then.

    Thu Feb 6 10:06:57 UTC 2020
    51800
    46200
    44600
    45100
    47400
    1000000 1500000 userspace
    current CPU frequency is 1.50 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).
    current CPU frequency is 1.50 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).
    cpufreq stats: 1000 MHz:99.39%, 1.18 GHz:0.00%, 1.50 GHz:0.61% (3)
    cpufreq stats: 1000 MHz:99.39%, 1.18 GHz:0.00%, 1.50 GHz:0.61% (3)
    procs -----------memory---------- ---swap-- -----io---- -system-- ------cpu-----
    r b swpd free buff cache si so bi bo in cs us sy id wa st
    3 0 0 89740 84372 250088 0 0 1 2 126 110 45 10 45 0 0

    Cheers
    Stu

    -edit- Tried running "watch -n 30 logger -n 1.2.3.4 `ct`" but it does not update values
  • Stu,
    You could setup a cron job on the KiwiSDR with crontab -e , see "man crontab" for directions. Examples of commands that would write to the file of your choice below.
    Ron
    KA7U
    root@beaglebone:/home/debian# ct >>temp.log
    root@beaglebone:/home/debian# cat temp.log
    47800
    47000
    47000
    46200
    47800
    root@beaglebone:/home/debian# date >>temp.log
    root@beaglebone:/home/debian# cat temp.log
    47800
    47000
    47000
    46200
    47800
    Thu Feb  6 16:29:34 UTC 2020
    root@beaglebone:/home/debian# 
    Powernumpty
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