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Inferno for the SAMD51 MCU

This directory contains a port of Inferno to the Microchip ATSAMD51J20 MCU provided with the SparkFun MicroMod SAMD51 processor board.

Current state

The port provides the following features, which generally work, but should be considered prototypes:

  • Basic multitasking.
  • Keyboard input and text output via a UART.
  • Access to the status LED on the MicroMod SAMD51 board.

There are some known issues:

  • Text input is handled via a "fake" keyboard device, kbd.c, which is not very capable or flexible. A proper UART driver would be better.
  • Input/output requires a USB-to-serial adaptor.

Hopefully, this can be resolved in time.

Building

From the root directory of the Inferno repository, build a hosted installation of Inferno in the usual way:

  • Configure the values in the mkconfig file for your system.
  • Run the makemk.sh script to build the mk executable. On x86-based Linux systems, this will be in the Linux/386/bin directory.
  • Ensure that the mk executable is on the run path, typically by including its parent directory in the list of paths in the PATH environment variable.
  • Run mk nuke then mk mkdirs to prepare the build environment.
  • Run mk install to build a hosted system.

If this was successful, it should be possible to enter the os/samd51 directory and build the port:

  • Run mk appl to build any port-specific tools.
  • Run mk to build the port.

This should result in a kernel file in the current directory.

Installing

This section is vague because I can no longer test the port. Use caution and consult the Hookup Guide where necessary.

For the MicroMod SAMD51 board, you will need to use the bossac tool to install the kernel file. On Debian, this is provided by the bossa-cli package.

Connect the board to your computer using an USB-C cable, then double tap the RESET button. The status LED should blink or fade in and out.

To upload the kernel file run the bossac tool using sudo where necessary:

bossac -i --port=ttyACM0 -U -i --offset=0x4000 -w -v kernel

Once this has finished, press the RESET button on the board if you already have a USB-to-serial adaptor connected.

Connecting a serial adaptor

You will need a USB-to-serial adaptor to access SERCOM1 on the processor. Unplug the USB-C cable before attaching the USB-to-serial adaptor. If the adaptor does not provide power, the USB-C cable can be connected again later.

The adapter's four wires need to access SERCOM1 via connections on a carrier board. This can either be done via the TX, RX and GND pins, or via a suitable JST-SH cable to a QWIIC header that exposes the same connections.

Once the cable is connected to the board, connect it to your computer to power the board.

Using Inferno

You should now be able to access the Inferno environment by running a terminal emulator, as in this example where /dev/ttyUSB0 is the device file that is created when the board is connected in non-bootloader mode:

picocom -b 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0

And you should see something like this:

Initial Dis: "/osinit.dis"
**
** Inferno
** Vita Nuova
**
samd51$

Please see the general Inferno documentation for information about how to use Inferno. Note that man pages are not included in the default installation.