Here are some hints how to build a QBone and test it.
Normally you receive a programmed SDcard with the QBone kit. To make a backup of it, G**gle for "clone SDcard" and follow instructions.
The "clone" consists of reading the given SDcard into an image file, then writing that file to a new card.
On Windows 10 I use "win32diskimager" for convenience.
Under Linuxes its a more complicated call to "dd". Example run for writing an SDcard from a zipped image file "qbone_sdcard_2018_11_21.dd.gz":
1. Plug a new sdcard of at least 16GB into your card reader. After recognition the desktop file explorer may pop-up some window.
2. Determine the Linux SDcard device:
joerg@vmubuprog:~$ dmesg | tail
[ 45.200662] usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
[ 45.204700] usbcore: registered new interface driver uas
[ 46.199822] scsi 33:0:0:0: Direct-Access Generic STORAGE DEVICE 0903 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
[ 46.201107] sd 33:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
[ 46.482076] sd 33:0:0:0: [sdb] 62521344 512-byte logical blocks: (32.0 GB/29.8 GiB)
[ 46.488105] sd 33:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
[ 46.488108] sd 33:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 21 00 00 00
[ 46.494056] sd 33:0:0:0: [sdb] Write cache: disabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[ 46.524458] sdb: sdb1 sdb2 sdb3 sdb4 < sdb5 >
[ 46.544925] sd 33:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk
joerg@vmubuprog:~$
The output above means that the raw SDcard is "/dev/sdb"
3. To write the zipped image onto the card type something like:
joerg@vmubuprog# sudo -s
[sudo] password for joerg:
root@vmubuprog# gunzip <qbone_sdcard_2018_11_21.dd.gz | time dd of=/dev/sdb bs=1M
13+360271 Datensaetze ein
13+360271 Datensaetze aus
15931539456 Bytes (16 GB) kopiert, 828,463 s, 19,2 MB/s
0.00user 9.66system 13:48.46elapsed 1%CPU (0avgtext+0avgdata 3232maxresident)k
200inputs+31116288outputs (1major+350minor)pagefaults 0swaps
This make take some time.
Typically the BBB is accessed via Ethernet and will appear in your home network under its "hostname".
The initial network name of the BBB is "qbone". If you use multiple QBones, each must get a different name. The hostname is found on the SDcard filesystem at /etc/hostname. You can edit this only the Ubuntu host: re-plugin the SDcard, navigate to /media/<something>/etc, do a "sudo nano hostname".
Login later with "root/root".
Be aware that you can not boot from the SDcard until BBB is plugged into QBone board!
The populated board looks like this (click to enlarge):
Solder best in that order:
Two special parts are used to fit the BeagleBone vertically into a DEC card space:
The pin headers have plastic strips, you get them pushed to one end. The trick is to use the BeagleBone itself as soldering template:
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The little spacer PCBs sit pickyback on the main PCB. The trick here is to align them and solder through both PCBs at once. This is suprisingly easy, at least if you fill the metalized PCB holes with flux. Align the two stacked PCBs with the BBB and temporarily pinheaders.
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Just remember to use double length of solder and heat more than the double time.
Cave at: Sometimes your solder may not flow through both PCB layers, resulting in an open contact.
When that happens: do not resolder from the clean side .
Always resolder from the side you worked on already, suck off the old solder if necessary.
If you try to close the bad junction from both sides
If you don't feel the need to use a circuit beeper, then you're doing right.
***
Now continue with tests ...