View source for Board:rca/rm4100

The '''[http://www.settoplinux.org RCA RM4100]''' was originally designed by Thomson Electronics and was called the '''IP1000'''. I was then manufactured by RCA and named the '''RM4100'''. It is the '''Thomson IP1000's''' little brother. It is a great little set-top-box for coreboot. Maintained by [[User:linux_junkie|Joseph Smith]].

A [http://www.coreboot.org/pipermail/coreboot/2008-March/032221.html full boot log] of this board running coreboot is available for reference.

== Status ==

{{Status|

|CPU_status = OK
|CPU_comments = Mobile Intel(R) Celeron(TM) CPU 733MHz.
|CPU_L1_status = OK
|CPU_L2_status = OK
|CPU_L2_comments = 256 KB
|CPU_L3_status = N/A
|CPU_multiple_status = N/A
|CPU_multicore_status = N/A
|CPU_virt_status = N/A

|RAM_EDO_status = N/A
|RAM_SDRAM_status = N/A
|RAM_SODIMM_status = OK
|RAM_SODIMM_comments = Onboard 128MB PC133.
|RAM_DDR_status = N/A
|RAM_DDR2_status = N/A
|RAM_DDR3_status = N/A
|RAM_dualchannel_status = N/A
|RAM_ecc_status = N/A

|IDE_status = OK
|IDE_comments = Tested with hard drive.
|IDE_25_status = OK
|IDE_25_comments = Tested with 2.5" hard drive and adapter.
|IDE_CF_status = OK
|IDE_CF_comments = Works both with vendor BIOS and coreboot.
|CDROM_DVD_status = OK
|CDROM_DVD_comments = Tested by mounting a CD-ROM in Linux.

|SATA_status = N/A
|USB_status = OK
|USB_comments = Tested with USB keyboard.
|Onboard_VGA_status = OK
|Onboard_VGA_comments = VGA support in coreboot works fine. TV-Out is still a WIP.
|Onboard_ethernet_status = OK
|Onboard_ethernet_comments = Onboard Intel 82562ET LAN On Motherboard (LOM) Design.
|Onboard_audio_status = OK
|Onboard_modem_status = Untested
|Onboard_modem_comments = Detected by the kernel ok, but has not been tested.
|Onboard_firewire_status = N/A
|Smartcard_status = N/A
|Onboard_CF_status = OK
|Onboard_PCMCIA_status = N/A

|ISA_cards_status = N/A
|AMR_cards_status = N/A
|PCI_cards_status = N/A
|AGP_cards_status = N/A
|PCIE_x1_status = N/A
|PCIE_x2_status = N/A
|PCIE_x4_status = N/A
|PCIE_x8_status = N/A
|PCIE_x16_status = N/A
|PCIE_x32_status = N/A
|HTX_status = N/A

|Floppy_status = N/A
|COM1_status = OK
|COM2_status = OK
|COM2_comments = IR is connected to COM2. Tested: Wireless (IR) keyboard on COM2.
|PP_status = OK
|PP_comments = There is no actual Parallel connector, the Parallel is used to enable IR and control 3 LEDs.
|PS2_keyboard_status = N/A
|PS2_mouse_status = N/A
|Game_port_status = N/A
|IR_status = OK
|IR_comments = Should work fine but has not been tested with lirc and a remote yet.
|Speaker_status = N/A
|DiskOnChip_status = N/A

|Sensors_status = OK
|Sensors_comments = lm-sensors uses '''i801''', '''smsc47m192'''.
|Watchdog_status = Untested
|CAN_bus_status = N/A
|CPUfreq_status = Untested
|Powersave_status = WIP
|ACPI_status = N/A
|Reboot_status = OK
|Poweroff_status = WIP 
|LEDs_status = OK
|LEDs_comments = Controlled by parallel port.
|HPET_status = N/A
|RNG_status = N/A
|WakeOnModem_status = Untested
|WakeOnLAN_status = Untested
|WakeOnLAN_comments = Enabled on LOM Design, should work fine but untested.
|WakeOnKeyboard_status = Untested
|WakeOnKeyboard_comments = Supported by the Super I/O but not implemented.
|WakeOnMouse_status = N/A
|Flashrom_status = OK
|Flashrom_comments = Should work since flashrom version [http://www.coreboot.org/pipermail/coreboot/2008-March/032246.html r3145].

}}

== Hardware ==

{| style="float: right; background: transparent; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"
|- valign="top"
| [[Image:rm4100_front.jpg|thumb|Front of the RCA RM4100.]]
| [[Image:rm4100_rear.jpg|thumb|Back of the RCA RM4100.]]
|- valign="top"
| [[Image:rca_rm4100.jpg|thumb|Stock RM4100, still in the case.]]
| [[Image:rca_rm4100_mods.jpg|thumb|RM4100 with PLCC socket, IDE, and VGA modifications.]]
|}

* Low Voltage Intel&reg; Celeron&reg; processor (Micro-FC-BGA) 733MHz
* Intel 830M northbridge
* Intel 82801DB (ICH4) southbridge
* SMSC LPC47M192 Super I/O
* ST M50FW080 8-Mbit (1Mbx8) Firmware Hub (FWH) flash memory
* 128MB PC133 SDRAM on board
* Two USB 2.0 ports 
* 2 Ultra-ATA/100/66/33 IDE channels (no connectors)
* 64MB Compact Flash via IDE controller (upgradeable)
* Integrated 10/100 Intel 82562ET LAN On Motherboard (LOM)
* Integrated 2D and 3D graphics with AGP 4X interface
* Conexant CX25873-13 High Performance Video Encoder
* Optical SPDIF output (Dolby Digital)
* Composite and S-Video outputs (can deliver either NTSC or PAL video)
* Sigmatel STAC9767 AC�97 2.3 20-Bit audio controller
* Integrated Conexant CX81801-94 SmartV.XX V.92, V.34, V.32 data modem
* IR receiver for remote / keyboard
* 3 LEDs with GPIO control

== VGA vs. Headless ==

Before building coreboot for the RCA RM4100 there are a few settings to consider. Depending on whether you want VGA support or not, you might have to modify some files.

See [[VGA support]] for information on how to add support for the onboard VGA controller.

== Payload ==

Next you will need to prepare a [[Payloads|payload]]. For this tutorial I will use [[FILO]] to boot from a hard drive (Fedora Core 7). In the FILO directory run
 make
like instructed in the '''INSTALL''' directions and then edit the file '''Config'''.

Change:
 MENULST_FILE = "hda3:/boot/filo/menu.lst"
to (menu.lst is a symlink to grub.conf and FILO does not like that)
 MENULST_FILE = "'''hda1''':/grub/grub.conf"
to boot to GRUB on the '''Compact Flash card''' or
 MENULST_FILE = "'''hdc1''':/grub/grub.conf"
to '''boot from the harddrive''' (if you have the HD hack installed).

Change:
 #SERIAL_SPEED = 115200
to
 SERIAL_SPEED = 115200
to insure we get output to the serial console. That should be it. Now you can run
 make 
again to build your payload ELF file. Once that finishes copy '''filo.elf''' to the '''/tmp''' directory, or you can adjust '''targets/rca/rm4100/Config.lb''' to point to where filo.elf is.

You can further reduce the size of '''filo.elf''' by disabling various unneeded options in FILO's '''Config''' file (e.g. support for filesystems you don't use).

== Building coreboot ==

Now we are ready to build coreboot.

See the [[Build HOWTO]] for information on how to build coreboot for this board.

See [[VGA support]] for information on how to add support for the onboard VGA controller.

== Flashing coreboot ==

At last you're ready to flash '''bios.bin''' to your RM4100. If this is the first time, meaning your RM4100 still has the original BIOS, you need to use the method described on the [http://www.settoplinux.org/index.php?title=RCA_RM4100:Howto_coreboot_and_Linux Howto install coreboot & Linux on the RM4100] article to flash, otherwise you can just use [[flashrom]].

{{PD-self}}