How to get a working LED/VFD front display on Tanix TX3 mini-A?

[joaormn]

Hello,

 

Since I'm less than a noob in linux, can anyone please help me with the commands that I need to execute the following instructions?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Instructions:

 

1. Install the dtb file meson-gxl-s905w-tx3-mini-vfd.dtb.gz and boot your tx3 box with this file. (This assumes that you boot from SD/USB so that you don't risk bricking your box.)

 

2. Download the vfd code (module and daemon) tarball vfdd-20181209.tar.xz from a link at the bottom of the page http://www.rvq.fr/linux/tanix-vfd.php and unpack it someplace on your tx3 box.

 

3. Build the vfd module (natively): Install the *.deb package from Balbes/Armbian with linux kernel headers for the kernel you are running. Then, copy the contents of vfdd-20181209/vfdmod/vfdmod/ to some place in the kernel headers tree, say drivers/vfd Go to drivers/vfd and write up a Makefile somewhat like this;

 

    KERNEL_SOURCE := /usr/src/linux-headers-4.19.7-aml-s9xxx
    PWD := $(shell pwd)
    default:
        ${MAKE} -C ${KERNEL_SOURCE} M=${PWD} modules
    clean:
        ${MAKE} -C ${KERNEL_SOURCE} M=${PWD} clean

 

   Run 'make' and build the module vfdmod.ko

 

4. Check that the module loads: insmod vfdmod.ko

 

5. Build the daemon vfdd: Go to the directory vfdd-20181209/ and run make. The daemon executable vfdd should emerge. After inspection/editing of the Makefile in vfdd-20181209/ (e.g. BINDIR, ETCDIR) you can run 'make install' to copy the the daemon executable and configuration file to their proper locations (or do this manually).

 

6. Test the daemon: Check the vfd conf file (default /etc/vfd.conf) and edit according to taste, or leave as-is. Start the daemon with recipe as in vfdd-20181209/vfdd.runit.in If everything is OK some nice little numbers and symbols should now emerge on the front LED display of your tx3 box.

 

Note:

 

The dtb file meson-gxl-s905w-tx3-mini-vfd.dtb (md5sum is fe846c5c3c7903b15c0725c2bd289fe5) is an augmentation of the Balbes/Armbian file meson-gxl-s905w-tx3-mini.dtb where the following definition has been added/compiled in (method; hack to Balbes' Armbian cross compile build environment) to support vfd (as per recipe in vfdd-20181209):

 

    meson-vfd {
        compatible = "amlogic,aml_vfd";
        dev_name = "meson-vfd";
        status = "okay";
        gpios = <&gpio_ao GPIOAO_4  GPIO_ACTIVE_HIGH>,  /* STB */
            <&gpio GPIODV_27 GPIO_ACTIVE_HIGH>,  /* CLK */
            <&gpio GPIODV_26 GPIO_ACTIVE_HIGH>;  /* DI/DO */
    };

 

   (A dtb file can easily be decompiled and inspected by decompiling it with dtc, the device tree compiler.)

 

[SteeMan]

13 hours ago, joaormn said:

4.19.7

Not sure where you got those instructions from, but given that they are for an ancient kernel version, there is no way they are going to work with current builds.