Issue with UART Configuration on OrangePi Zero 2 Board

[Dmytro Lazor]

Hello,

I am new to Armbian and Linux in general. I am using an OrangePi Zero 2 (H616) board and need to enable the hardware UART. To do this, I tried using the simplest method I could find: running the command armbian-config -> System -> Hardware. However, in the section where I should find options for peripherals to enable, I found nothing.

I have tried installing different versions of Armbian, but nothing changed:

- Armbian_24.5.1_Orangepizero2_jammy_current_6.6.31.img
- Armbian_24.2.1_Orangepizero2_bookworm_current_6.6.16.img
- Armbian_23.8.3_Orangepizero2_bookworm_current_6.1.53.img
- Armbian_24.5.1_Orangepizero2_noble_current_6.6.31.img

I also tried installing the system on different SD cards, but nothing changed.

Please tell me, what am I doing wrong?

Thank you.

Edited June 4 by Dmytro Lazor

[ALIGMSTEN]

Hello @Dmytro Lazor UART is enabled by default, you can use a usb to ttl converter at a baud rate 115200 to connect to a serial consel. Please be more specific what you are trying to achieve?

[Dmytro Lazor]

Hello @ALIGMSTEN,

I want to use UART5, which is located on the TX-PH2 and RX-PH3 pins. As far as I understand, this UART is initially disabled. To enable it, I tried using the command armbian-config -> System -> Hardware, but I couldn't do it because nothing was displayed in the graphical interface (as shown in the screenshot above).

After doing some research, I started experimenting with the /boot/armbianEnv.txt file. I added the line overlay_prefix=sun50i-h616. After rebooting the board, I tried using armbian-config -> System -> Hardware again, and now the interface displays the hardware peripherals along with the UART5 that I need. By enabling it, I can receive data through the TX-PH2 and RX-PH3 pins via /dev/ttyS1.
 

So, I have essentially solved my problem, but I still have a few questions:

• Is there a simpler or recommended way to enable UART5 on this board without manually editing the /boot/armbianEnv.txt file?
• Are there any potential issues or pitfalls I should be aware of when using this method?
• Is it a bug that the interface in armbian-config -> System -> Hardware did not display initially on various versions of the system?

Thank you.

[ALIGMSTEN]

Hi @Dmytro Lazor, Sorry for responding late.

 

Good to see you have found your way around, hopefully the out of the blocks baseline wasnt seen as condescending, was next to establish the prefix, suggest dumping the running tree etc.

 

The prefix environment variable, as you have added, is the recomended way.

 

Because today's armbian/allwinner associates all h61x soc's under the h616 prefix you have to pay attention to your particular hardware.

 

The prefix status quo is less of a bug, and more a standing choice of the present framework, the ideology is that anyone who steps into the domain, should know what they are doing, and therefore as you have shown, will navigate.

 

Best of luck...