Skip to content

Android Pie 9.0.0 for Toradex Apalis i.MX8QM 1.0A

Android Pie 9.0.0 for Toradex Apalis i.MX8QM 1.0A

Introduction

The Apalis iMX8 is a small form-factor System on Module based on the latest NXP i.MX 8 SoCs. The most performant i.MX 8 SoC, the i.MX 8QuadMax, features 2x Cortex-A72 and 4x Cortex-A53 application processor cores, and 2x additional Cortex-M4F, which also include a FPU, microcontroller cores. The integrated high-performance dual GC7000 3D GPU supports Open GL ES 3.1 and Vulkan on up to 4x 1080p or one 4K display.

The Apalis iMX8 is pin-compatible with the other SoMs in the Apalis family. This allows existing Apalis-based products to easily scale and migrate to the new Apalis iMX8. All Toradex's Apalis Carrier Boards are compatible with Apalis i.MX8.

Kynetics, as part of the Toradex early access program, has worked on the Android Kernel for the Toradex Apalis i.MX8QM and built an image based on Android 9.0 (Pie) compatible with the Ixora carrier board. The image boots from the SD-Card and it is very easy to program and test.

At a glance

Platform: Toradex Apalis i.MX8QM V1.0A · SoC: NXP i.MX8QuadMax · Android: 9 (Pie) · Kernel: 4.14

This BSP brings Android 9 (Pie) to the Toradex Apalis i.MX8QM V1.0A (SOC Rev A0) module with the Ixora carrier board. The image is SD-card based for easy evaluation, and supports OTA updates via Kynetics Update Factory. Supports boards shipped October 2018 and later.

Release Notes

Here are some important remarks about our build:

  • Android 9.0, U-Boot 2018.03, Linux Kernel 4.14
  • Based on NXP release: p9.0.0_1.0.0-ga
  • Compatible with Toradex Apalis i.MX8QM with the Ixora carrier board
  • Userdebug build with permissive SELinux
  • Application updates can be deployed by using Update Factory: Learn more about our Android client for Update Factory.
  • This is an unsupported release. For commercial support please contact us.

Flash Instructions

The following steps will guide you through the installation of Android 8.1 on the Apalis i.MX8QM.

Hardware Requirements

  • Toradex Apalis i.MX8QM (SOC Rev. A0) with the Ixora carrier board, V1.1A
  • The Toradex 10 inches LVDS display (1280x800) or any FullHD HDMI display
  • A USB mouse to use as an input device, connected to the upper USB 3.0 port on the X8 connector
  • Micro SD card (at least 8 GB)
  • A host computer running GNU/Linux, MacOS or Windows

Optional for debugging:

This release supports boards shipped in Oct 2018 and later. If you are experiencing random reboots at runtime you are likely affected by an issue documented on the Toradex Errata at: Apalis i.MX8 Errata

Software Requirements

  • Kynetics Android 9.0 SD-Card image, downloadable here
  • Android platform tools installed on the host computer - Optional for debugging

Software Preparation

On Linux systems:

  • Flash the SD card with the provided image using the gzip and dd commands:

$ gzip -dc Toradex_iMX8QM-AndroidOS-o9.0.0_1.0.0-ga-eval-1.0-SNAPSHOT-[date].img.gz | dd of=/dev/X bs=512 status=progress conv=fsync
where /dev/X is the SD card device path. Use the HDMI image if you are using an HDMI display.

  • Insert the SD Card in the Ixora carrier board and power it on with the ON/OFF button

Q&A

  • Is ADB available?
    • Yes, ADB works using the microUSB port on connector X8. Note that in order to have ADB working the port should work as USB device port: the jumper JP2 should be configured as open. If the jumper is closed, the port works as USB host port and it is possible to use it with a mouse or a USB drive. Refer to the Ixora datasheet for further information.

Known issues

As this is the first release of Android 9.0 for the Toradex Apalis i.MX8QM, there are issues that will be solved in future releases:

  • Bluetooth is not working.
  • Audio from 3.5mm jack is not working.
  • The HDMI output is forced to 1920x1080

Frequently Asked Questions

Which revision of the Toradex Apalis i.MX8QM does this BSP support?

This release supports the Apalis i.MX8QM with SOC Rev. A0, compatible with boards shipped in October 2018 and later. If you experience random reboots at runtime, you may be affected by an issue documented in the Toradex Apalis i.MX8 Errata.

What display options are supported?

This release supports the Toradex 10-inch LVDS display (1280×800) and any FullHD HDMI display. Use the HDMI image variant when connecting an HDMI monitor.

How is Android installed on the Apalis i.MX8QM?

The image is provided as a compressed SD card image (.img.gz). Flash it to a Micro SD card using the gzip and dd commands on Linux, insert the card into the Ixora carrier board's SD slot, and power on with the ON/OFF button.

Is ADB available for debugging?

Yes, ADB is available via the Micro USB port on connector X8. The jumper JP2 must be configured as open for the port to function as a USB device port. If JP2 is closed, the port operates as a USB host port for mice or USB drives.

Are Bluetooth and audio supported in this release?

Bluetooth and 3.5 mm jack audio are not working in this initial release. These issues will be addressed in future releases.

Enjoy the Art of Coding™