Android Pie 9.0.0 (2.3.0 GA) for Technexion PICO i.MX8M Mini

Android Pie 9.0.0 for TechNexion PICO PI iMX8M Mini¶

Introduction¶

The PICO-PI IMX8M Mini development board is based on the NXP i.MX8M Mini Quad application processor with 4GB LPDDR4 memory, 16GB eMMC storage, supporting Wi-Fi 5 - 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5 (BR EDR BLE).

TechNexion provides a development kit that includes the PICO-PI-IMX8M-MINI evaluation board, 5" PCAP Multi Touch LCD display, 5MP camera module, MHF4 antenna, USB Type-C and Micro USB cables, VOICEHAT kit, and a cardboard stand.

Kynetics has built an image based on Android 9.0 (Pie) and NXP 2.3.0 GA compatible with the Pico PI IMX8M Mini development kit from TechNexion.

This release supports Android Verified Boot. By default, only the images provided in this package are loaded by the Kynetics bootloader as an example of chain of trust capabilities of our BSPs. This release also supports Omnivision OV5645 camera as a useful add on.

At a glance

Platform: TechNexion PICO PI IMX8M Mini · SoC: NXP i.MX8M Mini · Android: 9 · Security: AVB + DM-Verity

Release Notes¶

Here are some important notes about our build:

Android 9.0, U-Boot 2018.03, Linux Kernel 4.14
Based on NXP release: p9.0.0_2.3.0
Compatible with the TechNexion PICO-PI IMX8M MINI
- OV5645 camera and 5" MIPI display from the Development Kit are supported
A/B partition scheme enabled
User build with enforcing SELinux, Android Verified Boot (AVB) and enabled DM-Verity
Application and system updates can be deployed by using Update Factory: Learn more about our Android client for Update Factory.
This is an evaluation unsupported release. For commercial support please contact us.

Flash Instructions¶

The following steps will guide you through the installation of Android 9.0 on the Pico PI IMX8M Mini development kit from TechNexion.

Hardware Requirements¶

TechNexion PICO-PI IMX8MM development kit (pico-pi-imx8m-mini-4g-dev)
- SOM with 4GB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC
- PICO PI carrier board
- 5 inch MIPI display (optional)
- OV5645 MIPI camera (optional)
A host computer running GNU/Linux
Micro USB cable - serial console access
USB-C cable - fastboot access

Software Requirements¶

Kynetics Android 9.0 evaluation binary GA 2.3.0 for TechNexion PICO PI iMX8MM archive, downloadable here
Android platform tools installed on the host computer

Installation procedure¶

Read the first point of the Known limitations paragraph before starting the installation procedure.

Unpack the Kynetics archive. The directory with the Android images will be referred as Kynetics Android images directory in this article.
Connect the micro USB cable to use the serial console from your host pc.
Connect the USB-C cable between the board and the host pc.
Boot the board in serial dowload mode following the instructions from TechNexion.
From the Kynetics Android images directory, run:
```
$ chmod +x uuu
$ chmod +x uuu_imx_android_flash.sh
$ sudo ./uuu_imx_android_flash.sh -f imx8mm-ili9881c -e
```
The uuu binary included only works on Linux. By default, the partition table for a 16GB eMMC is used. To flash a different partition table:
```
sudo ./uuu_imx_android_flash.sh -f imx8mm-ili9881c -e -c 28
```
28GB and 7GB are supported.
Wait for the [Done] Fastboot: done message on the host pc.
Reboot the board in 'boot from eMMC' mode changing the switch positions and Android will start.

Android Verified Boot¶

This release supports Android Verified Boot. By default, only the images provided in this package are loaded by the Kynetics bootloader. Kynetics provides images with disabled security for development: contact us for more details.

Q&A¶

Is ADB available in this release?
- Yes, to enable ADB follow Google's documentation.
Is root available?
- No, this is a user build
Can I use this release to develop apps?
- Of course yes. You can deploy any APK which not require system permission.
Can I modify the Android OS?
- No, this release supports full security for evaluation purposes. With AVB, DM-Verity and SE Linux enabled this image can not be modded.

Known limitations¶

When the board is powered up with the micro USB cable for the serial console access connected, it is possible that U-Boot gets some input signals and stops the boot process. In this situation random characters are shown on the console, so wait a few seconds (~10) and press CTRL+C to get access to the console. You may need to reboot the board if this isn't working. This issue doesn't happen when rebooting the board. Booting the board without serial cable connected works fine.
The Voice HAT included in the development kit is not supported in this release.

Frequently Asked Questions¶

What is Android Verified Boot (AVB) and why is it enabled?¶

AVB is an Android security feature that cryptographically verifies the integrity of every boot stage — from bootloader to system partition. With enforcing SELinux, DM-Verity, and A/B partitions, this release demonstrates a full chain-of-trust BSP suitable for security-conscious evaluation. Only signed images provided in the Kynetics package are accepted by the bootloader.

How do I flash a different eMMC size?¶

By default, the flashing script targets a 16 GB eMMC. To target a different size, pass the -c flag: use -c 28 for a 28 GB eMMC or -c 7 for a 7 GB eMMC. Example: sudo ./uuu_imx_android_flash.sh -f imx8mm-ili9881c -e -c 28

Is root or ADB shell access available?¶

ADB is available and can be enabled following Google's documentation. However, this is a user build — root shell access is not available and system-level permissions cannot be granted to apps.

Is the Voice HAT or any other TechNexion kit accessory supported?¶

The Voice HAT included in the TechNexion development kit is not supported in this release. The OV5645 MIPI camera and the 5-inch MIPI display from the development kit are supported.

Can I get a development build without AVB and DM-Verity for easier app development?¶

Yes. Kynetics provides images with security features disabled for development use. Contact us for access to a development-grade image without AVB/DM-Verity enforcement.

Enjoy the Art of Coding™