BeagleBone Black User manual

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BeagleBone Black System
Reference Manual
Rev A5.2
Page 1 of 108
BeagleBone Black
System
Reference Manual
Revision A5.2
April 11, 2013
Author: Gerald Coley
Contributing Editor: Robert P J Day

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BeagleBone Black System
Reference Manual
Rev A5.2
Page 2 of 108
THIS DOCUMENT
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San
Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
All derivative works are to be attributed to Gerald Coley of BeagleBoard.org.
For more information, see http://creativecommons.org/license/results-
one?license_code=by-sa
Send all comments and errors concerning this document to the author at
[email protected]
For other questions you may contact Gerald at:
Gerald Coley
Texas Instruments
12500 TI Blvd. Dallas, Tx 75243
[email protected]
All information in this document is subject to change without notice.
For an up to date version of this document refer to:
http://circuitco.com/support/index.php?title=BeagleBoneBlack#LATEST_PRODUC
TION_FILES_.28A5A.29

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Reference Manual
Rev A5.2
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BEAGLEBONE DESIGN
These design materials referred to in this document are *NOT SUPPORTED* and DO NOT
constitute a reference design. Only “community” support is allowed via resources at
BeagleBoard.org/discuss.
THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE DESIGN MATERIALS, TO THE EXTENT
PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN
WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE
DESIGN MATERIALS “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE DESIGN
MATERIALS IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE DESIGN MATERIALS PROVE DEFECTIVE,
YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR
CORRECTION.
This board was designed as an evaluation and development tool. It was not designed with any
other application in mind. As such, these design materials may or may not be suitable for any
other purposes. If used, the design material becomes your responsibility as to whether or not it
meets your specific needs or your specific applications and may require changes to meet your
requirements.

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BEAGLEBONE BLACK ADDITIONAL TERMS
BeagleBoard.org, Circuitco, LLC, and BeagleBoard.org (Supplier) provide the enclosed
BeagleBone under the following conditions:
The user assumes all responsibility and liability for proper and safe handling of the
goods. Further, the user indemnifies Supplier from all claims arising from the handling
or use of the goods.
Should the BeagleBone not meet the specifications indicated in the System Reference
Manual, the BeagleBone may be returned within 90 days from the date of delivery to the
distributor of purchase for a full refund. THE FOREGOING LIMITED WARRANTY IS THE
EXCLUSIVE WARRANTY MADE BY SELLER TO BUYER AND IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER
WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY
OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. EXCEPT TO
THE EXTENT OF THE INDEMNITY SET FORTH ABOVE, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE
LIABLE TO THE OTHER FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.
Please read the System Reference Manual and, specifically, the Warnings and Restrictions
notice in the Systems Reference Manual prior to handling the product. This notice contains
important safety information about temperatures and voltages.
No license is granted under any patent right or other intellectual property right of Supplier
covering or relating to any machine, process, or combination in which such Supplier products
or services might be or are used. The Supplier currently deals with a variety of customers for
products, and therefore our arrangement with the user is not exclusive. The Supplier assume
no liability for applications assistance, customer product design, software performance, or
infringement of patents or services described herein.
UNITED STATES FCC AND CANADA IC REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
INFORMATION
The BeagleBone is annotated to comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation. Changes or
modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could
void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
This Class A or B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Changes or
modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could
void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. Cet appareil numérique de la
classe A ou B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada. Les changements ou
les modifications pas expressément approuvés par la partie responsible de la
conformité ont pu vider l’autorité de l'utilisateur pour actionner l'équipement.

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BEAGLEBONE WARNINGS,
RESTRICTIONS AND
DISCLAIMERS
For Feasibility Evaluation Only, in Laboratory/Development Environments. The
BeagleBone Black is not a complete product. It is intended solely for use for preliminary
feasibility evaluation in laboratory/development environments by technically qualified
electronics experts who are familiar with the dangers and application risks associated with
handling electrical mechanical components, systems and subsystems. It should not be
used as all or part of a finished end product.
Your Sole Responsibility and Risk you acknowledge, represent, and agree that:
1. You have unique knowledge concerning Federal, State and local regulatory
requirements (including but not limited to Food and Drug Administration regulations, if
applicable) which relate to your products and which relate to your use (and/or that of
your employees, affiliates, contractors or designees) of the BeagleBone for evaluation,
testing and other purposes.
2. You have full and exclusive responsibility to assure the safety and compliance of your
products with all such laws and other applicable regulatory requirements, and also to
assure the safety of any activities to be conducted by you and/or your employees,
affiliates, contractors or designees, using the BeagleBone. Further, you are
responsible to assure that any interfaces (electronic and/or mechanical) between the
BeagleBone and any human body are designed with suitable isolation and means to
safely limit accessible leakage currents to minimize the risk of electrical shock hazard.
3. Since the BeagleBone is not a completed product, it may not meet all applicable
regulatory and safety compliance standards which may normally be associated with
similar items. You assume full responsibility to determine and/or assure compliance
with any such standards and related certifications as may be applicable. You will
employ reasonable safeguards to ensure that your use of the BeagleBone will not
result in any property damage, injury or death, even if the BeagleBone should fail to
perform as described or expected.
Certain Instructions. It is important to operate the BeagleBone Black within Supplier’s
recommended specifications and environmental considerations per the user guidelines.
Exceeding the specified BeagleBone ratings (including but not limited to input and output
voltage, current, power, and environmental ranges) may cause property damage, personal
injury or death. If there are questions concerning these ratings please contact the Supplier
representative prior to connecting interface electronics including input power and intended
loads. Any loads applied outside of the specified output range may result in unintended
and/or inaccurate operation and/or possible permanent damage to the BeagleBone and/or
interface electronics. Please consult the System Reference Manual prior to connecting any
load to the BeagleBone output. If there is uncertainty as to the load specification, please
contact the Supplier representative. During normal operation, some circuit components
may have case temperatures greater than 60 C as long as the input and output are
maintained at a normal ambient operating temperature. These components include but are
not limited to linear regulators, switching transistors, pass transistors, and current sense
resistors which can be identified using the BeagleBone schematic located at the link in the
BeagleBone System Reference Manual. When placing measurement probes near these
devices during normal operation, please be aware that these devices may be very warm to
the touch. As with all electronic evaluation tools, only qualified personnel knowledgeable in
electronic measurement and diagnostics normally found in development environments
should use the BeagleBone.
Agreement to Defend, Indemnify and Hold Harmless. You agree to defend, indemnify
and hold the Suppliers, its licensors and their representatives harmless from and against
any and all claims, damages, losses, expenses, costs and liabilities (collectively,
"Claims") arising out of or in connection with any use of the BeagleBone that is not in

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accordance with the terms of the agreement. This obligation shall apply whether Claims
arise under law of tort or contract or any other legal theory, and even if the BeagleBone
fails to perform as described or expected.
Safety-Critical or Life-Critical Applications. If you intend to evaluate the components for possible
use in safety critical applications (such as life support) where a failure of the Supplier’s product
would reasonably be expected to cause severe personal injury or death, such as devices which are
classified as FDA Class III or similar classification, then you must specifically notify Suppliers of
such intent and enter into a separate Assurance and Indemnity Agreement.
Mailing Address:
BeagleBoard.org
1380 Presidential Dr. #100
Richardson, TX 75081
U.S.A.
WARRANTY: The BeagleBone Black Assembly as purchased is warranted against defects in
materials and workmanship for a period of 90 days from purchase. This warranty does not cover
any problems occurring as a result of improper use, modifications, exposure to water, excessive
voltages, abuse, or accidents. All boards will be returned via standard mail if an issue is found. If
no issue is found or express return is needed, the customer will pay all shipping costs.
Before returning the board, please visit
BeagleBoard.org/support
For up to date SW images and technical information refer to
http://circuitco.com/support/index.php?title=BeagleBoneBlack
All support for this board is provided via community support at
www.beagleboard.org/discuss
To return a defective board for repair, please request an RMA at
http://beagleboard.org/support/rma
Please DO NOT return the board without approval from the
RMA team first.
All boards received without RMA approval will not be worked on.

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Table of Contents
FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
TABLES .......................................................................................................................................................11
1.0 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................12
2.0 CHANGE HISTORY.........................................................................................................................12
2.1 DOCUMENT CHANGE HISTORY ........................................................................................................12
2.2 BOARD CHANGES.............................................................................................................................12
2.2.1 Rev A5B .................................................................................................................................12
3.0 CONNECTING UP YOUR BEAGLEBONE BLACK ...................................................................13
3.1 WHAT’S IN THE BOX........................................................................................................................13
3.2 MAIN CONNECTION SCENARIOS.......................................................................................................14
3.3 TETHERED TO APC.........................................................................................................................14
3.3.1 Connect the Cable to the Board.............................................................................................15
3.3.2 Accessing the Board as a Storage Drive................................................................................16
3.4 STANDALONE W/DISPLAY AND KEYBOARD/MOUSE ........................................................................17
3.4.1 Required Accessories.............................................................................................................17
3.4.2 Connecting Up the Board ......................................................................................................18
5. Apply Power ...............................................................................................................................20
4.0 BEAGLEBONE BLACK OVERVIEW ...........................................................................................24
4.1 BEAGLEBONE COMPATIBILITY ........................................................................................................25
4.2 BEAGLEBONE BLACK FEATURES AND SPECIFICATION.....................................................................26
4.3 BOARD COMPONENT LOCATIONS.....................................................................................................27
4.3.1 Connectors, LEDs, and Switches...........................................................................................27
4.3.2 Key Components ....................................................................................................................28
5.0 BEAGLEBONE BLACK HIGH LEVEL SPECIFICATION........................................................29
5.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM.............................................................................................................................29
5.2 PROCESSOR......................................................................................................................................30
5.3 MEMORY..........................................................................................................................................30
5.3.1 512MB DDR3L ......................................................................................................................30
5.3.2 32KB EEPROM .....................................................................................................................30
5.3.3 2GB Embedded MMC............................................................................................................30
5.3.4 MicroSD Connector...............................................................................................................30
5.3.5 Boot Modes............................................................................................................................31
5.4 POWER MANAGEMENT.....................................................................................................................31
5.5 PC USB INTERFACE.........................................................................................................................32
5.6 SERIAL DEBUG PORT .......................................................................................................................32
5.7 USB1 HOST PORT............................................................................................................................32
5.8 POWER SOURCES .............................................................................................................................32
5.9 RESET BUTTON ................................................................................................................................33
5.10 POWER BUTTON ..........................................................................................................................33
5.11 INDICATORS ................................................................................................................................33
5.12 CTI JTAG HEADER.....................................................................................................................33
5.13 HDMI INTERFACE.......................................................................................................................34
5.14 CAPE BOARD SUPPORT................................................................................................................34
6.0 DETAILED HARDWARE DESIGN ...............................................................................................35
6.1 POWER SECTION ..............................................................................................................................36
6.1.1 TPS65217C PMIC .................................................................................................................36
6.1.2 DC Input ................................................................................................................................38

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6.1.3 USB Power ............................................................................................................................39
6.1.4 Power Selection .....................................................................................................................39
6.1.5 Power Button .........................................................................................................................40
6.1.6 Battery Access Pads...............................................................................................................40
6.1.7 Power Consumption ..............................................................................................................41
6.1.8 Processor Interfaces ..............................................................................................................41
6.1.9 Power Rails ...........................................................................................................................43
6.1.10 Power LED .......................................................................................................................46
6.1.11 TPS65217C Power Up Process ........................................................................................46
6.1.12 Processor Control Interface .............................................................................................47
6.1.13 Low Power Mode Support ................................................................................................47
6.2 SITARA XAM3359AZCZ100 PROCESSOR.......................................................................................48
6.2.1 Description ............................................................................................................................48
6.2.2 High Level Features ..............................................................................................................49
6.2.3 Documentation.......................................................................................................................49
6.3 DDR3L MEMORY ............................................................................................................................50
6.3.1 Memory Device......................................................................................................................50
6.3.2 DDR3L Memory Design ........................................................................................................50
6.3.3 Power Rails ...........................................................................................................................52
6.3.4 VREF .....................................................................................................................................52
6.4 2GB EMMC MEMORY.....................................................................................................................53
6.4.1 eMMC Device ........................................................................................................................53
6.4.2 eMMC Circuit Design............................................................................................................54
6.5 MICRO SECURE DIGITAL..................................................................................................................55
6.5.1 uSD Design............................................................................................................................55
6.6 USER LEDS......................................................................................................................................56
6.7 BOOT CONFIGURATION ....................................................................................................................57
6.7.1 Boot Configuration Design....................................................................................................57
6.7.2 Default Boot Options .............................................................................................................58
6.8 10/100 ETHERNET............................................................................................................................59
6.8.1 Ethernet Processor Interface .................................................................................................59
6.8.2 Ethernet Connector Interface ................................................................................................60
6.8.3 LAN8710A Mode Pins ...........................................................................................................62
6.9 HDMI INTERFACE ...........................................................................................................................63
6.9.1 Supported Resolutions ...........................................................................................................63
6.9.2 HDMI Framer........................................................................................................................63
6.9.3 HDMI Video Processor Interface ..........................................................................................64
6.9.4 HDMI Control Processor Interface.......................................................................................65
6.9.5 Interrupt Signal......................................................................................................................65
6.9.6 Audio Interface ......................................................................................................................65
6.9.7 Power Connections................................................................................................................66
6.9.8 HDMI Connector Interface....................................................................................................67
7.0 CONNECTORS .................................................................................................................................68
7.1 EXPANSION CONNECTORS................................................................................................................68
7.1.1 Connector P8.........................................................................................................................69
7.1.2 Connector P9.........................................................................................................................71
7.2 POWER JACK....................................................................................................................................73
7.3 USB CLIENT ....................................................................................................................................74
7.4 USB HOST .......................................................................................................................................75
7.5 SERIAL HEADER...............................................................................................................................76
7.6 HDMI ..............................................................................................................................................78
7.7 MICROSD .........................................................................................................................................79
7.8 ETHERNET........................................................................................................................................80
8.0 CAPE BOARD SUPPORT................................................................................................................81

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8.1 BEAGLEBONEBLACK CAPE COMPATIBILITY....................................................................................82
8.1.1 LCD Pins ...............................................................................................................................82
8.1.2 eMMC Pins ............................................................................................................................83
8.2 EEPROM ........................................................................................................................................84
8.2.1 EEPROM Address .................................................................................................................85
8.2.2 I2C Bus ..................................................................................................................................85
8.2.3 EEPROM Write Protect.........................................................................................................85
8.2.4 EEPROM Data Format .........................................................................................................87
8.2.5 Pin Usage ..............................................................................................................................88
8.3 PIN USAGE CONSIDERATION ............................................................................................................92
8.3.1 Boot Pins ...............................................................................................................................92
8.4 EXPANSION CONNECTORS................................................................................................................93
8.4.1 Non-Stacking Headers-Single Cape .....................................................................................93
8.4.2 Main Expansion Headers-Stacking .......................................................................................94
8.4.3 Stacked Capes w/Signal Stealing...........................................................................................95
8.4.4 Retention Force .....................................................................................................................96
8.4.5 BeagleBone Black Female Connectors..................................................................................96
8.5 SIGNAL USAGE ................................................................................................................................97
8.6 CAPE POWER....................................................................................................................................97
8.6.1 Main Board Power ................................................................................................................97
8.6.2 Expansion Board External Power .........................................................................................98
8.7 MECHANICAL...................................................................................................................................98
8.7.1 Standard Cape Size................................................................................................................98
8.7.2 Extended Cape Size ...............................................................................................................99
8.7.3 Enclosures ...........................................................................................................................100
9.0 BEAGLEBONE BLACK MECHANICAL ...................................................................................101
9.1 DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT.............................................................................................................101
9.2 SILKSCREEN AND COMPONENT LOCATIONS...................................................................................102
10.0 PICTURES ..................................................................................................................................105
11.0 SUPPORT INFORMATION .....................................................................................................107
11.1 HARDWARE DESIGN..................................................................................................................107
11.2 SOFTWARE UPDATES.................................................................................................................107
11.3 RMA SUPPORT..........................................................................................................................108
Figures
Figure 1. In The Box .................................................................................................... 13
Figure 2. Tethered Configuration................................................................................. 14
Figure 3. USB Connection to the Board....................................................................... 15
Figure 4. Board Power LED......................................................................................... 15
Figure 5. Board Boot Status ......................................................................................... 16
Figure 6. Desktop Configuration.................................................................................. 17
Figure 7. Connect microHDMI Cable to the Monitor.................................................. 18
Figure 8. DVI-D to HDMI Adapter.............................................................................. 18
Figure 9. Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo ........................................................ 19
Figure 10. Connect Keyboard and Mouse Receiver to the Board.............................. 19
Figure 11. Keyboard and Mouse Hubs....................................................................... 19
Figure 12. Ethernet Cable Connection ....................................................................... 20

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Figure 13. External DC Power ................................................................................... 20
Figure 14. Connect microHDMI Cable to the Board ................................................. 21
Figure 15. Board Boot Status ..................................................................................... 22
Figure 16. Desktop Screen ......................................................................................... 23
Figure 17. Connectors, LEDs and Switches............................................................... 27
Figure 18. Key Components....................................................................................... 28
Figure 19. BeagleBone Black Key Components........................................................ 29
Figure 20. BeagleBone Black Block Diagram ........................................................... 35
Figure 21. High Level Power Block Diagram............................................................ 36
Figure 22. TPS65217C Block Diagram ..................................................................... 37
Figure 23. TPS65217 DC Connection........................................................................ 38
Figure 24. USB Power Connections........................................................................... 39
Figure 25. Power Rails ............................................................................................... 43
Figure 26. Power Rail Power Up Sequencing............................................................ 45
Figure 27. TPS6517C Power Sequencing Timing ..................................................... 45
Figure 28. Power Processor Interfaces ....................................................................... 46
Figure 29. Sitara XAM3359AZCZ Block Diagram................................................... 48
Figure 30. DDR3L Memory Design........................................................................... 51
Figure 31. DDR3L VREF Design .............................................................................. 52
Figure 32. eMMC Memory Design............................................................................ 54
Figure 33. uSD Design ............................................................................................... 55
Figure 34. User LEDs................................................................................................. 56
Figure 35. Processor Boot Configuration Design ...................................................... 57
Figure 36. Processor Boot Configuration................................................................... 58
Figure 37. Ethernet Processor Interface ..................................................................... 59
Figure 38. Ethernet Connector Interface .................................................................... 60
Figure 39. Ethernet PHY, Power, Reset, and Clocks ................................................. 61
Figure 40. Ethernet PHY Mode Pins.......................................................................... 62
Figure 41. HDMI Framer Processor Interface............................................................ 64
Figure 42. HDMI Power Connections........................................................................ 66
Figure 43. Connector Interface Circuitry ................................................................... 67
Figure 44. Expansion Connector Location................................................................. 68
Figure 45. 5VDC Power Jack..................................................................................... 73
Figure 46. USB Client Connector .............................................................................. 74
Figure 47. USB Host Connector................................................................................. 75
Figure 48. Serial Debug Header ................................................................................. 76
Figure 49. FTDI USB to Serial Adapter..................................................................... 76
Figure 50. HDMI Connector ...................................................................................... 78
Figure 51. HDMI Connector ...................................................................................... 78
Figure 52. uSD Connector.......................................................................................... 79
Figure 53. Ethernet Connector ................................................................................... 80
Figure 54. Expansion Board EEPROM Without Write Protect ................................. 84
Figure 55. Expansion Board EEPROM Write Protect ............................................... 86
Figure 56. Expansion Boot Pins................................................................................. 92
Figure 57. Single Expansion Connector..................................................................... 93
Figure 58. Single Cape Expansion Connector............................................................ 94

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Figure 59. Expansion Connector................................................................................ 94
Figure 60. Stacked Cape Expansion Connector ......................................................... 95
Figure 61. Stacked w/Signal Stealing Expansion Connector..................................... 96
Figure 62. Connector Pin Insertion Depth.................................................................. 96
Figure 63. Cape Board Dimensions .......................................................................... 99
Figure 64. Board Dimensions................................................................................... 102
Figure 65. Component Side Silkscreen .................................................................... 103
Figure 66. Component Side Silkscreen .................................................................... 104
Figure 67. Top Side.................................................................................................. 105
Figure 68. Bottom Side ............................................................................................ 106
Figure 69. Bottom Side ............................................................................................ 108
Tables
Table 1. Change History ............................................................................................. 12
Table 2. BeagleBone Black Features .......................................................................... 26
Table 3. BeagleBone Black Battery Pins .................................................................... 40
Table 4. BeagleBone Black Power Consumption(mA@5V)...................................... 41
Table 5. Processor Features ........................................................................................ 49
Table 6. eMMC Boot Pins .......................................................................................... 54
Table 7. User LED Control Signals/Pins .................................................................... 56
Table 8. HDMI Supported Monitor Resolutions ........................................................ 63
Table 9. TDA19988 I2C Address ............................................................................... 65
Table 10. Expansion Header P8 Pinout ........................................................................ 70
Table 11. Expansion Header P9 Pinout ........................................................................ 72
Table 12. P8 LCD Conflict Pins ................................................................................... 82
Table 13. P8 eMMC Conflict Pins................................................................................ 83
Table 14. Expansion Board EEPROM.......................................................................... 87
Table 15. EEPROM Pin Usage..................................................................................... 89
Table 16. Single Cape Connectors................................................................................ 94
Table 17. Stacked Cape Connectors ............................................................................. 95
Table 18. Expansion Voltages ...................................................................................... 97

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1.0 Introduction
This document is the System Reference Manual for the BeagleBone Black and covers
its use and design. The board will primarily be referred to in the remainder of this
document simply as the board, although it may also be referred to as the BeagleBone
Black as a reminder. There are also references to the original BeagleBone as well, and
will be referenced as simply BeagleBone.
This design is subject to change without notice as we will work to keep improving the
design as the product matures based on feedback and experience. Software updates will
be frequent and will be independent of the hardware revisions and as such not result in a
change in the revision number.
Make sure you check the support Wiki frequently for the most up to date information.
http://circuitco.com/support/index.php?title=BeagleBoneBlack
2.0 Change History
This section describes the change history of this document and board. Document changes
are not always a result of a board change. But aboard change will always result in a
document change.
2.1 Document Change History
Table 1. Change History
Rev
Changes
Date
By
A4
Preliminary
January 4, 2013
GC
A5
Production release
January 8.2013
GC
A5.1
1. Added information on Power button and the battery access
points.
2. Final production released version.
April 1 2013
GC
A5.2
1. Edited version.
2. Added numerous pictures of the Rev A5A board.
April 23 2013
GC
2.2 Board Changes
2.2.1 Rev A5B
This is the initial production release of the board. We will be tracking changes from this
point forward.

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3.0 Connecting Up Your BeagleBone Black
This section provides instructions on how to hook up your board. Two scenarios will be
discussed:
1) Tethered to a PC and
2) As a standalone development platform in a desktop PC configuration.
3.1 What’s In the Box
In the box you will find three main items as shown in Figure 1.
BeagleBone Black
miniUSB to USB Type A Cable
Instruction card
3
This is sufficient for the tethered scenario and creates an out of box experience where the
board can be used immediately with no other equipment needed.
Figure 1. In The Box

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3.2 Main Connection Scenarios
This section will describe how to connect the board for use. This section is basically a
slightly more detailed description of the Quick Start Guide that came in the box. There is
also a Quick Start Guide document on the board that should also be refereed. The intent
here is that someone looking t purchase the board will be able to read this section and get
a good idea as to what the initial set up will be like.
The board can be configured in several different ways, but we will discuss the two most
common scenarios as described in the Quick Start Guide card that comes in the box.
Tethered to a PC via the USB cable
oBoard is accessed as a storage drive
oOr a RNDIS Ethernet connection.
Standalone desktop
oDisplay
oKeyboard and mouse
oExternal 5V power supply
Each of these configurations is discussed in general terms in the following sections.
For an up-to-date list of confirmed working accessories please go to
http://circuitco.com/support/index.php?title=BeagleBone_Black_Accessories
3.3 Tethered To A PC
In this configuration, the board is powered by the PC via the provided USB cable--no
other cables are required. The board is accessed either as a USB storage drive or via the
browser on the PC. You need to use either Firefox or Chrome on the PC, IEx will not
work properly. Figure 2 shows this configuration.
Figure 2. Tethered Configuration

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All the power for the board is provided by the PC via the USB cable. In some instances,
the PC may not be able to supply sufficient power for the board. In that case, an external
5VDC power supply can be used, but this should rarely be necessary.
3.3.1 Connect the Cable to the Board
1. Connect the small connector on the USB cable to the board as shown in Figure 4.
The connector is on the bottom side of the board.
Figure 3. USB Connection to the Board
2. Connect the large connector of the USB cable to your PC or laptop USB port.
3. The board will power on and the power LED will be on as shown in Figure 4
below.
Figure 4. Board Power LED

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4. When the board starts to boot the LEDs will come on in sequence as shown in
Figure 5 below. It will take a few seconds for the status LEDs to come on, so be
patient. The LEDs will be flashing in an erratic manner as it boots the Linux
kernel.
Figure 5. Board Boot Status
3.3.2 Accessing the Board as a Storage Drive
The board will appear around a USB Storage drive on your PC after the kernel has
booted, which will take a round 10 seconds. The kernel on the board needs to boot before
the port gets enumerated. Once the board appears as a storage drive, do the following:
1) Open the USB Drive folder.
2) Click on the file named start.html
3) The file will be opened by your browser on the PC and you should get a display
showing the Quick Start Guide.
4) Your board is now operational! Follow the instructions on your PC screen.

REF: BBONEBLK_SRM
BeagleBone Black System
Reference Manual
Rev A5.2
Page 17 of 108
3.4 Standalone w/Display and Keyboard/Mouse
In this configuration, the board works more like a PC, totally free from any connection to
a PC as shown in Figure 6. It allows you to create your code to make the board do
whatever you need it to do. It will however require certain common PC accessories.
These accessories and instructions are described in the following section.
Figure 6. Desktop Configuration
Optionally an Ethernet cable can also be used for network access.
3.4.1 Required Accessories
In order to use the board in this configuration, you will need the following accessories:
(1) 5VDC 1A power supply
(1) HDMI monitor or a DVI-D monitor with an adapter. (NOTE: Only HDMI
will give you audio capability).
(1) Micro HDMI to HDMI cable
(1) USB wireless keyboard and mouse combo.
(1) USB HUB (OPTIONAL). The board has only one USB host port, so you may
need to use a USB Hub if your keyboard and mouse requires two ports.

REF: BBONEBLK_SRM
BeagleBone Black System
Reference Manual
Rev A5.2
Page 18 of 108
For an up-to-date list of confirmed working accessories please go to
http://circuitco.com/support/index.php?title=BeagleBone_Black_Accessories
3.4.2 Connecting Up the Board
1. Connect the big end of the HDMI cable as shown in Figure 7 to your HDMI
monitor. Refer to your monitor Owner’s Manual for the location of your HDMI
port. If you have a DVI-D Monitor go to Step 3, otherwise proceed to Step 4.
Figure 7. Connect microHDMI Cable to the Monitor
NOTE: Do not plug in the cable to the board until after the
board is powered up.
2. If you have a DVI-D monitor you must use a DVI-D to HDMI adapter in addition
to your HDMI cable. An example is shown in Figure 8 below from two
perspectives.
Figure 8. DVI-D to HDMI Adapter
To the Monitor
To microHDMI
Cable

REF: BBONEBLK_SRM
BeagleBone Black System
Reference Manual
Rev A5.2
Page 19 of 108
3. If you have a single wireless keyboard and mouse combination such as seen in
Figure 9 below, you need to plug the receiver in the USB host port of the board as
shown in Figure 10.
Figure 9. Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo
Figure 10. Connect Keyboard and Mouse Receiver to the Board
If you have a wired USB keyboard requiring two USB ports, you will need a HUB
similar to the ones shown in Figure 11. You may want to have more than one port for
other devices. Note that the board can only supply up to 500mA, so if you plan to load it
down, it will need to be externally powered.
Figure 11. Keyboard and Mouse Hubs
4. Connect the Ethernet Cable

REF: BBONEBLK_SRM
BeagleBone Black System
Reference Manual
Rev A5.2
Page 20 of 108
If you decide you want to connect to your local area network, an Ethernet cable can be
used. Connect the Ethernet Cable to the Ethernet port as shown in Figure 12. Any
standard 100M Ethernet cable should work.
Figure 12. Ethernet Cable Connection
5. Apply Power
The final step is to plug in the DC power supply to the DC power jack as shown in
Figure 13 below.
Figure 13. External DC Power