I-Tech AO-IBR117 User manual

AO-IBR117
3.5” ARM-based SBC
With NXP Cortex™ A9 Dual Core i.MX6
User’s Manual
Version 1.1
(June 2018)
i-Tech Company LLC
TOLL FREE: [phone] • EMAIL: [email protected] • WEB: www.iTechLCD.com

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AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
Copyright
©2018i-Tech Company LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in a retrieval
system, translated into any language or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior
written consent of i-Tech Technology, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as
“i-Tech”).
Disclaimer
i-TECH reserves the right to make changes and improvements to the
products described in this document without prior notice. Every effort has
been made to ensure the information in the document is correct; however,
i-TECH does not guarantee this document is error-free.
i-TECH assumes no liability for incidental or consequential damages
arising from misapplication or inability to use the product or the information
contained herein, nor for any infringements of rights of third parties, which
may result from its use.
Trademarks
All the trademarks, registrations and brands mentioned herein are used for
identification purposes only and may be trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.

AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
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Compliance
In a domestic environment, this product may cause radio interference in
which case users may be required to take adequate measures.
This product has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
B device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
WEEE
This product must not be disposed of as normal household
waste, in accordance with the EU directive of for waste
electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE - 2012/19/EU).
Instead, it should be disposed of by returning it to a
municipal recycling collection point. Check local
regulations for disposal of electronic products.
Green i-TECH
This product is compliant with the current RoHS
restrictions and prohibits use of the following substances
in concentrations exceeding 0.1% by weight (1000 ppm)
except for cadmium, limited to 0.01% by weight (100 ppm).
•Lead (Pb)
•Mercury (Hg)
•Cadmium (Cd)
•Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+)
•Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
•Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)

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AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
Important Safety Information
Carefully read the precautions before using the board.
Environmental conditions:
•Use this product in environments with ambient temperatures between
0˚C and 60˚C.
•Do not leave this product in an environment where the storage
temperature may be below -40°C or above 85°C. To prevent from
damages, the product must be used in a controlled environment.
Care for your i-TECH products:
•Before cleaning the PCB, unplug all cables and remove the battery.
•Clean the PCB with a circuit board cleaner or degreaser, or use cotton
swabs and alcohol.
•Vacuum the dust with a computer vacuum cleaner to prevent the fan
from being clogged.
WARNING
Attention during use:
•Do not use this product near water.
•Do not spill water or any other liquids on this product.
•Do not place heavy objects on the top of this product.
Anti-static precautions
•Wear an anti-static wrist strap to avoid electrostatic discharge.
•Place the PCB on an anti-static kit or mat.
•Hold the edges of PCB when handling.
•Touch the edges of non-metallic components of the product instead of
the surface of the PCB.
•Ground yourself by touching a grounded conductor or a grounded bit of
metal frequently to discharge any static.
CAUTION
Danger of explosion if the internal lithium-ion battery is replaced by an
incorrect type. Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended
by the manufacturer. Dispose of used batteries according to the
manufacturer’s instructions or recycle them at a local recycling facility or
battery collection point.

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Warranty Policy
•i-TECH standard products:
24-month (2-year) warranty from the date of shipment. If the date of
shipment cannot be ascertained, the product serial numbers can be
used to determine the approximate shipping date.
•3rd-party parts:
12-month (1-year) warranty from delivery for the 3rd-party parts that are
not manufactured by i-TECH, such as CPU, CPU cooler, memory,
storage devices, power adapter, panel and touchscreen.
＊PRODUCTS, HOWEVER, THAT FAIL DUE TO MISUSE, ACCIDENT,
IMPROPERINSTALLATIONOR UNAUTHORIZED REPAIR SHALL BE
TREATED AS OUT OF WARRANTY AND CUSTOMERS SHALL BE
BILLED FOR REPAIR AND SHIPPING CHARGES.
Technical Support & Services
1. Visit the i-TECH website at www.techlcd.com to find the latest
information about the product.
2. If you need any further assistance from your distributor or sales
representative, prepare the following information of your product and
elaborate upon the problem.
•Product model name
•Product serial number
•Detailed description of the problem
•The error messages in text or in screenshots if there is any
•The arrangement of the peripherals
•Software in use (such as OS and application software, including the
version numbers)
3. If repair service is required, you can download the RMA form at
http://www.i-techcompany.com/reex.html. Fill out the form and
contact your distributor or sales representative.

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AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
Table of Contents
Compliance.....................................................................................iii
Important Safety Information........................................................iv
Warranty Policy ...............................................................................v
Technical Support & Services .......................................................v
Chapter 1 General Information.............................................1
1.1 Introduction .........................................................................................2
1.2 Features..............................................................................................2
1.3 Packing List.........................................................................................3
1.4 Optional Accessories...........................................................................3
1.5 Specifications......................................................................................4
1.6 Overview.............................................................................................6
1.7 Dimensions .........................................................................................7
Chapter 2 HardwareConfiguration..........................................9
2.1 Mini-PCIe & M.2 Card Installation......................................................10
2.2 Setting the Jumpers ..........................................................................11
2.2.1 How to Set Jumpers.............................................................11
2.3 Jumper & Connector Locations on AO-IBR117..................................12
2.4 Jumpers Quick Reference.................................................................13
2.4.1 LVDS Power Setting (P16)..................................................13
2.4.2 LVDS Backlight Power Setting (P15)...................................14
2.5 Connectors Quick Reference.............................................................15
2.5.1 RTC Lithium Cell Connector (P2)........................................16
2.5.2 COM RS-232/422/485 Selection (SW3) ..............................16
2.5.3 COM RS-232/422/485 Port (P10)........................................17
2.5.4 LVDS Display Connector (P8, P22).....................................18
2.5.5 UART Connector (P17) .......................................................19
2.5.6 LVDS Backlight Control Connector (P9)..............................19
2.5.7 Audio Line-In & Line-Out Connector (P14) ..........................20
2.5.8 USB Hub Connector (P13)..................................................20
2.5.9 Digital I/O (GPIO) Connector (P18).....................................21
2.5.10 SATA Power Connector (P21).............................................21
2.5.11 CAN Bus Connector (P25) ..................................................22

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2.5.12 I2C Connector (P26) ............................................................22
Chapter 3 Software Setup...................................................23
3.1 Make a Recovery SD Card ................................................................24
3.1.1 Preparing the Recovery SD Card to Install Linux / Android
Image into eMMC.................................................................24
3.1.2 Upgrade Firmware through the Recovery SD Card...............26
3.2 Display Parameter Setting in Kernel ..................................................27
Chapter 4 BSP Source Guide..............................................28
4.1 Preparation........................................................................................29
4.2 Installing Toolchain............................................................................29
4.3 Building U-Boot..................................................................................29
4.4 Building Kernel...................................................................................29
4.5 Building RAMdisk Image (Optional) ...................................................30
4.6 Install Linux to SD Card.....................................................................30
4.7 Booting with Your SD Card................................................................30
Appendix........................................................................................31
A. How to Use GPIO in Linux.................................................................32
B. How to Use Watchdog in Linux..........................................................32
C. eMMC Test........................................................................................33
D. USB (flash disk) Test.........................................................................34
E. SD Card Test.....................................................................................35
F. RS-232 Test ......................................................................................36
G. RS-485 Test ......................................................................................37
H. Audio Test .........................................................................................37
I. Ethernet Test.....................................................................................38
J. LVDS Test.........................................................................................39
K. HDMI Test .........................................................................................40
L. SATA (hard disk) Test .......................................................................41
M. CAN Test...........................................................................................42
N. 3G Test..............................................................................................43
O. Onboard Connector Types.................................................................44

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Chapter 1
General Information
The information provided in this chapter includes:
•Features
•Packing List
•Specifications
•Block Diagram
•Board Overview
•Board Dimensions

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AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
1.1 Introduction
AO-IBR117 is a 3.5" Disk-Size SBC w/ ARM Base NXP i.MX6 Cortex-A9
1 GHz CPU. The device offers 2D, 3D graphics and multimedia
accelerations, while also supporting numerous peripherals, including
RS-232/422/485, CAN bus, COM, GPIO, USB, USB OTG, LAN and audio
interfaces. For the display, it also supports 1 HDMI for a full HD display and
Dual LVDS, for the wireless connectivity, it supports M.2 Key-E, type 2230
for the M.2 module and mini-PCIe module expansion that are well suited for
industrial applications.
Photo of AO-IBR117
1.2 Features
•NXP ARM Cortex™A9 i.MX6 Dual Core 1 GHz processor
•Video output through HDMI and single/dual channel LVDS
•1 GB DDR3, 4 GB eMMC and SD socket for expansion
•Rich I/O interface with CAN bus, COM, GPIO, USB, USB-OTG, audio
and Ethernet
•M.2 E2230 & mini-PCIe (USB only) with the SIM socket for wireless
connectivity
•2 x 2 wire UART headers
•OpenGL ES 2.0 for 3D BitBlt for 2D and OPENVG1.1 hardware
accelerators

General Information
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1
1.3 Packing List
Your AO-IBR117 package should include the items listed below. If any of
the items below is missing, contact the distributor or dealer from whom
you purchased the product.
•AO-IBR117 3.5” SBC x 1
•This User Manual x 1
1.4 Optional Accessories
I-TECH provides optional accessories as follows. Please contact us or
your dealer if you need any.
RF:
•WiFi & BT Combo (M.2 card)
•3G / LTE Module (Mini-PCIe card)
Display:
•7” TFT LCD –LVDS
•15” 1024 x 768 TFT LCD – LVDS
•21” TFT LCD – LVDS
Cable:
•Debug Cable (PK1-100A)
•LVDS Cable for 7” TFT LCD – LVDS (LCD403)
•LVDS Cable for 15” 1024 x 768 TFT LCD – LVDS (LCD404)
•Backlight Cable (IVT-76)
•USB Cable (USB-134)
•GPIO Cable (PK1-124)
•UART Cable (PK1-125)
•Audio Cable (Audio-68)
•21.5” LVDS Panel (LCD419)
•Backlight Cable for the LED Driving Board (IVT-82)
•LED Driving Board for 21.5” panel (IVT-83)

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AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
1.5 Specifications
Product Name
AO-IBR117
Form Factor
3.5” SBC
System
Operating
System
•Yocto (kernel 4.1)
•Android 6.0
CPU Type
NXP Cortex™ A9 i.MX6 Dual Core 1 GHz SoC
CPU Speed
1 GHz
Memory
•System memory: 1 GB DDR3
•Data Memory: 4 GB eMMC
Video Codec
•Encoder: 1080p, 30 fps (MPEG-4 SP, H.264 BP, H.263,
MJPEG BP)
•Decoder: 1080p, 30 fps (MPEG-4 ASP, H.264 HP,
MPEG-2 MP, MJPEG BP)
Touch
USB headers for CPT
RTC
AnalogTEK AT8565S
Wireless
WiFi / BT / 3G / LTE module (Optional)
Power Supply
12V DC-In
Watchdog
Timer
Yes (256 segments, 0, 1, 2…128 secs)
Dimensions
146 x 102 mm (5.74” x 4.02”)
RoHS
Yes
Certification
CE, FCC Class B
I/O Ports
DC Jack
1 x 12V DC jack
Display
•1 x HDMI 1.4 (up to 1080P30 at 60 Hz)
•2 x 18/24-bit single LVDS / 1 x dual LVDS
(up to 1366 x 768 at 60 Hz for 1 channel / 1920 x 1080 for 2
channels)
LAN
1 x RJ45 GbE LAN
USB
•2 x USB 2.0 Type A
•1 x USB OTG via mini-USB Type B

General Information
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1
Serial
•1 x COM RS-232/422/485 port (DB9 male connector)
•2 x 2 wire UART (6-pin header)
Audio Jack
1 x 10-pin header for Line-In & Line-Out
Digital IO
8-In/Out
Expansion
Slots
•1 x M.2 E2230 with USB, SDIO and UART
•1 x Mini-PCIe with USB only (interrelated with the SIM
socket)
•2 x CAN bus (6-pin header)
Environment
Operating
Temperature
•0 ~ 60 °C (32 ~ 140 °F)
•-40 ~ 85 °C (-40 ~ 185 °F) with the optional heatsink
Relative
Humidity
10 ~ 90 %, non-condensing
All specifications are subject to change without prior notice.

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AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
1.6 Overview
Top View
＊The photos above are for reference only. Some minor components may differ.
I/O View
No.
Name
No.
Name
1
USB OTG Port
5
USB 2.0 Ports
2
COM RS-232/422/485 Port
6
DC Jack
3
HDMI Port
7
Reset Button
4
GbE LAN Port
8
LED Indicators (from left to
right: Power, Wireless,
Programmable Setting)

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1
1.7 Dimensions
Unit: mm

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AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
AO-IBR117 Reference Heat Sink

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Chapter 2
Hardware Configuration
This section provides information on jumper settings and
connectors on the AO-IBR117 in order to set up a workable
system. The topics covered are:
•M.2 card Installation
•Jumper and connector locations
•Jumper settings and information of connectors

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AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
2.1 Mini-PCIe & M.2 Card Installation
To install the mini-PCIe and M.2 cards, perform the following steps.
1. Locate the mini-PCIe slot, align the key of the mini-PCIe card to the
interface, and insert the card slantwise.
(Insert the M.2 card in the same way.)
2. Push the mini-PCIe card down and fix it with 2 flat head screws.
(Fix the M.2 card with one screw.)

Hardware Configuration
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2
2.2 Setting the Jumpers
Set up and configure your AO-IBR117 by using jumpers for various settings
and features according to your needs and applications. Contact your
supplier if you have doubts about the best configuration for your use.
2.2.1 How to Set Jumpers
Jumpers are short-length conductors consisting of several metal pins with a
non-conductive base mounted on the circuit board. Jumper caps are used to
have the functions and features enabled or disabled. If a jumper has 3 pins,
you can connect either PIN1 to PIN2 or PIN2 to PIN3 by shorting.
Pin# 1 23
A 3-pin jumper
A jumper cap
Refer to the illustration below to set jumpers.
Pin closed
Oblique view
Schematic illustration in the manual
Open
1 2 3
1-2
1 2 3
2-3
1 2 3
When two pins of a jumper are encased in a jumper cap, this jumper is
closed, i.e. turned On.
When a jumper cap is removed from two jumper pins, this jumper is open,
i.e. turned Off.

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AO-IBR117 User’s Manual
2.3 Jumper & Connector Locations on AO-IBR117
Board diagram of AO-IBR117