Hardware

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This page lists hardware for two common setups:

1. Minimal setup (required): Enough to run OpenCCA on an RK3588 ROCK 5B

2. Box with Flashserver (optional): A small lab setup that supports remote UART access, automated flashing, and power cycling.

Minimal setup#

To get started with OpenCCA, you need the parts below.

Once you purchased the parts, build and flash the firmware

Automation Box#

For automated power cycling and flashing, we built a small box setup.

• A Raspberry Pi acts as a management node that you can SSH into
• The Pi provides a UART console connection to the ROCK 5B.
• Power can be toggled remotely via a smart plug
• A USB-C dock/hub connects the ROCK 5b to power and data because the 5B multiplexes power and data on the same USB-C port.
• A MOSFET circuit bypasses the Maskrom switch to enable automated firmware flashing

You find a docker container with all scripts for the management node in opencca-flash.

Management Node (Flash Server)#

USB-C Dock#

Connect the USB-C dock to the Raspberry Pi. Connect the RK3588 to the dock as a peripheral. Finally, power the dock through its USB-C PD port with an external power supply.

Smart Plug#

In our setup, the Raspberry Pi can still back-power the RK3588 over USB. That means toggling the smart plug alone may not fully reset the board as the the RK3588 can stay partially powered via the USB hub.

To get a true hard reset, we do

1. turns off the smart plug (cuts main power), and
2. disables USB power from the Raspberry Pi hub.

With both power sources removed, the RK3588 performs a reliable hard reset.

• See scripts in opencca-flash/board/power

Box#

Optional enclosure parts to house the setup, including a power strip and fans.

• See 3D models

Maskrom MOSFET#

The MOSFET circuit is not strictly necessary. You can flash the firmware manually by pressing the physical button on the SoC. However, if you plan to do this thousands of times (like we did during the initial bring up), it may be worth automating this. We soldered a simple circuit to the board to bypass the physical button, using a MOSFET as a programmable switch controlled via a Raspberry Pi GPIO pin.

Wiring (example GPIO17):

• GPIO17 → 220Ω → MOSFET Gate (G)
• 10kΩ from Gate → GND (pull-down)
• MOSFET Source (S) → GND (Pi and ROCK5 share ground)
• MOSFET Drain (D) → BOOT_SARADC_IN0 on ROCK5

3D Print Models#

You find instructions on how to obtain and print the 3D models in the opencca-box repository.