Texas Instruments AM437x GP User Manual
AM437x GP EVM Hardware User's Guide
Verified Design
Literature Number: SPRUHW7
June 2014
Lawrence Ronk
An IMPORTANT NOTICE at the end of this TI reference design addresses authorized use, intellectual property matters and other
important disclaimers and information.
1 Introduction
This document describes the hardware architecture of the AM437x Evaluation Module (EVM) (part number
TMDXEVM437X), which is based on the Texas Instruments (TI) AM437x processor. This EVM is also
commonly known as the AM437x General Purpose (GP) EVM.
1.1 Description
The AM437x GP EVM is a standalone test, development, and evaluation module system that enables
developers to write software and develop hardware around an AM437x processor subsystem. The main
elements of the AM437x subsystem are already available on the base board of the EVM, which gives
developers the basic resources needed for most general purpose type projects that encompass the
AM437x as the main processor. Furthermore, additional, "typical-type" peripherals are built into the EVM,
such as memory, sensors, LCD, Ethernet physical layer (PHY), and so on, so that prospective systems
can be modeled quickly without significant additional hardware resources.
The following sections give more details regarding the EVM.
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AM437x GP EVM Hardware User's Guide
1.2 System View
The system view of the AM437x GP EVM consists of the main board and the camera board. See Figure 1
and Figure 2 of the EVM.
Figure 1. AM437x GP EVM Top View Figure 2. AM437x GP EVM Bottom View
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2 Functional Blocks Description
The complete AM437x GP EVM is contained mostly within a single board. The GP EVM can also have a
camera and wireless board.
Functional Blocks Description
2.1 Processor
The AM437x processor is the central processor to this EVM. All the resources on the board surround the
AM437x processor to provide development capabilities for hardware and software. See the AM437x data
sheet and TRM for the details about the processor.
System configuration signals (sysboot0 to 18) can be set on the EVM using resistors and switches to
define some startup parameters on the AM437x processor. See Section 4 for more details.
2.2 Clocks
The EVM has several clocks to support the AM437x processor. The main clock for the processor is
derived from a 24-MHz crystal. AM437x generates the base clock and subsequent module clocks as
needed within the AM437x processor. A 32-kHz clock for the RTC on the AM437x is derived from a
32.768-kHz crystal on the board.
2.3 Reset Signals
SYS_RESETn is a reset signal running to several peripherals and AM437x which performs a reset on
those peripherals. SYS_RESETn is asserted by the push-button and is used to force a reset of the
AM437x and the other peripherals. AM437x can also pull down the RESET_INOUTn signal to cause the
SYS_RESETn line to activate. The power-on reset to the processor is driven from the power good signal
of the power manager. Also, a reset push-button is provided for the power on reset of the board.
Figure 3. AM437x EVM System Block Diagram
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Functional Blocks Description
2.4 DDR3 SDRAM
The AM437x GP EVM contains four 4-Gb (512Mb × 8) of DDR3L SDRAM memories from Micron. The
part number for the DDR3L SDRAM memory used is MT41K512M8RH. The package used is a 78-ball
FBGA package. See the AM437x TRM for memory locations for this memory.
2.5 NAND Flash
The GP EVM has a NAND-type of flash. The part number of the memory used is MT29F4G08AB, which is
a 4-Gb (512M x 8) flash memory. The GPMC signals are used to communicate with this memory.
2.6 Board Identity Memory
Each of the board has a serial EEPROM that contains board specific data that allow the processor to
automatically detect which board is connected and the version of that board. This memory device can
store other hardware specific data as well. The part number of the memory device is CAT24C256WI-G.
See Section 4 for details on the data in this memory.
2.7 SDMMC0
The SDMMC0 connector on the GP EVM is a microSD socket with part number SCHA5B0200. This
connector is a standard SD/MMC card type of connector. The connector links to the MMC0 port of the
AM437x processor. Check the AM437x data sheet and TRM for supported card types and densities.
2.8 10/100/1000 Ethernet
The AM437x GP EVM has a 10/100/1000 Ethernet transceiver from Micrel (KSZ9031RN) that is
connected to an RJ45 (J18) connector.
The reset on the transceiver is driven by the board system reset signal SYS_RESETn. A 25-MHz crystal
drives the clock input of the KSZ9031RN Ethernet PHY.
The PHY address is set to 0x00h.
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2.9 USB
The AM437x GP EVM supports 2 USB ports. The USB ports are connected to a microUSB AB connector
and a standard A-type connector. The ESD device TPD4S012 and common choke filter ACM2012 (TDK)
are used on the USB signals before they are connected to the AM437x pins.
2.10 Connectivity
The AM437x GP EVM supports MCS COM8 form factor wireless boards from TI through the J20 COM
connector, which is a Samtec card edge type connector MEC6-150-02-S-D-RA1. Therefore, this connector
supports COM8 types of boards. More details about this connector can be found in the MCS COM8 board
documents.
The COM connector requires 3.6 V, 442 mA on the power supply. Thus, a TPS79501 LDO regulator is
used to provide this voltage supply from the base 5.0V supply.
The signals on the COM board are all 1.8-V voltage levels. Thus, voltage translators are placed to convert
to/from 3.3V of the AM437x rail for a particular signal which is running at 3.3V.
2.11 UART
This EVM supports one RS232 port connector. A MAX3243 RS-232 transceiver is used in between
UART0 signals from the processor and the DB9 connector.
2.12 ADC
The analog inputs to the AM437x are terminated on the connector J22, where a magnetic swipe assembly
can be connected.
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2.13 Dual Cameras
The two camera interfaces from the AM437x processor are terminated on the 12×2 headers, J2 and J3.
The custom-made camera module from TI with part number 4P0041 interfaces with the header J3. This
camera module is a separate camera board that attaches at a right angle so that the camera can face
horizontally when the GP EVM is lying on a test bench. The OmniVision OV2659 SOC-based 2-MP
camera module from SunnyOptics with part number P212A interfaces with the header J2. The OV2659
delivers a high-definition video and excellent low-light sensitivity for cost-sensitive applications.
2.14 Audio
The headphone output and line input signals from the two 3.5-mm SJ3524 jacks are connected to the
audio codec with part number TLV320AIC3106. These signals connect through the McASP1 and I2C
interfaces of the AM437x.
3 Power Supplies
This section describes how the power supplies required for the design are generated.
3.1 Power Source
AM437x GP EVM uses an external AC for a 5-V-DC (rated 2.5 A minimum) power adapter. The slide
switch SW2 is used to switch the main power to the board on and off. The main power is off when the
power switch is in the position away from the power supply jack. The main power is on when the power
switch is in the position closest to the power supply jack.
Functional Blocks Description
3.2 Power Sequencing
The power sequencing requirements of the AM437X processor (see the AM437x data sheet) are handled
automatically by the TPS65218 PMIC.
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Power Supplies
3.3 Power Management IC Power Supplies
The AM437x GP EVM uses the TPS65218 power management IC. The I2C0 on AM437x is used to
control the Smart Reflex port and control port on the TPS65218. Table 1 and Table 2 detail the power
supplies used.
Table 1. AM437x Power Supplies from TPS65218
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TPS65218
POWER SUPPLY
VDCDC1 VDD_CORE, VDD_TPM 1.1 V
VDCDC2 VDD_MPU 1.1 V
VDCDC3 VDDS_DDR 1.35 V
VLS1 VDD_DDR 1.35 V
VDDS_CLKOUT, VDDS_OSC, VDDS_SRAM_CORE_BG, VDDS_SRAM_MPU_BB,
V1_8D_AM437X 1.8 V
V1_0BAT CAP_VDD_RTC 1.0 V
V1_8BAT VDDS_RTC 1.8 V
V3_3D_AM438X VDDA_3P3V_USB0, VDDA_3P3V_USB1, VDDSHV1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 3.3 V
V5_0D HDMI circuitry, USB0 power 5.0 V
VDDS_PLL_CORE_LCD, VDDS_PLL_DDR, VDDS_PLL_MPU, VDDA1P8V_USB0,
VDDA1P8V_USB1, VDDS_CTM, VDDS_TPM, VPP, VDDA_MC_ADC, VDDA_TS_ADC,
VDDS, COM8, VDDSHV9, VDDSHV11, tamper, ADC input sections
NOTE: The TPS65218 power management IC that is used on the AM437x GP EVM rev. 1.2 has
several issues that can affect operation. See the errata for the TPS65218 for more details.
3.3.1 Other Power Supplies Used
POWER SUPPLY POWER RAIL VOLTAGE
NAND memory, QPSI flash, Ethernet PHY, SDMMC0, board ID memory, ARM JTAG,
V3_3D 3.3 V
V3_3FTDI FT2232 section from TPS79333 3.3 V
VBAT 5.0 V
V1_2D HDMI section power 1.2 V
buffers of FTDI section, LCD buffer, touch screen, camera module, HDMI buffer, audio
codec, RS-232 sections, COM8 sections, smart card sections, tamper header, platform
test section, GPIO header, printer
LCD power generation, camera module, VCOM_BAT generation for COM8 module,
USB1 power generation, platform test section, LEDs, GPIO header, buzzer, printer
AM437X POWER RAIL VOLTAGE
Table 2. Other Power Supplies
3.4 APM Sense Resistors
The AM437x GP EVM has the following subsystems with current sense resistors. These resistors allow
the power to be measured on each power rail to check AM437x power requirements during real-time
software execution. The value of the resistors is selected to provide the best dynamic range when using a
TI INA226 converter. An INA226 converter is installed on the EVM for both the VDD_CORE and
VDD_MPU power supply rails of the AM437x. The other power rails have sense resistors but have their
measurement connections attached to 2-pin standard headers so they can be read easily by a multimeter
or connected to an INA226-converter EVM. The value of the sense resistors for the VDD_CORE and
VDD_MPU were selected to give better dynamic range for active power modes rather than sleep or low
power modes. If power is to be measured for VDD_CORE or VDD_MPU for sleep or low power modes,
then this sense resistor value must be changed to give better shunt voltage values.
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Table 3. AM437x GP EVM APM Sense Resistors
VOLTAGE NET SENSE RESISTOR VALUE
VDD_CORE 0.05 ohm
VDD_MPU 0.05 ohm
VAM437X_DDR 0.05 ohm
VDDS_DDR 0.05 ohm
V1_8D_AM437X 0.1 ohm
V3_3D_AM437X 0.1 ohm
4 Configuration and Setup
4.1 Boot Configuration
The AM437x has sysboot pins that can be configured using two 5-bit DIP switches on the EVM. These
sysboot switches will configure the AM437x to different boot settings. The SW12 switch can be used to set
sysboot bits 0 to 4, and the SW11 switch can set sysboot bits 5, 6, 9, 12, and 13. Other sysboot pin
settings are done through resistors either pulled high or low. See the AM437x TRM and data sheet for the
definitions of each of the sysboot signals. See the GP EVM schematic for more details.
4.2 I2C Address Assignments
In the AM437x GP EVM boards, each separate board has an I2C ID memory that contains the details of
the identity of that board, such as its configuration. See the following sections for more details on the
memories' contents.
Configuration and Setup
AM437X FUNCTION AM437X I2C PORT ADDRESS
Board ID memory I2C0 0x50
PMIC control I2C0 0x2D
Touch screen control I2C1 0x5C
Camera module 0 I2C0 0xxx
Camera module 1 I2C1 0xxx
Audio codec I2C0 0x18
HDMI transmitter I2C2 0x76
HDMI companion chip I2C2 0xxx
Multiple smart card slot interface IC I2C2 0xxx
4.3 I2C ID Memory
The GP EVM has a dedicated I2C EEPROM, which contains specific identity and configuration information
for that board. In addition, the dedicated I2C EEPROM has available space in each memory for userspecific configuration information.
The part number of the memory device is CAT24C256WI-G.
Table 4. AM437x I2C Bus Addresses
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Configuration and Setup
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Table 5. AM437x GP EVM EEPROM Data
Header 4 MSB 0xEE3355AA LSB
Board Name 8 Name for board in ASCII "XXXXXXX" = AM437x GP EVM
Version 4 Hardware version code for board in ASCII "1.4A" = rev. 01.4A
Serial Number 12
Configuration 32
Ethernet MAC address 0 6 MAC address for AM437x Ethernet MAC 1
Ethernet MAC address 1 6 MAC address for AM437x Ethernet MAC 2 or PRU 0
Ethernet MAC address 2 6 MAC address for AM437x PRU 1 (if used)
Available 32702 Available space for other non-volatile codes and data
4.4 JTAG
The AM437x GP EVM supports embedded XDS100V2 USB Emulation through the micro-USB AB
connector. The EVM also has an optional 20-pin TI CJTAG connector to support the emulation. This
CJTAG connector is not installed by default. Other JTAG adaptors are available on TI's e-store.
NAME CONTENTS
SIZE
(BYTES)
Serial number of the board. This is a 12-character string: WWYY4P16nnnn where:
• WW = 2 digit week of the year of production
• YY = 2 digit year of production
• nnnn = incrementing board number
Codes to show the configuration setup on this board. For the available EVM's supported,
the following codes are used:
• ASCII "SKU#01" = base board for general purpose EVM
• ASCII "SKU#02" = base board for industrial motor control EVM
• Remaining 26 bytes are reserved
5 User Interfaces
5.1 Keypad
The keypad has six push button switches (SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8, and SW9) with Omron part
number B3SL-1022P on the component side of the board. This keypad uses two power and three scan
lines to enable six buttons to be monitored.
5.2 LEDs
There are eight status LEDs (three green LEDs, one yellow LED, one red LED, one blue LED, and one
orange LED) on the top side of the EVM. The EVM also has a green LED (D2) to indicate power-on
available.
5.3 Audio Buzzer
An audio buzzer is installed on the board to provide auditory cues to the user. This audio buzzer PUI
audio AI-1027-TWT-3V-R is driven from a GPIO.
5.4 Capacitive Touch LCD
The LCD is a 7-inch WVGA (800×480) RGB LCD panel part number OSD070T1718-19TS. The LCD is a
24-bit RGB TFT LCD with 21 white LEDs for backlight (controlled by the TPS61081DRC power regulator).
The connector used is an FPC-type, 50-pin connector with part number FH12S-50S-0.5SH. The LED
backlight on the LCD is controlled by a PWM-controlled LED driver (TPS61081). The LCD has a
capacitive touch screen, which is connected to the I2C0 port of the processor. The power required for the
LCD is generated using the linear regulator supply (TPS65105).
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