Connecting Your BeagleBone Black using USB to TTL Serial Converter Cable: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Connect the BeagleBone Black using USB to TTL Serial Converter Cable

The BeagleBone Black (BBB) is a versatile development board that allows users to connect to various devices and peripherals. One effective way to communicate with your BBB is through the serial port using a USB-to-TTL Serial cable. This method is particularly useful for debugging, especially if you encounter booting problems or networking issues.

Why Use Serial Communication?

While SSH over USB is the preferred method for most applications due to its simplicity and reliability, serial communication offers several advantages:

• Direct Access During Boot: Monitor the boot process and catch any early-stage issues.
• Versatile Connectivity: Connect to devices other than PCs, like other microcontrollers or sensors.
• Troubleshooting: Access your board when network connections are unavailable.

What You Need

To establish a serial communication between your computer and the BeagleBone Black, you need:

• A BeagleBone Black board.
• A USB-to-TTL Serial cable.
• A computer running Windows, macOS, or Linux.

Connecting the BeagleBone Black via Serial on Windows

If you’re using Windows, follow these steps to connect your BBB via serial using PuTTY:

Step 1: Install PuTTY

1. Open your web browser and go to the PuTTY download page.
2. Click the putty.exe file to download it.
3. Run the putty.exe file to install PuTTY.

Step 2: Make the Physical Connections

1. Connect the USB side of the TTL cable to your computer.
2. Connect the wires to the J1 headers on your BeagleBone Black:
   • Black wire to Pin 1 (GND)
   • Green wire to Pin 4 (RX)
   • White wire to Pin 5 (TX)

Step 3: Configure PuTTY

1. Open PuTTY.
2. In the PuTTY Configuration dialog box, select Serial.
3. Identify the serial port name:

• Open Device Manager (Press Windows+R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter).
• Find the serial port listed under Ports (COM & LPT).

1. Type the serial port name in PuTTY.
2. Set the speed to 115200.
3. Click Open.

Step 4: Power Up and Connect

1. Power on your BeagleBone Black with a Mini USB cable.
2. You should see the boot process details in the PuTTY terminal.

3. When prompted to log in, type debian and press Enter.
4. Type temppwd as the default password and press Enter.

Connecting the BeagleBone Black via Serial on macOS and Linux

For macOS and Linux users, the process involves using the terminal:

Step 1: Open the Terminal

1. On macOS, navigate to /Applications/Utilities and double-click Terminal.
2. On Linux, press Ctrl+Alt+T to open a new terminal window.

Step 2: Identify the Serial Device

1. With your BBB unplugged, type ls /dev/tty* to list devices.
2. Connect the USB side of the TTL cable to your computer.
3. Connect the wires to the J1 headers on your BeagleBone Black:
   • Black wire to Pin 1 (GND)
   • Green wire to Pin 4 (RX)
   • White wire to Pin 5 (TX)
4. Type ls /dev/tty* again to see the new device (e.g., /dev/ttyUSB0).

Step 3: Establish Serial Communication

1. Install screen using sudo apt install screen
2. In the terminal, type sudo screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200.
3. Power on your BeagleBone Black with a Mini USB cable.
4. You should see the boot process details in the terminal.
5. Enter your computer password if prompted.
6. When asked to log in, type root and press Enter or Return.
7. Press Enter or Return when asked for a password (no password by default).

Exiting the screen Session

• To exit the screen session, press Ctrl+A followed by K. Confirm by pressing Y.
• To Learn More About screen visit here: GeeksForGeeks

Happy tinkering with your BeagleBone Black!