Network, USB & clock¶
Ethernet¶
Every PocketBeagle 2 board except the K8-PB, K4-PB, K40D-PB and PocketScroller v2 has one Gigabit Ethernet jack, the RJ45 with built-in LEDs. It connects to the PocketBeagle 2 over USB 2.0, so real throughput is roughly 300 Mb/s. That is far more than a show needs, even with hundreds of E1.31 universes.
- Plug it into your show network switch or router.
- Out of the box FPP uses DHCP. The IP address appears on the OLED.
- K8-PB, K4-PB, K40D-PB and PocketScroller v2: there's no Ethernet jack. Plug a USB Ethernet adapter (or a USB Wi-Fi adapter) into its USB-A port.
- BeagleBone Black boards (K8-B, K8-B-Scroller, K64D-B, K128D-B, OctoPlus) use the BeagleBone's own 10/100 Ethernet jack, which is plenty for a show. A BeagleBone Black Wireless uses Wi-Fi instead. See BeagleBone Black.
- Raspberry Pi boards use the Pi's own Ethernet and Wi-Fi. The Pi Zero 2 W under a K2-Pi0 has Wi-Fi only. See Raspberry Pi.
- For networking topics (static IPs, show networks, reaching receivers or controllers behind FPP), see the FPP manual: Network · Networking overview · Proxies.
Only one RJ45 is Ethernet
The DMX and differential RJ45 jacks look the same but are not network ports. Never plug them into a switch or PC.
The Ethernet jack has two built-in LEDs. Left and right are as seen in the photo at the top of each board page, with the board laid flat and the Ethernet jack on the top edge:
| LED | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Left | Link. On when the cable is connected to a working switch or router port. |
| Right | Activity. Flashes as network traffic passes. |
If the link LED stays off, check the cable and the switch port before anything else.
Wi-Fi¶
The PocketBeagle 2 and the BeagleBone Black have no built-in Wi-Fi (the BeagleBone Black Wireless does). Plug an FPP-supported USB Wi-Fi adapter into a USB-A port to get:
- Wi-Fi as a second network
- FPP's hotspot (tethering) mode, for setup in the field
See the FPP manual's hardware list for supported adapters.
USB tethering¶
You can also set the controller up over a USB cable, with no network at all. Connect the PocketBeagle 2's USB-C port to a computer, wait for FPP to start, then browse to:
- 192.168.7.2 on Windows
- 192.168.6.2 on macOS or Linux
Over USB-C alone, only the PocketBeagle 2 itself is powered: the cape's Ethernet, USB ports and outputs stay off until the cape has its own power. That's fine for configuring FPP. On the K8, K16 and K32 boards, the K8-PB, the K4-PB, and all the PocketScrollers it's also safe to keep the USB cable connected while the cape has its own power.
Not on the K40D-PB, or with a PocketBeagle 1
Never connect the PocketBeagle's USB port to a computer on a K40D-PB, or on a K4-PB or PocketScroller v2 fitted with an original PocketBeagle 1. It can permanently damage the board. Use a USB network adapter instead. A K4-PB or PocketScroller v2 with a PocketBeagle 2 is fine.
BeagleBone Black and Raspberry Pi boards: not while the cape is powered
On the BeagleBone Black and Raspberry Pi boards, never connect the BeagleBone's or Pi's USB port to a computer while the cape is powered. See BeagleBone Black and Raspberry Pi.
USB ports¶
| Board | USB-A host ports |
|---|---|
| K8-Pro, K8-Max, K16-Pro, K16-Max, K32-Pro, K32-Max, PocketScroller v3, PocketScroller-16 | 3 (one vertical, plus a stacked pair) |
| K16, K32, K8-PB, K4-PB, K40D-PB, PocketScroller v2 | 1 |
| K8-B, K8-B-Scroller, K64D-B, K128D-B, OctoPlus | 1, on the BeagleBone |
| K8-Pi, K2-Pi-Servo | the Pi's own (2 to 4) |
| K2-Pi0 | the Pi Zero's micro-USB data port, through an OTG adapter |
On the PocketBeagle 2 boards each port has its own current-limited power switch, about 0.5 A. That's plenty for Wi-Fi adapters, sound cards and USB flash drives. Use a powered hub for anything hungrier, such as a USB hard drive.
K16 and K32: use the included USB extension cable
The K16's and K32's single USB-A port needs the USB extension cable that comes with the board. Plug the cable into the port, then plug your Wi-Fi adapter or other device into the cable, not straight into the port. Keep the cable with the controller.
Real-time clock (RTC)¶
Every board except the K4-PB, PocketScroller v2, K2-Pi-Servo and K2-Pi0 has a battery-backed real-time clock (NXP PCF85263, PCF85363 or PCF8523, depending on the board), so schedules start at the right time even with no internet for NTP. The K4-PB, PocketScroller v2, K2-Pi-Servo and K2-Pi0 have no clock, so set up NTP on them.
- Every board takes a CR1220 3 V coin cell. On the K8 boards the holder is on the underside of the board. On the K64D-B, K128D-B and OctoPlus it is under the OLED: unplug the OLED to reach it.
- FPP sets the RTC up automatically from the cape. The RTC setting is hidden because there is nothing to choose.
- Set the time zone and NTP in FPP under Settings → Time.
Temperature¶
A temperature sensor on the board (a TMP1075 on most PocketBeagle 2 boards) reports the board
temperature. Some boards, such as the K8-B, K64D-B and K128D-B, have a second one (Temp2). FPP shows it with the
other sensors. Boards with a fan header use it to run the fan
(see Expansion header & fan).