1. Linux System Design

Overview

This Linux Academy module shares a perspective on possible ways to approach Linux System Design. If anything, this information attempts to provide insight into the hardware, software, and tools options provided by Texas Instruements to help users quickly and easily create their own embedded systems based upon a TI furnished foundation. This information is not a list of requirements as such. It is more of recommended roadmap or list of suggestions.

A Linux Development System

A typical Linux Embedded System looks similar to the diagram below:

This system is a combination of hardware and software brought together with a variety of tools. A full development environment usually includes at least one target piece of hardware and associated software as well as a development host which is usually a PC with it’s own associated hardware and software, including a number of tools. Tools help create or configure certain aspects of the target hardware or software. For example, build tools like a C compiler, assember, and linker.

In order for the embedded system to work well, both hardware and software must function together well. The next sections will explore recommendations, documentation, tools and helps provided by TI to help create solid hardware and software for a new embedded system. This module wraps up with a system design checklist to help think through all the different aspects of the design in order to improve the overall process.