Although it’s the end of Hacktoberfest, it’s not too late for an open source nut cracking challenge. This is a challenge that will benefit not only our current and future devices but also the community moving forward.
So, what is the challenge then? To achieve blob-free BL602 for the open source community so that we all can enjoy blob-free FOSS Bluetooth and WiFi on PINE64 devices.
If you want to get in on the action and to receive a BL602 evaluation board (EVB) – which we have codenamed PineCone – with the BL602 shipped to you, here are the steps to follow:
The following also works:
Step 1: Register or login to github.com
Step 2: Contribute to one of following repositories: BL602 SDK, BL602 Documentation or BL602 Reverse Engineering
Step 3: Check if your pull request was accepted
Step 4: Follow instructions on your pull request or sign up for free PineCone here
Step 5: We will reach out to you via email for your shipping details
Step 6: Wait to receive the PineCone (EVB with BL602)!
Anyone can participate in this Nutcracker campaign but we only have a limited amount (approx 1000 pcs) of EVBs available, so if many people choose to take part then we’ll have to prioritise the kits based on a common-sense first-come-first-served basis. Let’s do this!
22 responses to “Nutcracker Challenge: Blob-Free WiFi & BLE”
I wish I were more of a coder. I’m more of a system engineer sort of person. Could write an install script I guess, but that won’t really deblob anything. Still, looking forward to seeing some progress on this and trying it after this community succeeds!
Should we just be contributing to the upstream project?
It’s not super clear to me what is is… but does anyone know where to find hal_boot2.h or bl_*.h bits?
customer_app/bl602_boot2 and mini are the only ones I’ve been able to build..
You can contribute to both but contributions to the Pine64 repo is the one that is monitored for this challenge.
Im not a Coder but could i still ask for one module to create open source PCBs adapter Boards with it ?
There are vendors on AliExpress that would eagerly sell one to you.
What am I missing?
Is not Atheros AR9271 already available for wifi and CSR8510 for bluetooth?
I found both mentioned on the site of a hardware vendor certified by the Free Software Foundation.
The two aren’t intended for low-power applications, cheap or in a single package. The IoT segment desperately needs an open platform which the BL602 would be suitable for.
Probably size, cost, power savings, and BT 5.0. Try cramming a AR9271 and a CSR8510 onto one board the size of a of a typical esp8266.
I’m now past step 3. For step 4, when will it be shipped? Depending on the date, I would like to enter one or another shipping address.
I think you’re better off asking it directly from Pine64.
Great iniative. Hope we will have blob-free WiFi very soon 🙂
Ciekawi mnie szczególnie to zmniejszanie i zwiekszanie taktowania procesora (do 1Hz)
to może w przyszłości być całkiem ciekawe, bo może udało by się przenieść rozkodowywanie szyfrowania na procesor główny lub odwrotnie, przenieść do hardware to co jest robione programowo.
niestety nadal wydajność energetyczna risc-v jest na bardzo niskim poziomie. to nawet nie jest intel. to po prostu strasznie prądożerna maszyna. Ale trzymam kciuki za hakerów, którzy zrobią z tego coś konkretnego.
A projektanci w końcu dodadza do PineCom, wejscie na zewnetrzną antenę, modemdzwiękowy by dało się podpinac zwykłe baofengi i dowolne inne maszyny np. cbradio czy alany) i dodacie panel słoneczny i porządne zarządzanie zasilaniem by dało się używac 12V, 5V, 1.2V z baterii , lipo itp. bo co nam z komunikatora mesh jak nie ma pradu bo akurat w kiosku nie ma baterii, ale mamy gniazdko 12v w samochodzie albo akumulator od wiatraka
Nutcracker Challenge
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skoro nie działa polski sklep to może dajcie sprzet do botlandu? czy innych?
nawet niech partia kilkunastu sztuk to juz rozrusza rynek.
to ździerstwo płacić 63 procent za przesyłke.
I’ll be of no use in this challenge, however I would be willing to donate towards a bounty to whoever successfully de-blobs the wee-fee.
great idea!
For people who want more info about this board, see: https://www.cnx-software.com/2020/10/24/bl602-bl604-risc-v-wifi-bluetooth-5-0-le-soc-will-sell-at-esp8266-price-point/
Is there anywhere some kind of progress/development log available? Maybe kind of like the sunxi mainlining matrix? Would be great to keep track of what’s happening.
Just make it a prerequisite to keep this up to date as a part of every ones pull request, so it shouldn’t diverge from the repo 🙂
All in all great idea, wishing this would also happen for the pune time SOC and other similar pieces of silicon.
I’d second AnotherMouse’s motion. A dev log would bei very interesting to know whats done whats still up. I possibly will join the Telegramm channel yet a digested form would bei preferable.
As for the challenge i have to pass: my knowledge of risc-v assembly is nonexistant.
Hi All: I did some quick research on BL602, here are my findings…
https://lupyuen.github.io/articles/pinecone
I think the Beken 7231s wifi chip is using the same WiFi IP core (CEVA RivieraWaves). The following link is a list of all the MAC hardware registers:
https://code.aliyun.com/MXCHIP_FAE/feiyan_sdk_for_alios/blob/a6b7c85e0dd528df67d525d7dc667854d417d31c/platform/mcu/bk7231s/beken/driver/common/reg/reg_mac_pl.h
Also some of the other files in the reg/ directory might be relevant to the Bouffalo chip.
I just received a MagicHome WiFi LED controller from AliExpress, assuming it would be a ESP8266 so I could flash it with Tasmota.
I received a BL602L20 though, great to see this Nutcracker initiative. Would be awesome if we could ever flash Tasmota or ESPHome to it.
I’m not much of a hardware guy, but if there’s any way I can contribute to this (dumping firmware of my unit, pictures?) I would be more than happy to assist!