Quick start guide for RZ/V2H RDK

This quick start guide focuses on booting the board using a microSD card, which is the most straightforward method.

Other advanced boot methods, such as xSPI flash, are also supported.

The TFTP + NFS boot method is supported as well but is not covered in detail here.

Preparing the microSD card

To boot the RZ/V2H RDK using a microSD card, you must first flash a bootable Linux image onto it.

There are two options for flashing the image:

  • Option 1: Flash using bmaptool (Ubuntu) - A faster command-line tool for flashing images using block map files.

  • Option 2: Flash using Balena Etcher - A user-friendly GUI tool that supports multiple platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux).

Requirements

  • A host machine for flashing the image:

    • Ubuntu with bmaptool, or

    • Windows, macOS, or Linux with Balena Etcher

  • microSD card: 16 GB or larger. For best performance and compatibility, we recommend using the included 64 GB SanDisk microSD card.

  • Provided bootable files:

Download WS125-V2HRDKREFZ Robotic Development Kit Software from the Renesas website to your local machine using this link:

Renesas Official RZ/V2H RDK Website

In the *.zip file, you can find the following files under the board_setup folder:

File name

Description

board_image/

Board image files

  • ubuntu-24.04-server-arm64-rzv2h-rdk.img.xz: Ubuntu 24.04 Server SD card image file containing:

    • Bootloader

    • Linux kernel image

    • Linux device tree file

    • Ubuntu 24.04 root filesystem

    • Default credentials:

      • Username: ubuntu

      • Password: ubuntu

  • ubuntu-24.04-server-arm64-rzv2h-rdk.bmap: Block map file for fast flashing with bmaptool

xSPI/

Files for booting the RZ/V2H RDK from xSPI

  • Flash_Writer_SCIF_RZV2H_DEV_INTERNAL_MEMORY.mot: Bootloader file

  • bl2_bp_spi-rzv2h-rdk.srec: Bootloader file

  • fip-rzv2h-rdk.srec: Bootloader file

Option 1: Flash using bmaptool (Ubuntu)

bmaptool is a faster command-line tool for flashing images to microSD cards using block map files (bmap). It provides quicker flashing compared to traditional methods by skipping empty blocks and verifying data integrity automatically.

  1. Install bmaptool

    On Ubuntu:

    sudo apt-get install bmap-tools

  2. Flashing the Image

    1. Insert your microSD card into your machine.

    2. Identify the microSD card device name:

      lsblk

      Look for your microSD card (e.g., /dev/sdb). Make sure to identify it correctly.

      Warning

      Please confirm the microSD card device name carefully. Double-check to avoid overwriting your main disk.

    3. Unmount any auto-mounted partitions on the microSD card:

      sudo umount /dev/sdX*

    4. Flash the image directly (no need to extract):

      sudo bmaptool copy ubuntu-24.04-server-arm64-rzv2h-rdk.img.xz /dev/sdX

      Replace /dev/sdX with your actual microSD card device (e.g., /dev/sdb, not /dev/sdb1).

      Note

      Please ensure that the .bmap file is in the same directory as the image file. bmaptool automatically detects the .bmap file with the same base name.

      You can also specify it explicitly:

      sudo bmaptool copy --bmap ubuntu-24.04-server-arm64-rzv2h-rdk.bmap \
  ubuntu-24.04-server-arm64-rzv2h-rdk.img.xz /dev/sdX

    5. Wait for the process to complete. bmaptool will display progress and verify the image after flashing.

    6. Before removing the microSD card, run:

      sync

Option 2: Flash using Balena Etcher

Balena Etcher is a user-friendly GUI tool to flash OS images to microSD cards and USB drives. It provides a simple and safe method.

It supports many OS platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

  1. Install Balena Etcher

    Download and install the software from the Balena Etcher Official Website.

  2. Flashing the Image

    • Once Etcher is open:

      Balena Etcher Application

      Balena Etcher Application

    • Select Image: Click Flash from file and choose your image file (e.g., ubuntu-24.04-server-arm64-rzv2h-rdk.img.xz)

    • Select Target: Insert your microSD card into the host machine and choose the correct device.

      Note

      Please confirm the microSD card device name carefully. Double-check to avoid overwriting your main disk.

    • Flashing: Click Flash to begin. Etcher will:

      • Write the image

      • Validate the image

      • Automatically unmount the microSD card

    • Finish: Remove the microSD card safely after Etcher reports successful completion.

Boot Mode Configuration (DIP Switch)

Before powering up the RZ/V2H RDK, make sure the board’s boot mode is configured correctly using the DIP switches.

DIP Switch Configuration

Switch No.

RZ/V2H Pin

Function

1

BOOTSELCPU

Select the cold boot CPU

OFF: CM33, ON: CA55 (default)

2

BOOTPLLCA1

Input the CA55 frequency at the CA55 cold boot

BOOTPLLCA[1:0]

3

BOOTPLLCA0

  • = [OFF:OFF]: 1.6 GHz

  • = [OFF:ON]: 1.7 GHz (default)

  • = [ON:OFF]: 1.1 GHz

  • = [ON:ON]: 1.5 GHz

4

MD_BOOT1

Input the boot mode select signal

MD_BOOT[1:0]

5

MD_BOOT0

  • = [OFF:OFF]: xSPI

  • = [OFF:ON]: SCIF

  • = [ON:OFF]: SD (default)

  • = [ON:ON]: eMMC (not supported) on RZ/V2H RDK

6

MD_BOOT3

Select JTAG debug mode

OFF: Normal mode (default), ON: Debug mode

Attention

Always power off the board before changing boot switches.

Boot Mode Support

The board supports two boot options, including:

Boot Source

Description

DSW1 Setting

microSD card

Boot from microSD card

SD mode

xSPI

Boot from xSPI flash

xSPI mode

Tip

The serial port is powered by the board, not by the PC USB port.

To see early boot messages, briefly touch JTAG QRESN (PIN10) to GND to reset the board.

JTAG Reset Pin Example

JTAG Reset Pin Example

Note

Before proceeding, ensure that your machine has the necessary drivers and a terminal emulator (MobaXterm, Tera Term, etc.) installed.

The serial communication between the Windows PC and RZ/V2H RDK requires: FTDI Virtual COM Port (VCP) driver

Download and install the Windows version (.exe).

Important

The power supply for the RZ/V2H RDK should satisfy the maximum requirement of 24V / 5A.

The common DC power adapter specifications are:

  • DC power adapter 12V, 2A. (Included in the package)

  • DC power adapter 24V, 1A.

Common hardware setup

The following image shows the common hardware setup for both boot modes:

Common Hardware Setup

Common Hardware Setup

The setup includes:

  • Power supply connection

  • Serial connection for terminal access

  • Ethernet connection for network access

Option 1: microSD card boot mode

For microSD card boot mode, the required bootloaders components are already included in the flashed microSD card image.

On the RZ/V2H RDK, configure the DSW1 switches as shown below:

DSW1 microSD card Boot Mode

DSW1 microSD card Boot Mode

After that, insert the microSD card and connect the power supply to the board.

Open a terminal emulator (e.g., Tera Term) and connect to the COM port of the board.

The COM port settings are listed below:

Item

Value

Baud rate

115200

Data

8-bit

Parity

None

Stop

1-bit

Flow control

None

Transmit delay

0 msec/char

The board will start the boot process.

Tip

  • If no serial output is shown at all, try the JTAG reset tip.

  • If the U-Boot prompt appears but the system does not boot correctly, reset the U-Boot environment variables:

env default -a
saveenv
boot

If you intend to use microSD card boot mode only, proceed to first time boot setup to complete the setup.

Option 2: xSPI boot mode

Follow the instructions below to set up the board.

  1. Install Terminal Emulator

    Note

    If already installed, skip this step.

    • Terminal Emulator: Tera Term

    • Operating Environment: Windows

  2. Write Bootloaders to the Board

    Copy the bootloaders files to your Windows PC.

    File Name

    Description

    Flash_Writer_SCIF_RZV2H_DEV_INTERNAL_MEMORY.mot

    Flash writer for RZ/V2H (used in SCIF download mode)

    bl2_bp_spi-rzv2h-rdk.srec

    Boot loader stage 2 binary

    fip-rzv2h-rdk.srec

    Firmware Image Package for RZ/V2H

    • Connect the Windows PC and Board using a USB-to-microUSB cable.

    • Change the DSW1 setting to Boot Mode 3 (SCIF download).

      DSW1 SCIF Download Mode

      DSW1 SCIF Download Mode

    • Connect the power cable.

    • Open Tera Term and configure:

      Setup → Terminal:

      Item

      Value

      New-line

      Receive: Auto / Transmit: CR

      Setup → Serial Port:

      Item

      Value

      Baud rate

      115200

      Data

      8-bit

      Parity

      None

      Stop

      1-bit

      Flow control

      None

      Transmit delay

      0 msec/char

    • Open File → Send file… and send the Flash Writer file (.mot) as text.

      If the following message is displayed, the file transfer was successful:

      Flash writer for RZ/V2x Series Vx.xx xxx.xx,20xx
Product Code : RZ/V2x

    • Next, enter the XLS2 command in the terminal:

      > XLS2
===== Qspi writing of RZ/V2x Board Command =============
Load Program to Spiflash
Writes to any of SPI address.
Program size & Qspi Save Address
===== Please Input Program Top Address ============
Please Input : H'

    • Enter 8101e00. The log continues:

      Please Input : H'8101e00
===== Please Input Qspi Save Address ===
Please Input : H'

    • Enter 00000. The log continues:

      Please Input : H'00000
please send ! ('.' & CR stop load)

    • After the “please send!” message, open File → Send file… and send the bl2_bp_spi-rzv2*.srec file as text from the terminal software.

    • If prompted to clear data, enter y:

      SPI Data Clear(H'FF) Check : H'00000000-0000FFFF, Clear OK?(y/n)

    • The following log will be displayed. The end address depends on the version of IPL:

      Write to SPI Flash memory.
======= Qspi Save Information =================
SpiFlashMemory Stat Address : H'00000000
SpiFlashMemory End Address  : H'00036D17
===========================================================

    • Enter XLS2 on the terminal again to get the following messages:

      > XLS2
===== Qspi writing of RZ/V2x Board Command =============
Load Program to Spiflash
Writes to any of SPI address.
Program size & Qspi Save Address
===== Please Input Program Top Address ============
Please Input : H'

    • Enter 00000. The log continues:

      Please Input : H'00000
===== Please Input Qspi Save Address ===
Please Input : H'

    • Enter 60000. The log continues:

      Please Input : H'60000
please send ! ('.' & CR stop load)

    • After the “please send!” message, open File → Send file… and send the fip-rzv2*.srec file as text from the terminal software.

    • If prompted to clear data, enter y:

      SPI Data Clear(H'FF) Check : H'00000000-0000FFFF, Clear OK?(y/n)

    • The following log will be displayed. The end address depends on the version of IPL:

      Write to SPI Flash memory.
======= Qspi Save Information =================
SpiFlashMemory Stat Address : H'00060000
SpiFlashMemory End Address  : H'0011C2EE
===========================================================

    • Power off the board and change DSW1 to configure the boot mode.

  3. Set up xSPI U-Boot Configuration

    1. Insert the microSD card into the board.

    2. Change DSW1 to Boot Mode 2 (xSPI boot):

      DSW1 xSPI Boot

      DSW1 xSPI Boot Mode

    3. Connect the board to the PC using a USB-to-microUSB cable.

    4. Power on the board.

    5. Open the terminal emulator and connect to the COM port (same configuration as before).

    6. The board will boot.

Tip

  • If no serial output is shown at all, try the JTAG reset tip.

  • If the U-Boot prompt appears but the system does not boot correctly, reset the U-Boot environment variables:

env default -a
saveenv
boot

First Time Boot Setup

The default user credentials for the provided Ubuntu images are as follows:

Default Login Information

Image Type

Username

Password

Ubuntu 24.04 Server

ubuntu

ubuntu

After powering on the board for the first time, connect to the serial console and check the boot log to verify that Ubuntu boots successfully.

Connect an Ethernet cable to the board and run:

# Check network
ping 8.8.8.8 -c 3
ping bing.com -c 3

Note

The following error may occur during boot, causing no Internet connection even though the Ethernet cable is connected:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ dmesg | grep error
[   17.664297] dwc-eth-dwmac 15c30000.ethernet end0: __stmmac_open: Cannot attach to PHY (error: -110)

To resolve this issue, power off the board, unplug the Ethernet cable, power it on, wait until the system fully boots, then plug the Ethernet cable back in.

  1. Perform apt update and resize the microSD card:

    sudo apt update
sudo apt install parted
sudo parted /dev/mmcblk0 resizepart 2 100%
sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p2

    Note

    The above commands resize the second partition to utilize the full capacity of the microSD card.

    If you are using a different partition layout, please adjust the command accordingly (e.g., change the partition number).

  2. Install the ROS 2 Jazzy:

    Install ROS 2 Jazzy on the CA55 core (Ubuntu side). You can find and use the provided script here: apt_install_ros2.sh.

    Quick installation steps:

    wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/renesas-rdk/ros2_demo_workspace/refs/heads/main/common_utils/apt_install_ros2.sh
chmod +x apt_install_ros2.sh
sudo ./apt_install_ros2.sh

    For detailed installation instructions, refer to the official ROS 2 documentation: ROS 2 Jazzy Installation Guide.

  3. (Highly Recommended) Install the RZ/V2H OpenCV Accelerator optimized for Ubuntu 24.04 on the RZ/V2H RDK.

    wget -qO install_opencv_arm64.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/renesas-rdk/rzv2h_opencv_accelerated_debs/main/install_opencv_arm64.sh
sudo bash install_opencv_arm64.sh

    Note

    The installation process may report error about missing dependencies during the dpkg step. This is expected and will be resolved automatically by the script.

  4. (Optional) Add the ROS 2 environment setup to .bashrc:

    echo "source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash" >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

This completes the Quick Start Guide for RZ/V2H RDK.

Reference