Quick Start

This tutorial is designed to help you quickly get started with the Cubie A7A product.

Product Overview

Cubie A7A Front View

Cubie A7A Rear View

Prerequisites

Hardware Requirements

Prepare the following hardware components in advance: Choose one of the optional hardware components

• Mainboard: Radxa Cubie A7A
• Boot media: microSD card
• Power adapter: 5V Type-C power adapter
• USB-to-TTL serial cable (optional): For serial debugging and system login
• HDMI cable and monitor (optional): For display output and GUI operation

The Cubie A7A supports 5V power input with PD protocol, and we recommend using a power adapter with at least 3A current to ensure stable operation of all peripherals.

tip

Recommended Accessories:

• Radxa UFS Module
• Radxa eMMC Module
• Radxa eMMC/UFS Combo Module Reader
• Radxa PD 30W Power Adapter (Recommended)
• Radxa heatsink for Cubie A7A

warning

Because the board's passive cooling is limited, the SoC may overheat and cause system instability under prolonged or heavy workloads. We recommend installing an appropriate heatsink to improve cooling and maintain stable operation.

System Installation

You can install the system by following the tutorials below, based on your boot media and available hardware:

• Install System to microSD Card

Installing System to Other Boot Media

Currently supports booting from microSD card, eMMC module and UFS module.

NVMe SSD: Currently recognized and can be used as expanded storage, but cannot be used as boot media.

• Install System to eMMC Module
• Install System to UFS Module
• Install System to NVMe SSD

Booting the System

tip

If multiple boot media are installed in Cubie A7A, the system boot priority is: microSD Card > NVMe SSD > UFS Module > eMMC Module

After completing the system installation, install the corresponding boot media (such as microSD card / eMMC module / UFS module / NVMe SSD) to the corresponding interface of Cubie A7A.

microSD Card

Insert the microSD card into the microSD card slot of Cubie A7A.

eMMC Module

Install the eMMC module to the eMMC and UFS module dual interface of Cubie A7A.

UFS Module

Install the UFS module to the eMMC and UFS module dual interface of Cubie A7A.

NVMe SSD

Install the PCIe to M.2 M Key HAT expansion board to Cubie A7A, then install the NVMe SSD to the M.2 M Key interface of the PCIe to M.2 M Key HAT expansion board.

After installing the system boot media, power on the Cubie A7A using a 5V Type-C power adapter to start the system.

When the system boots normally, the power LED will light up green and the status LED will blink blue.

System Information

When using our provided system image for the first time, you'll need to log in with the default username and password we've set.

Username: radxa

Password: radxa

System Login

This section mainly introduces how to log in to the Cubie A7A system using a USB-to-TTL serial cable. For serial login, you can refer to the Serial Debugging tutorial.

tip

Using Cubie A7A with a display offers a more intuitive and simpler operation, so it won't be covered here!

Using the System

With Display Mode

With Display Mode means using Cubie A7A with a monitor, which provides a more intuitive and simpler operation experience!

Headless Mode

Headless Mode means using Cubie A7A without a display, operating the system through serial console or SSH login!

For users in headless mode, we provide the following suggestions to help you get familiar with the system quickly!

Network Configuration

You can directly connect an Ethernet cable to Cubie A7A to ensure network connectivity.

Serial Login

You can follow the Serial Debugging tutorial to log in via serial console, obtain the IP address assigned to Cubie A7A by your router, and then log in to the system remotely via SSH.

Note: If you can directly access your router's admin interface to check the IP address assigned to Cubie A7A, you can skip the serial login step and proceed directly to SSH remote login using the assigned IP address.

SSH Remote Access

You can follow the SSH Remote Access tutorial to complete the SSH remote login to Cubie A7A's command-line interface.

VNC Remote Access

You can follow the VNC Remote Access tutorial to complete the VNC remote login to Cubie A7A's graphical interface.

Troubleshooting

HDMI Stack Overflow Issue

Some users may encounter HDMI stack overflow errors, causing the system to fail to boot properly or display abnormalities. If you encounter the following error message:

Unhandled Exception in EL3.
x30            = 0x00000000480002b0
x0             = 0x0000000048020a70
x1             = 0x00000000004404ff

You can try the following solutions:

1. Use a higher capacity SD card: Some SD cards may have compatibility issues with the system. We recommend using a high-speed SD card with 32GB or larger capacity.

2. Headless mode for first boot: After flashing the system for the first time, do not connect the HDMI monitor. Let the system complete the initial boot and initialization first. Connect the HDMI monitor only after the system has fully booted.

3. Check power supply: Ensure you're using a 5V/3A or higher specification Type-C power adapter. Insufficient power supply may cause HDMI-related circuits to malfunction.

4. Update system image: Use the latest version of the system image. Older versions may contain known HDMI compatibility issues.

If the above methods still don't resolve the issue, we recommend logging in to the system via Serial Debugging to obtain more debugging information, or contact technical support.