PC Engines APU2

Note: These are only available from the manufacturer. You can pick a version [here] that matches your specific needs.

Files

OpenWrt Stable 18.06.2 Image

OpenWrt Snapshot Image

Yggdrasil 0.3.5 Package

What you will need

• an APU2 board;
• an APU2 enclosure;
• an APU heat spreader;
• an APU power adapter;
• Phillips head screwdriver;
• a small adjustable wrench, hex wrench of the appropriate size or possibly a tweezer to remove and reattach the DB9 port hex nuts.

Instructions

The APU should be well supported since it has an x86 CPU. The installation process should be similar to the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B-focused Node Setup instructions.

Securing the APU2 board to its enclosure

Follow the PC Engine instructions for placing the heat speader to the bottom of the enclosure:

See: https://pcengines.ch/pic/apufix1a2.jpg [1]

Follow steps 1 and 4 of the PC Engines instructions to attach the board to the enclosure, specifically:

1. Remove the DB9 port's two hex nuts;
2. Place the board on the bottom part of the enclosure such that the ports fit into the port cut outs:

See: https://pcengines.ch/pic/apucool4.jpg [2]

1. Attach the four truss head screws (they look like they have little hats) to the bottom of the enclosure to secure the four corners of the board;
2. Reattach the DB9 port's two hex nuts;
3. Attach the three black rubber plugs to the three circular holes on the back side of the enclosure. There is one on each side and one on the middle.

Write the image to the SD Card

You will need to write your SD card with the x86 image and then boot it.

Secure the enclosure

Before securing the enclosure, be sure to:

1. Push the included circular battery into place;
2. Place the SD card into the SD slot.

To secure the enclosure:

1. Place the bottom part of the enclosure on a table with the port side of the enclosure on the right side and the open front side on the left;
2. The top part of the enclosure is open on one side. We will call that side the back and its opposite side the front;
3. Place the top part over the bottom part such that the back is half way over the board;
4. Slide the top part to the right so the front secures to the front of the bottom part and the back of the top slides over the bottom back;
5. Secure the top part to the bottom part by screwing in the four tiny flat head screws;

Assembly

To assemble your mesh node, please follow this PDF guide. It can be downloaded for your convenience.

File:New Node Install Guide.pdf

Replace the Connect The Mesh Node To Power section with these instructions:

1. Attach the power adapter wire to the power port next to the USB ports;
2. Plug the power adapter into an electrical socket;
3. The single light on the middle-ish of the front should turn on.

First time setup

Follow the instructions in the First Time Setup Guide.