Siemens IOT2050 ArdexaLinux Installation

NOTE: These procedures require an experienced IT practitioner. The procedures are complex and require a lot of prior knowledge in IT. If you want to complain about the complexity of these procedures, by all means, contact Siemens and let them know. Until your complaint gets resolved, you MUST do these procedures to the letter AND you must have a good general knowledge in IT.

WARNING: You MUST use an 8 or a 16 GB uSD card to load the image onto the IOT2050. Using higher capacity cards seems to prevent the image from being loaded onto the IOT2050.

References:

1. Manual - IOT2050 Setting up with Example Image.pdf

2. iot2050_operating_instructions_en_en-US.pdf

3. https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/document/109741799/downloads-for-simatic-iot20x0?dti=0&lc=en-WW

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Manual - IOT2050 Setting up with Example Image.pdf

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iot2050_operating_instructions_en_en-US.pdf

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Introduction

Ardexa has developed a specific Linux image that works on the SiemensIOT2050 device. See: https://new.siemens.com/global/en/products/automation/pc-based/iot-gateways/simatic-iot2050.html. This device requires a specific image, it will not work on any arm64 image.

Prerequisites

You will need the following equipment and software.

1. The ArdexaLinux IOT2050 image. No other image will work with this device. Contact Ardexa to get the image. The zip file will look something like: iot2050-arm64_ardexalinux11.4.2.img.zip

2. The Siemens IOT2050 Example Image. Get this from Ardexa. This is needed if something goes wrong. The zip file will look something like: IOT2050_Example_Image_V1.2.2.img.zip

3. A USB keyboard. A mouse is not required. Install the USB keyboard to one of the IOT2050 USB ports.

4. A 24VDC power supply, with a minimum supply current of 1.7Amps. The IOT2050 will use 12VDC, but We recommend a 24VDC supply. See page 46 of Reference 2 (above).

5. A 32GB (minimum) microSD card of good quality, an SD to micro SD adapter and an SD card connector to read/write from your laptop.

6. Download the Balena Etcher: https://www.balena.io/etcher/ application. This will copy the image to the SD card. You MUST use this application. You cannot just copy the image to the microSD card.

7. A UART cable something like: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9718. Connect this UART cable as per page 20 of Reference 1. Connect the other end (ie; the USB end) to your laptop.

8. Run Putty on Windows, or Minicom or Screen for Linux. Command for Linux screen is sudo screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200. For Putty, see Page 21 of Reference 1.

9. You will need a DisplayPort screen. Be careful with this. As per Page 7 of Reference 1, you must have DisplayPort screen or an active DP-HDMI converter. Connect the DisplayPort cable to the IOT2050 and power on the screen.

10. If using the 4G modem, make sure there is an antenna installed, and it is the correct type. The antenna MUST be able to be screwed all the way into the thread. If using the modem, the SIM card must be installed. It can only go one way; contactors face up, and notch in first. It is spring loaded. If it doesn't "click" into place, it is NOT installed. The IOT 2050 MUST be powered off completely and re-powered for the unit to recognise the SIM card.

Loading the ArdexaLinux image

This initial process is to check that an operating system IS NOT installed on the IOT2050. If one is already installed, ArdexaLinux will not load. Do the following to check that an operating system is not installed.

1. Remove any microSD cards.

2. Power on the IOT2050. If there is no image, it will now drop into the IOT command prompt that shows something like this. This will be shown on the serial console, not the DisplayPort screen.

Device 0: unknown device
Device 1: unknown device
Device 2: unknown device
IOT2050> 

If nothing is shown on the DisplayPort screen, this is good. If you do have an image already installed, it MUST be removed, as per the procedure detailed below Removing all operating systems. Once you have verified that there is no image installed, then you an load ArdexaLinux as follows:

1. Unzip the ArdexaLinux IOT2050 image. After unzipping, the filename should look like this: iot2050-arm64_ardexalinux11.4.2.img. You CANNOT use any other image except the ArdexaLinux image (or the Siemens Example image). Put another way; you cannot use a standard arm64 ISO image. This will not work.

2. Start balenaEtcher and insert and the microSD Card into your laptop

3. Use the Balena front end to a) Specify the file, then, b) Specify the storage (SD Card), then c) Select: Flash!

4. MAKE SURE it copies the image to the microSD with NO errors.

5. Turn off the IOT2050.

6. Insert the ArdexaLinux microSD card. It is spring loaded, and so the card can only go in one way. If unsure of the of the SIM and SD card locations, see Page 12 of Reference 1.

7. Make sure Putty/Minicom/Screen is still running as per the Prerequisites Item 8.

8. Turn on the IOT2050. Check that there is some output on the serial console screen. If not, something is not working.

9. You will see 4 x Penguins on the DisplayPort screen (that means the CPU has 4 cores) about 20 to 30 seconds after starting the machine. If you don't see these penguins, the DisplayPort screen you have attached is not turned on, is not working, or does not work with the Siemens IOT 2050. See Prerequisites Item 9.

10. The load procedure for the ArdexaLinux will take about 5 to 10 minutes or so. Do not touch the system during installation. Once installation is complete, it will then reboot automatically and show the following on both the DisplayPort and serial console:

Ardexa Linux 11.4.2
iot2050-ardexa login: 

1. Login using the DisplayPort screen and attached keyboard, using the ardexa userid.

2. Once you have confirmed you can login, power off the IOT2050 using the poweroff command. Remove the microSD card.

3. Re power the IOT2050.

4. Make sure the ArdexaLinux login reappears on the DisplayPort. Login and install the Ardexa agent.

5. For installation of the Ardexa agent, see this ​https://docs.ardexa.com/knowledge/configure/ardexa-agent/install#mount-the-usb-drive

Removing all operating systems

If an image is already installed, the IOT2050 must be booted with an example image to remove any operating system installed on the device. Use IOT2050_Example_Image_V1.2.2.img. It MUST be Version 1.2.1 or higher. See Prerequisites Item 2

1. Unzip the Example image. After unzipping, the filename should look like this: IOT2050_Example_Image_V1.2.2.img.

2. Start balenaEtcher and insert and the microSD Card into your laptop

3. Use the Balena front end to a) Specify the file, then b) Specify the storage (SD Card), then c) Select: Flash!

4. MAKE SURE it copies the image to the microSD with NO errors.

5. Turn off the IOT2050.

6. Insert the ArdexaLinux microSD card. It is spring loaded, and so the card can only go in one way. If unsure of the of the SIM and SD card locations, see Page 12 of Reference 1.

7. Make sure Putty/Minicom/Screen is still running as per the Prerequisites Item 8.

8. Whilst turning on the IOT2050, hold down the the USER button until STAT LED goes orange, then let go. See page 30 of Reference 1. This will boot image off SD card, not eMMC (which is the internal "disk" for the IOT2050).

9. Once booted, login using the userid/pass = root/root. It will ask you to change the password. Choose anything, since we will not use this image anymore after the next command.

10. Once you have logged in; clear the eMMC via the command: mkfs.ext4 /dev/mmcblk1 (select y to the deletion).

11. Once the eMMC is cleared, power off the IOT2050 using the poweroff command

12. Remove the SD Card

13. Power on the IOT2050. If there is no image, it will now drop into the command prompt on the serial console (Not the DisplayPort) that shows something like this....

Device 0: unknown device
Device 1: unknown device
Device 2: unknown device
IOT2050> 

If nothing is shown on the DisplayPort screen, this is good.