Preparations

Hardware Preparation

Make sure you have prepared the following hardware items:

  • VisionFive 2
  • Micro SD card (32 GB or more)
  • USB card reader for your host PC
  • PC with Linux/Windows/Mac OS
  • Power adapter
  • USB Type-C Cable
  • For desktop environment usage:
    • Keyboard and mouse
    • Monitor or TV
    • HDMI cable

  • Additionally, here are some optional components which you may also need:

    • Ethernet LAN cable or a compatible WiFi dongle (ESWIN6600U or AIC8800 module is enabled by default)
    • USB to UART Serial converter module
      Tip: This is used for system recovery via UART boot mode.

Connect a Fan to VisionFive 2

For further cooling, you can connect a 2-pin 5 V fan to VisionFive 2 as follows:

Figure 1. Connecting a Fan to VisionFive 2

Determine Boot Mode

VisionFive 2 provides pins to determine the boot mode before it is powered up. The following table lists the available boot modes.

Table 1. Boot Mode Settings
Index Boot Mode RGPIO_1 RGPIO_0
1 1-bit QSPI Nor Flash 0 (L) 0 (L)
2 SDIO3.0 0 (L) 1(H)
3 eMMC 1 (H) 0 (L)
4 UART 1 (H) 1 (H)

StarFive recommends that you use 1-bit QSPI Nor Flash mode as there is a low possibility that the VisionFive 2 may fail to boot in eMMC or SDIO3.0 boot mode. Try restarting the VisionFive 2 if it fails to boot in eMMC or SDIO3.0 boot mode.

The following figures display the location and the pin definitions of the boot mode settings.

Figure 2. Boot Mode Setting Location
Figure 3. Boot Mode Settings
Note: The silk prints may vary with different versions of boards.