High level overview of the nerves-project to the ErlangDC users group

1. nerves-project
Erlang-OTP on the BeagleBone
ErlangDC Lightning Talk - 22 Feb 2012

2. What is the nerves-project?
• Production-quality environment and libraries
for building Erlang-based embedded devices
• Demonstration that Erlang and OTP are a
viable alternative to traditional C/C++
embedded development
• Excuse to hack random hardware devices and
in Erlang
• THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
2 nerves-project.org

3. Quick aside: Embedded System
• Computer system designed for a specific purpose
• Common characteristics
– Real-time components
– Task-specific I/O and hardware acceleration
– CPU, DRAM, or disk resource limited
• Nerves-project focus
– Systems fast enough to run embedded Linux
– Generally 200 MHz, 64 MB DRAM, 64 MB storage
– Sub $30 BOM for processor complex
3 nerves-project.org

4. Why Erlang?
• Message-based architecture
good match for embedded
development
• Very mature ideas on
robustness
• Ready to take advantage of
growing number of multi-
core embedded processors
• Still has support for bit
manipulations
• Process-scoped garbage
collector
4 nerves-project.org

5. What’s not Erlang
• Goal is to use Erlang in the places that count
• Components that probably won’t be Erlang
– Device drivers
– UI
– Linux system initialization and utilities
• But, Nerves will provide easy-to-use interfaces
to many of these components
5 nerves-project.org

6. The BeagleBone is Getting Nerves
• Inexpensive ARM
Cortex A8 platform
• 720 MHz ARM
• 256 MB DRAM
• Lots of peripheral
interfaces
• Large hobbyist
community
• “Easy” to integrate into
real products
6 nerves-project.org

7. What Can It Connect To?
• Everything*
– Some assembly required
• Interfaces: GPIO, PWM, ADC, I2C, SPI, USB,
Ethernet, CAN, MMC, UART, McASP, etc.
• Possibilities
– LEDs, buttons, light sensors, humidity, temperature
– Heart rate monitors, accelerometers, gyros,
compasses, NFC
– GPS, GPRS, Bluetooth, automobile
– Motors, servos, 1D and 2D image sensors
7 nerves-project.org

8. Software Components
Linux Kernel Cross-
compiler
Init scripts,
utilities
Erlang R15B Buildroot
3rd party
Erlang tools
and apps
Your Erlang Your Device’s
Apps Configuration
8 nerves-project.org

9. Getting Started
• Go to http://nerves-project.org
• Download the microSD card image
• Copy the image to a microSD card
• Insert the card into a BeagleBone and boot
9 nerves-project.org

10. Going Forward
• Solidify code for the simple interface support
• Build apps that use nerves!
– Any project that you could build with an Arduino
– Low power Erlang nodes
– Demo ideas to really show off Erlang’s advantages
in concrete ways
• A laundry list of other items based on our
interests
10 Troodon Software LLC Proprietary & Confidential

11. Final Thoughts
• The world is filled with embedded devices
• Erlang is a good match for many embedded
development needs
• Lots of opportunities to move Erlang forward
• People will use code from the nerves-project
– The Buildroot infrastructure already useful
– Contacted by people around the world asking
about it – Especially interested in HiPE support
11 nerves-project.org