S001 Flash OS EN

I. OS and driver downloads

Before use, please download and install the core board driver (Windows version), Raspberry Pi image Imager (Windows version), and the OS to be flashed:

Raspberry Pi OS download link:

https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/operating-systems

Ubuntu OS download link:

https://ubuntu.com/download/raspberry-pi

Raspberry Pi image Imager download link:

https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/

balenaEtcher download link:

https://etcher.balena.io/#download-etcher

Drivers for the Raspberry Pi CM4/5 core board are available on both the Raspberry Pi's website and our company's website. Download link is provided below:

http://www.mcuzone.com/wiki/5001_CM5_WiFi7-PoE/rpiboot_setup.exe

II. Flash the OS to eMMC

Flashing the OS to eMMC is applicable to CM4/CM5 core boards with eMMC. In this case, the onboard TF card cannot be used.

2.1 Flash using Raspberry Pi Imager

First, install the core board driver on the PC. After the installation is complete, use jumper caps to short the BOOT jumper and the OTG jumper on the extension board (some extension boards do not have an OTG jumper, which can be ignored). The following diagram demonstrates the CM5 WiFi-PoE expansion board (hardware components may vary, so perform jumpers according to the actual setup). Then, connect the programming port (USB-C or USB-A) of the expansion board to the computer using a data cable.

Open the Device Manager of the computer, and you can see a USB device named "BCM2712D0 Boot", which identifies the Raspberry Pi CM5:

For a Raspberry Pi CM4, the device name is 'BCM2711 Boot':

In the PC's Start menu under All Programs > Raspberry Pi, there is "rpiboot-CM4-CM5 - Mass Storage Gadget".

Launch this software, and the computer will assign drive letters to the eMMC partitions, making them visible in Windows:

Wait a moment, a partition will appear in the file explorer (in this example, the partition is named bootfs, but the actual name may vary).

Next, we can use Raspberry Pi Imager to flash the system.

Open Raspberry Pi Imager:


Raspberry Pi Device	Choose Raspberry Pi 4/5 and download the OS based on your needs.
Operating System	Choose Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) to download and flash the OS image from Raspberry Pi's official site (internet required).
Operating System	Choose "Use Custom" to manually pick a pre-downloaded OS image from your hard drive (offline).
Storage	Choose the partition that just appeared.

For Ubuntu OS, when asked to "Operating System", choose "Use Custom" and then select the pre-downloaded image.

Then press "NEXT". It is recommended to click "EDIT SETTINGS" to preset some parameters in Raspberry Pi Imager, so you won't need to configure them again when the OS starts, making it more convenient to use.

Press "YES" to use the preset settings, or press "NO" if you don't need them, then proceed to the next page.

Press "YES" to start flashing and verifying integrity.

After the flashing is completed, remove all the jumper caps, power on again, and the OS will boot up.

2.2 Flash using balenaEtcher

Install the core board driver, connect the hardware, power on, and open balenaEtcher.

Flash from file	Choose a pre-downloaded Raspberry Pi OS or Ubuntu OS image.
Select target	Choose the partition that just appeared.

Then press "Flash!" to start the flashing process, and wait for it to complete.

After the flashing is completed, remove all the jumper caps, power on again, and the OS will boot up.

III. Flash the OS to TF card and SSD

3.1 Flash the OS to TF card

TF card flashing is applicable to the Raspberry Pi Zero series, Raspberry Pi 3B, 4B, 5, and CM4/CM5 core boards without eMMC.

The steps for flashing an OS image to a TF card are basically the same as for eMMC. Insert the TF card into the computer via a USB card reader, then use flashing software to write the OS to the partition on the TF card. For CM4/CM5 expansion boards, ensure that no jumper cap is connected to the BOOT or OTG jumpers on the board before powering on the OS.

3.2 Flash the OS to SSD

Suitable for Raspberry Pi 5/CM5 core boards without eMMC. If an onboard SSD interface is available, the OS can be booted from the SSD. Also compatible with SSD expansion boards for CM4 core boards without eMMC (requires native SSD, SSD extended via a switch are not supported).

The steps for the SSD are the same as for the eMMC, but expansion board is not required. Use a USB hard drive enclosure to connect the SSD to the computer for flashing. After the flashing is complete, insert the SSD into the expansion board. Once powered on, the system will boot (it is recommended not to insert a TF card at this time).

About the boot order:

The firmware for the Raspberry Pi CM4 released after 2024 supports booting the OS from an SSD. To check the firmware version, please execute the following command in terminal:

vcgencmd bootloader_version

If the OS cannot boot from the SSD, please follow the steps below to perform a firmware upgrade:

To boot Raspberry Pi OS from the TF card, enter sudo rpi-update in terminal to update the latest firmware and kernel.

Note: Executing sudo rpi-update may take between 3 to 10 minutes.

If you need to customize the boot order, please open the terminal, enter sudo rpi-eeprom-config --edit, and locate the line with BOOT_ORDER:

Follow the boot sequence instructions below to make the changes.

The BOOT_ORDER=0xf25641 shown in the diagram indicates the boot order as SD (TF) card, USB-MSD, NVMe (SSD), BCM-USB-MSD, and network card. You can set the boot sequence according to your own needs.

And add NVME_CONTROLLER=1 in the last line.

Then save, exit, and reboot.

Note 1: The Raspberry Pi CM4 only supports NVME SSDs, not SATA SSDs or NGFF SSDs.

Note 2: The boot device with the highest priority has the last number, meaning the higher the number, the higher the priority.

Note 3: This file is edited and saved in the EEPROM of the CM4 core board. Therefore, if you only replace the OS without changing the CM4 core board, there is no need to edit it again.

IV. Important Notes

4.1 RPi Zero series

▶If the OS gets stuck at the Raspberry Pi logo and cannot boot:

▶If the keyboard, mouse, and 4G module are all unusable after startup.

There are three solutions:

1. Please carefully observe whether the thimble is aligned with the gold-plated contacts, and clean the contacts on the reverse side of the Zero.

2. Check and ensure that Zero's own micro USB port is not connected to any external USB devices (including USB cables).

3. If none of the above methods work, check the USB initialization script in the config.txt file at the root of the TF card's system partition (via PC).

Please check if the two red boxed areas in the image below are fully configured. If not, manually add the missing parts and save the file.

# otg_mode=1(Suggested to comment this out)

dtoverlay=dwc2,dr_mode=host(Must be added)

4.2 RPi CM4 series

4.2.1 Raspberry Pi OS

After the OS boots, if it freezes or the keyboard/mouse cannot be used, please open the config.txt file in the root directory of the TF card system partition on your PC and check the USB initialization script. If flashed to the eMMC, after completing the flash process, use the rpiboot tool again to display the system partition. Then, open the config.txt file in the root directory of the system partition to verify the USB initialization script.

Then modify the sections marked by the two red boxes below:

4.2.2 Ubuntu OS

After the OS boots, if the keyboard and mouse cannot be used, please open the config.txt in the root directory of the system partition and check the USB initialization script.

Please check if the red boxed area in the image below are fully configured. If not, manually add the missing parts and save the file.

You can also delete the line in the red box and save the file:

Note: The desktop version of the Ubuntu system has relatively high hardware requirements. If the core board has only 1GB of memory, it may run very slowly or even crash during operation. It is recommended to use a core board with 2GB or more of memory for installation and use.

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