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Running Programs on rosco_m68k

Video Guide: You can watch the step-by-step video guide for this tutorial here: How to Run Software on Rosco m68k.

This section covers how to run your compiled programs on the rosco_m68k board. There are two main ways to do this: using an SD card or uploading directly from your computer via a serial (UART) connection. We will cover the setup for both Ubuntu and Windows.

Method 1: Running from an SD Card

This is the easiest way to run programs without needing a constant connection to your computer.

Important: Cards larger than 32 GB are typically formatted as exFAT by default. You must reformat them as FAT32 before use. On Windows, the built-in formatter may not offer FAT32 for cards over 32 GB — use a third-party tool such as Rufus or guiformat.

SD Card Requirements

  • Capacity: Maximum supported capacity is 32 GB. Larger cards may not work correctly.
  • File System: The card must be formatted as FAT32.

Quick Start: Pre-packaged Archive

For a fast way to get started and test your board, you can download a pre-packaged archive that already includes the SD FAT Menu and several default example programs.

  1. Format your SD card to FAT32.
  2. Download the archive: ros_sd_card.zip
  3. Extract the contents of the archive directly to the root of your SD card.
  4. Insert the card into your rosco_m68k, power it on, and you will immediately see the program launcher menu over UART!

How to Run a Custom Program

When the rosco_m68k boots, the bootloader looks for a specific file in the root of the SD card called ROSCODE1.bin.

  1. Take your compiled program (e.g., my_program.bin).
  2. Copy it to the root of your FAT32 formatted SD card.
  3. Rename the file to ROSCODE1.bin.
  4. Insert the card into the board, power it on, and the program will start automatically.

Pro Tip (Program Launcher): Instead of swapping and renaming files constantly, you can use the SD FAT Menu program. You can get it in two ways:

  • Pre-built binary (Fastest): Download rosco_fat_menu.bin, copy it to your SD card, and rename it to ROSCODE1.bin.
  • Build from source: If you prefer to compile it yourself, the source code is available on GitHub.

Once the menu is saved as ROSCODE1.bin, simply throw all your other compiled .bin files next to it on the root of the SD card. When you boot, you'll get a convenient UART menu where you can simply pick which program to launch!

Method 2: Connection and Upload via UART (Ubuntu)

For rapid development, uploading programs directly over a USB-to-UART cable is much faster.

Finding Your Device Port

Plug in your UART adapter and run the following command in your terminal:

ls /dev/ttyUSB*

In most cases, your device will be assigned to /dev/ttyUSB0.

Basic Connection (Using screen)

If you only need to view the output from the board and don't need to transfer files, screen is the quickest tool. The board operates at a baud rate of 38400.

sudo apt install screen
sudo screen /dev/ttyUSB0 38400

File Transfer and Connection (Using Kermit)

To view the console and upload programs, you should use Kermit.

  1. Installation:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install ckermit
  1. Configuration: To avoid typing the connection settings every time, create a configuration file:
nano ~/.kermrc

Paste the following settings (adjust the port if yours is different):

set line /dev/ttyUSB0
set speed 38400

set parity none
set flow-control none

set streaming off
set carrier-watch off

robus
  1. Launching and Connecting: Run Kermit by simply typing:
kermit your_config_file.kermrc

Type connect and press the Reset button on your rosco_m68k. You should now see the board's output.

  1. Uploading a Program: When you are in the board's terminal and want to send a file:
    • Escape back to the Kermit prompt by pressing Ctrl+\ and then Ctrl+C.
    • Type the send command: send /path/to/your/program.bin
    • Once the transfer is complete, type connect again to jump back into the terminal session and see your program run.

Method 3: Connection and Upload via UART (Windows)

The process on Windows is very similar. First, open Device Manager and expand the COM Ports section to find your adapter's COM port (e.g., COM3).

Basic Connection (Using PuTTY)

If you just want to see the serial output:

  1. Download and open PuTTY.
  2. Select Serial as the connection type.
  3. Enter your COM port (e.g., COM3).
  4. Set the Speed (baud rate) to 38400.
  5. Click Open.

File Transfer and Connection (Using Kermit 95)

To transfer programs on Windows, you can use the Windows client for Kermit.

  1. Setup:

    • Go to the GitHub repository releases and download the Kermit 95 archive.
    • Extract the archive to a convenient location (like your Desktop).
    • Inside the extracted folder, find and run K95G.exe.

  2. Connecting: In the Kermit 95 console, enter your settings one by one:

set line YOUR_COM_PORT
set speed 38400

set parity none
set flow-control none

set streaming off
set carrier-watch off

robus

Type connect and press the Reset button on your rosco_m68k. You should now see the board's output.

  1. Uploading a Program:
    • Click the two blue arrows icon on the top toolbar to switch back to the Kermit console.
    • Type the send command: send C:\path\to\your\program.bin
    • After the transfer finishes, click the blue arrows icon again to switch back to the terminal session and interact with your program.