Kobo Aura

Note that in this file, Kobo Aura refers to the original Kobo Aura, model N514, rather than the newer Kobo Aura variants.

See also

• Booting a Kobo Aura from SD
• Kobo Aura uboot

Hardware details

• model N514, board E606F0B (hwconfig: 35)
• i.MX507 (MCIMX507CVM1B)
• ED060XH3 panel
• eMMC
• TI PMIC for eInk (TPS65185)
• MSP430 embedded controller (MSP430G2333)
• CyberTan WC121 SDIO Wifi (BCM43362)
• ELAN eKTF2132 touch controller
• external µSD slot
• frontlight

Software

Vendor kernel: linux-2.6.35.3.bz2 (git)

TODO list

Multiple E-Book reader vendors (Kobo, Tolino) buy their hardware design and kernel from a common source: Netronix.

hwconfig

The kernel from Netronix supports multiple devices at runtime, but not through devicetree. Instead they use their own scheme based on a struct of parameters in a GPT partition.

see ntx_hwconfig.h

• decoder script that can display all known hwconfig values given an MMC dump.

MSP430 embedded controller / PMIC

• version info at reg 0
• #define NEWMSP (msp_id == 0xe916)
• the powerkeep feature
• MFD/regmap interface
• poweroff/reboot
• PWM/frontlight
• interrupts
• RTC
• watchdog(?)
• battery handling logic

GPIOs

• charger status (see ntx_charge_status)
• TLE4913 hall sensor
• status LEDs (ON, ACT does not work)
• Try driving the ON LED with PWM
• power key
• bypassed KPP

Keypad Port (KPP)

Since there's only one button on the keypad matrix, it can be used directly, in GPIO mode.

• Keypad DT node fsl,imx21-kpp. (u-boot pad configuration)
• Buttons (this table)

MMC

• IOMUX setup (uboot, kernel: SD/eMMC/Wifi)
• general settings like maximum clock frequency and bus width
• card detect pin
• i.MX50 'PER' clock problem (patch)
• eMMC power management (doesn't seem to work)
• Wifi power/reset
• Wifi interrupt (doesn't seem to work)

E Ink support

In the Kobo Aura, the E Ink display is driven by the EPDC controller in the i.MX507 SoC and a TI TPS65185x "PMIC for E Ink® VizplexTM Enabled Electronic Paper Display".

EPDC

• i.MX EPDC IOMUX setup
• i.MX EPDC driver
• E Ink panel modes
• runtime power management

TPS65185

• I2C setup (address 0x68)
• GPIO setup
• VIN power supply (connected to battery voltage via a GPIO-controlled regulator)
• MFD/regmap
• interrupts
• regulators
• VCOM kick-back voltage measurement
• temperature monitoring
• runtime power management

Touch screen

HWConfig knows a number of different touch screen controllers. The Kobo Aura uses the ektf2132.

• I2C IOMUX setup (uboot)
• touch interrupt/reset/power
• ektf2132; how similar to ektf2127 is it?

Frontlight

• PWM (see MSP430)
• GPIOs (FL_EN, FL_R_EN)
• pwm-backlight devicetree binding with boost GPIO

USB

• device mode
• host mode
• cable detection (ACIN_PG)
• mode detection (ACIN_ID, doesn't seem to work)

i.MX drivers

• i.MX50 power management support
• i.MX50 CPU frequency scaling
• i.MX50 temperature sensor (chapter 53 in the reference manual)