Orange Pi Zero2 Setup Guide

The Orange Pi Zero2 is a highly compact, open-source single-board computer equipped with dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0. It can run Ubuntu, Android10, or Debian distributions.

Follow this guide to set up your Orange Pi Zero2 to run viam-server.

Hardware requirements

• Development machine: laptop or computer workstation
• An Orange Pi Zero2
• A 5V 3A power supply with a USB-C connector
• A microSD card: Minimum of 8GB, 16GB recommended
• SD card reader (recommended with USB-C connector)
• A monitor: for display
• Micro-HDMI to HDMI cable: to connect Orange Pi to monitor display
• USB keyboard and mouse
• USB-C to USB-A cables: to connect keyboard and mouse to USB hub
• USB hub with USB-A connector (recommended)

Power your Orange Pi Zero2

Before you power the board, you need to install an operating system.

1. First, download an Orange Pi Ubuntu image to your development machine. We recommend ubuntu_jammy_desktop.
2. Unzip the image.
3. Insert the micro-SD card into the SD card reader and connect the reader to your development machine.
4. Follow this guide to flash the OS to your micro-SD card using balenaEtcher.
5. Insert the micro-SD into the Orange Pi.

To power your Orange Pi Zero2, connect your power adapter to the Zero2’s USB-C port. The LED should light up, which indicates that the board is powered.

To connect to a display, connect the micro-HDMI end of your HDMI cable to the Orange Pi and the other end to your monitor. Then, to connect the keyboard and mouse, plug the two devices into your USB hub and connect the USB hub to your Orange Pi’s USB-A port.

After it boots, you should be greeted with the Orange Pi desktop display. If it prompts you for a password, note that the default password for Orange Pi devices is “orangepi”.

Establish a network connection

The Orange Pi Zero2 comes equipped with a wireless network antenna. To connect to WiFi, click on the WiFi icon in the top right of the monitor display, select your preferred network or hotspot, and enter the password.

Install viam-server

Launch the browser on your Orange Pi display by selecting Applications from the left-hand menu, then Internet, then Firefox Web Browser.

Also, launch the terminal by selecting Applications and Terminal. Complete the following instructions to install viam-server, noting that if you are prompted for a password in the terminal, the default password for Orange Pis is “orangepi”.

viam-server is distributed for Linux as an AppImage. The AppImage is a single, self-contained binary that runs on 64-bit Linux systems running the aarch64 or x86_64 architectures, with no need to install any dependencies.

To install viam-server :

1. Go to the Viam app. Create an account if you haven’t already.

2. Add a new machine by providing a name in the New machine field and clicking Add machine:

   

3. Navigate to the CONFIGURE tab and find your machine’s card. An alert will be present directing you to Set up your machine part:

   

   Click View setup instructions to open the setup instructions.

4. Select Linux / Aarch64.

5. Select your installation method:

   • viam-agent (recommended): installs viam-agent, which will automatically install (and update) viam-server and provide additional functionality such as provisioning and operating system update configuration.
   • manual: installs only viam-server on your machine.

6. Follow the instructions listed.

7. Once you have followed the steps on the setup instructions, wait for confirmation that your machine has successfully connected.

   On your machine’s page on the Viam app, your machine will show that it’s Live.

By default, viam-server will start automatically when your system boots, but you can change this behavior if desired.

Next steps

Configure an orangepi board as a component to integrate the GPIO pins of the single-board computer into your smart machine.

Troubleshooting

Visit the Orange Pi Forum for troubleshooting tips and tricks specific to the Orange Pi.