Using Geppetto Design Tools for Infrastructure Solutions

The Geppetto design tool is an in-browser application for designing IoT, edge, and ARM-based server hardware.  Its goal is to accelerate the prototyping stage and low-volume production of these products by automating most of the production pipeline.  In fact, Gumstix has been designing its own boards in Geppetto for years.  Here are a few helpful links.

• Geppetto Link: https://geppetto.gumstix.com
• Geppetto Intro Video: https://youtu.be/XbJ6n2WTQ4Y
• Gumstix Home: https://www.gumstix.com

Geppetto includes in its library of hardware modules several arm-based compute options:

• Raspberry Pi & Pi Zero HAT and compute module connectors
• 96Boards CE and IE mezzanine connectors
• Beaglebone Black Capes
• Toradex Colibri IMX6/IMX7 connectors
• Gumstix Overo and DuoVero COM connectors
• Nvidia Jetson Nano and TX2 connectors
• TI AM3354
• TI AM4378
• ST Micro STM32F427
• ATSAMW25 (SAMD21 + WiFi)
• More to come...

There is a $1999 one-time manufacturing fee and a 15-day delivery target.  This means quick turnaround at a low cost.

Here are some Geppetto features:

• Module Library
  • Geppetto has hundreds of hardware modules available, including sensors, camera, LCD, and USB connectors, GPIO, analog and serial communication headers, and audio hardware.
  • You can also create your own custom headers.
  • If you can't find the module you're looking for, there is also a search bar at the top of the library pane.
• Board Builder
  • Start a new design from scratch with the board builder wizard.  Select a SoC, System-on-Module (SOM), or Single-board computer (SBC), connectors, sensors, etc. and your design will start off with the modules already on the board.
• AutoDoc
  • Get instant documentation, containing a power tree, per-module connection list, and links to reference manuals for the components on your board.
• AutoBSP
  • Get a head-start on board bring-up by downloading a working device tree or arduino variant file for your design.
• Custom Logos
  • Upload vector image files for custom silkscreen graphics.
• Automatic module filtering
  • When using the connections tool, you can click on a required connection, and the module library will filter out all modules that can't meet that requirement.
  • This makes quick work or resolving module dependencies.
• One-click design validation
  • When you click the "Order" button, the design validator will present you with a few design hints in case you missed a feature, such as a serial console connection or an unconnected bus.

The best way to get acquainted with these features is to try them out. A good "hello world" would be to use board builder to create a Raspberry Pi CM3 carrier board with a USB port and serial console using the board builder.

In this thread, we will be answering questions, and providing design examples and any kind of Geppetto assistance you may need.