Configure Serial Connection

During early development, it is strongly recommended to establish a connection to the DevKit via the serial interface, whether the system is used in a standalone configuration or as a PCIe device in a host system.

In a standalone setup, the serial connection provides reliable access to the DevKit regardless of how it acquires an IP address. This ensures that developers retain control of the system for configuration, monitoring, and recovery tasks even if network connectivity is unavailable or misconfigured.

In a PCIe setup, the serial interface offers direct access to the PCIe card's shell and debug consoles during bring-up. This is particularly useful for low-level control and troubleshooting when the host system or PCIe link is not yet fully operational.

The serial interface is intended primarily for development and bring-up. Once the system has been fully configured and deployed, ongoing operation generally does not require a serial connection.

Depending on the operating system of the developer's computer, different methods are available for connecting to the DevKit through the serial interface.

Hardware Setup

Pick your board to see the serial cable connections.

Modalix DevKit

Modalix DevKit Connectors

Use the included serial cable to connect the DevKit to your computer:

• DevKit end: use the provided USB-A to USB-C cable to connect to the DevKit's UART port, as labeled on the enclosure.
• Computer end: connect to a USB Type-A port. Use a USB hub if necessary.

Modalix EA Kit

Modalix Early Access Kit Connectors

Use the included serial cable to connect the DevKit to your computer:

• DevKit end: ensure the triangle mark on the flat connector aligns with the rightmost pin on the DevKit.
• Computer end: connect to a USB Type-A port. Use a USB hub if necessary.

Modalix EA PCIe Card

Modalix EA PCIe Card Connectors

Use the included serial cable to connect the card to your host:

• Card end: use the provided USB-A to UART cable to connect to the card's ARM UART port, as shown in the image above.
• Host end: connect to a USB Type-A port. Use a USB hub if necessary.

Windows

To connect to the DevKit via a serial terminal on Windows, follow these steps:

1. Identify the COM Port:

   • Open Device Manager → Expand Ports (COM & LPT).
   • Look for an entry like USB Serial Port (COMx).

2. Install and Open a Serial Terminal:

   • Use PuTTY or Tera Term.
   • Set the connection type to Serial.
   • Enter the correct COM Port (e.g., COM3).
   • Set Baud Rate to 115200.

3. Click Open to start the connection.

MacOS & Linux Desktop

note

Please install or upgrade sima-cli before continuing. This guide is intended for use with the latest sima-cli version.

Use sima-cli serial command on Mac and Linux to connect to the serial port of the SiMa hardware.

sima-cli serial

This command will install necessary dependencies on your computer to access serial port. To exit the serial terminal, press Ctrl + A then Ctrl + X.

On some earlier firmware versions, the system may use a different baud rate for the serial console. If you see garbled output in the terminal, it's likely due to a mismatched baud rate. Try specifying a higher rate:

sima-cli serial -b 921600

Web Serial Console

The Web Serial Console is a browser-based alternative that requires no local install — open it in a Chromium browser (Chrome or Edge), connect the DevKit via USB, and you're in. Useful when you can't or don't want to install PuTTY or sima-cli.

Launch Web Serial Console

See the full Web Serial Console page for the command-palette reference, multi-device support, and troubleshooting.

Once prompted to log in to the serial port console, use the default username sima and password edgeai.