Embedded Systems – Orange Pi RV Kernel Compilation for RISC-V

Building custom kernels for Orange Pi RV (RISC-V) with USB serial support – CH341 (Arduino) and CDC ACM (Raspberry Pi Pico).

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Overview

The Orange Pi RV is a RISC-V single-board computer based on the StarFive JH7110 SoC. While powerful, the default kernel may lack certain USB serial drivers needed for embedded development.

The challenge: Enable USB serial support for:

• Arduino / CH341 – USB-to-serial adapter (CH340/CH341).
• Raspberry Pi Pico / CDC ACM – Native USB serial.

The solution: Build a custom kernel using the official Orange Pi build system, running entirely in Docker, with the required drivers enabled. The result is a set of .deb packages that can be installed on the Orange Pi RV.

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Architecture

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Docker installed on your development host.
• Orange Pi RV board (StarFive JH7110).
• Network access to the Orange Pi RV (SSH).
• USB devices for testing (Arduino, Pico, etc.).

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Step-by-Step Compilation Guide

Step 1: Prepare the Working Directory

# Create a new folder for the project
mkdir -p ~/orangepi-kernel-build
cd ~/orangepi-kernel-build

Step 2: Clone the Orange Pi Build System

git clone https://github.com/orangepi-xunlong/orangepi-build.git
cd orangepi-build

Step 3: Start the Docker Container

Mount the current directory inside the container at /build:

docker run --rm -it -v $(pwd):/build ubuntu:22.04 bash

Explanation: All changes inside /build are persisted to your host directory.

Step 4: Install Build Dependencies

Inside the Docker container:

# Update package lists
apt-get update

# Install all required packages
apt-get install -y \
    build-essential \
    git \
    u-boot-tools \
    device-tree-compiler \
    bc \
    bison \
    flex \
    libssl-dev \
    ccache \
    sudo \
    whiptail \
    dialog \
    psmisc \
    acl \
    uuid-runtime \
    curl \
    gawk \
    systemd \
    systemd-sysv \
    python3 \
    python3-distutils \
    cpio \
    rsync \
    wget \
    file \
    lsb-release \
    tzdata

Step 5: Configure Timezone (Required for Systemd)

ln -fs /usr/share/zoneinfo/Etc/UTC /etc/localtime
dpkg-reconfigure -f noninteractive tzdata
echo "Etc/UTC" > /etc/timezone

Step 6: Start the Build

cd /build
./build.sh

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Kernel Configuration (menuconfig)

Step 7: Navigate the Build Menu

When the build script starts, select:

1. Choose action: Kernel package
2. Choose board: orangepirv (StarFive JH7110)
3. Configuration: Show a kernel conf

Step 8: Enable USB Serial Drivers

In the menuconfig interface, navigate to:

For Arduino (CH341):

Device Drivers → USB support → USB Serial Converter support
→ USB Winchiphead CH341 Single Port Serial Driver

Select [M] (module) or [y] (built-in).

For Raspberry Pi Pico (CDC ACM):

Device Drivers → USB support
→ USB Modem (CDC ACM) support

Select [*] (built-in).

Optional but recommended:

CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_CP210X=y  # CP210x adapters
CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_FTDI_SIO=y # FTDI adapters

Step 9: Save Configuration

Press Tab → < Exit > repeatedly until prompted:

Do you wish to save your new configuration?

Select < Yes >.

Step 10: Wait for Compilation

⏱️ This will take 1-2 hours. Do not close the terminal or turn off your computer.

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Verification of Configuration

After compilation (or to check your .config), verify the drivers are enabled:

cat /build/kernel/orange-pi-5.15-jh7110/.config | grep -E "CH341|USB_SERIAL|USB_ACM"

Expected output:

CONFIG_USB_ACM=y
CONFIG_USB_SERIAL=y
CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_CH341=y
CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_CP210X=y
CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_FTDI_SIO=y

🎉 All needed drivers are correctly enabled!

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Why No .ko Files?

When drivers are compiled as built-in (=y), they become part of the kernel image (vmlinux / bzImage) and do not appear as separate .ko module files.

Setting	Meaning	Result
=y	Built-in	Part of kernel image – no .ko file.
=m	Module	Separate .ko file – loaded with modprobe.

Advantage of built-in (=y): Drivers are always available immediately after boot. No need to load modules or manage dependencies.

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Output Location

After successful compilation, the .deb packages are in:

ls -la /build/output/debs/

Files:

• linux-image-5.15.0-starfive2_*.deb – Kernel image with built-in drivers.
• linux-dtb-5.15.0-starfive2_*.deb – Device tree blob.
• linux-headers-5.15.0-starfive2_*.deb – Kernel headers (optional).

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Installing on Orange Pi RV

Step 1: Copy Packages to Orange Pi RV

Exit the Docker container (exit) and copy the packages:

cd ~/orangepi-kernel-build/orangepi-build
scp output/debs/linux-image-*.deb orangepi@192.168.1.xxx:/home/orangepi/
scp output/debs/linux-dtb-*.deb orangepi@192.168.1.xxx:/home/orangepi/

Note: Replace 192.168.1.xxx with your Orange Pi RV’s IP address.

Step 2: Install on Orange Pi RV

ssh orangepi@192.168.1.xxx
sudo dpkg -i linux-image-*.deb
sudo dpkg -i linux-dtb-*.deb
sudo reboot

Step 3: Verify After Reboot

uname -a  # Should show your new kernel version

# Check for USB devices
ls /dev/ttyACM* 2>/dev/null && echo "Pico ready!" || echo "No Pico detected"
ls /dev/ttyUSB* 2>/dev/null && echo "Arduino ready!" || echo "No Arduino detected"

🎉 Congratulations! Your custom kernel is now running on Orange Pi RV with full USB serial support.

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Troubleshooting

Issue: make clean Fails

make: *** No rule to make target 'clean'. Stop.

Solution:

# Find the kernel source directory
ls -la /build/kernel/
cd /build/kernel/orange-pi-5.15-jh7110
make clean

Issue: systemd-detect-virt Not Found

# Install systemd packages
apt-get install systemd systemd-sysv
which systemd-detect-virt

Issue: Timezone Configuration

# Set timezone
ln -fs /usr/share/zoneinfo/Etc/UTC /etc/localtime
dpkg-reconfigure -f noninteractive tzdata

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Key Takeaways

Concept	Implementation
Kernel Compilation	Using official Orange Pi build system.
Isolation	Docker container for reproducible builds.
Configuration	menuconfig with enabled USB serial drivers.
Drivers	CONFIG_USB_ACM=y (Pico) and CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_CH341=y (Arduino).
Delivery	.deb packages for easy installation.
Platform	RISC-V (StarFive JH7110).

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Technology Stack

Category	Technology
Board	Orange Pi RV (StarFive JH7110)
Architecture	RISC-V
Build System	Orange Pi Build (orangepi-build)
Container	Docker (Ubuntu 22.04)
Kernel Version	Linux 5.15 (StarFive)
USB Drivers	CH341, CDC ACM, CP210X, FTDI
Package Format	Debian (.deb)
Deployment	dpkg -i on target

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Related Projects

• Embedded Systems Engineering – Main embedded systems page.
• Orange Pi One Automation Platform – ARM-based automation.
• Embedded Systems – Docker-Powered Development Environment – Development environment.

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This kernel compilation project is part of my broader Embedded Systems Engineering practice. For a detailed technical walkthrough or custom kernel configuration, feel free to reach out.