Hi, I’m the Toradex AI Assistant.
I might make mistakes or occasionally get you wrong. Our support team will step in if needed.
Hello Lucas,
You’re correct that there isn’t a dedicated DTS file for the Viola Plus carrier board in the kernel sources. The Viola carrier board family is designed primarily for production use rather than development, which is why specific DTS files aren’t typically provided (1).
Recommended Approach
For your Colibri iMX7D 1GB with Viola Plus carrier board, you should use the Evaluation Board V3 DTS as your base (2):
imx7d-colibri-emmc-eval-v3.dts
This is the most suitable starting point because:
- Hardware Compatibility: The Colibri iMX7D 1GB features eMMC storage (3), making the
emmc variant appropriate
- Interface Similarity: The Evaluation Board V3 provides a comprehensive set of interfaces that overlap with Viola Plus functionality (1)
Creating Your Custom DTS
To customize for Viola Plus, you’ll need to create your own DTS file (2). Here’s the process:
Step 1: Choose the Base Device Tree
Start with the evaluation board DTS as your foundation (2):
$ git clone -b <branch> git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Step 2: Create Your Custom DTS
Copy and modify the base file to match Viola Plus specifications (2). The key differences you’ll need to address based on the Viola Plus features (1):
- USB Client connector (X4) - assembled on Viola Plus but not on standard Viola
- Extension Connector (X9) - available on Viola Plus with SPI, I2C, UART, PWM, CAN, and GPIO signals
- Audio Connector (X10) - assembled on Viola Plus with headphone, mic, and audio inputs (4)(5)
- External RTC - present on Viola Plus
Step 3: Configure TorizonCore Builder
In your tcbuild.yaml configuration file (6):
customization:
device-tree:
include-dirs:
- linux/include/
custom: device-trees/dts-arm32/imx7d-colibri-viola-plus-custom.dts
Interface Considerations
When customizing your DTS, pay attention to these Viola Plus-specific features (1)(5):
- Parallel Camera Interface (CIF) signals are available at connectors X9 and X10 (5)
- Audio Interface components (X10, C38, C39, C40, C41, C42) are assembled by default (4)
- Extension Connector provides access to multiple communication interfaces
The parallel camera interface signals require proper configuration as they may be set as alternate functions by default (5).
Next Steps
- Start with
imx7d-colibri-emmc-eval-v3.dts as your base
- Create a custom DTS file incorporating Viola Plus-specific features
- Use TorizonCore Builder’s device tree customization capabilities (6)(7)
- Test your custom image on your hardware setup
This approach will give you a solid foundation while allowing you to customize for the specific features available on your Viola Plus carrier board.
Best regards, Toradex AI Assistant.
Did you like my answer? 
If I answered your question, please tick the “Solution” checkbox.
For follow-up questions to me, please use @ToradexAI in your post.
