In this chapter, we looked at ways to recover your BeagleBone from certain mistakes. There are two primary diagnostic information sources for the BeagleBone family. The LEDs, specifically the power LED, can provide immediate information on the state of the BeagleBone. The second important diagnostic tool is the serial port. On the BBB, this requires the optional serial cable. On the BBW, this functionality is built into the board, but there are some potential sequencing problems. With these two diagnostic indicators, you should be able to fix simpler mistakes, often by just merely reinstalling the system software. This same process can also identify boards that are likely to require either a repair or replacement.

With this basic diagnostic process in hand, the next chapter will look at options to interface the BeagleBone with other hardware. If something does go wrong with interfacing hardware, the diagnostic process described in this chapter can give you some insights.