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Phicomm N1

The Phicomm N1 uses an S905 quad-core CPU with 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage. It provides one Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and HDMI output.

Docker and DEB package deployments are available and relatively easy to set up. To use the integrated image, sponsor the author and contact them to obtain it.

Integrated Image Overview

The latest integrated image names for Phicomm N1 are:

  • One-KVM-RUST_by-SilentWind_Onecloud-Pro_v0.2.6_260803-da20d8b.img.xz
  • One-KVM-RUST_by-SilentWind_Onecloud-Pro-Hwcodec_v0.2.6_260803-da20d8b.img.xz

Advantages:

  • Both images include the PiKVM MSD kernel patch, supporting ISO images larger than 2.2 GB and custom virtual media device names.
  • The former is based on the ophub system with a Linux 6.12.x kernel; the latter is ported from the CoreELEC system with a Linux 4.9.x kernel and supports Amlogic hardware codecs.

The latter integrated image supports hardware codecs and can use the Amlogic hardware encoder for AMLENC H.264 video encoding. The installation process is the same for both images, so choose according to your needs.

AMLENC hardware encoding test Hardware codec devices

Integrated Image Deployment

  1. Prepare the boot media: Write the One-KVM integrated image to a USB drive, then insert the drive into the USB port on the N1 far from the HDMI connector.
  2. Boot from the USB drive: Connect power and the system will boot automatically from the USB drive. If it fails to boot from USB, you may need to downgrade the factory system first.
  3. Install the system to eMMC: After the system boots successfully from the USB drive, sign in through HDMI or SSH and run armbian-install. Select model 101, which matches the board version.

The following screenshot shows the armbian-install process:

Phicomm N1 armbian-install process

If you need to reflash the device later, write the new image to a USB drive. After inserting it and powering on, the device will boot from the USB drive first.

Usage Notes

After the first boot, the system has approximately 4.8 GB of available storage.

Hardware connections

  1. Plug the USB HDMI capture card into the standard USB port far from the HDMI connector, then connect the capture card to the target machine's HDMI output with an HDMI cable.
  2. Plug one end of the USB male-to-male cable into the USB OTG port near the HDMI connector and the other end into a USB port on the target machine.
  3. Make sure all connections are secure, then connect Ethernet and power.

Hardware safety warning

To avoid potential risks, such as the target device failing to boot or recognize devices, and in very rare cases hardware damage, we strongly recommend taking one of the following safety measures before using a USB male-to-male cable:

Option 1: Cut or remove the red 5V power wire (VCC) in the USB cable, leaving only the data wires (D+/D−) and ground (GND), to prevent back-powering.

Option 2: Insert a USB hub with an independent power switch in the USB link and make sure its power switch is off when connecting.

Some low-power devices may be back-powered through the USB OTG port from the KVM device when main power is not connected. This can put the device into an abnormal state, and it may still fail to boot normally even after main power is connected later.

Unless you clearly understand the consequences, use the protections above to keep devices safe.

HDMI terminal

The HDMI terminal displays the device IP address and software version.

Phicomm N1 HDMI terminal

SSH remote login

SSH is enabled by default on Armbian. The initial username and password are root / 1234. Change the default password as soon as possible.

System upgrade warning

Do not use apt upgrade to upgrade the kernel and device tree. This may cause system problems and make OTG unavailable.

Wi-Fi

You can use the nmtui command in the terminal to open its interface and select an active connection to enter the Wi-Fi connection screen.