The RI8608 Linux EPC is a Cassini System Controller running xUbuntu 24.04 (or later) and uses a USB RIFL Master and ArcaOS Container (Oracle VirtualBox) for running the Cassini application. The EPC uses a USB-A to USB-B cable to connect with the RI8568D Cassini16 Infrastructure or MXUT4W4B USB EPC Remote TIM.
Audience: Test Engineers working with the Cassini ATE.
Hardware:
- NUC Mini PC - ASUS Nuc 14 Pro (as of 04/2025, OEM may vary over time)
- Front: USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Port (black) aka "USB C"
- Rear: 12-20 V DC Input Jack, 2x HDMI 2.1 TMDS Ports, LAN Connector, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Port (blue); USB 2.0 Port (black), 2x Thunderbolt Ports aka "USB C"
- Power Supply, NEMA C-15 US Power Plug
Not Included - Must be supplied by the customer.
- USB or Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse
- Monitor with Thunderbolt (USB-C) or HDMI and cable (NUC support multiple monitors)
- RI8613A EPC USB RIFL Master TIM or RI8568D Cassini 16 Infrastructure (USB A to USB B cable included with both models)
- Facility must provide two standard 15A wall outlets for NUC and Monitor and a workspace for Keyboard/Mouse/Monitor.
Software:
- xUbuntu 24.04 LTS (or later)
- RI System Software including Guru, Guru Apps, and containerized version of Cassini (using Oracle VirtualBox)
- RIFL Master USB Drivers
- Guru Server (local Guru) & ArcaOS Container (Oracle VirtualBox 7+)
- Java (OpenJDK 11+)
- DbBrowser for SQLite - for ritdb analysis
To Install RI8608 Linux EPC with Cassini:
- Latch the EPC USB Remote TIM (RIFL Master) to the T0 slot on Cassini. Remove the existing EPC when upgrading.
- Connect the USB-B side to the Remote TIM and the USB-A side to any available EPC USB-A port.
- Connect the Monitor/Keyboard/Mouse, Network and Power cable to the appropriate plugs. (See Figure 1)
- Power ON the Monitor by pressing the power button.
- Power on the EPC by pressing the NUC's power button.
Using Cassini in Container:
Guru and the ArcaOS container is automatically launched at startup and uses standard VirtualBox keyboard shortcuts. All data is stored and accessed directly from the "/home/cassini/Cassini-D" directory. No information is stored "in" the container, it is just a run-time environment. After choosing Log On to Guru, launch Cassini from the Short Cuts or User Apps button that will be disabled (grey) if the container and Db Manager are not running. Once Cassini is running, all functionality is the same and follow the standard procedures.
- Host key is the right CTL Key, used to access VirtualBox features.
- Host + Home keys to view a Machine menu.
- Host + C keys to toggle scaled mode desktop to be resized while scaling every internal window.
- Host + F keys to toggle Full screen mode.
- The "D:" drive from within the Cassini application is mapped to "/home/cassini/Cassini-D" directory in Linux. When using the Cassini app, choosing Save > File (.txt, .csv or .stdf) to the D:\Shared location will appear in the "~/Cassini-D/Shared" folder. Likewise, .rtidb datalogs are stored in "D:\RiApps\Data" or ~/Cassini-D/RiApps/Data" folder.
- Launch Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager change Machine settings for the container.
- IMPORTANT: The Cassini system software occasionally requires ALT+Click to be used to modify values in a table (Limit table, or Test Exec Binning). Press the WIN or OpenApple OS key (Win+ALT+Click) instead of just holding the ALT key, as instructed.
Troubleshooting:
- Short Cuts/User Apps buttons are grey. Check Cassini16 container, restart the container if not responding by opening Oracle VirtualBox Manager app in Windows and choosing Machine > Restart.
- Cassini application background is red. This indicates RIFL communication error and is likely a container or USB Driver issue. Restarting the Linux OS would likely quickly resolve this issue. Otherwise, targeted restart of either the container or Db Manager application. After attempting any interventions, choose System > Equip > Startup and Ok fron the Cassini application to proceed.
RIFL Test Failures? Check the USB cable from the EPC USB RIFL Master TIM to the RI8608 Secure EPC.- Drive Health Check? See disk - What is the best way to scan a hard drive/check health in Ubuntu? - Ask Ubuntu
- Rarely, an OS update may require an update to Oracle VirtualBox. From Oracle VirtualBox, choose File > Check for Updates and run the installation package that is downloaded.
Figure 1: EPC Running Linux
Figure 2: Linux NUC Front
Figure 3: Linux NUC Rear
Figure 4: EPC USB Remote TIM with USB Cable
Reference
ASUS 14 PRO Documentation
ASUS NUC 14 Pro｜NUCs｜ASUS USA
NUC14RVH-K_Mini-PC_UserGuide_1.3_EN.pdf
NUC14_Pro-ProPlus_TPS_1.5.pdf