Kakip's Transformer: Dynamic 40-Pin Header Magic!

The Raspberry Pi pioneered the 40-pin design when it was introduced in 2014. Since then, an increasing number of peripherals have been developed for the 40-pin interface. Moreover, many single-board computers (SBCs) and industrial computers have also adopted this 40-pin design.

Unfortunately, the true essence of the 40-pin interface lies in its pinmux capability - each pin can serve multiple functions. However, only a few SBCs, aside from the Raspberry Pi, can dynamically switch between these functions.

Kakip-AI SBC, a next-generation AI SBC made in Japan, offers powerful performance while maintaining compatibility with the Raspberry Pi's 40-pin design. In this section, we will walkthrough the implementation of dynamic pin switching at the low-level stages of Linux (U-Boot, CIP kernel) and successfully run it on Yocto Scarthgap and Ubuntu 24.04.