Flashing Raspberry Pi OS onto a Raspberry Pi CM4 eMMC Using a Raspberry Pi 5

If you need to flash Raspberry Pi OS onto the eMMC of a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4), you can do so using a Raspberry Pi 5 and the usbboot tool. Here is a step-by-step guide to get it done:

Required Hardware:

- Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4)
- CM4 IO Board
- Jumper
- USB to microUSB cable
- 12V DC power supply
- Raspberry PI 5

Steps:

1. Setup the Hardware:

- Insert the CM4 into the IO Board.
- Place a jumper on the J2 pins of the IO Board to temporarily disable eMMC boot.
- Connect the IO Board?s microUSB port to a USB port on the Raspberry Pi 5 using the USB to microUSB cable.
- Power the IO Board with a 12V DC supply.

2. Prepare the Raspberry Pi 5:

Update the system:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
 

Install dependencies:

sudo apt install -y git build-essential
 

Clone and build the usbboot tool:

git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbboot
cd usbboot
make
 

3. Flash the OS:

Run the usbboot tool:

sudo ./rpiboot
 

The CM4 will be detected, and its bootloader will be loaded. Use Raspberry Pi Imager or another tool to flash Raspberry Pi OS (or another GNU/Linux distribution) directly to the CM4?s eMMC.

4. Finalize the Setup:

- Once flashing is complete, power down the IO Board.
- Remove the jumper from the J2 pins.
- Your CM4 is now ready to boot from the newly installed OS.

This method works seamlessly for flashing Raspberry Pi OS or any compatible Linux distribution onto your CM4. Happy tinkering!