Revision as of 22:46, 2 March 2012

Summary

X-Loader, an initial program loader for Embedded boards based on OMAP processors.

Features and Limitations

Improvements & Modifications

• Added malloc/free functionality.
• Added mtd framework and onenand support, removed the old onenand drivers.
• Added fs jffs2 support using mtd & onenand support (Read Only).
• Added crc32 and zlib.
• Jffs2 zlib compression support (Read Only).
• Dual boot mmc & onenand with mmc highest priority.
• Added Linux kernel boot directly (Support for 2.6.22 and highest version kernels)
• Linux kernel supported images: vmlinuz, bzImage and zImage.
• Support for loading Linux Ram disk (EXPERIMENTAL)
• Added "ini" files parser.
• The configuration resides in a plain txt (ini format file).
• Support Windows & Linux formating ini files.
• boot from mmc, onenand, or mix with mmc highest priority.
• Added codeblocks project and compilation rules.
• Added support for vfat32 extra names.
• Configure TPS65950 voltage to 1.35V if it's used a DM3730 processor.
• Added new parameter MachineID in kernel tag file, with it you can
  
•     - configure the kernel board ID setup
• Added new parameter buddy for kernels 2.6.35.13-3
• Optimize some LPDDR Memory configuration values
• Removed some OneNand Debug information
• Removed some FAT incorrect warnings
• Only support gcc 4.5.2 linaro version
• Added Support Initial Ram disk
• Reconfigure Makefile options
• Support Kernels 2.6.35 and 2.6.37
  
• Added support for boot ARM binary files (such u-boot or QNX kernel)
• Support for Numonyx, Micron and hynix POP Memories.
• Memory autodetection.
• This software only can be compiled with gcc 4.5
• Added GPTimer functionality.

Limitations

• The ini configuration file it's limited to max size: 16 KiB
• Kernel Command line parameters it's limited to: 4 KiB
• Malloc it's limited to 32 MiB.
  

TODO

• Remove compilation warnings.
  
• System Rescue.

STATUS

• Support all IGEP boards.

VERSION CHANGES

[2.1.0-1] This version only can be build with gcc linaro 4.5.2 other compilers be not supported.

[2.1.0-1] Removed some uncontrolled "printf" with incorrect information.

[2.1.0-1] Modified some code under __DEBUG__ option.

[2.1.0-1] Added Support for TPS65950-A3 initialization at 1.35V

[2.1.0-1] Added support for IGEP Module 0030

[2.1.0-1] Added support dynamic Machine ID selection (same xloader boot IGEPv2 & IGEP Module)

[2.1.0-2] ARM Compilation bug resolved

[2.1.0-3] Update SDRAM structure initialization

[2.1.0-3] Added support for Initial RAM disk

[2.1.0-3] Updated Initial RAM disk destination address

[2.2.0-1] Update Makefile structure

[2.2.0-1] Downgrade the boot processor speed

[2.3.0-1] Add NAND flash devices and Micron MT29CXGXXMAXX memories support

[2.3.0-2] Add Hynix NAND memorie and IGEP0032 support

[2.3.0-3] Add Support for execute ARM binaries [2.3.0-3] Bug Fixes related to I and D Cache

[2.4.0-1] Added Memory test feature

[2.4.0-1] Added some boot information

[2.4.0-1] New read_nand_cache function optimized for load from NAND

[2.4.0-1] BUG resolved: Refresh Setup in Micron & Hynix Memories

[2.4.0-1] BUG resolved: Reset Memory controller after initialize Malloc function

[2.4.0-1] BUG resolved: Resolve problems updating the flash content under jffs2

[2.4.0-2] Resolved Memory Autodetection

[2.4.0-2] Better hang board led control

[2.4.0-2] New read_nand_cache function optimized for load from OneNand

[2.4.0-2] Added Hw GPtimer functionality

Pre-Compiled Binaries

Build Procedure

Build with Ubuntu Cross Compiler gcc 4.5.2

Install the cross compiler if you not do it before.

Enviroment Ubuntu 10.10

sudo apt-get install cpp-4.5-arm-linux-gnueabi g++-4.5-arm-linux-gnueabi

Enviroment Ubuntu 10.04

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linaro-maintainers/toolchain

sudo apt-get install cpp-4.5-arm-linux-gnueabi g++-4.5-arm-linux-gnueabi

Setup the board settings

make igep00x0_config

Build

make

Sign the binary x-loader

You should execute contrib/signGP for sign the xloader.

contrib/signGP x-load.bin
The signed x-loader it's named: x-load.bin.ift

Build Native

Configure the board settings

make igep00x0_config

Edit the variable CFLAGS and add the option: -fno-stack-protector
CFLAGS := $(CPPFLAGS) -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -fno-stack-protector

Build

make CROSS_COMPILE=arm-none-linux-gnueabi-

Sign the binary x-loader

You should execute contrib/signGP for sign the xloader.

contrib/signGP x-load.bin
The signed x-loader it's named: x-load.bin.ift

BOOT

The IGEP X-Loader must reside in the microSD card or in the Nand Memory.

MMC Boot

Prepare the microsd card

You can follow this howto about how prepare the microsd card or How to boot from MicroSD Card

Get a new microsd card and create two partitions, the first one must be fat16/32 and the second one can be formated in any format type supported by linux kernel.

Copy the files in the first (FAT) partition

In the first partition you must copy in this order:

1. x-loader.bin.ift (you must rename this file to MLO before copy it) / This is a signed image using contrib/signGP tool
2. x-loader configuration file igep.ini also you can change the configuration file name editing the file: igep00x0.h (#define IGEP_BOOT_CFG_INI_FILE "igep.ini")
3. Your desired kernel image.

Load Order:

  48 /* Linux Images */
  49 const char* LinuxImageNames [] = {
  50         "kparam"   /* Use kparam first */
  51         "zImage",   /* jffs2 it's case sensitive */
  52         "zimage",   /* fat name it's not case sentitive */
  53         "vmlinuz",
  54         "bzImage",
  55         "bzimage",
  56         0,
  57 };

or you can set the name for your kernel in the configuration file using the tag: kImageName

Don't use a uImage kernel format (from uboot), only standard kernel formats be supported.

kernel build command example:

$make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi- zImage modules

Second Partition

Copy all your rootfs in this second partition.

Also you can use the linaro 10.11 minimal image download the image and untar (as root) in your microsd card second partition.

Remember install the kernel modules in this partition.

Example:

sudo make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi- modules_install INSTALL_MOD_PATH=[path to your target rootfs]

Nand Boot

Nand Partitions

We've defined 3 partitions on the Nand Memory.

MTD partitions on "omap2-onenand":
(a) 0x000000000000-0x000000080000 : "X-Loader"
(b) 0x000000080000-0x000000c80000 : "Boot"
(c) 0x000000c80000-0x000020000000 : "File System"

X-Loader Partition

• Not fs formated (onenand raw)
• Size: 0x80000 (512 KiB)
• The xloader must be signed before copy it into the flash memory.

You should copy the x-loader in the firsts 4 blocks (first 512 KiB), this is not a formated partition due the ROM not permits boot from a formated partition in flash, you should use flash_eraseall and writeloader for copy x-loader in the first blocks.

<span class="Apple-style-span">Suggested procedure:

Sign the x-loader before write it on the flash or microsd card.
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: normal; "><pre style="padding-top: 1em; padding-right: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 1em; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dashed; border-right-style: dashed; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-left-style: dashed; border-top-color: rgb(47, 111, 171); border-right-color: rgb(47, 111, 171); border-bottom-color: rgb(47, 111, 171); border-left-color: rgb(47, 111, 171); color: black; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); line-height: 1.1em; ">Sign x-loader:
You should execute contrib/signGP for sign the xloader that resides inside the flash memory.
contrib/signGP x-load.bin
The signed x-loader it's named: x-load.bin.ift

Suggested procedure:
Erase and copy the x-loader into the first flash partition:
$flash_eraseall /dev/mtd1
$nandwrite -p /dev/mtd1 <your_boot_initial_jffs2_file>


Your initial boot partition can be a empty file the first time.

$mount /dev/mtdblck1 /boot

$cp igep.ini /boot

   1 [kernel]
   2 kaddress=0x80008000
   3 rdaddress=0x81600000
   4 serial.low=00000001
   5 serial.high=00000000
   6 revision=0001
   7 kImageName=zImage-test
   8 kRdImageName=rdImage-test
   9 MachineID=xxxx Where Machine ID = 2344 for IGEPv2 and ID = 2717 for IGEP Module

  10 [kparams]
  11 console=ttyS2,115200n8
  12 ;earlyprintk=serial,ttyS2,115200
  13 mem=512M
  14 boot_delay=0
  15 ;mpurate=800
  16 ;loglevel=7
  17 omapfb.mode=dvi:1024x768MR-16@60\r
  18 smsc911x.mac=0xb2,0xb0,0x14,0xb5,0xcd,0xde\r
  19 ;ubi.mtd=2
  20 ;root=ubi0:igep0020-rootfs
  21 ;rootfstype=ubifs
  22 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rw rootwait

Also remember you can comment any line using ';' or '#' characters.

#smsc911x.mac fix your mac address
smsc911x.mac=0xb2,0xb0,0x14,0xb5,0xcd,0xde
# IP set you IP settings <local_ip>:<server_ip>:<gateway>:<network_mask>::<interface>:
ip=192.168.2.123:192.168.2.105:192.168.2.1:255.255.255.0::eth0:
# Set root as nfs
root=/dev/nfs
# Set your NFS root path as <server_ip>:<rootfs_path>
nfsroot=192.168.2.105:/srv/nfs/linaro_minimal