Target Software Installation

Flash memory partitions

Address range (index from FLASH physical @ 0x10000000)	Type
0x00000000 - 0x3FFFF ( 256KB )	U-Boot
0x40000 - 0x5FFFF ( 128KB )	U-Boot environment variables
0x60000 - 0x9FFFF ( 256KB )	FPGA bitfile
0xA0000 - 0x21FFFF ( 1.5MB )	Linux kernel image
0x220000 - 0x7FFFF ( ~6 MB )	Root filesystem

Configure U-Boot

Environment variables

U-Boot can be customized in a flexible way with the use of "environment variables/scripts". The command printenv show you most of them and their current value:

BIOS> printenv
bootcmd=run jffsboot
bootdelay=20
baudrate=115200
ethaddr=00:0E:32:00:00:01
autoload=no
...

Use the command setenv to change these variables. For example, to set the IP address:

BIOS> setenv ipaddr 192.168.0.3

Use the command saveenv to save the state of your environment variables in FLASH memory:

BIOS> saveenv
Saving Environment to Flash...
. done
Un-Protected 1 sectors
Erasing Flash...
. done
Erased 1 sectors
Writing to Flash... done
. done
Protected 1 sectors

Network configuration

In order to use the U-Boot's network features, you have to set the network environment variables:

BIOS> setenv netmask=255.255.255.0 (this default value should be fine in most situations)
BIOS> setenv ipaddr 192.168.0.3 
BIOS> setenv serverip=192.168.0.5 (the IP address of your tftp server/PC hosting the files to download)
BIOS> setenv rootpath "/tftpboot/root" (to boot linux over nfs)

You can use the dhcp command to configure these variable from your dhcp server. Probably you will have to adjust the serverip variable manually.

BIOS> dhcp
dm9000 i/o: 0x15c00000, id: 0x90000a46
MAC: 00:0e:32:00:00:01
operating at 100M full duplex mode
BOOTP broadcast 1
DHCP client bound to address 192.168.0.3
BIOS> setenv serverip=192.168.0.5
BIOS> saveenv

Do not forget to save your changes in FLASH with saveenv to have them available at next power up. In case of troubleshoots you can use the script run flash_reset_env to reset the variables to the factory settings.

Linux kernel installation

• First check that your Armadeus kernel image size is smaller than the U-Boot partition (1,5MB):

$ ls -alh /tftpboot/linux-kernel-*

• Load kernel image with U-Boot through network:

   BIOS> tftpboot 08000000 pathtoyourhostedbuildrootdir/linux-kernel-2.6.12-arm.bin

or serial line:

   BIOS> loadb 08000000
   Ctrl+Altgr+\+c to access kermit command line then...
   send pathtoyourhostedbuildrootdir/linux-kernel-2.6.12-arm.bin
   the you can type the c command to reconnect to the terminal

!!! WARNING !! If the loaded kernel image is too large, this operation can destroy data that are stored after the partition limits (e.g. RootFS) !!!
Check that transfered size value is less than 1572864 (180000 hex)

Bytes transferred = 1313216 (1409c0 hex) 

• Flash kernel image with:

   BIOS> run flash_kernel

• To make it easier next time, you can write a small U-Boot script:

BIOS> setenv kernel_img linux-kernel-2.6.18.1-arm.bin
BIOS> setenv update_kernel_tftp if tftp 08000000 \${kernel_img}\; then run flash_kernel\; fi

• So next time you will only launch:

BIOS> run update_kernel_tftp

• If you only want to try a new kernel without flashing the kernel image you can launch it directly from RAM:

BIOS> setenv bootargs ${console} ${mtdparts}; run addjffsargs addipargs; bootm

(the kernel image you want to try must have been loaded at 0x08000000)

Linux rootfs installation

Load rootfs image with u-boot through network:

   BIOS> tftpboot 08000000 pathtoyourhostedbuildrootdir/rootfs.arm_nofpu.jffs2

or serial line:

   BIOS> loadb 08000000
   Ctrl+Altgr+\+c to access kermit command line then...
   send pathtoyourhostedbuildrootdir/rootfs.arm_nofpu.jffs2

the you can type the c command to reconnect to the terminal

Flash rootfs image with:

   BIOS> run flash_rootfs

Now you should be ready to test linux:

   BIOS> boot

• To make it easier next time, you can write a small U-Boot script:

BIOS> setenv rootfs_img rootfs.arm_nofpu.jffs2
BIOS> setenv update_rootfs_tftp if tftp 08000000 \${rootfs_img}\; then run flash_rootfs\; fi
BIOS> saveenv

• So next time you will only launch:

BIOS> run update_rootfs_tftp

FPGA firmware installation

The FPGA firmwares are in the armadeus/software/firmware tree You can make some trials with the armadeus/software/firmware/ps2/ps2_top.bin file !!! check your file size is smaller than the firmware partition size (AKA 256KB)

Load FPGA firmware image file with u-boot through network:

   BIOS> tftpboot 08000000 pathtoyourhostedfirmwaredir/fpgafirmware.bin

or serial line:

   BIOS> loadb 08000000
   Ctrl+Altgr+\+c to access kermit command line then...
   C-Kermit> send pathtoyourhostedfirmwaredir/fpgafirmware.bin

then you can type the c command to reconnect to the terminal

Flash firmware image with:

   BIOS> run flash_firmware

Test your new FPGA firmware:

   BIOS> fpga load 0 ${firmware_addr} ${firmware_len}

When your are satisfied with your firmware you can make it autoloaded at power up:

   BIOS> setenv firmware_autoload 1
   BIOS> saveenv

Update U-Boot

There are two steps to update u-boot:

• 1] Load the new u-boot code in RAM

You can use the following commands to download U-boot. With ethernet and a tftpboot server:

   tftpboot 08000000 /tftpboot_path_to_buildroot/u-boot.bin

With ethernet and a nfs server:

   nfs 08000000 host_ip_addr:/nfs_path_to_buildroot/u-boot.bin

With the kermit and a serial line

   loadb 08000000
   <CTRL><ALT GR>\
   c
   send path_to_buildroot/u_boot.bin
   c

• 2] Transfer code from RAM to Flash memory

There is a simple u-boot command/script to do that:

   run flash_uboot

advanced information can be found at the BootLoader wiki page.