BootStrap
Instructions to use the Armadeus U-Boot recovery utility. If you thought you bricked your board by flashing a bad bootloader, don't worry: there is a solution to recover it, without a JTAG probe. Indeed i.MX controllers have an internal "bootstrap" mode that allow them to communicate through RS232 or USB just after the reset.
Introduction
The uboot_recover tool is a Python piece of code that allows you to automatically install a new U-Boot from scratch or to recover it in case of failure. uboot_recover requires the python and pyserial packages to be installed on your PC:
$ sudo apt-get install python-serial
This utility communicates with the i.MXL/i.MX27 processor while in bootstrap mode (See i.MXL/i.MX27 reference manual for more informations).
To enter the bootstrap mode, you have to put the bootstrap jumper and reset your Armadeus board:
 On the APF9328DevLight |
 On the APF9328DevFull |
 On the APF27Dev (J12) |
Usage
- Quit all Kermit/Minicom/GTKTerm/Hyperterminal sessions connected to the board through RS232
- Go inside the software/uboot_recover/ directory and launch:
$ python apf9328_recover.py
or
$ python apf27_recover.py
- The tool will ask you to specify the serial port on which the board is connected. Under Linux please use /dev/ttySx or /dev/ttyUSBx and under Window$ use COMx.
- Then the size of the SDRAM has to be indicated. Default value is 16Mo for the APF9328 and 64Mo for the APF27.
- The tool will then try to synchronize with the i.MX (on APF9328 only). When you see that message, reset your board:
Re-synchronizing... Please reset your board in bootstrap mode ! Please reset your board in bootstrap mode ! Please reset your board in bootstrap mode ! Please reset your board in bootstrap mode !
 |
Note: If nothing happens, verify your bootstrap jumper is put and try to reset your board.
At last, check your serial port device is the right one and don't forget to quit all kermit/minicom instances before launching uboot_recover tool ! |
- Then you can specify whether the environment variables (IP, your special scripts...) have to be erased or not. If your board does not start anymore after a first uboot_recover, please respond 'y'.
- The following messages are then displayed (on APF9328):
loading file ramprogrammer.bin. Please wait... 284 octets Loading file u-boot.bin. Please wait... 150304 octets loading file flashprogrammer.bin. Please wait... 668 octets Flashing please wait... . uBoot successfully recovered !
- The following messages are then displayed (on APF27):
run flash_uboot device 0 offset 0x0, size 0xa0000 nand_unlock: start: 00000000, length: 655360! NAND flash successfully unlocked NAND erase: device 0 offset 0x0, size 0xa0000 OK NAND write: device 0 offset 0x0, size 0xa0000 655360 bytes written: OK NAND flash successfully locked device 0 offset 0xa0000, size 0x7f60000 nand_unlock: start: 000a0000, length: 133562368! NAND flash successfully unlocked Flashing of uboot succeed BIOS>uBoot successfully recovered !
