Target Software Installation

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On this page you will learn how to flash new U-Boot, Linux and rootfs images on your APF module.

Configure U-Boot

Environment variables

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

 BIOS> printenv
 bootcmd=run jffsboot
 bootdelay=20
 baudrate=115200
 ethaddr=
 autoload=no
 ...

The command setenv is used to change these variables. For example, to set the IP address (don't do it yet): 

 BIOS> setenv ipaddr 192.168.0.10

The command saveenv is used to save the state of your environment variables in FLASH memory; that way they will be available at next boot: 

 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 192.168.0.10 
 BIOS> setenv serverip 192.168.0.2                 (the IP address of your tftp server/PC hosting the files to download)
 BIOS> setenv rootpath "/tftpboot/apf9328-root"    (to boot Linux over NFS)

You can use the dhcp command to configure these variables from your DHCP server. You probably 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 192.168.0.10
 BIOS> setenv serverip 192.168.0.2
 BIOS> saveenv

Do not forget to save your changes in FLASH, to have them available at next power up: 

 BIOS> saveenv

In case of troubles you can use the following U-Boot script to reset the variables to the "factory"/default settings: 

 BIOS> run flash_reset_env

Linux kernel installation

  • Check that your Armadeus kernel image size is smaller than the U-Boot partition (2MB on APF9328 and 4MB on APF27, with Armadeus 3.1):
 [armadeus]$ ls -al buildroot/binaries/apf*/
  • If yes, copy it to your TFTP server directory (here /tftpboot/); replace XX with your board name (apf9328 or apf27):
 [armadeus]$ cp buildroot/binaries/apfXX/apfXX-linux.bin /tftpboot/
  • Load kernel image with U-Boot through network:
 BIOS> tftpboot ${loadaddr} apfXX-linux.bin

or with the serial line: 

 BIOS> loadb ${loadaddr}
     ''Ctrl+Altgr+\+c to access kermit command line then:''
 (/home/.../) C-Kermit>send /tftpboot/apf9328-linux.bin
     ''After download is completed, you can type the c command to reconnect to the terminal:''
 (/home/.../) C-Kermit>c
 Connecting to /dev/ttyUSB0, speed 115200
  Escape character: Ctrl-\ (ASCII 28, FS): enabled
 Type the escape character followed by C to get back,
 or followed by ? to see other options.
 ----------------------------------------------------
 ## Total Size      = 0x0013d0b0 = 1298608 Bytes
 ## Start Addr      = 0x08000000
 BIOS>
Warning Warning: If the loaded kernel image is too large, the following operation can destroy data that are stored after the partition limits (e.g. RootFS)

Check that transfered size value is less than 2097152 (0x200000 hex) on APF9328 or less than 5242880 (0x500000 hex) on APF27 with armadeus 3 

 Bytes transferred = 1313216 (1409c0 hex)
  • You can test your new kernel image without flashing it with; if so you will have to reload it again after test:
 BIOS> bootm ${loadaddr}
  • a U-Boot script exists to ease kernel image loading through Ethernet:
 BIOS> run download_kernel
  • After kernel image has been downloaded into RAM memory, you can flash it with:
 BIOS> run flash_kernel
  • To make it easier, you can use automatic scripts that will download the image and flash it in the same go. So next time you will only launch:
 BIOS> run update_kernel
  • To know what update_kernel script is doing you can display its content:
 BIOS> printenv update_kernel
  • 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 ${loadaddr})

rootfs installation

  • Check that your Armadeus rootfs image size is smaller than the rootfs partition (see Flash Memory Partitions for size allowances):
 [armadeus]$ ls -al buildroot/binaries/apf9328/
 ...
 [armadeus]$ cp buildroot/binaries/apf9328/apf9328-rootfs.arm.jffs2 /tftpboot/
  • Load rootfs image with U-Boot through network:
 BIOS> tftpboot ${loadaddr} apf9328-rootfs.arm.jffs2

For large rootfs (bigger than the available RAM on your system) please use this method (only on APF27): 

 BIOS> tftpboot ${rootfs_offset} apf27-rootfs.arm.jffs2 nand

or serial line: 

BIOS> loadb ${loadaddr}
    ''Ctrl+Altgr+\+c to access kermit command line then...''
(/home/.../) C-Kermit>send path_to_your_host_buildroot_dir/apfXX-rootfs.arm.jffs2
    ''After download is completed, you can type the c command to reconnect to the terminal:''
(/home/.../) C-Kermit>c
Connecting to /dev/ttyUSB0, speed 115200
 Escape character: Ctrl-\ (ASCII 28, FS): enabled
Type the escape character followed by C to get back,
or followed by ? to see other options.
----------------------------------------------------
## Total Size      = 0x........
## Start Addr      = 0x........
BIOS>
  • Flash rootfs image with:
 BIOS> run flash_rootfs
  • Now you should be ready to test Linux:
 BIOS> boot
  • To make it easier, you can use automatic scripts. So next time you will only launch:
 BIOS> run update_rootfs

FPGA firmware installation

The FPGA firmwares are all located in the firmware/ directory of your Armadeus view: 

[armadeus]$ ls firmware/
apf_pkg  BRAMTest  bus_led  led  PS2  PS2_Opencore  servo  sram_test  wishbone_example  Xtools

You can make some trials with the firmware/PS2/ps2_top.bit file.

Warning Warning: Check that your bitfile size is smaller than the firmware partition size (256KB) before trying the following commands or you may corrupt your Linux kernel FLASH partition !!!


  • Load FPGA firmware image file with U-Boot through:

Ethernet: 

 BIOS> tftpboot ${loadaddr} fpgafirmware.bit

fpgafirmware.bit is of course the name of your bitfile stored in your TFTP shared directory (/tftpboot/)

or serial line: 

 BIOS> loadb ${loadaddr}
 Ctrl+Altgr+\+c to access kermit command line then...
 C-Kermit> send path_to_your_tftp/fpgafirmware.bit

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

  • Test your new FPGA firmware's downloading:
 BIOS> fpga load 0 ${loadaddr} ${firmware_len}
  • Flash your firmware image with:
 BIOS> run flash_firmware
  • 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:

Load the new U-Boot code in RAM

You can use the following commands to download U-boot:

  • With Ethernet and a TFTP server:
 BIOS> tftpboot ${loadaddr} apf9328-u-boot.bin
  • With Ethernet and a NFS server:
 BIOS> nfs ${loadaddr} host_ip_addr:/nfs_path_to_buildroot/apf9328-u-boot.bin
  • With kermit and the serial/RS232 line
 BIOS> loadb ${loadaddr}
    <CTRL><ALT GR>\
    c
    send path_to_buildroot/apf9328-u-boot.bin
    c<ENTER>

Transfer code from RAM to Flash memory

There is a simple U-Boot command/script to do that: 

 BIOS> run flash_uboot

Advanced informations can be found at the BootLoader wiki page.

Flash memory partitions

APF9328 Flash memory partitions

Armadeus 2.x address range
(index from FLASH physical @ 0x10000000) 		Armadeus 3 address range
(index from FLASH physical @ 0x10000000) 		Type
0x000000 - 0x03FFFF ( 256KB ) 0x000000 - 0x03FFFF ( 256KB ) U-Boot
0x040000 - 0x5FFFF ( 128KB ) 0x040000 - 0x5FFFF ( 128KB ) U-Boot environment variables
0x060000 - 0x9FFFF ( 256KB ) 0x060000 - 0x9FFFF ( 256KB ) FPGA bitfile
0x0A0000 - 0x21FFFF ( 1.5MB ) 0x0A0000 - 0x29FFFF ( 2MB ) Linux kernel image
0x220000 - End of FLASH ( ~6 MB or ~14MB ) 0x2A0000 - End of FLASH ( ~5.5 MB or ~13.5MB ) Root filesystem


APF27 Flash memory partitions

NAND flash address range Type
0x00000000 - 0x0009FFFF (640KB, including NAND SPL and 384KB spare memory for bad blocks) U-Boot
0x000A0000 - 0x000FFFFF (384KB) U-Boot environment variables
0x00100000 - 0x0017FFFF (512KB) FPGA bitfile
0x00180000 - 0x0067FFFF (5MB) Linux kernel image
0x00680000 - End of FLASH (>~250MB) Root filesystem


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