RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial

RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial

[Fabrice Gautier]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Trenton D. Adams [ mailto:tadams@theone.dnsalias.com ]
> Subject: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial
> 
> Is it possible to have Redboot start right after being loaded through
> the serial port on an edb7xxx board?  I know, anything is possible! ;)
> 
> Has anyone ever done this?

I've done this on the ARM Integrator Board.

I Used default redboot template then change startup to RAM. Loaded the image
with the ARM Boot Monitor et voila...

Regards,

-- 
Fabrice Gautier
Software Engineer, Sigma Designs
Fabrice_Gautier@sdesigns.com

RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial

[Trenton D. Adams]

I was thinking more along the lines of actually starting it through the
serial port.  eg. loading it as the boot program.  I need this because
we're changing FLASH from intel to AMD am29xxxxx.  So, using another
boot monitor won't work because you have to be able to program flash in
the first place.  Since all the boot/debug monitors for the board are
designed for the flash that's on the development board, I won't be able
to use that flash.

In particular, I would like to be able to start a RAM version of RedBoot
by loading it through the serial port.  I could then modify just the
Redboot source to use the FLASH that we are using.  This would be all I
need since I could then write a ROM version of redboot to FLASH for
startup.

-----Original Message-----
From: Fabrice Gautier [ mailto:Fabrice_Gautier@sdesigns.com ] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 10:25 PM
To: 'Trenton D. Adams'; 'eCos Discussion'; 'Trenton D. Adams'; 'eCos
Discussion'
Subject: RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial




> -----Original Message-----
> From: Trenton D. Adams [ mailto:tadams@theone.dnsalias.com ]
> Subject: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial
> 
> Is it possible to have Redboot start right after being loaded through
> the serial port on an edb7xxx board?  I know, anything is possible! ;)
> 
> Has anyone ever done this?

I've done this on the ARM Integrator Board.

I Used default redboot template then change startup to RAM. Loaded the
image
with the ARM Boot Monitor et voila...

Regards,

-- 
Fabrice Gautier
Software Engineer, Sigma Designs
Fabrice_Gautier@sdesigns.com

RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial

[Gary Thomas]

On Fri, 2001-09-21 at 01:08, Trenton D. Adams wrote:
> I was thinking more along the lines of actually starting it through the
> serial port.  eg. loading it as the boot program.  I need this because
> we're changing FLASH from intel to AMD am29xxxxx.  So, using another
> boot monitor won't work because you have to be able to program flash in
> the first place.  Since all the boot/debug monitors for the board are
> designed for the flash that's on the development board, I won't be able
> to use that flash.
> 
> In particular, I would like to be able to start a RAM version of RedBoot
> by loading it through the serial port.  I could then modify just the
> Redboot source to use the FLASH that we are using.  This would be all I
> need since I could then write a ROM version of redboot to FLASH for
> startup.
> 

We go through exactly this process all the time as part of bringing up
RedBoot on new hardware.

Have you tried it?  If so, what problems did you have?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fabrice Gautier [ mailto:Fabrice_Gautier@sdesigns.com ] 
> Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 10:25 PM
> To: 'Trenton D. Adams'; 'eCos Discussion'; 'Trenton D. Adams'; 'eCos
> Discussion'
> Subject: RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Trenton D. Adams [ mailto:tadams@theone.dnsalias.com ]
> > Subject: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial
> > 
> > Is it possible to have Redboot start right after being loaded through
> > the serial port on an edb7xxx board?  I know, anything is possible! ;)
> > 
> > Has anyone ever done this?
> 
> I've done this on the ARM Integrator Board.
> 
> I Used default redboot template then change startup to RAM. Loaded the
> image
> with the ARM Boot Monitor et voila...
> 
> Regards,
> 

RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial

[Trenton D. Adams]

How would you go about doing this though?  The bootloader code in ROM is
not changeable and only loads 2K of code into SRAM for running.  Does
eCos/RedBoot have a utility <2K that will load RedBoot into RAM and run
it?

-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Thomas [ mailto:gthomas@redhat.com ] 
Sent: September 20, 2001 4:27 PM
To: Trenton D. Adams
Cc: 'Fabrice Gautier'; 'eCos Discussion'
Subject: RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial


On Fri, 2001-09-21 at 01:08, Trenton D. Adams wrote:
> I was thinking more along the lines of actually starting it through 
> the serial port.  eg. loading it as the boot program.  I need this 
> because we're changing FLASH from intel to AMD am29xxxxx.  So, using 
> another boot monitor won't work because you have to be able to program

> flash in the first place.  Since all the boot/debug monitors for the 
> board are designed for the flash that's on the development board, I 
> won't be able to use that flash.
> 
> In particular, I would like to be able to start a RAM version of 
> RedBoot by loading it through the serial port.  I could then modify 
> just the Redboot source to use the FLASH that we are using.  This 
> would be all I need since I could then write a ROM version of redboot 
> to FLASH for startup.
> 

We go through exactly this process all the time as part of bringing up
RedBoot on new hardware.

Have you tried it?  If so, what problems did you have?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fabrice Gautier [ mailto:Fabrice_Gautier@sdesigns.com ]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 10:25 PM
> To: 'Trenton D. Adams'; 'eCos Discussion'; 'Trenton D. Adams'; 'eCos
> Discussion'
> Subject: RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Trenton D. Adams [ mailto:tadams@theone.dnsalias.com ]
> > Subject: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial
> > 
> > Is it possible to have Redboot start right after being loaded 
> > through the serial port on an edb7xxx board?  I know, anything is 
> > possible! ;)
> > 
> > Has anyone ever done this?
> 
> I've done this on the ARM Integrator Board.
> 
> I Used default redboot template then change startup to RAM. Loaded the

> image with the ARM Boot Monitor et voila...
> 
> Regards,
> 

RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial

[Gary Thomas]

On Fri, 2001-09-21 at 08:56, Trenton D. Adams wrote:
> How would you go about doing this though?  The bootloader code in ROM is
> not changeable and only loads 2K of code into SRAM for running.  Does
> eCos/RedBoot have a utility <2K that will load RedBoot into RAM and run
> it?

Here you're talking about the specifics of a paritcular chip[set].  

On the Cirrus Logic chips [your reference], we have to use a program 
provided by CL.  We download this program using the "bootstrap" mode
on the processor.  That program then starts up a secondary process
which loads RedBoot and writes it to FLASH.  Of course, this mode of
operation is very specific to that particular processor.

I understand your problem though - you can't use the provided code
(which came to us only in binary form) since the FLASH parts are 
different.  In this case, it may be necessary to write a small 
replacement for the "download and FLASH" program which only downloads
RedBoot and then runs it.  This may prove difficult as IIRC the memory
map changes when in bootstrap vs normal modes.

Another possibility to consider might be a special version of your
hardware with the FLASH device in a socket which you could then remove
and program remotely.

> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gary Thomas [ mailto:gthomas@redhat.com ] 
> Sent: September 20, 2001 4:27 PM
> To: Trenton D. Adams
> Cc: 'Fabrice Gautier'; 'eCos Discussion'
> Subject: RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial
> 
> 
> On Fri, 2001-09-21 at 01:08, Trenton D. Adams wrote:
> > I was thinking more along the lines of actually starting it through 
> > the serial port.  eg. loading it as the boot program.  I need this 
> > because we're changing FLASH from intel to AMD am29xxxxx.  So, using 
> > another boot monitor won't work because you have to be able to program
> 
> > flash in the first place.  Since all the boot/debug monitors for the 
> > board are designed for the flash that's on the development board, I 
> > won't be able to use that flash.
> > 
> > In particular, I would like to be able to start a RAM version of 
> > RedBoot by loading it through the serial port.  I could then modify 
> > just the Redboot source to use the FLASH that we are using.  This 
> > would be all I need since I could then write a ROM version of redboot 
> > to FLASH for startup.
> > 
> 
> We go through exactly this process all the time as part of bringing up
> RedBoot on new hardware.
> 
> Have you tried it?  If so, what problems did you have?
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Fabrice Gautier [ mailto:Fabrice_Gautier@sdesigns.com ]
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 10:25 PM
> > To: 'Trenton D. Adams'; 'eCos Discussion'; 'Trenton D. Adams'; 'eCos
> > Discussion'
> > Subject: RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Trenton D. Adams [ mailto:tadams@theone.dnsalias.com ]
> > > Subject: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial
> > > 
> > > Is it possible to have Redboot start right after being loaded 
> > > through the serial port on an edb7xxx board?  I know, anything is 
> > > possible! ;)
> > > 
> > > Has anyone ever done this?
> > 
> > I've done this on the ARM Integrator Board.
> > 
> > I Used default redboot template then change startup to RAM. Loaded the
> 
> > image with the ARM Boot Monitor et voila...
> > 
> > Regards,
> > 

RE: [ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial

[Trenton D. Adams]

> 
> 
> On Fri, 2001-09-21 at 08:56, Trenton D. Adams wrote:
> > How would you go about doing this though?  The bootloader 
> code in ROM 
> > is not changeable and only loads 2K of code into SRAM for running.  
> > Does eCos/RedBoot have a utility <2K that will load RedBoot 
> into RAM 
> > and run it?
> 
> Here you're talking about the specifics of a paritcular chip[set].  
> 
> On the Cirrus Logic chips [your reference], we have to use a program 
> provided by CL.  We download this program using the 
> "bootstrap" mode on the processor.  That program then starts 
> up a secondary process which loads RedBoot and writes it to 
> FLASH.  Of course, this mode of operation is very specific to 
> that particular processor.
> 
> I understand your problem though - you can't use the provided 
> code (which came to us only in binary form) since the FLASH parts are 
> different.  In this case, it may be necessary to write a small 
> replacement for the "download and FLASH" program which only 
> downloads RedBoot and then runs it.  This may prove difficult 
> as IIRC the memory map changes when in bootstrap vs normal modes.

It's just a reverse chip select decoding anyhow so that's not too much
of a problem.

I was given the code from Cirrus Logic (source form) so I'm going to be
modifying it.  That's what I'm doing in the "--entry=" topic.  Trying to
compile/assemble it for loading.  I'll probably modify the download
utility for the edb7xxx to load the boot code from a file instead of the
buffer.  That way people will be able to integrate flash support for
whatever chips they want, and simply recompile the boot loader.  I
talked to the guy there and he said the code is free and can be
integrated into the eCos repository.  If you want to, email me privately
at "tadams@extremeeng.com", and I'll give you his email address.  You
can talk to him about legalities.

> 
> Another possibility to consider might be a special version of 
> your hardware with the FLASH device in a socket which you 
> could then remove and program remotely.

To late for that, the board is already layed out and almost populated!
:)

[ECOS] Load Redboot RAM through serial

[Trenton D. Adams]

Is it possible to have Redboot start right after being loaded through
the serial port on an edb7xxx board?  I know, anything is possible! ;)

Has anyone ever done this?


Trenton D. Adams
Extreme Engineering
#17, 6025 - 12 St. SE
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
T2H 2K1

Phone: 403 640 9494 ext-208
Fax: 403 640 9599

http://www.extremeeng.com