MIMXRT1061 unable to boot from external NOR flash

jahmed9 — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:18:49 GMT

Hi
I have a custom board based on the MIMXRT1061DVL6B with an external NOR flash (W25Q128JVSSIQ). I am using Zephyr with VS Code as my development environment, and I am currently having difficulty getting the device to boot.

I suspect the issue is similar to the one discussed in this post:
https://community.nxp.com/t5/i-MX-RT-Crossover-MCUs/i-MX-RT1060-Boot-using-FlexSPI/m-p/1242678

Specifically, I believe it may be related to linker script configuration and enabling `XIP_EXTERNAL_FLASH`.

What I do not fully understand is the correct way to modify the linker settings and enable `XIP_EXTERNAL_FLASH` in both a Zephyr-based setup and a standalone MCUXpresso/NXP SDK-style project.

As an experiment, I was able to get some activity from the MCU by manually modifying the `MIMXRT1062xxxxx_flexspi_nor.ld` linker file and changing the `.text` section placement to:

```
.text{} > m_data AT > m_text
```

However, I do not want to rely on this manual modification because there are multiple `MIMXRT1062xxxxx_flexspi_nor.ld` files in the project, and I am not sure which one is actually being used by the linker.

I would appreciate guidance on the correct procedure to:

1. Configure XIP execution from external NOR flash for MIMXRT1061.
2. Enable the required `XIP_EXTERNAL_FLASH` settings.
3. Properly modify or override the linker script in a Zephyr-based project.
4. Understand the equivalent configuration for a non-Zephyr project.

Any guidance on the recommended approach would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Junaid

Re: MIMXRT1061 unable to boot from external NOR flash

Habib_MS — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:42:25 GMT

Hello @jahmed9,

In order to support you better, could you please provide me the next information?

-Is the DQS pin connected, or is it left floating in your design?

-Is the flash device connected to FlexSPI Port A?

-Have you modified the FCB according of your flash device? If so, could you please run the flash_component_nor_flexspi example from the SDK with your modifications?

This can help verify basic communication with the flash device by confirming whether read, write, and erase operations complete successfully. This test is also useful to validate the hardware connections.

If you have not modified the FCB, Chapter 18 of the FlexSPI booting guide provides a detailed explanation of how the FCB is constructed. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to let me know.
BR
Habib

topic MIMXRT1061 unable to boot from external NOR flash in MCX Microcontrollers

MIMXRT1061 unable to boot from external NOR flash

Re: MIMXRT1061 unable to boot from external NOR flash