Vybrid ProcessorsのトピックRe: create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

stefansinger — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:21:09 GMT

Hi, we use the Mentor CodeSourcery Sourcery_CodeBench_Lite_for_ARM_EABI Compiler to develop an applications for the M4 core of Vybrid. Everything works fine with the debugger. For a standalone operation we do now want to put the application just onto the SD card and let uboot start it. We have done this before. I need now to convert the ELF file into a .bin file, which uboot can load.

I am trying to do this with arm-eabi-objcopy and also the arm-none-eabi-objcopy. I run the following steps in a batch file (therefore the %1):

arm-none-eabi-objcopy --strip-debug -R.devdata %1 %1.img

arm-none-eabi-objcopy -O srec %1.img %1.srec

arm-none-eabi-objcopy -O binary %1.img %1.bin

all files look reasonable, however the created .bin file is huge ! I have also tried to do this directly from the elf file with -S -O. All attempts lead to some huge file. I assume this has to do with the fact, that the project uses small sections of memory accross all the RAMs on vybrid and that the objdump seems to create a contiguos memory file ?

What is the solution ?

Re: create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

dirkdoerr — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:33:22 GMT

Your assumption is right. The bin includes the RAM areas.

But why not using the elf file directly? u-boot supports loading an elf.

You could setup your SDCard to have a FAT filesystem. Then copy the elf to the FAT partition. And finally load it like that:

fatload mmc 0:1 0x85C00000 app.elf; bootelf 0x85C00000

0x85C00000 is just an address within the external RAM.

Of course instead of FAT you could also use ext2 and use the u-boot command ext2load.

u-boot cmds:

U-Boot: Quick reference - Wiki

Regards

Dirk

Re: create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

stefansinger — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:19:03 GMT

Are you sure, that fatload supports ELF files on the Vybrid UBOOT ? I tried this now with an ELF file working perfectly in the debugger.

When I try this, the following happens:

>fatload mmc 0:1 0x1F000200 vybrid_amp.elf

>reading vybrid_amp.elf

and than it hangs forever .....

Re: create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

dirkdoerr — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:30:15 GMT

My example is exactly what I am doing. But I must admit that I target the A5 core not M4 and everything is loaded to DRAM.

Re: create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

karina_valencia — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 22:54:24 GMT

timesyssupport can you help on this case?

Re: create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

timesyssupport — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 20:10:28 GMT

Hello Stefan,

Allow us some time to investigate; if you have an example elf we can use to test with, that would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Timesys Support

Re: create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

billpringlemeir — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 23:16:51 GMT

What does objdump -h %1 have to say? If you have setup the images with huge holes, then the binary image will be large. You can objcopy the sections individually and load each of them separately. You will call multiple fatload commands. One to load text and another to load data. This actually makes sense as the M4 has a separate code/data space, so most likely the ELF has a large hole which the binary will fill with empty data.

Alternatively, you can only use BSS data and then write some start-up which clears all of the data section. People who do this typically have a bunch of init_module() functions which initialize things, including setting some static/global variables to non-zero constants. Then there is no data binary that needs generation, which might be the better case if you are going to move away from u-boot for your production system.

Edit: Some of the addresses in the MQX Elf may not work with u-boot. Remember u-boot is running on the A5 and some addresses are different between the two CPUs.

Re: create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

karina_valencia — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 22:55:00 GMT

timesyssupport please continue with the follow up on this case.

Re: create binary file for uboot to start M4 from SDcard

timesyssupport — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 00:18:52 GMT

Hello Stefan,

Are you able to upload the elf file you have generated? As per Bill's advice, do you have a contiguous elf file? You could try using mainline u-boot (which has Vybrid support) in case the issue is with u-boot 2011.12.

Regards,

Timesys Support