LS1046ARDB - How to update composite firmware image in QSPI NOR flash

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Follow these steps to update the composite firmware image in QSPI NOR flash.

cpld reset boots the board from QSPI NOR flash0 and cpld reset altbank boots the board from QSPI NOR flash1.
 

sf probe 0:1 means that the alternate bank will be written to. So, if the board boots from QSPI NOR flash0 and sf probe 0:1 is entered at the U-Boot prompt, the commands that follow will program QSPI NOR flash1.
 

Obtaining composite firmware image 

LSDK includes pre-built firmware images for QSPI NOR flash. The LSDK composite firmware includes RCW+PBI, U-Boot/UEFI, PPA, boot loader environment variables, DPAA1 FMan ucode, QE/uQE firmware, Ethernet PHY firmware, device tree, and lsdk_linux_<arch>.itb images.

Refer Flash layout for new boot flow with TF-A for the complete flash memory layout of the images.
 

 On a Linux host machine, download composite firmware image for QSPI boot from nxp.com.   

$ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/sdk/lsdk<LSDK version>/firmware_<RDB_name>_uboot_qspiboot.img 

For example: 

$ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/sdk/lsdk1812/firmware_ls1046ardb_uboot_qspiboot.img 

Flashing composite firmware images to QSPI NOR flash

Composite firmware image can be loaded to LS1046ARDB from a TFTP server or from a mass storage device (SD, USB, or SATA).

Option 1: Load image from the TFTP server

1. Boot LS1046RDB from QSPI NOR flash. Ensure that the switches are set to boot the board from QSPI NOR flash. For booting from QSPI flash, SW5[1:8] = 00100010
2. Boot from QSPI NOR flash0: => cpld reset

   In boot log, you’ll see:

   Board: LS1046ARDB, boot from QSPI vBank 0

Set up Ethernet connection

When board boots up, U-Boot prints a list of enabled Ethernet interfaces.

FM1@DTSEC3 [PRIME], FM1@DTSEC4, FM1@DTSEC5, FM1@DTSEC6, FM1@TGEC1, FM1@TGEC2

1. Set server IP to the IP of the host machine on which you have configured the TFTP server. 

   => setenv serverip <ipaddress1>

2. Set ethact and ethprime as the Ethernet interface connected to the TFTP server.

   Refer LS1046ARDB Ethernet port mapping for the mapping of Ethernet port names appearing on the chassis front panel with the port names in U-Boot and Linux.
    

   => setenv ethprime <name of interface connected to TFTP server>

   For example:

   => setenv ethprime FM1@DTSEC4

   => setenv ethact <name of interface connected to TFTP server>

   For example:

   => setenv ethact FM1@DTSEC4

3. Set IP address of the board. You can set a static IP address or, if the board can connect to a dhcp server, you can use the dhcp command.

   Static IP address assignment:
   => setenv ipaddr <ipaddress2>
   => setenv netmask <subnet mask>

   Dynamic IP address assignment:
   => dhcp

4. Save the settings.

   => saveenv

5. Check the connection between the board and the TFTP server.

=> ping $serverip

Using FM1@DTSEC4 device

host 192.168.1.1 is alive

Load composite firmware image from the TFTP server

1. Program QSPI NOR flash1: => sf probe 0:1

2. Flash composite firmware image:

   1. => tftp a0000000 firmware_ls1046ardb_uboot_qspiboot.img
   2. => print filesize
      

      filesize=2351db0

3. Program composite firmware image to QSPI NOR flash: => sf erase 0x0 +$filesize && sf write 0xa0000000 0x0 $filesize 

   Address 0x0 is the location of the composite firmware image in QSPI NOR flash.  Refer Flash layout for new boot flow with TF-A for the complete flash memory layout.

4. Boot from QSPI NOR flash1: => cpld reset altbank

   In boot log, you’ll see:

   Board: LS1046ARDB, boot from QSPI vBank 4

   Ensure that SD card, USB flash drive, or SCSI hard disk installed with LSDK Ubuntu distribution is plugged into the board to boot the board to Ubuntu. If U-Boot does not find LSDK on a mass storage device, it will boot TinyDistro from lsdk_linux_arm64_ tiny.itb stored in QSPI NOR flash.

Option 2: Load image from partition on mass storage device (SD, USB, or SATA)

1. Boot LS1046RDB from QSPI NOR flash. Ensure that the switches are set to boot the board from QSPI NOR flash. For booting from QSPI flash, SW5[1:8] = 00100010
2. Boot from QSPI NOR flash0: => cpld reset

   In boot log, you’ll see:

   Board: LS1046ARDB, boot from QSPI vBank 0

3. Select mass storage device to use.

   => mmc rescan

   => mmc info

   Or

   => usb start
   => usb info

   Or

   => scsi scan

   => scsi info

4. Optional – List files on storage device

   => ls mmc <device:partition>

   For example:

   => ls mmc 0:2

   Or

   => ls usb <device:partition>

   For example:

   => ls usb 0:1

   Or

   => ls scsi <device:partition>

   For example:

   => ls scsi 0:2

5. Program QSPI NOR flash1: => sf probe 0:1
6. Load composite firmware image from the storage device

   => load mmc 0:2 a0000000 <image name>

   => print filesize

   For example:

   => load mmc 0:2 a0000000 firmware_ls1046ardb_uboot_qspiboot.img

   => print filesize

   filesize=2351db0

   Or

   => load usb 0:2 a0000000 <image name>

   => print filesize

   Or

   => load scsi 0:2 a0000000 <image name>

   => print filesize

   If the ls command fails to run, check that U-Boot in QSPI NOR flash0 supports the command by typing ls at the U-Boot prompt:
   => ls
   ls - lists files in a directory (default)
   Usage:
   ls <interface> [<dev[:part]> [directory]]
   - Lists files in directory [directory] of partition [part] on device type [interface] and instance [dev].
   If U-Boot does not support this command, then update the composite firmware image in QSPI NOR flash0.
    

7. Program image to QSPI NOR flash: => sf erase 0x0 +$filesize && sf write 0xa0000000 0x0 $filesize

   Address  0x0 is the location of the composite firmware image in QSPI NOR flash.  Refer Flash layout for new boot flow with TF-A for the complete flash memory layout.

8.  Boot from QSPI NOR flash1: => cpld reset altbank

   In boot log, you’ll see:

   Board: LS1046ARDB, boot from QSPI vBank 4

   Ensure that SD card, USB flash drive, or SCSI hard disk installed with LSDK Ubuntu distribution is plugged into the board to boot the board to Ubuntu. If U-Boot does not find LSDK on a mass storage device, it will boot TinyDistro from lsdk_linux_arm64_ tiny.itb stored in QSPI NOR flash.