Dual Core swUpdate - IMX8ULP9EVK

[dhruvinrajpura]

I am performing OTA(swupdate) in IMX8ULP-EVk9 and I followed docment 
https://docs.nxp.com/bundle/AN13872/page/topics/introduction.html 
and with this I am able to perform swupdate for A core(Linux) For that sw-description file I am using that I attched here.

Now I am updating A core image in /dev/mmcblk0p2 now I also want to update M core(MCU) side image as well (IMx8ULP is hetrogenius dual core MPU) what I need to add in sw-description file so I can update M core image and specificaly in which partition, 

Here is my current partition that I have with minimal core image

root@imx8ulp-9x9-lpddr4-evk:~# lsblk 
NAME         MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
mtdblock0     31:0    0    64M  0 disk 
mmcblk0      179:0    0  29.1G  0 disk 
|-mmcblk0p1  179:1    0  83.2M  0 part 
-mmcblk0p2  179:2    0 318.8M  0 part /
mmcblk0boot0 179:32   0     4M  1 disk 
mmcblk0boot1 179:64   0     4M  1 disk 

Can anyone explain that to update image on M core side in which partition I need to add and what needs to be update in sw-description file?

[dhruvinrajpura]

@Zhiming_Liu 
Thanks for response,

when I try to upload M core in the bootloader with dtb file and kernel image on 

mmcblk0boot0

while booting I am getting dtb file not avilable error, so It is not able to boot further.

How can I ensure that am I flashing in the correct partition or not and do I need to update dtb, kernel and M core image on the same partition or in different partition in sw-description file.

How sw-description file will look like in this case and what will be partition scheme for imx8ulp-evk9 that's main thing I want to know.

[Zhiming_Liu]

The file you need to update is not in /dev/mmcblk0boot0. Please refer the templates in https://github.com/NXP/swupdate-scripts/tree/main/boards.

You can copy config files from i.MX93, the step is replacing file names in these configs.

https://github.com/NXP/swupdate-scripts/blob/main/boards/cfg_imx93_base.cfg

https://github.com/NXP/swupdate-scripts/blob/main/boards/cfg_imx93_update_image.cfg

https://github.com/NXP/swupdate-scripts/blob/main/boards/sw-description-imx93-emmc-dualcopy-image.te...

These names are different, and the offset is same as i.MX93(32K) on i.MX8ULP.

[dhruvinrajpura]

Thanks @Zhiming_Liu 

I created sw-description file as given in reference and attched here as well, with that when I perform swupdate only A core image is updating on the M core image is still previous one after rebooting.

Can you please check my sw-description and script to generate swu file for that?

[Zhiming_Liu]

Hi

I will try that on EVK board.

Best Regards
Zhiming

[dhruvinrajpura]

@Zhiming_Liu 

Hi,

If you have tried swupdate on IMX8ULP-EVK9 on both cores(M core & A core), Please let me know so I can reproduce same thing on my side.

[Zhiming_Liu]

Hi
Please refer this:

https://community.nxp.com/t5/i-MX-Processors-Knowledge-Base/Add-imx8ulp-support-in-swupdate-scripts/...

Best Regards
Zhiming

[dhruvinrajpura]

@Zhiming_Liu 

IMPORTANT

In the provided patch of swupdate-script it is for dualcopy one so as per expectation when we upgrade rootfs it should boot from different slot.

For. ex currently root is targetting at mmcblk0p2(dualA) and we are performing swupdate than after swupdate it should boot from dualB but currently it is booting from same slot and in the script also we are giving device as parameter but how we get to know before performing swupdate that device is currently in which slot,

I have question that how can we test dualcopy functionality? I applied your both patches (swupdate and uboot one).

[dhruvinrajpura]

IMPORTANT

Hi @Zhiming_Liu 

With above script I am able to build base image and board is working with 4 partition but MBR partition has it's own limitation that we can create only 4 partition I need to create more partition to store some permenent data that do not update after swupdate So, it requires GPT scheme so If I want to create base Image with GPT parititon what changes required in script?

I found that simply replacing MBR with GPT not working to create partition with GPT.

[dhruvinrajpura]

Hello @Zhiming_Liu 

Thank you so much for help,

Having one issue while performing https://community.nxp.com/t5/i-MX-Processors-Knowledge-Base/Add-imx8ulp-support-in-swupdate-scripts/...

when I created 

./assemble_base_image.sh -b imx8ulp -e emmc -d doublecopy -m

and I created swu_doublecopy_rescue_imx8ulp_emmc_20240916.sdcard and I updated image with

uuu -b emmc_all .\imx-boot-imx8ulp-lpddr4-evk-sd.bin-flash_singleboot_m33 .\swu_doublecopy_rescue_imx8ulp_emmc_20240914.sdcard

 
getting error while botting board

DHCP client bound to address 192.168.68.138 (26 ms)
*** ERROR: `serverip' not set
Cannot autoload with TFTPGET
BOOTP broadcast 1
DHCP client bound to address 192.168.68.138 (33 ms)
*** ERROR: `serverip' not set
Cannot autoload with TFTPGET
WARN: Cannot load the DT
=> 

what I changed in your patch is name of dtb as i am using Imx8ULP-EVK9 so first I tried with exact changes you given I got error than I modified dtb name and again tried but still getting same issue

I checked env and got

fdt_addr=0x83000000
fdt_addr_r=0x83000000
fdt_high=0xffffffffffffffff
fdtcontroladdr=a3e04210
fdtfile=imx8ulp-9x9-evk.dtb

I tried with imx8ulp-evk.dtb and imx8ulp-9x9-evk.dtb both having same error on boot.

[Zhiming_Liu]

Hi

Need to patch configs/imx8ulp_9x9_evk_defconfig. not configs/imx8ulp_evk_defconfig.Please check

Best Regards
Zhiming

[dhruvinrajpura]

@Zhiming_Liu 

Tried that also, but when I try to flash

uuu -b emmc_all .\imx-boot-imx8ulp-lpddr4-evk-sd.bin-flash_singleboot_m33 .\swu_doublecopy_rescue_imx8ulp_emmc_20240914.sdcard

After flashing when I boot up board getting Error to load dt file.

[Zhiming_Liu]

Hi

Please check that MBR file has been regenerated, the error relate to partition.

Best Regards
Zhiming

[dhruvinrajpura]

@Zhiming_Liu 

IMPORTANT

Apart from dual copy If I just want to update M core image 
I applied patch you given for u-boot and generated core-image-minimal.wic file in yocto and flashed it on board.

Than I generated .swu file with 
sw-description-imx8ulp-emmc-dualcopy-image.template

where we are including m33 image and bootscript when I update it on web-ui of swupdate,
It is compliting successfully and A core got rebooted but M core is still with previous loaded image it is not updating

Am I missing any step on above?

[Zhiming_Liu]

Hi

Need to modify here, then bootloader will be replaced. Then you need make sure you are using new M33 firmware.

Best Regards
Zhiming

[dhruvinrajpura]

Hello @Zhiming_Liu 

For Update M core (Singlecopy) I am able to perform swupdate, but after swupdate is completes, I need to do hard reboot, also If I just reboot A core not observing any moment on M core to start updated code on M core currently hard reboot is only option for me, Can you tell me anything I can perform (by command or else) that can reboot M core and load newly updated firmware in it?

[dhruvinrajpura]

Thanks @Zhiming_Liu 

It's working fine to update M core image,

For dual copy purpose in the cfg_imx8ulp_base.cfg currently looks like below

#!/usr/bin/bash

# Name of the SoC.
# This name will be used to source this board specific cfg file.
SOC_NAME=imx8ulp

#############################################
# Used to generate base image.
#############################################
# Partition table format, MBR or GPT.
IMAGE_PT_TBL_FMT="MBR"

# Path of MBR file. If -m is specified in command option, this file will be regenerated.
IMAGE_PT_TBL_PATH="${WRK_DIR}/common/swu_dualslot_7.5G.pt"
# Information of MBR file. Format is [FILENAME:<OFFSET_START>:<OFFSET_END>]
IMAGE_PT_TBL="${IMAGE_PT_TBL_PATH}:0:7500M"
# MBR header length. For MBR, this is always 512.
IMAGE_PT_TBL_LENGTH=512
# MBR partition information. When the MBR need to be regenerated, this struct will be used to generate a new MBR.
# Format: [PARTITION_NAME:<OFFSET_START>:<OFFSET_END>:<Filesystem Type>]
# Numbers and fs type in this struct will be passed to command directly.
# sudo parted <PARTITION_NAME> unit MiB mkpart primary <Filesystem Type> <OFFSET_START> <OFFSET_END>
IMAGE_PT_TABLE_STRUCT="
1:SLOTA_BOOT_PT:120:240:fat32
2:SLOTA_ROOTFS:240:3240:ext4
3:SLOTB_BOOT_PT:3240:3360:fat32
4:SLOTB_ROOTFS:3360:6360:ext4
"

# Header of a image.
# Contains MBR, bootloader and padding.
# Format: [FILEPATH:<OFFSET_START>:<OFFSET_END>]
IMAGES_HEADER="
${IMAGE_PT_TBL_PATH}:0:32K
${WRK_DIR}/slota/imx-boot-imx8ulp-9x9-lpddr4-evk-sd.bin-flash_singleboot_m33:32K:8M
"

# SWUpdate image.
# Contains Image, dtb and ramfs for SWUpdate.
# Format: [FILEPATH:<OFFSET_START>:<OFFSET_END>]
IMAGES_SWUPDATE="
${WRK_DIR}/slota/Image:8M:50M
${WRK_DIR}/slota/imx8ulp-9x9-evk.dtb:50M:54M
${WRK_DIR}/slota/swupdate-image-imx8ulp-9x9-lpddr4-evk.cpio.gz.u-boot:54M:120M
"

# SlotA boot partion files list, which will be copied into slotb boot partition.
SLOTA_BOOT_PT_FILES="
${WRK_DIR}/slota/imx8ulp-9x9-evk.dtb
${WRK_DIR}/slota/Image
"
# SLOTA images
# Contains boot partition and rootfs.
# Format: [FILEPATH:<OFFSET_START>:<OFFSET_END>]
SLOTA_BOOT_PT="${WRK_DIR}/common/slota_boot_pt_120M.mirror:100M:220M"
SLOTA_ROOTFS="${WRK_DIR}/slota/core-image-minimal-imx8ulp-9x9-lpddr4-evk.ext4:220M:3220M"
SLOTA_IMAGES="
${SLOTA_BOOT_PT}
${SLOTA_ROOTFS}
"

# SlotB boot partion files list, which will be copied into slotb boot partition.
SLOTB_BOOT_PT_FILES="
${WRK_DIR}/slotb/imx8ulp-9x9-evk.dtb
${WRK_DIR}/slotb/Image
"
# SLOTB images
# Contains boot partition and rootfs.
# Format: [FILEPATH:<OFFSET_START>:<OFFSET_END>]
SLOTB_BOOT_PT="${WRK_DIR}/common/slotb_boot_pt_120M.mirror:3220M:3340M"
SLOTB_ROOTFS="${WRK_DIR}/slotb/core-image-minimal-imx8ulp-9x9-lpddr4-evk.ext4:3340M:6340M"
SLOTB_IMAGES="
${SLOTB_BOOT_PT}
${SLOTB_ROOTFS}
"

Do we require any modification in this, because we are putting image of M core from 32K should we go from 0:32K for M core image, May be that's why I am getting error to load dt?

[Zhiming_Liu]

Hi

Do not modify base config.


Best Regards
Zhiming

[dhruvinrajpura]

@Zhiming_Liu 

If possible can you check it on IMX8ULP-EVK9, whethere you are able to flash that (.sdcard) image or not?

[Zhiming_Liu]

Hi @dhruvinrajpura 

I don't have an EVK9 around at the moment, you can check the mmc device port difference in the EVK9 uboot

[dhruvinrajpura]

@Zhiming_Liu 

If you had performed dualcopy on imx8ulp-evk than can you share that zip of that setup so I can try it out on my side,

You can share zip and steps I will follow that.