Flash new image with wic file to the old image of IMX6

[Mihan]

Hi 

We have built a new image for IMX6 as following https://doc.qt.io/Boot2Qt/index.html .

But I found there is a wic file not a zip file of image. 

We are using the old version 4.1.15 on the unit, and it doesn't seem to detect to SD card with wic.

Could you please tell us how to flash it to the unit with the old version?

Regards

[joanxie]

since you use old bsp version 4.1.15, why do you get wic images? you should get xx.sdcard images after you build the bsp

[Mihan]

And how to use it?
We could get zip file from the old version, and we know how to flash the image with this zip file.
We couldn't find the zip file as following the point four of `IMX Linux user guide`

[Mihan]

But I couldn't found `.sdcard` images as you say in deploy folder. Could you tell me in details?

[joanxie]

I don't know how you build, if your bulit bsp version is 4.1.15, you should find all of built images under "deploy/images" folder

[Mihan]

My Mistake, I think my description is not clear.

There is a device using bsp version 4.1.15.
We got Boot-2-Qt bsp version 5.15.52. But the type of image file has been changed from zip to wic .

We used mfgtool or SD card to flash the image version 4.1.15 before.

So how to flash the new image to this old device?

[joanxie]

you can use uuu tool to download image to the board,

"https://github.com/NXPmicro/mfgtools/releases"

you also can use dd command to download image to the SD card, for detailed information, pls refer to the enclosed user guide

[Mihan]

Also I found I could not create sdcard type for the image:

We couldn't create this type for imx6dlsabresd, is that rigth?

[Mihan]

Hi again.

I tried to use the command as follow to burn the image to imx6dlsabresd but fail

uuu -b emmc_all u-boot-tagged.imx imx-image-full-imx6dlsabresd-20230131030147.rootfs.wic.bz2

it will be frozen:

What should I do for it？

[edwardtyrrell]

Hi @Mihan 

Make sure you local.conf has:

IMAGE_FSTYPES += " wic"

And try to get Yocto to build an uncompressed wic image. Some uses have found compressed wic's give problems with UUU.

Also, try:

uuu    -b     emmc_all      imx-image-full-imx6dlsabresd-20230131030147.rootfs.wic   (without the u-boot section and wic uncompressed)

Cheers.

[Mihan]

Hi again
I create an issue to uuu on github, and I got the message that the boot doesn't work and there is no output on serial port.
Do you know why?

BTW I could flash the old image (4.1.15) with mfgtool and there are some massages shown on serial port.

[Mihan]

Sorry
I added `IMAGE_FSTYPES += " wic"` then built again.But one thing I may need to explain is the storage on the device is only 4G and the wic file is 3.6G.

And I tried to flash with the uncompressed file without u-boot section, it didn't work, still frozen.

[edwardtyrrell]

Hi @Mihan,

Whether the wic starts off compressed or not, once UUU get's hold of it it will end up on the board extracted. As commented some users found UUU had issues extracting and flashing at the same time; hence to build and start testing without compression. 

Can I suggest starting with a smaller image until the UUU issue has been resolved. Build a Yocto image with the bare basics i.e core-image-minimal (your image may be called something similar, but try this first), this image will boot up and give you lots of basic tools as well as all your device drivers. It's just quicker to build, flash and evaluate then once you've fixed your issue go back to the other build. 

Next, copy the contents of the /deploy/image folder into a text file and post it here in case your not using a full image with uboot and everything in it... 

Finally, lots if users have issues running on a VM; find a native Linux machine and try flashing your board. 

EDIT: Just reread some of your posts and you're using Boot-2-Qt bsp; I'm not familiar with that but you could try looking around on this site and trying some of their pre-built images. You need to ascertain if it's your 'build' or the 'UUU download process' first I think then work on which one is the real issue.

 https://www.embeddedartists.com/boot2qt-for-imx-developers-kits/

Cheers.

[Mihan]

Thanks a lot.
Now I'm using the NXP image built as following the guide I got here.
I will build a smallest image later.

[edwardtyrrell]

Hi @Mihan,

Can't go too wrong with a NXP image! Better support here as well. Hope it all works out.

[Mihan]

Great.
I think there is something wrong about booting when flashing uboot. See the issue I created on github https://github.com/NXPmicro/mfgtools/issues/344.

[edwardtyrrell]

Hi @Mihan,

The link you posted ends with 'Bad Linux ARM zImage magic', is that what you are experiencing? This error is typically a result of the build i.e. loading the kernel with wrong bits (64bit loader and 32bit kernel / 32 bit kernel and 64 bit loader) OR the image is the wrong type for u-boot (uimage/zimage). Another case is the build image could be looking for an SD card not eMMC. However if you're using a standard Yocto build matched to your board and memory, all of that will be take care off.  

Whose board are you using? NXP EVK, Digi, custom board? 

Did you get the NXP image working? Was this built by yourself or a pre-built image?

[Mihan]

Thank you so much for your patience.

Know that this output is posted by using `uuu -b emmc <old_image> <new_image>`.
OTOH, I don't know how to change the bits, but one thing I could confirm is that I built this image as following the guide.
Also, I didn't jump the pins about starting SD card mode and there was no SD card on the board when flashing.

The board is from ZLG in China, I'm not sure if you know.

So I will change the bits to 32bit and try again, I remember that it's in `bitbake menuconfig`.

[edwardtyrrell]

Hi @Mihan,,

I think you may be at the point where you need to 'clear the desk' somewhat and confirm what works and what doesn't. It seems you have too many unknowns and that can make a situation like this very hard to diagnose especially if it's your first time around a new board or build. 

iMXs have a manufacturing mode set by dip switches or links that must be used after the initial programming. By default - out of the factory - they are blank and automatically in manufacturing mode for ease of programming during production.

Set the switches to program the board after which set them to back to boot and run the board. In most cases, users will be setting them to program the eMMC and then to boot from eMMC. 

uuu is the successor to MFGTool and is better, there's no messing around with that xml file! Like MFGTool you still have to flick those switches to program eMMC or nand. Also like MFGTool everything gets downloaded into your boards RAM to eventually program the board. To flash a board nothing must be ran from eMMC (or nand, sd card), therefore once connected uuu will download it's own version of u-boot and a kernel with a ramdisk, everything it needs to boot and run a basic Linux OS in RAM in that instance of use. Once uuu gets a basic OS running in RAM it will start to download and program the board's actual uboot, kernel, devicetree and FS. You can see why everything has to be off the silicon for a complete reflash.. 

So it looks like uuu is not getting one of the requirements above. Personally I haven't seen anyone passing uuu an old_image with the new_image, normally you'd wipe the board and program it with just the new image. I do appreciate there's probably times where something like this is required.

So, back to your board. Have a search on the ZLG website and forums to see if there is a downloadable wic image for your exact board and try that. Also search the site for uuu information specific to you board. Use those manufacturing switches. 

You mentioned that you built a smaller Yocto image for you board, did Yocto have the exact machine type for your board or did you use a generic iMX6 build (PMIC, pheripherials, RAM, eMMC specs will differ)?

Are you actually trying to program eMMC or an SD card?

If an SD card, are you trying to program the SD card using uuu with the card installed into  your board? 

Cheers.      

[Mihan]

There is only an old image (first version is 3) on the ZLG website, which had been customized based on imx6dlsabresd image by ZLG.

// Are you actually trying to program eMMC or an SD card?
Yes, I had tried to use `bzcat... || dd...` to flash the image to SD card then "jump" the pins about boot mode to start with SD card, but fail.
OTOH, did you mean that using e.g. `ums 0 mmc 0` toprogram eMMC?

//or did you use a generic iMX6 build (PMIC, pheripherials, RAM, eMMC specs will differ)?
Which one is the generic image,

[edwardtyrrell]

Hi @Mihan,

1#  For simplicity don't try to program the SD card when inserted into your board it's just adds more unknowns. at this stage. If you want to use a SD card load it directly off your PC using 'dd' or whatever tool works.

If you want to program the eMMC on your board use uuu and set the dip switches accordingly.

2# This old image off the ZLG website you mentioned, is that the v4 kernel using MFGTool and that worked?