imx93 m33 rpmsg hello_world test

[bora]

Board/Setup

CPU: i.MX93 
Boot media: SD (mmc 1)
Goal: run CM33 RPMsg-Lite string echo demo and communicate from Linux (A55)
Problem Summary I’m trying to start the Cortex‑M33 RPMsg demo either:

from U‑Boot using bootaux, or
from Linux using remoteproc (firmware loaded from firmware)
I’m seeing:

U‑Boot data aborts when trying to access certain CM33 alias addresses (e.g. 0x1ffe0000 / 0x0ffc0000)
Linux remoteproc tries to load rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos_remote.bin and fails with error -2 (file not found), then falls back to sysfs fallback.
I’m unsure what the correct memory copy address and boot address should be for CM33 on i.MX93 (system vs alias address), and how to align U‑Boot bootaux flow with Linux remoteproc flow.

What I tested
SD partition layout and boot files
U‑Boot shows SD is mmc 1:

u-boot=> mmc list
FSL_SDHC: 0 (eMMC)
FSL_SDHC: 1 (SD)

Partition table:

u-boot=> part list mmc 1

Partition Map for MMC device 1 -- Partition Type: DOS

Part Start Sector Num Sectors UUID Type
1 16384 681574 076c4a2a-01 0c Boot
2 704512 5769534 076c4a2a-02 83

Boot partition contents include DTBs and an mcore-demos/ directory:

u-boot=> fatls mmc 1:1
...
mcore-demos/
...

I can load the demo:

u-boot=> fatload mmc 1:1 ${loadaddr} mcore-demos/rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos_remote.bin
39004 bytes read in 3 ms
u-boot=> echo ${loadaddr}
0x80400000
u-boot=> echo ${filesize}
985c

The first two words look like a valid CM33 vector table:

u-boot=> md.l ${loadaddr} 2
80400000: 2001e000 0ffe0595

Reading 0x1ffe0000 causes abort:

Linux side: remoteproc firmware load fails
In Linux, when remoteproc0 powers up, it tries to load firmware:

[ 84.714629] remoteproc remoteproc0: powering up imx-rproc
[ 84.721926] remoteproc remoteproc0: Direct firmware load for rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos_remote.bin failed with error -2
[ 84.732549] remoteproc remoteproc0: Falling back to sysfs fallback for: rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos_remote.bin

here is the reserved memory:

 reserved-memory {
        #address-cells = <2>;
        #size-cells   = <2>;
        ranges;

        linux,cma {
            compatible = "shared-dma-pool";
            reg = <0 0x88000000 0 0x04000000>;   /* 64 MB @ 0x8800_0000 */
            reusable;
            linux,cma-default;
        };

        /* Ethos-U: move away from the kernel boot (32 MB) */
        ethosu_mem: ethosu_region@8c000000 {
            compatible = "shared-dma-pool";
            reg = <0 0x8c000000 0 0x02000000>;   
            no-map;                               
        };

        vdev0vring0: vdev0vring0@84000000 { reg = <0 0x84000000 0 0x00008000>; no-map; };
        vdev0vring1: vdev0vring1@84008000 { reg = <0 0x84008000 0 0x00008000>; no-map; };
        vdev1vring0: vdev1vring0@84010000 { reg = <0 0x84010000 0 0x00008000>; no-map; };
        vdev1vring1: vdev1vring1@84018000 { reg = <0 0x84018000 0 0x00008000>; no-map; };

        rsc_table: rsc-table@2021e000 { reg = <0 0x2021e000 0 0x00001000>; no-map; }; /* OCRAM */

        vdevbuffer: vdevbuffer@84020000 {
            compatible = "shared-dma-pool";
            reg = <0 0x84020000 0 0x00100000>;   /* 1 MB */
            no-map;
        };

        ele_reserved: ele-reserved@90000000 {
            compatible = "shared-dma-pool";
            reg = <0 0x90000000 0 0x00100000>;   /* 1 MB @ 0x9000_0000 */
            no-map;
        };
    };

	ethosu {
		compatible = "arm,ethosu";
		fsl,cm33-proc = <&cm33>;
		memory-region = <&ethosu_mem>;
		power-domains = <&mlmix>;
	};

What is the correct procedure to start CM33 RPMsg demo on i.MX93 from U‑Boot?

If CM33 is started by U‑Boot (bootaux), what is the recommended Linux configuration?

[JosephAtNXP]

Hi,

Thank you for your interest in NXP Semiconductor products,

Using prebuilt cortex-M demos is a great way to start, are you using i.MX 93 EVK or a custom board with the prebuilt image flashed?

What BSP are you using?

To run Cortex-M demos in U-boot you can use the following snippet:

u-boot=> fatload mmc 1:1 80000000 sdk20-app.bin
u-boot=> cp.b 0x80000000 0x201e0000 0x10000
u-boot=> bootaux 0x1ffe0000 0

RPMSG has to be ran in Linux RPROC framework since you have to reserve memory in DTB for RPMSG and Cortex-A RPMSG communication is over a Linux driver.

root@imx93evk:~# echo hello_world.elf > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc0/
firmware
root@imx93evk:~# echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc0/state

Regards

[bora]

Hi , the BSP version is
VERSION="6.6-scarthgap (scarthgap)"

I use imx93 custom board with 512MB RAM

and there is no hello_world.elf

these are under the /lib/firmware

 
imx93-11x11-evk_m33_TCM_low_power_wakeword.elf

imx93-11x11-evk_m33_TCM_power_mode_switch.elf

imx93-11x11-evk_m33_TCM_rpmsg_lite_pingpong_rtos_linux_remote.elf 
imx93-11x11-evk_m33_TCM_rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos.elf
imx93-11x11-evk_m33_TCM_sai_low_power_audio.elf

after testing it
u-boot=> fatload mmc 1:1 80000000 mcore-demos/rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos_remote.bin
39004 bytes read in 3 ms (12.4 MiB/s)
u-boot=> cp.b 0x80000000 0x201e0000 0x10000
u-boot=> bootaux 0x1ffe0000 0
## Starting auxiliary core addr = 0x1FFE0000...

it doesnt start, it freezes.

[JosephAtNXP]

Hi @bora,

Please try with imx93-11x11-evk_m33_TCM_rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos.elf

That is the binary you are testing, please refer to the available examples in SDK:

SDK_24_12_00_MCIMX93-EVK\boards\mcimx93evk\multicore_examples

- rpmsg_lite_pingpong_rtos_linux

- rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos

Regards

[bora]

Hi ,

I tried that and this is the result,

root@imx93-11x11-lpddr4x-evk:~# echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc0/state
[ 105.274513] remoteproc remoteproc0: powering up imx-rproc
[ 105.282905] remoteproc remoteproc0: Booting fw image imx93-11x11-evk_m33_TCM_rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos.elf, size 59028
[ 105.294019] remoteproc remoteproc0: Registered carveout doesn't fit len request
[ 105.301405] rproc-virtio: probe of rproc-virtio.1.auto failed with error -12
[ 105.309101] remoteproc remoteproc0: Registered carveout doesn't fit len request
[ 105.316561] rproc-virtio: probe of rproc-virtio.2.auto failed with error -12
[ 105.830361] remoteproc remoteproc0: remote processor imx-rproc is now up

[JosephAtNXP]

Hi,

I could reproduce with the next steps on LF-6.12.49 EVK

Cortex-A U-boot

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
u-boot=> fatload mmc 0:1 ${loadaddr} mcore-demos/imx93-11x11-evk_m33_TCM_rpmsg_lite_str_echo_rtos.bin
19816 bytes read in 18 ms (1 MiB/s)
u-boot=> cp.b ${loadaddr} 0x201e0000 0x20000
u-boot=> bootaux 0x1ffe0000 0
## Starting auxiliary core addr = 0x1FFE0000...
u-boot=> pri mmcargs
mmcargs=setenv bootargs ${jh_clk} ${mcore_clk} console=${console} root=${mmcroot}
u-boot=> editenv m
  mfgtool_args mmcargs mmcautodetect mmcboot mmcdev mmcpart mmcroot
u-boot=> editenv mmcargs
edit: setenv bootargs ${jh_clk} ${mcore_clk} console=${console} root=${mmcroot} clk_ignore_unused
u-boot=> boot

Cortex-A Linux

root@imx93evk:~# lsmod | grep -i imx_rpmsg_tty
root@imx93evk:~# modprobe imx_rpmsg_tty

Cortex-M from U-boot to Linux.

RPMSG String Echo FreeRTOS RTOS API Demo...

Nameservice sent, ready for incoming messages...
Get Message From Master Side : "hello world!" [len : 12]

Regards

[bora]

on u-boot I started and worked but in linux via .elf file I get imx_rproc_kick: failed (0, err:-62)

[bora]

I also dont see any ttyRPMSG under /dev

[bora]

I tested also but for me no result, I still cant communicate with m33. I use custom board not imx93-11x11-evk , I use uart1 and no uart2, for m33 I have JTAG.