initial bootstrap and jtag

initial bootstrap and jtag

[Clem Taylor]

We are finishing up the design of our new Au1550 based board. I was
wondering if someone could recommend an ejtag wiggler. I need
something that has full linux host support, is good enough to flash a
bootloader and do some minimal debug while getting the board support
working. Looking over the list some people seem to be using the
Abatron BDI 2000 and others are using the Macraigor mpDemon. What do
you guys recommend?

This is my first time doing embedded linux, but I've done quite a bit
with DSPs (written bootloaders, flash programmers, etc). I was
wondering how people go about bootstrapping new Au1xxx systems. Who is
responsible for configuring the PLL or SDRAM enough to allow code to
be loaded into SDRAM? Are bootloaders like YAMON position independent
to run out of SDRAM?

                                     Thanks,
                                     Clem

Re: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Dan Malek]

On Jan 31, 2005, at 3:07 PM, Clem Taylor wrote:

> .... Looking over the list some people seem to be using the
> Abatron BDI 2000 ...

This is clearly the best.

> ....  Who is
> responsible for configuring the PLL or SDRAM enough to allow code to
> be loaded into SDRAM?

Code in the boot rom.  Plus, they likely do much more.  YAMON does lots
of board specific initialization, so when porting Linux to an Au1xxx 
that doesn't
use YAMON, you are going to have to add to the Linux initialization 
functions
for the board.  U-Boot is a popular boot monitor that is now finding 
it's way
to the Au1xxx processors.

> ... Are bootloaders like YAMON position independent
> to run out of SDRAM?

Yes, they usually do that.


	-- Dan

RE: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Joseph Chiu]

We use the Macraigor Raven here.  It okay.  Not very fast.  And, for some reason, I've been having memory read problems in little-endian mode.  They've sicne released updated drivers, but I haven't been able to get them to work in my environment (because I have a bunch of older tools in the environment that I've got working well enough for my use with the older driver). 

I haven't seen the BDI2000.  My understanding is that the mpDemon is functionally the same, but faster.  If I knew then that I'd spend as much time with JTAG as I've spent, the extra money for mpDemon or the BDI2000 would have definitely been my purchase.

As for configuring the Au1xxx for bootstrapping, this is what I did:

I wrote a minimal gdb script (for use with the Raven-gdb interface) to write config values into CPU registers to get the SDRAM running.  I then uploaded a minimal program that listened for hex data on the serial port, and used that to load code that would perform FLASH memory accesses and the like.

Do people still use ROM emulators?  I think the turnaround time for getting the machine bootstrapped would have been faster with a ROMulator (at least for the stuff I was doing)...



> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org
> [mailto:linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org]On Behalf Of Clem Taylor
> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 12:08 PM
> To: linux-mips@linux-mips.org
> Subject: initial bootstrap and jtag
> 
> 
> We are finishing up the design of our new Au1550 based board. I was
> wondering if someone could recommend an ejtag wiggler. I need
> something that has full linux host support, is good enough to flash a
> bootloader and do some minimal debug while getting the board support
> working. Looking over the list some people seem to be using the
> Abatron BDI 2000 and others are using the Macraigor mpDemon. What do
> you guys recommend?
> 
> This is my first time doing embedded linux, but I've done quite a bit
> with DSPs (written bootloaders, flash programmers, etc). I was
> wondering how people go about bootstrapping new Au1xxx systems. Who is
> responsible for configuring the PLL or SDRAM enough to allow code to
> be loaded into SDRAM? Are bootloaders like YAMON position independent
> to run out of SDRAM?
> 
>                                      Thanks,
>                                      Clem
> 
> 

RE: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Joseph Chiu]

We use the Macraigor Raven here.  It okay.  Not very fast.  And, for some reason, I've been having memory read problems in little-endian mode.  They've sicne released updated drivers, but I haven't been able to get them to work in my environment (because I have a bunch of older tools in the environment that I've got working well enough for my use with the older driver). 

I haven't seen the BDI2000.  My understanding is that the mpDemon is functionally the same, but faster.  If I knew then that I'd spend as much time with JTAG as I've spent, the extra money for mpDemon or the BDI2000 would have definitely been my purchase.

As for configuring the Au1xxx for bootstrapping, this is what I did:

I wrote a minimal gdb script (for use with the Raven-gdb interface) to write config values into CPU registers to get the SDRAM running.  I then uploaded a minimal program that listened for hex data on the serial port, and used that to load code that would perform FLASH memory accesses and the like.

Do people still use ROM emulators?  I think the turnaround time for getting the machine bootstrapped would have been faster with a ROMulator (at least for the stuff I was doing)...



> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org
> [mailto:linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org]On Behalf Of Clem Taylor
> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 12:08 PM
> To: linux-mips@linux-mips.org
> Subject: initial bootstrap and jtag
> 
> 
> We are finishing up the design of our new Au1550 based board. I was
> wondering if someone could recommend an ejtag wiggler. I need
> something that has full linux host support, is good enough to flash a
> bootloader and do some minimal debug while getting the board support
> working. Looking over the list some people seem to be using the
> Abatron BDI 2000 and others are using the Macraigor mpDemon. What do
> you guys recommend?
> 
> This is my first time doing embedded linux, but I've done quite a bit
> with DSPs (written bootloaders, flash programmers, etc). I was
> wondering how people go about bootstrapping new Au1xxx systems. Who is
> responsible for configuring the PLL or SDRAM enough to allow code to
> be loaded into SDRAM? Are bootloaders like YAMON position independent
> to run out of SDRAM?
> 
>                                      Thanks,
>                                      Clem
> 
> 

Re: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Ralf Baechle]

On Mon, Jan 31, 2005 at 12:42:07PM -0800, Joseph Chiu wrote:

> Do people still use ROM emulators?  I think the turnaround time for getting the machine bootstrapped would have been faster with a ROMulator (at least for the stuff I was doing)...

It's a while since then but the PromICE has been extremly valuable for
some development a few years ago.  A good JTAG probe is more universal
so may be a better investment though.

  Ralf

Re: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Ed Okerson]

I use the BDI-2000 for an AU1500 based board.  For the boot loader I found
u-boot to be very functional.  It did require a bit of patching to handle
the Au1500 in little endian mode, but since that is now done everything
works great.

Ed Okerson

> We are finishing up the design of our new Au1550 based board. I was
> wondering if someone could recommend an ejtag wiggler. I need
> something that has full linux host support, is good enough to flash a
> bootloader and do some minimal debug while getting the board support
> working. Looking over the list some people seem to be using the
> Abatron BDI 2000 and others are using the Macraigor mpDemon. What do
> you guys recommend?
>
> This is my first time doing embedded linux, but I've done quite a bit
> with DSPs (written bootloaders, flash programmers, etc). I was
> wondering how people go about bootstrapping new Au1xxx systems. Who is
> responsible for configuring the PLL or SDRAM enough to allow code to
> be loaded into SDRAM? Are bootloaders like YAMON position independent
> to run out of SDRAM?
>
>                                      Thanks,
>                                      Clem
>

RE: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Brad Larson]

Yes, rom emulators still serve a useful purpose, especially when a brand new board/cpu or ejtag firmware can't communicate to each other properly.  Wait for that to get fixed (no), walk to the flash programmer for every new image (tedious), or plug in the rom emulator (30 seconds to change the image).

--Brad

> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org
> [mailto:linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org]On Behalf Of Ralf Baechle
> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 1:08 PM
> To: Joseph Chiu
> Cc: Clem Taylor; linux-mips@linux-mips.org
> Subject: Re: initial bootstrap and jtag
> 
> 
> On Mon, Jan 31, 2005 at 12:42:07PM -0800, Joseph Chiu wrote:
> 
> > Do people still use ROM emulators?  I think the turnaround 
> time for getting the machine bootstrapped would have been 
> faster with a ROMulator (at least for the stuff I was doing)...
> 
> It's a while since then but the PromICE has been extremly valuable for
> some development a few years ago.  A good JTAG probe is more universal
> so may be a better investment though.
> 
>   Ralf
> 

RE: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Joseph Chiu]

Hi Ed,
What kinds of patching did you have to do in the source code except for the MIPS endian-registers?  I've made such changes plus little-endian-fied the build scripts/linker scripts/makefile/etc. but haven't yet had u-boot working.  I'm assuming that outside of the bootstrapping, the code is endian-independant.  Am I wrong?
Thanks!
Joseph

> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org
> [mailto:linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org]On Behalf Of Ed Okerson
> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 1:15 PM
> To: Clem Taylor
> Cc: linux-mips@linux-mips.org
> Subject: Re: initial bootstrap and jtag
> 
> 
> I use the BDI-2000 for an AU1500 based board.  For the boot 
> loader I found
> u-boot to be very functional.  It did require a bit of 
> patching to handle
> the Au1500 in little endian mode, but since that is now done 
> everything
> works great.
> 
> Ed Okerson
> 
> > We are finishing up the design of our new Au1550 based board. I was
> > wondering if someone could recommend an ejtag wiggler. I need
> > something that has full linux host support, is good enough 
> to flash a
> > bootloader and do some minimal debug while getting the board support
> > working. Looking over the list some people seem to be using the
> > Abatron BDI 2000 and others are using the Macraigor mpDemon. What do
> > you guys recommend?
> >
> > This is my first time doing embedded linux, but I've done 
> quite a bit
> > with DSPs (written bootloaders, flash programmers, etc). I was
> > wondering how people go about bootstrapping new Au1xxx 
> systems. Who is
> > responsible for configuring the PLL or SDRAM enough to allow code to
> > be loaded into SDRAM? Are bootloaders like YAMON position 
> independent
> > to run out of SDRAM?
> >
> >                                      Thanks,
> >                                      Clem
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 

RE: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Joseph Chiu]

Hi Ed,
What kinds of patching did you have to do in the source code except for the MIPS endian-registers?  I've made such changes plus little-endian-fied the build scripts/linker scripts/makefile/etc. but haven't yet had u-boot working.  I'm assuming that outside of the bootstrapping, the code is endian-independant.  Am I wrong?
Thanks!
Joseph

> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org
> [mailto:linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org]On Behalf Of Ed Okerson
> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 1:15 PM
> To: Clem Taylor
> Cc: linux-mips@linux-mips.org
> Subject: Re: initial bootstrap and jtag
> 
> 
> I use the BDI-2000 for an AU1500 based board.  For the boot 
> loader I found
> u-boot to be very functional.  It did require a bit of 
> patching to handle
> the Au1500 in little endian mode, but since that is now done 
> everything
> works great.
> 
> Ed Okerson
> 
> > We are finishing up the design of our new Au1550 based board. I was
> > wondering if someone could recommend an ejtag wiggler. I need
> > something that has full linux host support, is good enough 
> to flash a
> > bootloader and do some minimal debug while getting the board support
> > working. Looking over the list some people seem to be using the
> > Abatron BDI 2000 and others are using the Macraigor mpDemon. What do
> > you guys recommend?
> >
> > This is my first time doing embedded linux, but I've done 
> quite a bit
> > with DSPs (written bootloaders, flash programmers, etc). I was
> > wondering how people go about bootstrapping new Au1xxx 
> systems. Who is
> > responsible for configuring the PLL or SDRAM enough to allow code to
> > be loaded into SDRAM? Are bootloaders like YAMON position 
> independent
> > to run out of SDRAM?
> >
> >                                      Thanks,
> >                                      Clem
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 

Re: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Thomas Sailer]

On Mon, 2005-01-31 at 15:07 -0500, Clem Taylor wrote:
> We are finishing up the design of our new Au1550 based board. I was
> wondering if someone could recommend an ejtag wiggler. I need

I hacked a simple program that loads u-boot into SDRAM via EJTAG. The
processor is directly connected to the host parallel port. Booting the
processor takes somewhat less than a minute on my Pb1000 board. Not
particularily fast, but acceptable for my purpose.
http://www.baycom.org/~tom/ejtag/

Tom

RE: initial bootstrap and jtag

[Ed Okerson]

Joseph,

The AU series processors had some strange behavior relating to the
IDE/PCMCIA/CF interfaces.  Even though the processor was operating in LE
mode, those interfaces remained in BE mode, or something like that.  The
net result was that a CF card written in one mode could not be read in the
other.  The patches were to make the interfaces consistent with the
specifications.  The patches were submitted about a year ago, and as far
as I know were accepted.  I also submitted patches to support CFI flash
detection in LE mode around the same time.

Ed Okerson

> Hi Ed,
> What kinds of patching did you have to do in the source code except for
> the MIPS endian-registers?  I've made such changes plus little-endian-fied
> the build scripts/linker scripts/makefile/etc. but haven't yet had u-boot
> working.  I'm assuming that outside of the bootstrapping, the code is
> endian-independant.  Am I wrong?
> Thanks!
> Joseph
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org
>> [mailto:linux-mips-bounce@linux-mips.org]On Behalf Of Ed Okerson
>> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 1:15 PM
>> To: Clem Taylor
>> Cc: linux-mips@linux-mips.org
>> Subject: Re: initial bootstrap and jtag
>>
>>
>> I use the BDI-2000 for an AU1500 based board.  For the boot
>> loader I found
>> u-boot to be very functional.  It did require a bit of
>> patching to handle
>> the Au1500 in little endian mode, but since that is now done
>> everything
>> works great.
>>
>> Ed Okerson
>>
>> > We are finishing up the design of our new Au1550 based board. I was
>> > wondering if someone could recommend an ejtag wiggler. I need
>> > something that has full linux host support, is good enough
>> to flash a
>> > bootloader and do some minimal debug while getting the board support
>> > working. Looking over the list some people seem to be using the
>> > Abatron BDI 2000 and others are using the Macraigor mpDemon. What do
>> > you guys recommend?
>> >
>> > This is my first time doing embedded linux, but I've done
>> quite a bit
>> > with DSPs (written bootloaders, flash programmers, etc). I was
>> > wondering how people go about bootstrapping new Au1xxx
>> systems. Who is
>> > responsible for configuring the PLL or SDRAM enough to allow code to
>> > be loaded into SDRAM? Are bootloaders like YAMON position
>> independent
>> > to run out of SDRAM?
>> >
>> >                                      Thanks,
>> >                                      Clem
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>>
>