which kernel tree for Au1500?

which kernel tree for Au1500?

[Bruno Randolf]

hello, 

we are developing a board based on the Au1500 SOC and we need to adapt the 
linux kernel for it. since we need something working soon, we will 
concentrate on the 2.4 version.

so i wanted to ask which kernel tree is recommended for the Au1x00 chipset. 
i've found the tree on http://linux-mips.sourceforge.net/ and the 2_4 branch 
of linux-mips.org look most promising, but they have various differences, 
most obvious the hyd1100/ directory on sf and the db1x00/ directory on 
linux-mips. another significant difference is that the sf version has power 
management support and that linux-mips supports one more PHY in au1000_eth.c.

how is kernel work for mips organized?

many thanks,
bruno

Re: which kernel tree for Au1500?

[Pete Popov]

On Wed, 2003-02-05 at 03:34, Bruno Randolf wrote:
> hello, 
> 
> we are developing a board based on the Au1500 SOC and we need to adapt the 
> linux kernel for it. since we need something working soon, we will 
> concentrate on the 2.4 version.
> 
> so i wanted to ask which kernel tree is recommended for the Au1x00 chipset. 
> i've found the tree on http://linux-mips.sourceforge.net/ and the 2_4 branch 
> of linux-mips.org look most promising, but they have various differences, 
> most obvious the hyd1100/ directory on sf and the db1x00/ directory on 
> linux-mips. another significant difference is that the sf version has power 
> management support and that linux-mips supports one more PHY in au1000_eth.c.

linux-mips.org is more up to date now and I don't plan on updating the
sourceforge tree anymore. You don't need the hyd1100 board since it's an
internal board only. The PM support ... I haven't tested it in
linux-mips.org but it need a little work anyway.

Pete

Re: which kernel tree for Au1500?

[Dan Malek]

Pete Popov wrote:

> ....The PM support ... I haven't tested it in
> linux-mips.org but it need a little work anyway.

It needs more than a little work :-)  I have lots of changes that
attempt to support sleep mode on the Au1xxxx.  Everything from
saving/restoring core state, to sdram self refresh, to driver
modifications for PM functions.  I've done this in the sourceforge
kernel and will update the linux-mips tree as I have time.  Some
of the patches will likely require some debate, as they touch software
outside of the core Au1xxx functions.

In addition to the kernel modifications, you need a boot rom that
will support the kernel.  It has to detect a wakeup condition, bring
the memory back the life, perform some processor initialization, and
then return to the kernel.  Basically, copy what Yamon does.  ;-)

If someone is seriously working on this, drop me a note and we can
exchange information.

Thanks.


	-- Dan

Re: which kernel tree for Au1500?

[Pete Popov]

On Wed, 2003-02-05 at 11:47, Dan Malek wrote:
> Pete Popov wrote:
> 
> > ....The PM support ... I haven't tested it in
> > linux-mips.org but it need a little work anyway.
> 
> It needs more than a little work :-)  

I only had in mind the frequency scaling work I had done, not the sleep
mode. The frequency scaling "worked", but there were some bugs with the
timer since using the 'wait' instruction results in the cp0 timer
sleeping, but the external clock doesn't provide very good resolution.

Pete

> I have lots of changes that
> attempt to support sleep mode on the Au1xxxx.  Everything from
> saving/restoring core state, to sdram self refresh, to driver
> modifications for PM functions.  I've done this in the sourceforge
> kernel and will update the linux-mips tree as I have time.  Some
> of the patches will likely require some debate, as they touch software
> outside of the core Au1xxx functions.
> 
> In addition to the kernel modifications, you need a boot rom that
> will support the kernel.  It has to detect a wakeup condition, bring
> the memory back the life, perform some processor initialization, and
> then return to the kernel.  Basically, copy what Yamon does.  ;-)
> 
> If someone is seriously working on this, drop me a note and we can
> exchange information.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> 
> 	-- Dan
> 
> 

Re: which kernel tree for Au1500?

[Tibor Polgar]

> we are developing a board based on the Au1500 SOC and we need to adapt the
> linux kernel for it. since we need something working soon, we will
> concentrate on the 2.4 version.

We are just finishing up an Au1500 project right now.  FCS was yesterday!!!  
What we did was:


1) get from AMD the PB1500 development CD.  It has an "old" 2.4.17 kernel
along with MontaVista's HardHat Linux toolkit that's cross compiled to work on
x86 platforms.  If you have the $$$, MontaVista offers great support for the
Au1500 based stuff.  Their toolkit is top notch.

2) If you didn't already get from AMD a PB1500, do it.  The development
platform is a very nice start and will save you may weeks of code testing
headaches (and cause a few special ones).  At least for us here in USA, AMD
"loaned" a board at no charge, i.e. a purchase order is signed but they never
bill you.  We're projected to buy some 25,000 Au1500s per year from them so
that probably helped.

3) From there, look at the 2.4 latest CVS tree on linux-mips and Pete's own
36-bit mods in ftp://ftp.linux-mips.org/pub/linux/mips/people/ppopov/.   
AMD/MontaVista also released a 2.4.18 "like" linux but its a bit rough.

4) there are lots of other resources and headaches if you plan to cross
compile X, gtk, etc.

5) we are flash based and used the special mods Pete put in to the 2.4.17
kernel to support zImage flash booting.  We're using YAMON as our monitor and
with a few changes have a pretty nice setup - boot wise.

Tibor

Re: which kernel tree for Au1500?

[Pete Popov]

On Wed, 2003-02-05 at 09:52, Tibor Polgar wrote:
> > we are developing a board based on the Au1500 SOC and we need to adapt the
> > linux kernel for it. since we need something working soon, we will
> > concentrate on the 2.4 version.
> 
> We are just finishing up an Au1500 project right now.  FCS was yesterday!!!  
> What we did was:
> 
> 
> 1) get from AMD the PB1500 development CD.  It has an "old" 2.4.17 kernel
> along with MontaVista's HardHat Linux toolkit that's cross compiled to work on
> x86 platforms.  If you have the $$$, MontaVista offers great support for the
> Au1500 based stuff.  Their toolkit is top notch.
> 
> 2) If you didn't already get from AMD a PB1500, do it.  The development
> platform is a very nice start and will save you may weeks of code testing
> headaches (and cause a few special ones).  At least for us here in USA, AMD
> "loaned" a board at no charge, i.e. a purchase order is signed but they never
> bill you.  We're projected to buy some 25,000 Au1500s per year from them so
> that probably helped.
> 
> 3) From there, look at the 2.4 latest CVS tree on linux-mips and Pete's own
> 36-bit mods in ftp://ftp.linux-mips.org/pub/linux/mips/people/ppopov/.   
> AMD/MontaVista also released a 2.4.18 "like" linux but its a bit rough.

This was not part of a MV release, or AMD "release" for that matter. I
think the rough port you got was from the working directory of an
engineer at AMD, before I had a chance to update linux-mips.org. MVL 3.0
does support all three Pb1x boards and after the install, you're ready
to go.

> 4) there are lots of other resources and headaches if you plan to cross
> compile X, gtk, etc.
> 
> 5) we are flash based and used the special mods Pete put in to the 2.4.17
> kernel to support zImage flash booting.  We're using YAMON as our monitor and
> with a few changes have a pretty nice setup - boot wise.

The zImage bits are not in linux-mips.org. I suppose I should create a
patch and put it in my directory; one of these days :)

Pete