Intel K3 Flash + MTD

Intel K3 Flash + MTD

[Karoliya, Abhishek]

Hi All,
  
     I am using an Intel 128k3 flash chips {4 chips in total with each pair
forming a 32MB capacity} on a PMC board having powerpc 7447 + marvel 64360
combination . I running Linux from kernel.org 2.4.20 version.
         I can erase and write to flash without any problems . But once
written to flash when I reboot and  read back {using the mtd utils } it just
returns 0x80 for all location. 
   I am pretty sure that write is successful as I burn my image and ramdisk
into the flash from Linux and can reboot the board using these flash
contents. Also I have taken care that the flash is unlocked every time by
writing the unlock pattern to the flash  through the init code in the mtd
map file.
   Is the cache playing some havoc??
Please provide some pointers in the direction of resolution of this problem.

thanks a million
Abhishek

 

   

RE: Intel K3 Flash + MTD

[Chuck Meade]

That sounds like the status bit that you are reading back.
Most flashes give back status after you issue them commands
(like all of your unlocks, for instance).  Usually you put them 
back into "read mode" by writing a particular byte to them
after reading the status.  Try writing an FF to the flash.
Check your flash chip's datasheet for the exact sequence that
you must use to put it back in read mode.

Chuck Meade

> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-mtd-bounces@lists.infradead.org
> [mailto:linux-mtd-bounces@lists.infradead.org]On Behalf Of Karoliya,
> Abhishek
> Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2003 3:01 PM
> To: 'linux-mtd@lists.infradead.org'
> Subject: Intel K3 Flash + MTD
> 
> 
> Hi All,
>   
>      I am using an Intel 128k3 flash chips {4 chips in total with each pair
> forming a 32MB capacity} on a PMC board having powerpc 7447 + marvel 64360
> combination . I running Linux from kernel.org 2.4.20 version.
>          I can erase and write to flash without any problems . But once
> written to flash when I reboot and  read back {using the mtd utils } it just
> returns 0x80 for all location. 
>    I am pretty sure that write is successful as I burn my image and ramdisk
> into the flash from Linux and can reboot the board using these flash
> contents. Also I have taken care that the flash is unlocked every time by
> writing the unlock pattern to the flash  through the init code in the mtd
> map file.
>    Is the cache playing some havoc??
> Please provide some pointers in the direction of resolution of this problem.
> 
> thanks a million
> Abhishek
> 
>  
> 
>    
> 
> ______________________________________________________
> Linux MTD discussion mailing list
> http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-mtd/

RE: Intel K3 Flash + MTD

[Dan Post]

On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:17:35 -0500, Chuck Meade wrote
> That sounds like the status bit that you are reading back.
> Most flashes give back status after you issue them commands
> (like all of your unlocks, for instance).  Usually you put them 
> back into "read mode" by writing a particular byte to them
> after reading the status.  Try writing an FF to the flash.
> Check your flash chip's datasheet for the exact sequence that
> you must use to put it back in read mode.

For K3's, writing an FF should work, though I don't know why it's coming up in
status mode.  I don't think that behavior is typical.  You probably should
check the datasheet.  Or it could be your bootloader that's setting it to
status mode (maybe not changing it to Read Array after a program or erase etc).

However, you should be aware that some NOR chips, such as Intel's L18/L30's,
are multi-partitioned and each partition must be set to read array mode... the
details of its multipartitioning can be very sticky, but very cool too...

Dan

RE: Intel K3 Flash + MTD

[Chuck Meade]

Hey Dan,

Abhishek sent me a response directly that he got it working
with the email I sent him, but then he had trouble getting
a msg back to the list that he is up and running now.

The reason it was in "status mode" was his unlock logic was
leaving it that way.

Chuck

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Post [mailto:djp.mtd@onemyth.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 1:16 PM
> To: Chuck Meade; Karoliya,Abhishek
> Cc: linux-mtd@lists.infradead.org
> Subject: RE: Intel K3 Flash + MTD
> 
> 
> On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:17:35 -0500, Chuck Meade wrote
> > That sounds like the status bit that you are reading back.
> > Most flashes give back status after you issue them commands
> > (like all of your unlocks, for instance).  Usually you put them 
> > back into "read mode" by writing a particular byte to them
> > after reading the status.  Try writing an FF to the flash.
> > Check your flash chip's datasheet for the exact sequence that
> > you must use to put it back in read mode.
> 
> For K3's, writing an FF should work, though I don't know why it's coming up in
> status mode.  I don't think that behavior is typical.  You probably should
> check the datasheet.  Or it could be your bootloader that's setting it to
> status mode (maybe not changing it to Read Array after a program or erase etc).
> 
> However, you should be aware that some NOR chips, such as Intel's L18/L30's,
> are multi-partitioned and each partition must be set to read array mode... the
> details of its multipartitioning can be very sticky, but very cool too...
> 
> Dan