How to start the coprocessor from the bootloader

Revision as of 10:15, 16 December 2019 by Registered User

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1 Introduction[edit]

The coprocessor firmware can be loaded and started by:

This article explains how this coprocessor firmware is loaded by U-Boot and started before the Linux kernel.

2 Location of the coprocessor firmware[edit]

Note: the default name for this firmware used in this WIKI is rproc-m4-fw.elf

U-Boot searches and loads the needed binaries in the first bootable partition (generic DISTRO configuration) which is bootfs in the OpenSTLinux distribution (see STM32MP15_Flash_mapping).

So the coprocessor firmware must be installed in that bootfs partition. The simplest way to do this, consists in copying the firmware from the rootfs partition to the bootfs partition as follows:

 mount /dev/mmcblk0p4 /boot
 cp rproc-m4-fw.elf /boot/
 sync

As an alternate method, you can also use the Eclipse IDE, or transfer the firmware over the serial console or over the network.

3 Starting the coprocessor firmware[edit]

U-Boot can boot the coprocessor before the kernel (coprocessor early boot) with remoteproc uclass :

  1. Manual start by using rproc commands
  2. Automatic start, at each boot by using
Info white.png Information
In the following examples it is assumed that the firmware declares a resource table. If your firmware does not declare such a resource table, you do not need to call the load_rsc rproc command.

3.1 Manual start[edit]

You can load and start the coprocessor firmware by using the rproc command in the U-Boot console (to access to the U-boot console: press any key during the U-Boot execution).

  rproc
 rproc - Control operation of remote processors in an SoC
 
 Usage:
 rproc  [init|list|load|start|stop|reset|is_running|ping]
 		 Where:
 		[addr] is a memory address
 		<id> is a numerical identifier for the remote processor
 		     provided by 'list' command.
 		Note: Remote processors must be initalized prior to usage
 		Note: Services are dependent on the driver capability
 		      'list' command shows the capability of each device
 
 	Subcommands:
 	init   - Enumerate and initalize the remote processors
 	list   - list available remote processors
 	load <id> [addr] [size]- Load the remote processor with
 			  image stored at address [addr] in memory
 	load_rsc <id> [addr] [size]- Load resource table from remote
 			  processor provided image at address [addr]
 	start <id>	- Start the remote processor(must be loaded)
 	stop <id>	- Stop the remote processor
 	reset <id>	- Reset the remote processor
 	is_running <id> - Reports if the remote processor is running
 	ping <id>	- Ping the remote processor for communication

In this example, the firmware is loaded from SDCARD in RAM (at ${kernel_addr_r}), and then started

 ext4load mmc 0:4 ${kernel_addr_r} rproc-m4-fw.elf -> SDCARD is mmc 0, bootfs is ext4 partition number 4)
 rproc init                                        -> initializes all coprocessors
 rproc load 0 ${kernel_addr_r} ${filesize}         -> loads firmware for coprocessor 0 (code part found in .elf)
 rproc load_rsc 0 ${kernel_addr_r} ${filesize}     -> loads resource table for coprocessor 0 (found in .elf)
 rproc start 0                                     -> starts coprocessor 0

You can then resume the normal boot process:

 run bootcmd

3.2 Automatic start[edit]

3.2.1 Start from the bootcmd[edit]

You can update the bootcmd which is exectued automatically: modify CONFIG_EXTRA_ENV_SETTINGS in include/configs/stm32mp1.h and then recompile U-Boot.

Example : boot a firmware on the SDCARD:

#define CONFIG_EXTRA_ENV_SETTINGS \
	"stdin=serial\0" \
	"stdout=serial\0" \
	"stderr=serial\0" \
	...
	BOOTENV \
	"m4fw_name=rproc-m4-fw.elf\0" \
        "m4fw_addr=${kernel_addr_r}\0" \
	"boot_m4fw=rproc init; rproc load 0 ${m4fw_addr} ${filesize}; rproc load_rsc 0 ${m4fw_addr} ${filesize}; rproc start 0\0" \
        "boot_m4_mmc0=if ext4load mmc 0:4 ${m4fw_addr} ${m4fw_name} ; then run boot_m4fw; fi;\0"
        "bootcmd=run boot_m4_mmc0; run bootcmd_mmc0\0"

NB: check STM32MP15_U-Boot for compilation.

3.2.2 Start from a generic DISTRO boot script[edit]

Without U-boot recompilation, you can also use a DISTRO boot script boot.scr.uimg to automatically load and run the firmware.

For example, use the following script for boot from mmc 0, boot.scr.cmd:

 env set m4fw_name "rproc-m4-fw.elf"
 env set m4fw_addr ${kernel_addr_r}
 
 #load M4 firmware
 if ext4load mmc 0:4 ${m4fw_addr} ${m4fw_name}
 then
   rproc init
   rproc load 0 ${m4fw_addr} ${filesize}
   rproc load_rsc 0 ${m4fw_addr} ${filesize}
   rproc start 0
 fi
 
 #load kernel and device tree
 ext4load mmc 0:4 ${kernel_addr_r} uImage
 ext4load mmc 0:4 ${fdt_addr_r}  ${board_name}.dtb
 
 # start kernel 
 env set bootargs root=/dev/mmcblk0p6 rootwait rw console=ttySTM0,115200
 bootm ${kernel_addr_r} - ${fdt_addr_r}

Then generate associated image using mkimage U-Boot tool:

 mkimage -T script -C none -A arm -d boot.scr.cmd boot.scr.uimg

Finally, install boot.scr.uimg in the bootfs partition (following the same procedure used for coprocessor firmware)

 sudo cp boot.scr.uimg /media/$USER/bootfs
 sync
Warning white.png Warning
The U-Boot script 'boot.scr.uimg' is executed only if 'extlinux/extlinux.conf' is not found (scan_dev_for_scripts is called after scan_dev_for_extlinux)
You should remove pre-existing file in bootfs partition:
 sudo rm -r /media/$USER/bootfs/extlinux
 sync

3.2.3 Start from the FIT image[edit]

The coprocessor firmware can be also included in the new U-Boot image format = Flattened uImage Tree (FIT) and then this firmware will be loaded automatically when detected by U-Boot.

Info white.png Information
Please note that the upstreaming of this example is in progress, some files are only present in U-boot sources provided by STMicroelectronics

See chapter 'Coprocessor firmware' in board/st/stm32mp1/README :

  • example of '.its' file is provided < U-Boot directory>/board/st/stm32mp1/fit_copro_kernel_dtb.its
  • you generate the FIT with U-Boot mkimage tool:
 mkimage -f fit_copro_kernel_dtb.its fit_copro_kernel_dtb.itb

You can load the generated FIT with:

To go deeper: