Sign-in/Register Contact

logo

U-Boot v2017.03

We’re glad to release the latest U-Boot v2017.03 with support for all our platforms:

For the impatient

Our build server automatically generates and uploads all the latest binaries to this address:

The README file contains the exact commit ID of this build images.

Also, the up-to-date 6x_upgrade U-Boot script is included so you can copy all the files directly to the root of your media storage.

For those not sure about which binary to download, here is a quick summary for our boards:

What’s new?

First, this version includes all the latest features and fixes available from mainline U-Boot.

One noticeable change is the use of Kconfig to select most of the options now (instead of piling them up in the config header).

U-Boot v2017.03 Kconfig

Also, another important change is the support of sparse images when using Android fastboot tool.

Build instructions

The usual compilation disclaimers apply for this. It is highly recommended to use the gcc-arm-linux-gnueabihf package available on Ubuntu/Debian.

~$ sudo apt-get install gcc-arm-linux-gnueabihf

First, clone our U-Boot git repository. This is the branch you’ll need to compile and install to work with the new kernel.

~$ git clone https://github.com/boundarydevices/u-boot-imx6 \
    -b boundary-v2017.03
~$ cd u-boot-imx6

Here you’ll need to find and make the relevant defconfig for your board.

If you are using a U-Boot >=2015.07, then at the U-Boot prompt you can type the following to see which defconfig you should build.

=> echo $uboot_defconfig

Otherwise, to see all the defconfigs, use this command and pick the one that is right for you.

~/u-boot-imx6$ find . -name "nit*defconfig"
./configs/nitrogen6_vm1g_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6q2g_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6dl2g_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6s1g_defconfig
./configs/nit6xlite_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6q_fl_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen7_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6q_som2_2g_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6sx_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6dl_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6q_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6s_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6_lum_dl1_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6_vm_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6q_som2_1g_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6q_som2_4g_defconfig
./configs/nit6xlite1g_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6qp_max_defconfig
./configs/nitrogen6_max_defconfig

 Now compile that defconfig, here I’ll use nitrogen6q_defconfig as an example.

~/u-boot-imx6$ export ARCH=arm
~/u-boot-imx6$ export CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf-
~/u-boot-imx6$ make nitrogen6q_defconfig
~/u-boot-imx6$ make -j2
~/u-boot-imx6$ ./tools/mkimage -A arm -O linux -T script -C none \
-a 0 -e 0 -n "update script" \
-d board/boundary/nitrogen6x/6x_upgrade.txt 6x_upgrade

Flashing procedure

Now you’ll have a u-boot.imx file compiled. Rename the u-boot.imx file to u-boot.{uboot_defconfig} (see below), then move that and the 6x_upgrade script to the root folder of your media (SD Card / USB / SATA drive).

~/u-boot-imx6/$ cp u-boot.imx <mount_path>/u-boot.<uboot_defconfig>
~/u-boot-imx6/$ cp 6x_upgrade <mount_path>/

Plug your media to the platform, power up the board and interrupt u-boot to run the commands below.

If your u-boot prompt is “U-boot >” then you need to set uboot_defconfig to the value that matches your platform.

Here is an example for Nitrogen6x/BD-SL-i.MX6:

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0 
U-Boot > setenv uboot_defconfig <uboot_defconfig>
U-Boot > run upgradeu

Otherwise just run:

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
=> run upgradeu

This will run the 6x_upgrade script and look for a file u-boot.${uboot_defconfig} and burn it. At this point it might be worth while to clear your environment variables, this will set you up with the default environment variables and no more.

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0 
=> env default -a
=> savee

Then as a final note, if you’ve somehow managed to brick your board through this process and need help. Well, we already wrote a blog post here about that topic.

Comments

  1. longluong says

    Hi

    I am using Sabre Lite board, with uboot has been upgraded to latest version v2017-03. However currently I cannot boot any of prebuilt images of Ubuntu or Yocto release. Uboot prints out this error:

    switch to partitions #0, OK
    mmc0 is current device

    MMC read: dev # 0, block # 2048, count 8192 … 8192 blocks read: OK
    Wrong Image Format for bootm command
    ERROR: can’t get kernel image!

    Look at the Yocto Morty release, I see zImage instead of uImage. So I tried this way

    > fatload mmc 0 10800000 zImage
    reading zImage
    > fatload mmc 0 12800000 imx6q-sabrelite.dtb
    reading imx6q-sabrelite.dtb
    > bootz 10800000 – 12800000

    At this time the console prints out “Starting kernel …” and hangs there forever.

    What possibly is the reason? And is it because uboot cannot load zImage?

    Thank you

  2. bbutler says

    Trying to upgrade Sabrelite board to latest.

    typed:

    ***note after first attempt i renamed u-boot. to 6x_upgrade***

    U-boot > run upgradeu

    SATA device 0: Model: Firm: Ser#:
    Type: Hard Disk
    Capacity: not available
    … is now current device
    ** Bad device size – sata 0 **

    SATA device 1: unknown device
    ** Bad device sata 1 **
    MMC: no card present
    MMC: no card present
    ** Bad device mmc 0 **
    switch to partitions #0, OK
    mmc1 is current device
    reading /6x_upgrade
    527360 bytes read in 106 ms (4.7 MiB/s)
    ## Executing script at 10008000
    Wrong image format for “source” command
    USB is stopped. Please issue ‘usb start’ first.
    ** Bad device usb 0 **
    USB is stopped. Please issue ‘usb start’ first.
    ** Bad device usb 1 **

    I then tried:

    U-Boot > load mmc 1:1 10008000 /6x_upgrade
    reading /6x_upgrade
    527360 bytes read in 106 ms (4.7 MiB/s)
    U-Boot > source 10008000
    ## Executing script at 10008000
    Wrong image format for “source” command

    Here is my board and version info

    U-Boot > bdinfo
    arch_number = 0x00000EB9
    boot_params = 0x10000100
    DRAM bank = 0x00000000
    -> start = 0x10000000
    -> size = 0x40000000
    eth0name = FEC
    ethaddr = (not set)
    eth1name = usb_ether
    eth1addr = (not set)
    current eth = FEC
    ip_addr =
    baudrate = 115200 bps
    TLB addr = 0x4FFF0000
    relocaddr = 0x4FF4F000
    reloc off = 0x3874F000
    irq_sp = 0x4F34CEC0
    sp start = 0x4F34CEB0
    FB base = 0x4F354380

    U-Boot > version

    U-Boot 2014.07-00136-gf870252 (Sep 22 2014 – 09:16:34)
    arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.8.2-16ubuntu4) 4.8.2
    GNU ld (GNU Binutils for Ubuntu) 2.24

    Question: Is there a Migration path I need to follow?

  3. rameshchandrakasan@samtelgroup.com says

    Sir,

    I want to load the new u-boot file using seggar Jlink – JFlash .
    As per the Blog : Debugging using Segger J-Link JTAG

    Two scripts are Required
    1) Scripts to connect
    2) Scripts to Initialize the RAM and core.
    3) Using then loadbin command , Shall I put the uboot binary in to NOR memory?

    Will you able to guide this seggger JTAG flashing method?

    Regards
    Ramesh

    • Gary Bisson says

      Hi Ramesh,

      No we don’t have the necessary modification to write to flash directly from the Segger tool.

      We recommend loading U-Boot with JTAG and then having U-Boot do the writing to the NOR.

      Regards,
      Gary

      • mreddick says

        Hi Gary,

        I’m trying to follow Boundary Device’s “Debugging using Segger J-Link JTAG” tutorial using a sabrelite board. I eventually want to target a custom board. Things are going pretty well until trying to execute the gdb script. Loading and running the program fails.

        (gdb) monitor memU32 0x021b0404
        Reading from address 0x021B0404 (Failed)
        (gdb) load
        Loading section .text, size 0x4f590 lma 0x17800000
        Loading section .rodata, size 0x12db6 lma 0x1784f590
        Loading section .hash, size 0x18 lma 0x17862348
        Loading section .data, size 0x3b40 lma 0x17862360
        Loading section .got.plt, size 0xc lma 0x17865ea0
        Loading section .u_boot_list, size 0xb68 lma 0x17865eac
        Loading section .rel.dyn, size 0xb598 lma 0x17866a14
        Loading section .dynsym, size 0x30 lma 0x17871fac
        Loading section .dynstr, size 0x1 lma 0x17871fdc
        Loading section .dynamic, size 0x88 lma 0x17871fe0
        Loading section .interp, size 0x11 lma 0x17872068
        Start address 0x17800000, load size 467060
        Transfer rate: 338 KB/sec, 3828 bytes/write.
        (gdb) b print_cpuinfo
        Breakpoint 1 at 0x17801b78: file arch/arm/imx-common/cpu.c, line 161.
        (gdb) c
        Continuing.

        Program received signal SIGTRAP, Trace/breakpoint trap.
        _start () at arch/arm/lib/vectors.S:54
        54 b reset
        (gdb)

        In fact I can’t even read from memory using gdb, or even read from the registers the script wrote to previously.

        It looks like the following script entries are causing problems:
        (# From U-Boot 1066mhz_4x128mx16.cfg section)
        monitor memU32 0x021b001c=0x04088032
        monitor memU32 0x021b001c=0x00008033
        monitor memU32 0x021b001c=0x00428031
        monitor memU32 0x021b001c=0x19308030
        monitor memU32 0x021b001c=0x04008040

        If I remove these entries from the script, I can read memory-mapped registers successfully after script completion. Reading/Writing to ddr memory only works with the LSB of a 32-bit word. I assume these entries are pretty important to proper memory operation, they are writes to the MDSCR register which sends mode commands to the memory modules. Without working memory I can’t load and run u-boot properly.

        Do you have any ideas as to what this could be?
        Is it possibly a newer version of JLINK (I have SEGGER J-Link GDB Server V6.18d Command Line Version)?

  5. gopinaths says

    Hi,

    I have followed above steps for Nitrogen 7 board. But when my u-boot stops/hangs with the below log message. I am not getting any other log messages after this. Any suggestion is highly appreciated .

    U-Boot 2017.03-26149-gd70bdd5 (May 23 2017 – 18:33:19 +0530)

    CPU: Freescale i.MX7D rev1.2 996 MHz (running at 792 MHz)
    CPU: Extended Commercial temperature grade (-20C to 105C) at 33C
    Reset cause: POR
    Board: i.MX7D Nitrogen7
    I2C: ready
    DRAM: 1 GiB
    PMIC: PFUZE3000 DEV_ID=0x30 REV_ID=0x11
    MMC: FSL_SDHC: 0, FSL_SDHC: 1

    Thanks.

  6. skrishnan says

    I built uboot from source code. After that I tried to follow the steps in “Flashing procedure”
    ~/u-boot-imx6/$ cp u-boot.imx /u-boot.
    ~/u-boot-imx6/$ cp 6x_upgrade /
    (1) What should be the value of mount_path can it be directory where I want to copy?
    (2) The second command does not work. It fails to find the file 6x_upgrade. It is not there in the directory u-boot-imx6. In one of the sub-directories I could find 6x_upgrade.txt Should I copy that?

  7. Kulunu says

    Hi All, I am using u-boot 2017 version with kernel 4.1.15.2.0 on Nitrogen6_Max (IMX6Q) board. I have a question regarding 6Q’s LDO settings. How it’s different to the SaberSd board ?

    I’ve noticed that LDO_SOC regulator has been set in ‘arch/arm/cpu/armv7/mx6/soc.c’, in u-boot as an ‘ldo-enable’ regulator. However LDO_ARM and LDO_PU regulators do not seem to be set anywhere in u-boot. In kernel (arch/arm/mach-imx/gpc.c), only the ‘pu_reg’ is bypassed. So where those regulators are exactly defined in boundary kernel ?

    How we can benefit from ldo_bypass mode ?

    Thanks in Advance

  8. Kulunu says

    Hi, how does the 6x_bootscript of Yocto image load the root file system to the ram address ? I know that zImage and dtb are loaded to 10800000 and 13000000 addresses respectively. what does initrd_high stand for ?

    Thanks

  10. dvescovi says

    I see in several places in u-boot build configuration scripts the “config macro” (for lack of a better term) “MX6Q” and “MX6QDL” can someone please explain just what the difference is in terms of u-boot build procedure? Is this actually different silicon?

  12. Kulunu says

    Hi All,

    I used Nitrogen 6 Max development board for my custom hardware design. As well as I used Nitrogen 6 Max dtbs and uboot for that. But I changed its VDDSOC_IN and VDDARM_IN to 1.375 volts and I need to use them in LDO enable mode. But Notrogen 6 Max it is using LDO bypass voltages. As well as I couldn’t see any dtb related to LDO enable mode.

    1) What are the default settings of the LDO regulator in kernel (In Nitrogen 6 Max) ? Is that LDO enable or LDO bypass ? Do you know any method to see the present status of the LDO in kernel ? Using devrgs command ?

    When I read PMU_REG_CORE register using devrgs tools will it give the present settings ?
    devregs 0x020C8140

    2) Can we set this LDO settings in uboot ?

    3) And also some of my custom hardware designs are not working when it is 1.2V for VDDSOC_IN and when I run GPU is highly stressed application. But when I give 1.375V to VDDSOC_IN, I can stress GPU more. Can you comment on this ? Can’t I stress the GPU when I’m using LDO bypass mode(1.2V) ?

    4)If I’m using Nitrogen 6 Max dtbs how can I change LDO bypass to LDO enable mode ?

    Regards,
    Kulunu.

Leave a Reply

Subscribe to be Notified of the

Most Current Software and Hardware Releases