TMS570 Flash storage

David Arnett

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: HALCOGEN, UNIFLASH

Is there a way to directly access memory locations to store configuration data during power off. It seems like this can be done with the DMA and FEE stuff but I think that is overly complicated for what is needed.

over 9 years ago

0 Bob Crosby over 9 years ago

TI__Guru 72500 points

You cannot write to the internal flash when the device is powered off. The device must be powered on and the CPU running to write to the internal flash.

0 David Arnett over 9 years ago in reply to Bob Crosby

Intellectual 270 points

I understand that.

My intent is to write the config data to memory with the device on and have the data available when the device is powered off and on again.

0 Bob Crosby over 9 years ago in reply to David Arnett

TI__Guru 72500 points

Sorry, I misunderstood the original question. You cannot write directly to the flash, but you don't necessarily need all of the overhead of the FEE. If the variables are changing periodically, you may want to use the FEE to handle the updates and erase that may be required. You must use the F021 Flash API to program the internal flash.

0 David Arnett over 9 years ago in reply to Bob Crosby

Intellectual 270 points

The variables will only be changing when the user updates the configuration.

Is there an example project for using the flash.

0 Bob Crosby over 9 years ago in reply to David Arnett

TI__Guru 72500 points

You really may want to use the FEE. It allows several updates of the variables before you have to erase a sector (depending on the size of the data set). It also increases the effective number of write erase cycles by multiple writes before an erase and using at least two sectors. There is an example in HALCoGen. Open HALCoGen and choose Help->Help Topics->Examples->example_TI_Fee_Write_Read.c. Also the FEE is careful to keep the previous version of the variables until the new version has been programmed. That is important in case you loose power while trying to program the flash.

0 David Arnett over 9 years ago in reply to Bob Crosby

Intellectual 270 points

I have the example now from HALCoGen but I need the F021 files which I get from the uniFlash or nowFlash but I'm having some issues.

nowFlash requires an input file...not sure what this is.

uniFlash will not install.

0 Bob Crosby over 9 years ago in reply to David Arnett

TI__Guru 72500 points

No, the F021 files you need are in the F021 Flash API. UniFlash and nowFlash use the API to create their executables, but you need the library and header file.

0 David Arnett over 9 years ago in reply to Bob Crosby

Intellectual 270 points

Thanks for the help Bob.

I was able to get the project to build and start debugging but there seems to be a problem with the FEE initialization. The MainFunction, delay, GetStatus do-while loop always returns uninit so it never gets to the write and read portions.

0 Bob Crosby over 9 years ago in reply to David Arnett

TI__Guru 72500 points

David,

I may have reproduced your problem (but don't know the solution). Are you getting an error in the call to Fapi_initializeFlashBanks() in line 585 of ti_fee_ini.c? I am getting a return of 7, which I think is invalid OTP checksum (does not make sense).

0 David Arnett over 9 years ago in reply to Bob Crosby

Intellectual 270 points

I was not getting any errors that I'm aware of. As it turns out I was using the wrong library file from the API, once I found the correct file I was able to get it working.

Thank you for all the help.

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TMS570 Flash storage