TMS570LC4357: Ethernet bootloader

Hello Shanmukh,

Please refer to the identical thread from your associate at this link: e2e.ti.com/.../2321379

We have provided a working example of a boot loader using the TMS570LC4357 that is based on UART. This code/example can be adapted to your ethernet based boot loader by replacing the communication layers of the example with the communication algorithms of your custom code. Likewise, you could use the examples programming/command response portion of the code to integrate the same programming/data flow functions in your code.

We do not have a direct example using the Ethernet port within a boot loader program.

Hi Chuck,
I have tried what you had suggested, that didn't solve my problem.

Is it possible to load bootloader and application program to same bank i.e, active bank (bank0).
Could you send me an example of how do i achieve this ?

Shanmuth,

Again, I apologize for the delayed response. We have been tied up with some internal trainings and not able to respond.

Our device architecture does no allow programming to the same bank from which you are executing. i.e., if you are executing your boot loader from Bank 0, you may not load your application also to bank 0. The only way to achieve this would be to switch program execution to RAM and run from RAM. Then you would need to reprogram bank 0. Care must be taken to preserve your boot loader in this case and to also make sure the execution doesn't still branch back to or reference Bank 0 locations at all while executing from RAM. The danger in this is that you could result in a damaged part if you only get bank 0 partially programmed due to a power loss or RAM ECC error, or any event causing the programming to be interrupted.

In regard to the example program provided, were you able to run it in UART mode at all? i.e., can you check that it is working properly without the introduction of the ethernet code/stack. Also to be certain I understand, the code works per normal use of programming the entire application (boot loader + application code) via CCS or Uniflash (or other external programmer), but when you go into the boot loader programming mode, it gets stuck at the call to the prescribed BlockWrite function. Correct?

Have you checked permissions? Have you been able to determine what line it is hanging on? Can you tell if any blocks are programmed at all or if it is only the first one that hangs? What Ethernet stack are you using? LwiP which is open source?

Hi Chuck,

I am able to load Bootloader & Application to BANK0.
The problem is I want to use ethernet in my application so when I initilise "EMAC_LwIP_Main(emacAddress);" - it is getting stuck at this line "netif_set_up(&hdkNetIF[instNum]);" within this at this line "etharp_gratuitous(netif);"

But When I run my application without the Bootloader it works fine there is no issue.

Can you help me to get this resolved ?

Hi
Please someone can respond, this is very urgent . I need to solve this problem

Hello Shanmukh,

The memory section in link.cmd needs to be modified for application:

VECTORS (X) : origin=0x0000xxxx length=0x00000020 --> xxxx is the starting address of your application

Hi Wang,
Thank you for the reply.
The memory section in my Bootloader is :

VECTORS (X) : origin=0x00000000 length=0x00000020
FLASH0 (RX) : origin=0x00000020 length=0x001FFFE0
FLASH1 (RX) : origin=0x00200000 length=0x00200000
STACKS (RW) : origin=0x08000000 length=0x00001500
RAM (RW) : origin=0x08001500 length=0x0002EB00

USER CODE END */
.intvecs : {} > VECTORS
.text align(32) : {} > FLASH0
.const align(32) : {} > FLASH0
.cinit align(32) : {} > FLASH0
.pinit align(32) : {} > FLASH0
.bss : {} > RAM
.data : {} > RAM
.sysmem : {} > RAM


And my application memory is like this :

VECTORS (X) : origin=0x00200000 length=0x00000020
FLASH1 (RX) : origin=0x00200020 length=0x001FFFDF
STACKS (RW) : origin=0x08000000 length=0x00008000
HEAP (RW) : origin=0x08008000 length=0x00008000
RAM (RW) : origin=0x08010000 length=0x00020000

.intvecs : {} > VECTORS
.text : {} > FLASH1
.const : {} > FLASH1
.cinit : {} > FLASH1
.pinit : {} > FLASH1
.bss : {} > RAM
.data : {} > RAM
.sysmem : {} > RAM


Is this correct ? or are there any modifications ?

System freq is 150Mhz.

Even I tried to run by fetching bootloader to RAM using FlashAPI. Even this didn't solve the problem.

Dear e2e,

Could someone help me with this problem, its been a month since I raised this issue, still the problem isn't solved. And i'm barely getting any replies.
Its very urgent to get this solved as my design is already finalized and is in production. It would be a major problem if this issue isn't solved.
Please someone could help to solve this issue, that would be of very great help.