MSP432E401Y: using bootloader with NDK and RTOS

H iPatrick,

So you want a FreeRTOS + NDK based bootloader that

1, uses tftp to get an application image and place it into non-volatile memory.

2. jump to the new application

Correct? 

Does the new application image also use FreeRTOS and NDK?

Why not use the existing boot_serial_emac_flash example and then have the new application image simply be FreeRTOS and NDK based?

Todd

Hi Todd, Thanks for the reply.

You are correct on both points!

I have tried as you suggested. I used the tcpecho (freeRTOS) example as my application image and attempted to load this application image into non-volatile memory using the bootloader, but it seemed to not work out of the box, so I'm assuming some changes were necessary to the tcpecho source code to make it compatible.

Here's what I did.

1. I compiled the following programs from Resource Exp. boot_serial_emac_flash_MSP_EXP432E401Y_nortos_gcc tcpecho_MSP_EXP432E401Y_freertos_gcc

2. I used the output settings to build srec versions of both and then used srec_cat to create TI-txt versions of each.

3. I then used the bsl_scripter to first load the boot_serial_emac_flash image to an erased MSP432E401Y development board via BOOTP and TFTP. No issues with this step.

4. I next use a script to attempt TFTP transfer of the tcpecho image, basically by just changing the file in the previous script to point to the tcpecho image.

This final step appears to load the image correctly, however the board then appears to not function. Resetting does not seem to help, and any attempt to then upload any other image fails. It basically appears that loading the stock tcpecho image breaks the boatloader, and I'm not sure as to why this behavior results.

Did you make sure the tcpEcho linker file is set so it does not overlap with the boot_serial_emac_flash image (both in FLASH and RAM)? 

Which .out did you use to confirm the example worked?

Did the following line get executed in the BOOTPThread() function in the bl_emac.c file?

    //
    // Perform a software reset request.  This will cause the microcontroller
    // to reset; no further code will be executed.
    //
    SCB->AIRCR = NVIC_APINT_VECTKEY | NVIC_APINT_SYSRESETREQ;

Where is the vector table on the tcpecho image?

Todd

I'm not sure exactly at to what you are referring when you ask which .out I used to confirm the example worked?   But to constrain some variables I went in and pulled the CCS compiled versions for both boot_serial_emac_flash_MSP_EXP432E401Y_nortos_ccs and boot_emac_flash_app_magicpacket_update_MSP_EXP432E401Y_nortos_ccs to test the bootloader examples.   I used the "ARM Hex Utility" to create an output file in TI-TXT hex format.   And then used these to test the functionality.   

For the tcpecho example, I used the tcpecho_MSP_EXP432E401Y_freertos_ccs example, and again created a TI-TXT file.  That is what I loaded using the bootloader.    I also loaded the program to the dev board using the xds110, but this was done using the generated .out file and CCS.    tcpecho worked when loaded using the XDS110 but not when served via tftp and the ethernet bootloader.

//Did the following line get executed in the BOOTPThread() function in the bl_emac.c file?

//

DEFAULT memory range overlaps existing memory range SRAM
DEFAULT memory range overlaps existing memory range FLASH

--retain=Vectors

/* System memory map */

MEMORY
{
    FLASH (RX) : origin = 0x00000000, length = 0x00010000
    SRAM (RWX) : origin = 0x20000000, length = 0x00010000
}

/* Section allocation in memory */

SECTIONS
{
    GROUP
    {
        .intvecs
        .text
        .const
        .data
    } load = FLASH, run = 0x20000000, LOAD_START(init_load), RUN_START(init_run), SIZE(init_size)

    GROUP
    {
        .bss
        .stack
    } run = SRAM, RUN_START(bss_run), RUN_END(bss_end), SIZE(bss_size), RUN_END(__STACK_TOP)

}

--stack_size=1024   /* C stack is also used for ISR stack */
--retain=interruptVectors

#define APP_BASE 0x00004000

HEAPSIZE = 0x20000;  /* Size of heap buffer used by HeapMem */

MEMORY
{
    FLASH (RX) : origin = APP_BASE, length = 0x000FC000
    SRAM (RWX) : origin = 0x20000000, length = 0x00040000
}

/* Section allocation in memory */

SECTIONS
{
	.intvecs:   > APP_BASE
    .text   :   > FLASH
    .const  :   > FLASH
    .cinit  :   > FLASH
    .pinit  :   > FLASH
    .init_array : > FLASH

	.vtable :   > 0x20000000
    .TI.ramfunc : {} load=FLASH, run=SRAM, table(BINIT)
    .data   :   > SRAM
    .bss    :   > SRAM
    .sysmem :   > SRAM

    /* Heap buffer used by HeapMem */
    .priheap   : {
        __primary_heap_start__ = .;
        . += HEAPSIZE;
        __primary_heap_end__ = .;
    } > SRAM align 8

    .stack  :   > SRAM (HIGH)
}

__STACK_TOP = __stack + 512;

Well, I fixed the compile errors.  I just needed to define a memory space DEFAULT which I gave origin = 0x00000000 and length = 0x00010000

This still didn't fix the issue with the program not running if loaded through TFTP, however.