AM6548: AM6548 U-Boot Rproc and VxWorks / Linux

Benjamin Roytburd

Part Number: AM6548

Hello,

I am trying to figure out how to load remote firmware to the R5F cores of an AM6548 that is running a VxWorks kernel.

I have been successful in loading the remote firmware (I think) using the following instructions
https://software-dl.ti.com/processor-sdk-linux/esd/AM65X/07_01_00_17/exports/docs/linux/Foundational_Components_U-Boot.html#remoteproc

But when I do "=>rproc start 0" to start the core, it does not appear that anything happens. And when I boot into the VxWorks kernel I also do not see anything happen in the MCU UART terminal.

Is there a way to verify I have loaded code successfully onto the R5F? I have come across this for the IPC examples
file:///C:/ti/pdk_am65xx_08_02_00_21/docs/userguide/am65xx/modules/ipc.html#loading-remote-firmware
But it is only for a Linux OS.

Does anyone know if there is a different way I should approach this? Here is my U-boot terminal log from loading the firmware successfully using tftpboot:

=> rproc init
=> rproc list
0 - Name:'r5f@41000000' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop reset
1 - Name:'r5f@41400000' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop reset
2 - Name:'pru0_0' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
3 - Name:'rtu0_0' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
4 - Name:'pru0_1' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
5 - Name:'rtu0_1' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
6 - Name:'pru1_0' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
7 - Name:'rtu1_0' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
8 - Name:'pru1_1' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
9 - Name:'rtu1_1' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
10 - Name:'pru2_0' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
11 - Name:'rtu2_0' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
12 - Name:'pru2_1' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
13 - Name:'rtu2_1' type:'internal memory mapped' supports: load start stop
=> tftpboot 0x90000000 GPIO_LedBlink_TestApp_freertos_mcu1_0_release.xer5f
k3-navss-ringacc ringacc@2b800000: Ring Accelerator probed rings:286, gp-rings[96,32] sci-dev-id:195
k3-navss-ringacc ringacc@2b800000: dma-ring-reset-quirk: enabled
am65_cpsw_nuss_port ethernet@46000000port@1: K3 CPSW: rflow_id_base: 2
link up on port 1, speed 1000, full duplex
Using ethernet@46000000port@1 device
TFTP from server 192.168.20.19; our IP address is 192.168.20.20
Filename 'GPIO_LedBlink_TestApp_freertos_mcu1_0_release.xer5f'.
Load address: 0x90000000
Loading: ################################################
         7.5 MiB/s
done
Bytes transferred = 702140 (ab6bc hex)
=> rproc load 0 0x90000000 0x${filesize}
Load Remote Processor 0 with data@addr=0x90000000 702140 bytes: Success!
=> rproc start 0
=>

After the above commands I initialize the VxWorks kernel and nothing happens, even though I am loading a GPIO blinky example. Even when I boot into Linux it does not appear to actually start the R5F firmware.

over 1 year ago

0 Benjamin Roytburd over 1 year ago

Intellectual 260 points

Update: I was able to load firmware using CCS, by launching into the VxWorks kernel, then launching CCS, the connected to the DSMC, then connecting to an R5F core and loading code that way.

Is there an easier way to do this? By loading either a ".out" or an ".appimage" file?

0 Nick Saulnier over 1 year ago in reply to Benjamin Roytburd

TI__Guru* 76435 points

Hello Benjamin,

First off, please note that TI cannot support non-TI code. That means I will not be able to answer questions about VxWorks. Your support on this thread is going to be limited.

General Debug:

First off, have you checked that the pinmux settings are appropriately set for the GPIO blinky example to work?

If you are not sure if the remote core is actually running, you should be able to connect to it in CCS and watch what code is running by following these steps: https://software-dl.ti.com/processor-sdk-rtos/esd/AM65X/08_02_00_05/exports/docs/processor_sdk_rtos_am65xx_08_02_00_05/docs/user_guide/ccs_setup_am65xx.html#debugging-with-hlos-running-on-a53-linux

FYI on the drivers TI provides for initializing cores

When are you trying to initialize the remote cores? AM65x provides an option to initialize remote cores in uboot with the rproc driver: https://software-dl.ti.com/processor-sdk-linux/esd/AM65X/08_02_00_02/exports/docs/linux/Foundational_Components/U-Boot/UG-RemoteProc.html

However, (at least in the TI Linux SDK), we also have the Linux RemoteProc driver that initializes remote cores during Linux boot time or Linux runtime. The AM65x SDK docs for the latest SDK 8.2 are not great for IPC, so I'll link you to the AM64x IPC docs instead. It works similar to AM65x, except that AM65x should support graceful shutdown of remote cores: https://software-dl.ti.com/processor-sdk-linux/esd/AM64X/08_04_01_04/exports/docs/linux/Foundational_Components_IPC64x.html

Regards,

Nick

0 Benjamin Roytburd over 1 year ago

Intellectual 260 points

Thanks for the reply Nick! That is ok, I do not have questions about the VxWorks code directly, mainly on just how to boot into the R5F cores. First off yes, I do have a working blinky application that I can run through CCS. It is linked in MSRAM and while VxWorks kernel is running I am able to load and debug it. But with rproc commands in U-boot it does not load.

I would prefer to boot these cores in uboot with the rproc driver. But the steps listed at https://software-dl.ti.com/processor-sdk-rtos/esd/AM65X/08_02_00_05/exports/docs/processor_sdk_rtos_am65xx_08_02_00_05/docs/user_guide/ccs_setup_am65xx.html#debugging-with-hlos-running-on-a53-linux do not work. But the difference is I do not use the command "load mmc 1:2 0x90000000 /lib/firmware/j7-main-r5f0_0-fw" to load the firmware. I am not sure where that specified path is, is it on the SD card?

Instead I use "tftpboot 0x90000000 mybinary.out", and then run the commands in the above guide. Since I am not booting into Linux, I do not believe I have access to the Linux remoteproc drivers, so I do not believe that is an option.

0 Benjamin Roytburd over 1 year ago in reply to Benjamin Roytburd

Intellectual 260 points

So I am following the instructions from the answer in this thread:
https://e2e.ti.com/support/processors-group/processors/f/processors-forum/903161/compiler-processor-sdk-dra8x-tda4x-compiler-processor-sdk-dra8x-tda4x
Because it seems relevant to my processor as well, I remove the link in the Linux OS, then I enter U-boot, the only step where things misbehave is when I do "=> rproc stop 0" I get the following error:

k3_r5f_rproc r5f@41000000: Unable to enable cores for TCM loading -22

I then try to load my code through tftpboot but it does not seem to boot correctly when I connect over CCS

+1 Benjamin Roytburd over 1 year ago in reply to Benjamin Roytburd

Intellectual 260 points

Ok, I have figured it out... it was a linking issue! I was using the incorrect linker file from the PDK, in the end I needed to link my application with the linker files located in "pdk_am65xx_08_02_00_21\packages\ti\drv\ipc\examples\common\am65xx\freertos" in the PDK.

I was able to use the rproc commands as well as tftpboot to load my application and then debug it out of CCS.

Processors

Processors forum

AM6548: AM6548 U-Boot Rproc and VxWorks / Linux