AM5728: Booting Issue with 4GIB EMIF

ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL

Part Number: AM5728

Tool/software:

Hi,

Previously i had compiled uboot in SDK 5.03 with 4GIB emif support using what was given in the EMIF Tool guide and had added the necessary changes to my board.c file and evm.h file which are

board.c-

const struct dmm_lisa_map_regs beagle_x15_lisa_regs = {
    .dmm_lisa_map_0 = 0x00000000,
    .dmm_lisa_map_1 = 0x00000000,
    .dmm_lisa_map_2 = 0x80740300,
    .dmm_lisa_map_3 = 0xFF020100,
    .is_ma_present = 0x1
};

int dram_init_banksize(void)
{
    u64 ram_size;
    ram_size = 0x100000000;
    gd->bd->bi_dram[0].start = CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE;
    gd->bd->bi_dram[0].size = get_effective_memsize();
    if (ram_size > CONFIG_MAX_MEM_MAPPED) {
    gd->bd->bi_dram[1].start = 0x200000000;
    gd->bd->bi_dram[1].size = ram_size - CONFIG_MAX_MEM_MAPPED;
    }
    return 0;
}

evm.h

#define CONFIG_VERY_BIG_RAM
#define CONFIG_MAX_MEM_MAPPED 0x80000000

#define CONFIG_PHYS_64BIT

and with the above changes my board used to boot with SDK5.03 uboot , now i am trying to make the same happen in SDK 9.02 version and it doesn't work.

i noticed that CONFIG_PHYS_64BIT was added in the config so i had skipped it in evm.h and made the other changes but during compilation i had faced the below error

board/ti/am57xx/board.c: In function ‘dram_init_banksize’:
board/ti/am57xx/board.c:757:36: error: ‘CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE’ undeclared (first use in this function); did you mean ‘CONFIG_SYS_SRAM_BASE’?
  757 |         gd->bd->bi_dram[0].start = CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE;
      |                                    ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      |                                    CONFIG_SYS_SRAM_BASE
board/ti/am57xx/board.c:757:36: note: each undeclared identifier is reported only once for each function it appears in
board/ti/am57xx/board.c:760:36: warning: unsigned conversion from ‘long long int’ to ‘phys_addr_t’ {aka ‘long unsigned int’} changes value from ‘8589934592’ to ‘0’ [-Woverflow]
  760 |         gd->bd->bi_dram[1].start = 0x200000000;
      |                                    ^~~~~~~~~~~
At top level:
board/ti/am57xx/board.c:1618:12: warning: ‘board_bootmode_has_emmc’ defined but not used [-Wunused-function]
 1618 | static int board_bootmode_has_emmc(void)
      |            ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
make[1]: *** [scripts/Makefile.build:257: board/ti/am57xx/board.o]

so if i comment out the int dram_init_banksize(void) section from board.c it compiles my u-boot.img and MLO but the board boots with only 2GIB section as shown below

U-Boot SPL 2023.04-dirty (Jun 17 2025 - 19:24:32 +0530)                         
DRA752-GP ES2.0                                                                 
Trying to boot from MMC1                                                        
Loading Environment from FAT... *** Error - No Valid Environment Area found     
*** Warning - bad env area, using default environment                           
                                                                                
Loading Environment from MMC... *** Warning - bad CRC, using default environment
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
U-Boot 2023.04-dirty (Jun 17 2025 - 19:24:32 +0530)                             
                                                                                
CPU  : DRA752-GP ES2.0                                                          
Model: FA SBC5728                                                               
Board: FA SBC 5728                                                              
DRAM:  2 GiB                                                                    
Core:  65 devices, 21 uclasses, devicetree: separate                            
MMC:   OMAP SD/MMC: 0, OMAP SD/MMC: 1                                           
Loading Environment from FAT... *** Error - No Valid Environment Area found     
*** Warning - bad env area, using default environment                           
                                                                                
Loading Environment from MMC... *** Warning - bad CRC, using default environment
                                                                                
Net:   eth2: ethernet@48484000                                                  
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0                                                
switch to partitions #0, OK                                                     
mmc0 is current device                                                          
SD/MMC found on device 0                                                        
4035072 bytes read in 200 ms (19.2 MiB/s)                                       
100159 bytes read in 29 ms (3.3 MiB/s)                                          
Working FDT set to 88000000                                                     
Kernel image @ 0x82000000 [ 0x000000 - 0x3d9200 ]                               
Working FDT set to 88000000                                                     
OK                                                                              
Working FDT set to 8fee4000                                                     
                                                                                
Starting kernel ...                                                             
                                                                                
[    0.000000] Booting Linux on physical CPU 0x0                                
[    0.000000] Linux version 4.14.79-ge669d52447 (rajatrao@rajatrao) (gcc versi1
[    0.000000] CPU: ARMv7 Processor [412fc0f2] revision 2 (ARMv7), cr=30c5387d  
[    0.000000] CPU: div instructions available: patching division code          
[    0.000000] CPU: PIPT / VIPT nonaliasing data cache, PIPT instruction cache  
[    0.000000] OF: fdt: Machine model: FA SBC5728                               
[    0.000000] Memory policy: Data cache

so if i keep the int dram_init_banksize(void) section and add #define CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE 0x80000000 in the evm.h , it compiles but my board doesn't boot i get only the below

U-Boot 2023.04-dirty (Jun 17 2025 - 19:32:19 +0530)                             
                                                                                
CPU  : DRA752-GP ES2.0                                                          
Model: FASBC5728                                                               
Board: FA SBC5728                                                              
DRAM:  2 GiB (effective 4GiB)

after this the board stops booting.
Could you help me boot the board with 4GIB emif configuration in SDK 9.03 uboot.

Regards,
Roshan Rajagopal

3 months ago

0 Josue Zamitiz-Ayala 3 months ago

TI__Mastermind 32295 points

Hello Roshan,

I will try my best at helping you but unfortunately none of our EVM's have 4GB of DDR so we do not have a way to test/validate this internally.

Since this is not validated for AM57x, its not technically supported by our SDK.

Since you had it working for previous SDK I assume you followed the previous mentions from older threads like the following? Can you confirm?

https://e2e.ti.com/support/processors-group/processors/f/processors-forum/724117/linux-am5728-4gb-ddr-memory-configuration
https://e2e.ti.com/support/processors-group/processors/f/processors-forum/586776/am5728-configuring-4gb-ddr3l

e2e.ti.com/.../am572x-ddr-memory-configuration

https://e2e.ti.com/support/processors-group/processors/f/processors-forum/625442/linux-am5728-4gb-ddr-support-u-boot-and-kernel-changes

-Josue

0 ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL 3 months ago in reply to Josue Zamitiz-Ayala

Intellectual 315 points

Hi,

Yes we had followed the same

0 ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL 3 months ago in reply to ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL

Intellectual 315 points

Hi Josue ,

the Problem i feel here is in the error
gd->bd->bi_dram[0].start = CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE;
      |                                    ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      |                                    CONFIG_SYS_SRAM_BASE
board/ti/am57xx/board.c:757:36: note: each undeclared identifier is reported only once for each function it appears in
board/ti/am57xx/board.c:760:36: warning: unsigned conversion from ‘long long int’ to ‘phys_addr_t’ {aka ‘long unsigned int’} changes value from ‘8589934592’ to ‘0’ [-Woverflow]
760 |         gd->bd->bi_dram[1].start = 0x200000000;

when i enter the below lines in board.c file
int dram_init_banksize(void)
{
    u64 ram_size;
    ram_size = 0x100000000;
    gd->bd->bi_dram[0].start = CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE;
    gd->bd->bi_dram[0].size = get_effective_memsize();
    if (ram_size > CONFIG_MAX_MEM_MAPPED) {
    gd->bd->bi_dram[1].start = 0x200000000;
    gd->bd->bi_dram[1].size = ram_size - CONFIG_MAX_MEM_MAPPED;
    }
    return 0;
}

This error had not shown up in 5.03 SDK , but is showing in the 9.02 SDK.

Please do help us solve this as upgrading the SDK has become tough due to this and we cannot provide a firmware upgrade to the already working 4GB emif boards which are running on 5.03 SDK

Regards,
Roshan Rajagopal

0 ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL 3 months ago in reply to ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL

Intellectual 315 points

Hi Josue ,
The error issue was solved , instead of CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM , the new SDK uses CFG_SYS_SDRAM, but during booting it still shows the below but in kernel when i run free command i get ,

U-Boot SPL 2023.04-dirty (Jun 18 2025 - 18:14:57 +0530)
DRA752-GP ES2.0
Trying to boot from MMC1
Loading Environment from FAT... *** Error - No Valid Environment Area found
*** Warning - bad env area, using default environment

Loading Environment from MMC... *** Warning - bad CRC, using default environment



U-Boot 2023.04-dirty (Jun 18 2025 - 18:14:57 +0530)

CPU : DRA752-GP ES2.0
Model: FA SBC5728
Board: FA SBC 5728
DRAM: 2 GiB (effective 4 GiB)

free-

   total        used        free      shared buff/cache   available
Mem:        3929004      133012     3638152       26908      157840     3725852
Swap:             0           0           0

could you help me clear this issue?

Regards,
Roshan Rajagopal

0 Josue Zamitiz-Ayala 3 months ago in reply to ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL

TI__Mastermind 32295 points

Roshan,

Glad you can now boot to Linux Kernel.

What is the issue that you are referring to? From your post it seems like it is working. Can you please be specific?

-Josue

0 ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL 3 months ago in reply to Josue Zamitiz-Ayala

Intellectual 315 points

Hi Josue,
I mean the issue where the DRAM is reporting in the uboot

ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL said:

U-Boot 2023.04-dirty (Jun 18 2025 - 18:14:57 +0530)

CPU : DRA752-GP ES2.0
Model: FA SBC5728
Board: FA SBC 5728
DRAM: 2 GiB (effective 4 GiB)

shouldn't it directly report 4GIB instead of 2GIB effective 4GIB

Regards,
Roshan Rajagopal

0 Josue Zamitiz-Ayala 3 months ago in reply to ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL

TI__Mastermind 32295 points

Hello Roshan,

I am low in bandwidth at the moment but I will try to look into your issue this week and get back to you next week.

-Josue

0 ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL 3 months ago in reply to Josue Zamitiz-Ayala

Intellectual 315 points

Hi,
Okay thank you

Regards,
Roshan Rajagopal

0 Josue Zamitiz-Ayala 3 months ago in reply to ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL

TI__Mastermind 32295 points

I appreciate your understanding.

0 ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL 3 months ago in reply to Josue Zamitiz-Ayala

Intellectual 315 points

Hi Josue,
Is there any updates??

Regards,
Roshan Rajagopal

0 Josue Zamitiz-Ayala 3 months ago in reply to ROSHAN RAJAGOPAL

TI__Mastermind 32295 points

Hello Roshan,

I unfortunately have not had a lot of bandwidth lately so just now getting to your thread.

This is a message simply tells you that u-boot is only using 2 GiBs while booting but the device has effectively 4 GiBs. for 32-bit processors u-boot only assumes 2GiB of addressable DRAM.

From your post above it seems like Linux works properly and has access to all 4GB.

Best,

Josue