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Linux boot freezing on custom board

microtech
Prodigy 190 points

I'm working on porting Linux to a custom board based on the am335x EVM.  I'm getting a problem where the booting of the kernel freezes at about the statement "INIT: version 2.88 booting".  I've seen it get slightly past this or freeze slightly before this.

The hardware is custom but designed directly from the EVM and keeps the following components from the EVM:

microSD card (same connections as EVM)

512MB DDR2 (same connections as EVM)

256kb EEPROM (same connections as EVM)

RS-232 Serial Port (same connections as EVM)

WiFi Radio (not identical connections as EVM)

Other specs:

No RTC clock, system oscillator frequency matches EVM.

It also adds a couple SPI connected peripherals.

I'm attempting to boot from SD card using the EVM files.  I've modified them slightly to remove unused peripherals and force it to look like the EVM board despite not having that data in the EEPROM.  The EVM will boot (with a few warnings about the removed peripheral modifications), however, the custom board freezes.

Any help would be appreciated!  I can provide any information necessary.

Thanks,

Alex

  • 0
    Intellectual 835 points

    Can you stop it in uboot and try some SD card and memory tests?

  • 0
    TI__Mastermind 25235 points

    Hi,

    The init is looking for /etc/inittab and something may be wrong with this file.

    Please check your root file system for /etc/inittab. I'd strongly recommend to reformat and repartition your SD card.

    Best regards,
    Miroslav

  • 0 in reply to argeebee
    Prodigy 190 points

    argeebee said:

    Can you stop it in uboot and try some SD card and memory tests?

    argeebee,

    I'm currently starting u-boot from SD card.  If I understand correctly, I would need to put a memory test in the u-boot code.  Is there a specific memory test I should run? and how would I do that?  Is there a way to stop the u-boot code to execute a memory test?  The concept makes sense to me but the implementation is unclear.

    Also, I am unable to load u-boot using the alternate method through UART.  I see the "CCCCC......" but the XMODEM transfer doesn't start.  Otherwise I would run mtest from there.

    Thanks for your help.

    Alex

  • 0 in reply to Miroslav Kiradzhiyski XID
    Prodigy 190 points

    Miroslav,

    Thanks for your suggestion.  I have looked at /etc/inittab.  I'm not sure if there is anything specific in that file that would cause the EVM to boot but not the custom board.  Also, sometimes during the boot process I get just past the init statement and sometimes before it.  It seems like its not a problem specifically related to /etc/inittab but I'm happy to look into specifics.  Also, I think the partition is okay because I can boot fine on the am335x EVM or browse the filesystem when I plug the SD card into my linux PC.  Is there additional tests or debugging I can enable to help trace the problem?

    Thanks!

    Alex

  • 0
    Prodigy 190 points

    Thanks for all the suggestions.  I have found the problem.  It was hardware related instead of software related.  The power management IC was getting a signal to kill power, which in turn shutdown the system.

    Thanks,

    Alex