[ECOS] redboot on STM32f4-discovery board

[Oleg Uzenkov]

Hi,

I have got redboot working on my board (with no external ram).

When I set (CYGBLD_REDBOOT_LOAD_INTO_FLASH == 1) I get such response:

RAM: 0x20000000-0x2001f000 [0x200039c8-0x1fff3000 available]
0x10000000-0x10010000 [0x10000000-0x10010000 available]
FLASH: 0x08000000-0x0807ffff, 4 x 0x4000 blocks, 1 x 0x10000 blocks, 3 x 
0x20000 blocks
RedBoot>

*Note* invalid RAM range ([0x200039c8-0x1fff3000 available]).


When I set (CYGBLD_REDBOOT_LOAD_INTO_FLASH == 0) I get:

RAM: 0x20000000-0x2001f000 [0x20003998-0x20013000 available]
0x10000000-0x10010000 [0x10000000-0x10010000 available]
FLASH: 0x08000000-0x0807ffff, 4 x 0x4000 blocks, 1 x 0x10000 blocks, 3 x 
0x20000 blocks
RedBoot>

*RAM range is valid*
It looks like CYGBLD_REDBOOT_LOAD_INTO_FLASH functionality occupies 
0x20013000−0x1fff3000=0x20000 (this is actually the size of a flash 
block (at the end on stm32f407, 128K)).

This is the Flash geometry I am using:
#define STM32_FLASH_SIZE (512*1024)
#define STM32_FLASH_BLOCK_INFO { { { 16*1024, 4 } , { 64*1024, 1 }, { 
128*1024, 3} } }
#define STM32_FLASH_NUM_BLOCK_INFOS 3

It looks like a lot of RAM is used by CYGBLD_REDBOOT_LOAD_INTO_FLASH 
functionality. Or does it depend on flash block size it is mapped to?

Can I shift it to occupy a smaller block of flash (for example 4th from 
the end - 64K)?


BTW, what occupies the memory from 0x20013000 to 0x2001f000? I do not 
have CYGOPT_REDBOOT_FIS enabled. It is usually FIS that occupies the end 
of flash address map, but as I said it is disabled.


With best wishes,
Oleg






> On Thu, 9 Oct 2014, Oleg Uzenkov wrote:
>
>> But, without Flash Image System I do not see how to use redboot to
>> load and store and run images.
> Even for builds (CYGOPT_REDBOOT_FIS == 0) you can manage FLASH using
> absolute FLASH addresses and FIS sub-commands: erase and write.
>
> When you make RedBoot work smoothly on your target, then you can try to
> load images directly to FLASH if you enable
>
>    cdl_option CYGBLD_REDBOOT_LOAD_INTO_FLASH {
>        user_value 1
>    };
>
> eCos is designed with XIP (eXecute In Place) in mind and you can use
> RedBoot 'go' command to execute ROM image from specified place of FLASH.
>
> For simple applications it would be enough just to shift *rom* ORIGIN
> address and *rom_vectors* address in `target.ld' file and re-link ROM
> application, then with the option above it is possible to load and run
> such ROM image as
>
>    load -m <protocol>
>    go
>
> I call that it worked on my target (load-into-flash-and-go). However,
> you need to inspect and may be fix HAL startup files for such "FLASH"
> builds.
>
> Sergei
>


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