CM-T3x: U-Boot: Firmware Update

Failure in CM-T3x firmware update may prevent proper boot from on-board NAND flash. It is recommended to create a bootable MMC/SD card before updating CM-T3x firmware

Introduction

This article describes firmware update process for CM-T3x system-on-module product line. The CM-T3x product line includes the following modules:

• CM-T3517
• CM-T3530

Preliminary setup

• Make sure to power off the CM-T3x evaluation platform
• Connect the host PC to the SB-T35 base-board (connector P12) via the serial cable supplied with the evaluation kit.
• Start terminal emulation software on your PC. Set baud rate to 115200 bps, 8 bit per frame, 1 stop bit, no parity, no flow control.
• Turn on the CM-T3x evaluation system. The U-Boot boot-loader will start and you will get a command prompt.

If the boot settings of your CM-T3x are different than default, you may need to press and hold ^C while turning the CM-T3x on, in order to get command prompt.

CM-T3x firmware can be updated from an MMC/SD card or using network TFTP download. Both methods are performed from the U-Boot command line.

CM-T3x Firmware consists of two components: X-Loader and U-Boot. The U-Boot bootloader can be installed and updated independently without updating the existing X-Loader. Please continue to CM-T3x U-Boot Update section for U-Boot installation instructions.

CM-T3x X-Loader Update

X-Loader can be installed only to completely erased NAND flash! The procedure below erases the entire NAND flash!

MMC/SD card

• Copy x-load.bin.ift from U-Boot package for CM-T3x to the root directory of the MMC/SD card.
• Insert the MMC/SD card into the SD socket (P13) on SB-T35.
• Start the U-Boot MMC subsystem and check that your storage device is ready and contains the X-Loader binary

# mmc init
# fatls mmc 0

• Load the X-Loader into memory

# fatload mmc 0 80a00000 x-load.bin.ift

• Proceed to Flashing X-Loader section

TFTP download

• Setup TFTP server
• Put the X-Loader binary in the root directory of TFTP server
• Setup U-Boot networking:

# dhcp

for dynamic IP configuration, or

# setenv ipaddr <ip address>
# setenv serverip <server ip>

for static IP configuration

• Download the X-Loader to the CM-T3x RAM

# tftp 80a00000 x-load.bin.ift

• Proceed to Flashing X-Loader section

Flashing X-Loader

Do not reset or power off the CM-T3x during the update process! Doing so may result in nand flash corruption!

• Flash the X-Loader onto the on-board NAND flash:

# nandecc hw
# nand erase
# nand scrub
# nand write 80a00000 0 20000;

It is essential to install U-Boot immediately after X-Loader update

CM-T3x U-Boot Update

MMC/SD card

• Copy u-boot.bin from U-Boot package for CM-T3x to the root directory of the MMC/SD card.
• Insert the MMC/SD card into the SD socket (P13) on SB-T35.
• Start the U-Boot MMC subsystem and check that your storage device is ready and contains the U-Boot binary

# mmc init
# fatls mmc 0

• Load the U-Boot into the CM-T3x RAM

# fatload mmc 0 80a00000 u-boot.bin

• Proceed to Flashing U-Boot section

TFTP download

• Setup TFTP server
• Put the U-Boot binary in the root directory of TFTP server
• Setup U-Boot networking:

# dhcp

for dynamic IP configuration, or

# setenv ipaddr <ip address>
# setenv serverip <server ip>

for static IP configuration

• Download the U-Boot to the CM-T3x RAM

# tftp 80a00000 u-boot.bin

• Proceed to Flashing U-Boot section

Flashing U-Boot

Do not reset or power off the CM-T3x during the update process! Doing so may result in nand flash corruption!

• Flash the U-Boot onto the on-board NAND flash:

# nandecc sw
# nand erase 80000 60000
# nand write 80a00000 80000 60000

• Reset the CM-T3x evaluation platform

U-Boot packages

• U-Boot package for CM-T3517
• U-Boot package for CM-T3530

See also

• CM-T3x: U-Boot: Firmware Overview
• U-Boot quick reference
• U-Boot images
• Getting started with Linux on CM-T3530
• U-Boot documentation
• SD/MMC format for OMAP3 boot