Skip to content

U-Boot Command Reference for HSDK/HSDK-4xD

The U-Boot bootloader is a powerful and flexible tool for loading an executable from different sources and running it on the target platform.

The U-Boot implementation for the ARC HSDK/HSDK-4xD was further extended with additional functionality that allows users to better manage the broad configurability of the ARC HSDK/HSDK-4xD.

This command reference provides description and basic usage information for newly introduced function in U-Boot for ARC HSDK/HSDK-4xD.

Clock Tree Manipulations

The HSDK/HSDK-4xD board internally uses a number of PLLs that clock the main components of the ARC core as well as all data buses and peripherals. hsdk_clock commands are introduced to set and display various clock values.

hsdk_clock set

Set clock from axi_freq, cpu_freq and tun_freq environment variables (all values are in MHz):

hsdk_clock set

Set clock from axi_freq, cpu_freq and tun_freq command line arguments (all values are in MHz):

hsdk_clock set tun_freq 125 axi_freq 600 cpu_freq 400

hsdk_clock get

Save clock frequencies to axi_freq, cpu_freq and tun_freq environment variables:

hsdk_clock get

hsdk_clock print

Show CPU, AXI, DDR and TUNNEL current clock frequencies:

hsdk_clock print

Sample output of hsdk_clock print command:

hsdk# hsdk_clock print
HSDK: clock 'cpu-clk' rate 500 MHz
HSDK: clock 'tun-clk' rate 50 MHz
HSDK: clock 'axi-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'ddr-clk' rate 334 MHz

hsdk_clock print_all

Show all currently used clock frequencies:

hsdk_clock print_all

Typical output of hsdk_clock print_all command for HSDK:

hsdk# hsdk_clock print_all
HSDK: clock 'cpu-pll' rate 500 MHz
HSDK: clock 'cpu-clk' rate 500 MHz

HSDK: clock 'sys-pll' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'apb-clk' rate 200 MHz
HSDK: clock 'axi-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'eth-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'usb-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'sdio-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'gfx-core-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'gfx-dma-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'gfx-cfg-clk' rate 200 MHz
HSDK: clock 'dmac-core-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'dmac-cfg-clk' rate 200 MHz
HSDK: clock 'sdio-ref-clk' rate 100 MHz
HSDK: clock 'spi-clk' rate 34 MHz
HSDK: clock 'i2c-clk' rate 200 MHz
HSDK: clock 'uart-clk' rate 34 MHz

HSDK: clock 'ddr-clk' rate 334 MHz

HSDK: clock 'tun-pll' rate 150 MHz
HSDK: clock 'tun-clk' rate 50 MHz
HSDK: clock 'rom-clk' rate 150 MHz
HSDK: clock 'pwm-clk' rate 75 MHz

Typical output of hsdk_clock print_all command for HSDK-4xD:

hsdk-4xd# hsdk_clock print_all
HSDK: clock 'cpu-pll' rate 500 MHz
HSDK: clock 'cpu-clk' rate 500 MHz

HSDK: clock 'sys-pll' rate 800 MHz
HSDK: clock 'apb-clk' rate 200 MHz
HSDK: clock 'axi-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'eth-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'usb-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'sdio-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'hdmi-sys-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'gfx-core-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'dmac-core-clk' rate 400 MHz
HSDK: clock 'dmac-cfg-clk' rate 200 MHz
HSDK: clock 'sdio-ref-clk' rate 100 MHz
HSDK: clock 'spi-clk' rate 34 MHz
HSDK: clock 'i2c-clk' rate 200 MHz
HSDK: clock 'uart-clk' rate 34 MHz

HSDK: clock 'ddr-clk' rate 334 MHz

HSDK: clock 'hdmi-pll' rate 27 MHz
HSDK: clock 'hdmi-clk' rate 27 MHz

HSDK: clock 'tun-pll' rate 600 MHz
HSDK: clock 'tun-clk' rate 50 MHz
HSDK: clock 'rom-clk' rate 150 MHz
HSDK: clock 'pwm-clk' rate 75 MHz
HSDK: clock 'timer-clk' rate 50 MHz

Booting Linux from uImage

HSDK/HSDK-4xD U-Boot contains a special implementation of the bootm command. HSDK/HSDK-4xD bootm command launches Linux kernel only on selected CPUs, based on the value of the core_mask environment variable. When an external Linux device tree blob (for example hsdk.dtb) is provided, bootm will also patch the status property of each CPU node according to the value of the core_mask environment variable.

Below is an example launching Linux on 3 out of 4 cores of HSDK. Linux image (uImage) and Linux device tree blob (hsdk.dtb) are read from the first FAT partition of SD card. core_mask is implicitly set to 0x7 by the hsdk_hs38x3 script command:

fatload mmc 0:1 0x82000000 uImage
fatload mmc 0:1 0x81000000 hsdk.dtb
run hsdk_hs38x3;
bootm 0x82000000 - 0x81000000

The same example for HSDK-4xD but with hsdk_hs48x3 script command:

fatload mmc 0:1 0x82000000 uImage
fatload mmc 0:1 0x81000000 hsdk.dtb
run hsdk_hs48x3;
bootm 0x82000000 - 0x81000000

Launching Baremetal Application

HSDK/HSDK-4xD U-Boot contains several configuration patterns which can be used to setup HSDK/HSDK-4xD hardware in. Each configuration pattern contains information about instruction and data caches state (enabled/disabled), iccm and dccm mappings, non_volatile_limit value and CPU mask (core_mask variable) value.

As of today HSDK/HSDK-4xD U-Boot contains next configuration patterns:

HSDK HSDK-4xD
hsdk_hs34 hsdk_hs45d
hsdk_hs36 hsdk_hs47d
hsdk_hs36_ccm hsdk_hs47d_ccm
hsdk_hs38 hsdk_hs47dx2
hsdk_hs38_ccm hsdk_hs47dx3
hsdk_hs38x2 hsdk_hs47dx4
hsdk_hs38x3 hsdk_hs48
hsdk_hs38x4 hsdk_hs48_ccm
hsdk_hs48x2 (same as hsdk_hs47dx2)
hsdk_hs48x3 (same as hsdk_hs47dx3)
hsdk_hs48x4 (same as hsdk_hs47dx4)

To choose a configuration use run command with configuration pattern name (hsdk_hs38x2 configuration is used here but the same procedures are applicable for HSDK-4xD configurations):

run hsdk_hs38x2

To setup the HSDK/HSDK-4xD hardware use hsdk_init command:

hsdk# hsdk_init 
CPU start mask is 0x3

To launch a baremetal application on HSDK/HSDK-4xD you need to setup entry points for all used CPUs, load application binary to DDR, configure hardware with hsdk_init command and run application with hsdk_go command:

fatload mmc 0:1 0x90000000 app.bin
run hsdk_hs38x2;
setenv core_entry_0 0x90000000;
setenv core_entry_1 0x90000000;
hsdk_init
hsdk_go

hsdk_go is command to jump each CPU chosen by CPU mask (core_mask variable) to its entry point (core_entry_X variable). All CPUs which aren't chosen by CPU mask will be halted. hsdk_go can be used with halt option to halt all CPUs before jump to entry points:

hsdk_go halt

CPUs can be start manually with debugger.

Running a Demo Application

You can test hsdk_init and hsdk_go commands with simple demo application:

.global _start
_start:
    # Invalidate i$, d$
    mov r5, 1
    sr  r5, [0x10]
    mov r5, 1
    sr  r5, [0x47]

    lr  r2, [4]
    mov r1, 0x0000FF00
    and r3, r2, r1
    asr_s   r3, r3, 1   # r3 == (aux(ARC_IDENTITY) & 0x0000FF00) << 7

    mov r0, 0xD0000000
    add_s   r0, r0, r3
    mov r1, 0x12345678
    # Write test pattern
    st  r1, [r0]
    st  r2, [r0, 0x4]

    # Flush entire D$
    mov     r5, 1
    sr      r5, [0x4B]
    # Wait for flush operation to complete
flush_wait:
    lr      r5, [0x48]
    bbit1   r5, 0x8, flush_wait # Check status of the data-cache flush

    # Write test pattern bypassing caches.
    # **NEVER** use such code! It blows your whole leg off.
    # We use it only to make multicore test app as small as possible
    st.di   r1, [r0]
    st.di   r2, [r0, 0x4]

    nop
    nop
    nop

    flag 1

You can use a prebuilt demo application binary or build it yourself with next commands:

  • With GNU toolchain:

    arc-linux-gcc -mcpu=hs -nostdlib -e _start -Wl,-Ttext=0x90000000 -o demo.elf demo.S
    arc-linux-objcopy -O binary demo.elf demo.bin
    
  • With MetaWare toolchain:

    ccac -arcv2hs -Bbase=0x90000000 -g -Hnoivt -Hnolib -Hnocrt demo.S -o demo.elf
    elf2bin demo.elf demo.bin
    

Demo application has next functionality:

write 0x12345678 to (0xD0000000 + CPU_ID * 128)
write ARC_IDENTITY to (0xD000004 + CPU_ID * 128)
flush d$
halt cpu

Before test launching please deploy the most recent sdcard.img to your micro SD-card that will be used with HSDK/HSDK-4xD and copy demo application binary to first SD-card partition. Check ARC HSDK/HSDK-4xD Buildroot release page page for instructions on how to deploy sdcard.img to micro SD-card.

There is an example of launching demo application on hsdk_hs38x4 configuration:

fatload mmc 0:1 0x90000000 demo.bin
run hsdk_hs38x4;
setenv core_entry_0 0x90000000;
setenv core_entry_1 0x90000000;
setenv core_entry_2 0x90000000;
setenv core_entry_3 0x90000000;
hsdk_init
hsdk_go

To check demo app execution result simply read 0xD0000XXX addresses with MDB or restart U-Boot (by pressing Reset button) and read memory with next U-Boot command:

md 0xd0000000 64

Check 0xd0000000, 0xd0000080, 0xd0000100 and 0xd0000180 addresses in MDB Memory palette or in md u-boot command output. You will see next pattern:

d0000000: 12345678 00000054 XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
d0000080: 12345678 00000154 XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
d0000100: 12345678 00000254 XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
d0000180: 12345678 00000354 XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

U-Boot Image Update in on-board SPI-flash

It is possible to update the U-Boot image that is automatically started by boot-ROM with a newer image using the upgrade command provided in the default U-Boot environment:

hsdk# run upgrade
reading u-boot.head
355204 bytes read in 25 ms (13.5 MiB/s)
SF: Detected sst26wf016 with page size 256 Bytes, erase size 4 KiB, total 2 MiB
SF: 393216 bytes @ 0x0 Erased: OK
device 0 offset 0x0, size 0x60000
SF: 393216 bytes @ 0x0 Written: OK
u-boot update: OK

U-Boot Image Recovery in on-board SPI-flash

If U-boot image in on-board SPI-flash is damaged it is possible to recover it by sideloading new U-Boot executable in DDR of HSDK/HSDK-4xD via JTAG with subsequent writing of binary image into SPI-flash.

But before sideloading U-Boot executable to HSDK/HSDK-4xD's DDR please deploy the most recent sdcard.img to your micro SD-card that will be used with HSDK/HSDK-4xD. Check Building and Running ARC Linux for HS Development Kit page for instructions on how to deploy sdcard.img to micro SD-card.

Once micro SD-card is prepared and inserted into HSDK/HSDK-4xD make sure DIP-switches in the corner of the board are in their default positions: BIM in 1:on, 2:on state while both BMC and BCS should be in 1:on, 2:on state.

Now reset the HSDK/HSDK-4xD board by pressing Reset button and load U-Boot Elf using MDB:

mdb -digilent -cl -run u-boot

Once U-Boot on HSDK/HSDK-4xD boots into command prompt just issue the following command:

run upgrade

Show Help Information About Generic U-Boot Commands

The help command (short: h or ?) prints online help. Without any arguments, it prints a list of all U-Boot commands that are available in your configuration of U-Boot. You can get detailed information for a specific command by typing its name as argument to the help command:

hsdk# help sleep
sleep - delay execution for some time

Usage:
sleep N
    - delay execution for N seconds (N is _decimal_ and can be
      fractional)

Known Limitations

Every application being loaded and executed by U-Boot must invalidate all caches (including L1 instruction and data caches as well as SLC) as the first thing on start. This is required to make sure no stale entries were left from the previously executed U-Boot. Even though U-Boot flushes and invalidates all caches before passing control to another application there's still a possibility a couple of cache lines might contain instructions and data used right after cache flush and invalidation.