[U-Boot-Users] Re: U-Boot in NAND Flash on a 440EP?

[Wolfgang Denk]

In message <43EBC0CB.6040105 at softadvances.com> you wrote:
> 
> I'm researching U-Boot on an upcoming NAND-flash only 440EP board.
> I reviewed the archive, but I'd like to know your current thoughts
> on running U-Boot from NAND flash.

IMHO it's not worth the effort (unless  you  sell  *really*  high  [6
digits  upward]  volumes). But I'm just a software guy, and usually I
can just ignore manufacturing cost because this is  a  SEP  (somebody
else's problem :-).

I recommend to have at least enough NOR flash on  the  board  to  fit
U-Boot  in  it. 256 kB would be sufficient, but you probably will not
find parts below 512 kB anyway.

> Tools could be a problem too.  Embedded Toolsmith's Guardian does
> not support NAND and I don't think Abatron has it either.

Indeed. But you will  end  up  writing  a  primary  bootstrap  loader
anyway,  because you will not be able to run standard U-Boot directly
from NAND.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
Software Engineering:  Embedded and Realtime Systems,  Embedded Linux
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
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