[U-Boot] [RFC PATCH V2] imx: add multi-BOM README

Eric Nelson eric.nelson at boundarydevices.com
Sat Nov 9 23:51:50 CET 2013


Signed-off-by: Eric Nelson <eric.nelson at boundarydevices.com>
---
V2 replaces the words "arch" and "architecture", since we're talking about
processor variations within a family, not different processor architectures.

 doc/README.imx6-multi-bom | 241 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 241 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 doc/README.imx6-multi-bom

diff --git a/doc/README.imx6-multi-bom b/doc/README.imx6-multi-bom
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be66e0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/README.imx6-multi-bom
@@ -0,0 +1,241 @@
+Supporting multiple "bills of material" on Freescale i.MX6 boards.
+
+This file describes how to support multiple variants of the iMX6 CPU 
+(i.MX6DQ and i.MX6DLS) in a single U-Boot image.
+
+Because memory configuration differs between the various CPU
+models, auto-configuration of DDR is also covered.
+
+1. BACKGROUND
+-------------
+The Freescale i.MX6 processor family contains four variants which are pin 
+compatible. Refer to http://freescale.com/imx6series for details and 
+reference  manuals, but the highlights from a U-Boot perspective are 
+as follows:
+
+i.MX6Q	- Quad core, 64-bit DDR1066, 256K OCRAM
+i.MX6D	- Dual core, 64-bit DDR1066, 256K OCRAM
+i.MX6DL	- Dual core, 64-bit DDR800, 128K OCRAM
+i.MX6S	- Single core, 32-bit DDR800, 128K OCRAM
+
+These processors are also largely register-compatible, but not completely.
+In particular, the IOMUX registers for common functions are in different 
+locations and have different selector values.
+
+The register addresses and values are consistent between the first two 
+processors in the list above (i.MX6DQ processors) and the second two 
+(i.MX6DLS for Dual-Lite/Solo).
+
+The i.MX6SL (Solo-Lite) processor is not pin compatible, so this document 
+does not describe support for that variant.
+
+Because of the pin-compatibility, a number of manufacturers produce  
+identical boards with BOM options for two or more of the processors.
+
+Similarly, identical boards are offered in a number of different memory 
+layouts, whether by partially populating the DRAM sockets or by populating 
+them with different densities of DDR.
+
+By following the conventions described in this document, a board can 
+support each of these options in a single boot image, and decrease the 
+overhead for managing images.
+
+Note that adding multi-BOM support will add to the size of the bootable 
+image and slow the boot process slightly. If size and speed are critical, 
+a configuration-specific build can be produced that removes this overhead.
+
+2. BOOT FLOW
+------------
+The boot process for i.MX6 processors begins with execution of a first 
+level loader in the processor's internal ROM. This loader samples boot 
+pins and on-chip fuses to determine the source of the secondary boot 
+image.
+
+The boot image itself consists of a header (the DCD) which describes the 
+load address and payload (the U-Boot firmware). It also contains a set of 
+register/value pairs used to initialize the CPU prior to execution of 
+U-Boot.
+
+The boot image is produced in a final stage of the build process by the
+imximage tool by processing a configuration (.cfg) file.
+
+In a single-BOM image, the DCD can include DDR memory initialization 
+values and the load address may be DDR directly.
+
+In order to support all of the processors in this family, the DCD must 
+contain a load address for the i.MX6's internal RAM (OCRAM) because the 
+DDR memory speed (at least) will be dependent on the processor variant. 
+Thankfully, the DCD items needed to load this binary are consistent 
+between all of the processors.
+
+For this reason, support for SPL (secondary program loader) is a requirement 
+in order to support multiple BOMS in the same image. The SPL image will 
+determine the processor variant and memory organization, configure the 
+IOMUX controller and DDR appropriately, and load either a full version of 
+U-Boot or an O/S.
+
+3. DDR configuration
+--------------------
+
+The DDR configuration data for single BOM boards is defined 
+completely within .cfg files in the various board directories.
+
+As of this writing, most boards use the structure defined in the directory
+board/boundary/nitrogen6x/ which separates the pieces of DCD data 
+according to function, with this general form:
+
+	#include "ddr-setup.cfg"
+	#include "1066mhz_4x128mx16.cfg"
+	#include "clocks.cfg"
+
+Note that only the second of these is specific to the CPU variant or 
+memory-layout, and the multi-BOM equivalent can simply omit that for 
+later initialization.
+
+	#include "ddr-setup.cfg"
+	#include "clocks.cfg"
+
+In order to support the use of the memory configuration files by both the 
+SPL code and the imximage tool, the memory configuration files 
+(1066mhz_4x128mx16.cfg, et cetera) have been converted to use the DCD_REG
+macro.
+
+In other words, this declaration in 1066mhz_4x128mx16.cfg
+
+	DCD_REG(MX6_MMDC_P0_MDCFG0, 0x555A7974)
+
+will be turned into this by the preprocessor when used by imximage:
+	
+	DATA 4, MX6_MMDC_P0_MDCFG0, 0x555A7974
+
+and this when used to generate memory configuration tables used by the 
+SPL:
+	{MX6_MMDC_P0_MDCFG0, 0x555A7974},
+
+3. IOMUX declarations
+---------------------
+
+The declarations inside the header files
+	arch/arm/include/asm/arch-mx6/mx6q_pins.h
+and
+	arch/arm/include/asm/arch-mx6/mx6dl_pins.h
+
+are used to configure the pads usage for a particular board design.
+
+As mentioned earlier, the register addresses and values are different 
+between the 6DQ and 6DLS processor sets, and these differences are 
+expressed in two header files:
+
+For i.MX6Q and i.MX6D:
+	arch/arm/include/asm/arch-mx6/mx6q_pins.h
+
+and for i.MX6DL and i.MX6S:
+	arch/arm/include/asm/arch-mx6/mx6dls_pins.h
+
+For example, the SD3_DAT2 pad is used for SD card data on all currently 
+supported i.MX6 boards.
+
+On i.MX6DQ, this is selected by writing a zero to the mux register at 
+address 0x020E02C8. On i.MX6DLS, the address is 0x020E031C.
+
+The header files mx6q_pins.h and mx6dls_pins consolidate the settings 
+through a macro providing a common name of SD3_DAT2__USDHC3_DAT2:
+
+	MX6_PAD_DECL(SD3_DAT2__USDHC3_DAT2,...)
+
+By using the MX6_PAD_DECL macro, this can be expanded in one of three 
+ways, depending on the declarations of CONFIG_MX6x by a board file. 
+Valid options are:
+
+	MX6Q	- single BOM for i.MX6DQ
+	MX6DL	- single BOM for i.MX6DL/S
+	MX6QDL	- multi-BOM
+
+In the first two cases, the MX6_PAD_DECL macro will be expanded into 
+a declararation with the MX6_PAD_prefix:
+	MX6_PAD_name = IOMUX_PAD(...)
+
+In the last case, the MX6_PAD_DECL macro will be expanded into two sets 
+of declarations, with the prefix MX6Q_PAD_ for the i.MX6DQ pads and the 
+prefix MX6DL_PAD_ for the i.MX6DLS pads.
+
+This is accomplished by the header file mx6-pins.h:
+	#ifdef CONFIG_MX6QDL
+	enum {
+		#define MX6_PAD_DECL ...
+		#include "mx6q_pins.h"
+		
+		#define MX6_PAD_DECL ...
+		#include "mx6dl_pins.h"
+	};
+	#elif defined(CONFIG_MX6Q)
+	enum {
+		#define MX6_PAD_DECL ...
+		#include "mx6q_pins.h"
+	};
+	#elif defined(CONFIG_MX6DL)
+	enum {
+		#define MX6_PAD_DECL ...
+		#include "mx6dl_pins.h"
+	};
+	#endif
+
+4. IOMUX usage in board files
+-----------------------------
+
+The machinery described above is sufficient to allow a set of pad 
+registers to be defined for a specific BOM:
+
+	static iomux_v3_cfg_t const mypads[] = {
+		MX6_PAD_x,
+		...
+	};
+
+or multiple BOMs:
+	static iomux_v3_cfg_t const mx6q_pads[] = {
+		MX6Q_PAD_x,
+		...
+	};
+
+	static iomux_v3_cfg_t const mx6dl_pads[] = {
+		MX6DL_PAD_x,
+		...
+	};
+
+In practice, 90% of the references to pads are in these types of static 
+arrays, and mostly separated by usage (ethernet pads in a different array 
+from UART pads).
+
+Going forward, it is recommended that these be consolidated instead by 
+applicability, such that all pads that apply to both i.MX6DQ and i.MX6DLS 
+processor types are defined in "boardname-pads.h" with macros of this 
+form: MX6_PAD_DEF(PAD_REFERENCE)
+
+And that this file be included twice when being used in a multi-BOM build.
+
+e.g.
+	static iomux_v3_cfg_t const mx6q_nitrogen_pads[] = {
+		#define MX6_PAD_DEF(PAD_DEF) MX6Q_PAD_#PAD_DEF,
+		#include "nitrogen6x-pads.h"
+	};
+	static iomux_v3_cfg_t const mx6dl_nitrogen_pads[] = {
+		#define MX6_PAD_DEF(PAD_DEF) MX6DL_PAD_#PAD_DEF,
+		#include "nitrogen6x-pads.h"
+	}};
+
+Doing this allows the bulk of the pads to be defined in a single place.
+
+For pads that are specific to i.MX6DQ or i.MX6DLS variants, it is 
+recommended that they be defined directly in the board file.
+
+Finally, the convenience macro MX6REF(x) allows run-time selection of a 
+variable based on the CPU type on which the reference is made:
+
+	imx_iomux_v3_setup_multiple_pads(
+		MX6REF(nitrogen_pads),
+		ARRAY_SIZE(MX6REF(nitrogen_pads))
+	);
+
+N.B. This doesn't work, since ARRAY_SIZE can't be passed this kind of 
+reference...
+
-- 
1.8.1.2



More information about the U-Boot mailing list