[PATCH v3 0/4] rockchip: Add support for RAM boot from maskrom mode

[Dang Huynh]

Tested on my PineTab 2 using rkusbboot.

Tested-by: Dang Huynh <dang.huynh at mainlining.org> (RK3566 - PineTab 2)

On Saturday, August 2, 2025 10:07:21 PM Coordinated Universal Time Jonas 
Karlman wrote:
> The BootROM in Rockchip SoCs will enter maskrom mode when boot firmware
> cannot be found in nand/spi/mmc storage.
> 
> In maskrom mode the USB OTG port can accept one of two custom commands.
> 
> Initially a 0x471 command to load TPL into SRAM. After TPL has been
> executed and it has returned back-to-BROM, a 0x472 command to load SPL
> into start of DRAM.
> 
> This series adds two binman images that can be used to RAM boot from
> maskrom mode:
> - u-boot-rockchip-usb471.bin that contains TPL to init DRAM.
> - u-boot-rockchip-usb472.bin that contains SPL and the normal FIT
>   payload with i.e. U-Boot proper, TF-A and FDT.
> 
> The config fragment rockchip-ramboot.config can be used to enable
> building of these two binman images, e.g.:
> 
>   make generic-rk3588_defconfig rockchip-ramboot.config
> 
> These binman images can be used with the proprietary rkbin boot_merger
> tool to create a special loader image that can be used with tools such
> as rkdeveloptool or rockusb tools to RAM boot from maskrom, e.g.:
> 
>   Create loader image:
>     $ ../rkbin/tools/boot_merger ./RK3588MINIALL.ini
> 
>   Boot from maskrom:
>     $ rkdeveloptool db u-boot-rockchip-rk3588-loader.bin
>    or
>     $ rockusb download-boot u-boot-rockchip-rk3588-loader.bin
> 
> Another option that does not require use of proprietary tools is using
> open source tools such as rkflashtool or rkusbboot that can load the
> binman images directly without any need to first create a special loader
> image to RAM boot from maskrom, e.g.:
> 
>   $ rkflashtool l < u-boot-rockchip-usb471.bin
>   $ rkflashtool L < u-boot-rockchip-usb472.bin
>  or
>   $ rkusbboot u-boot-rockchip-usb471.bin u-boot-rockchip-usb472.bin
> 
> I am setting up a new personal lab for rockchip boards that primarily
> will use this RAM boot method for testing new U-Boot and Linux builds.
> 
> More detailed instructions on how RAM boot can be used will be added
> under doc/board/rockchip/ in a follow-up series, after this series has
> been accepted and my new lab is fully up and running.
> 
> Changes in v3:
> - Use read_brom_bootsource_id() to support RAM boot on RK3576
> - Add a rockchip-ramboot.config fragment to explicitly enable instead of
>   imply the new Kconfig option on a few select SoCs
> - Update commit message to highlight that the binman images can be used
>   directly without use of the proprietary rkbin boot_merger tool
> - Include a special patch, not intended to be merged, to demonstrate use
>   of RAM boot with rk loader images
> 
> Changes in v2:
> - Rebase on top of "rockchip: binman: Use a template for FIT and other
>   improvements" series
> - Add patch to fix booting into Linux on RK3588 board with 16+ GiB DRAM
> 
> This series depends on the "rockchip: Add support for ROCK 5B+" [1] and
> "board: rockchip: Add Radxa ROCK 4D" [2] series for a clean apply.
> See [3] for a branch including both depends.
> 
> [1] https://patchwork.ozlabs.org/cover/2118033/
> [2] https://patchwork.ozlabs.org/cover/2118088/
> [3]
> https://source.denx.de/u-boot/contributors/kwiboo/u-boot/-/commits/ramboot-> v3
> 
> Jonas Karlman (4):
>   rockchip: Move TEXT_BASE to 8 MiB offset from start of DRAM
>   rockchip: Add support for RAM boot from maskrom mode
>   rockchip: sdram: Add fallback that fixup DRAM gaps on RK3588
>   HACK: rockchip: Add miniall.ini files to simplify test of RAM boot
> 
>  RK3308MINIALL.ini                       | 22 +++++++++++++++++
>  RK3328MINIALL.ini                       | 20 +++++++++++++++
>  RK3399MINIALL.ini                       | 20 +++++++++++++++
>  RK3528MINIALL.ini                       | 25 +++++++++++++++++++
>  RK3566MINIALL.ini                       | 25 +++++++++++++++++++
>  RK3568MINIALL.ini                       | 25 +++++++++++++++++++
>  RK3576MINIALL.ini                       | 27 ++++++++++++++++++++
>  RK3588MINIALL.ini                       | 25 +++++++++++++++++++
>  arch/arm/dts/rockchip-u-boot.dtsi       | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  arch/arm/mach-rockchip/Kconfig          | 14 ++++++++---
>  arch/arm/mach-rockchip/rk3308/Kconfig   |  3 ---
>  arch/arm/mach-rockchip/rk3568/Kconfig   |  3 ---
>  arch/arm/mach-rockchip/rk3588/Kconfig   |  3 ---
>  arch/arm/mach-rockchip/rk3588/rk3588.c  | 27 ++++++++++++++++++++
>  arch/arm/mach-rockchip/sdram.c          |  7 +++++-
>  arch/arm/mach-rockchip/spl-boot-order.c | 14 ++++++++---
>  board/rockchip/rockchip-ramboot.config  |  1 +
>  boot/Kconfig                            |  3 +++
>  18 files changed, 281 insertions(+), 16 deletions(-)
>  create mode 100644 RK3308MINIALL.ini
>  create mode 100644 RK3328MINIALL.ini
>  create mode 100644 RK3399MINIALL.ini
>  create mode 100644 RK3528MINIALL.ini
>  create mode 100644 RK3566MINIALL.ini
>  create mode 100644 RK3568MINIALL.ini
>  create mode 100644 RK3576MINIALL.ini
>  create mode 100644 RK3588MINIALL.ini
>  create mode 100644 board/rockchip/rockchip-ramboot.config