Hello,

I want to save the Dataflash and execlusive use the NAND Flash for all (AT91Bootstrap, UBOOT, Kernel and RFS).

Now I don´t know how to realize this.

Maybe a memory model:

0x10000000 |
| RFS
0x007FFFFF |
----------------------------------
|
| Linux Kernel
0x00040000 |
----------------------------------
|
| UBoot
0x00008000 |
----------------------------------
|
| UBoot Env
0x00004000 |
----------------------------------
|
| AT91Bootstrap
0x00000000 |
----------------------------------


How could I realize this ? Or isn´t it practible ?


The Bootstrap:
##############
in the at91sam9260.h file I could define a

#define IMAGE_ADDRESS /*Image Adress in NAND flash*/
#define IMG_SIZE /*IMAGE SIZE in NAND flash*/
#define JUMP_ADR /*Final Jump Address*/

What do I have to set ?

The UBOOT:
#########################
in the file at91sam9260ek.h I could define

#define CFG_ENV_OFFSET /*env. starts here*/
#define CFG_ENV_OFFSET_REDUNT /* redundant env. starts here*/
#define CFG_ENV_SIZE /* 1 sector = 128kB*/

#define CFGLOAD_ADDR /* deafult load address */
#define CFG_BOOT_SIZE
#define CFG_UBOOT_BASE
#define CFG_UBOOT_SIZE

What do I have to set ?

Thank you very much for your help

Hi Manuel,

I wonder if you have any reply on this. This is also my plan exclusive use of NAND flash. It would help to share you experiences.

Thanks.

The big problem is that there is a major bug in the AT91SAM9260 that basically does not allow you to boot from the NAND flash. Check the errata in the data sheet. You might need to use the AT91SAM9G20 part instead. It is supposed to have this problem fixed. The 9G20 is what was orginally going to be the 9260 rev A part but they decided to make it a new part. The BG217 package is almost pin compatible between the 9260 and the 9G20, but the core voltage of the 9G20 is 1V, and a couple of the power pins have been redefined.

many thanks for the pointer.

I am using the 9260-EK eval board for development. And I don't see an eval board for 9G20, I wonder if it is a good idea to replace the 9260 with 9G20 on the 9260 board?

Thanks

My supplier says the 9G20 EK is due in April. They have a migration document that show the changes needed to go from a 9260 based design to a 9G20. Check with your Atmel rep for that. Basically the core voltage drops from 1.8V to 1V, they had to make one of the VDDIOP0 pins a VDDOSC pin since the Osc needs at least 1.65V and the VDDPLL follow the core voltage. They also made one of the VDDIO pins a VDDUSB pin because all the I/O is now a 1.65-3.6V range.

According to an Atmel distributor I was in touch with recently, there is a revision B of the AT91sam9260 CPU where the NAND boot bug has been fixed.

I have this reply from our Atmel FAE.

I hope to get more details soon.



Actually, we have never experienced any problem on the SAM9260-EK to boot on the NAND Flash. This can be evaluated in very good conditions. All the tests we have done so far haven't shown the problem reported in the errata.

Read below for abstract from our datasheet for further details.

I have this reply from our Atmel FAE.

I hope to get more details soon.



Actually, we have never experienced any problem on the SAM9260-EK to boot on the NAND Flash. This can be evaluated in very good conditions. All the tests we have done so far haven't shown the problem reported in the errata.

Read below for abstract from our datasheet for further details.

The following paragraph is taken from the Atmel doc6221.pdf "AT91SAM9260 Preliminary" see section 44.2, Errata for rev A parts:

Quote:

44.2.2.1 NAND Flash Boot does not work correctly
The SMC_SETUP register for the NAND Flash Chip Select (NCS3) is not initialized correctly in
the ROM code.
NRD_SETUP is initialized to “0” which leads to a violation of parameters tAR and tCLR.
The following commands are concerned; READ ID (0x90), READ STATUS (0x70), PAGE READ
(0x00, 0x30) and RANDOM DATA READ (0x05, 0xE0).
Problem Fix/Workaround
Use DataFlash Boot or external memory on EBI_NCS0.

2ManuelSahm:

Try to get correct adresses from linux NAND demo SAM-BA config.

There are 2 new parts
AT91SAM9260B - replaces 9260, nand booting and other bugs fixed
AT91SAM9G20 - AKA 9260A , 400mhz, lower core voltage, bugs fixed etc.

We are using the NAND flash boot OK with the AT91SAM9260EK and also in other boards with this microcontroller. We have not noticed any problem with this boot mode, despite what is said in the errata.
The problem using dataflash is that the boot ROM only seems to support the AT45DBxx dataflashes (most of them in end of life). Does anybody have experience booting from other dataflashes (AT25DFxx or other from other manufacturers)?

Thanks in advance.

The flash protocol used in the AT45DBx and in the AT25DFx is different so probably the ROM boot will not work with other kind of dataflash.