STM32F4X UF2 USER_VECT_TAB_ADDRESS, App not starting

[vbesson]

Hello, 

I continue my journey toward build a STM32 hardware emulator for the famous Apple II Disk II. 

I am implementing UF2 firmware management, USB drag & drag update. 

the new firmware is not starting, even if I see log of tinyuf2 passing to the app

and I do not understand why 

I put the boot loader (tinyuf2) and I changed :

- system_stm32f4xx.c and I add 

#define USER_VECT_TAB_ADDRESS

#define VECT_TAB_OFFSET 0x00010000U

I also changed : 

STM32F411CEUx_FLASH.ld with 

/*
******************************************************************************
**
** @file        : LinkerScript.ld
**
** @author      : Auto-generated by STM32CubeIDE
**
** @brief       : Linker script for STM32F411CEUx Device from STM32F4 series
**                      512Kbytes FLASH
**                      128Kbytes RAM
**
**                Set heap size, stack size and stack location according
**                to application requirements.
**
**                Set memory bank area and size if external memory is used
**
**  Target      : STMicroelectronics STM32
**
**  Distribution: The file is distributed as is, without any warranty
**                of any kind.
**
******************************************************************************
** @attention
**
** Copyright (c) 2023 STMicroelectronics.
** All rights reserved.
**
** This software is licensed under terms that can be found in the LICENSE file
** in the root directory of this software component.
** If no LICENSE file comes with this software, it is provided AS-IS.
**
******************************************************************************
*/

/* Entry Point */
ENTRY(Reset_Handler)

/* Highest address of the user mode stack */
_estack = ORIGIN(RAM) + LENGTH(RAM); /* end of "RAM" Ram type memory */

_Min_Heap_Size = 0x200; /* required amount of heap */
_Min_Stack_Size = 0x400; /* required amount of stack */

/* Memories definition */
MEMORY
{
  RAM     (xrw)    : ORIGIN = 0x20000000,   LENGTH = 128K
  FLASH   (rx)     : ORIGIN = 0x08010000,   LENGTH = 448K
}

/* Sections */
SECTIONS
{
  /* The startup code into "FLASH" Rom type memory */
  .isr_vector :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    KEEP(*(.isr_vector)) /* Startup code */
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >FLASH

  /* The program code and other data into "FLASH" Rom type memory */
  .text :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    *(.text)           /* .text sections (code) */
    *(.text*)          /* .text* sections (code) */
    *(.glue_7)         /* glue arm to thumb code */
    *(.glue_7t)        /* glue thumb to arm code */
    *(.eh_frame)

    KEEP (*(.init))
    KEEP (*(.fini))

    . = ALIGN(4);
    _etext = .;        /* define a global symbols at end of code */
  } >FLASH

  /* Constant data into "FLASH" Rom type memory */
  .rodata :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    *(.rodata)         /* .rodata sections (constants, strings, etc.) */
    *(.rodata*)        /* .rodata* sections (constants, strings, etc.) */
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >FLASH

  .ARM.extab   : {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    *(.ARM.extab* .gnu.linkonce.armextab.*)
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >FLASH

  .ARM : {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    __exidx_start = .;
    *(.ARM.exidx*)
    __exidx_end = .;
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >FLASH

  .preinit_array     :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__preinit_array_start = .);
    KEEP (*(.preinit_array*))
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__preinit_array_end = .);
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >FLASH

  .init_array :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__init_array_start = .);
    KEEP (*(SORT(.init_array.*)))
    KEEP (*(.init_array*))
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__init_array_end = .);
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >FLASH

  .fini_array :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__fini_array_start = .);
    KEEP (*(SORT(.fini_array.*)))
    KEEP (*(.fini_array*))
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__fini_array_end = .);
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >FLASH

  /* Used by the startup to initialize data */
  _sidata = LOADADDR(.data);

  /* Initialized data sections into "RAM" Ram type memory */
  .data :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    _sdata = .;        /* create a global symbol at data start */
    *(.data)           /* .data sections */
    *(.data*)          /* .data* sections */
    *(.RamFunc)        /* .RamFunc sections */
    *(.RamFunc*)       /* .RamFunc* sections */

    . = ALIGN(4);
    _edata = .;        /* define a global symbol at data end */

  } >RAM AT> FLASH

  /* Uninitialized data section into "RAM" Ram type memory */
  . = ALIGN(4);
  .bss :
  {
    /* This is used by the startup in order to initialize the .bss section */
    _sbss = .;         /* define a global symbol at bss start */
    __bss_start__ = _sbss;
    *(.bss)
    *(.bss*)
    *(COMMON)

    . = ALIGN(4);
    _ebss = .;         /* define a global symbol at bss end */
    __bss_end__ = _ebss;
  } >RAM

  /* User_heap_stack section, used to check that there is enough "RAM" Ram  type memory left */
  ._user_heap_stack :
  {
    . = ALIGN(8);
    PROVIDE ( end = . );
    PROVIDE ( _end = . );
    . = . + _Min_Heap_Size;
    . = . + _Min_Stack_Size;
    . = ALIGN(8);
  } >RAM

  /* Remove information from the compiler libraries */
  /DISCARD/ :
  {
    libc.a ( * )
    libm.a ( * )
    libgcc.a ( * )
  }

  .ARM.attributes 0 : { *(.ARM.attributes) }
}

What can I do to figure out where is the issue ?

thanks 

Vincent 

[vbesson]

I further investigate the issue and I have to admit that I am really stuck and I have tried many things.

the bootloader is working fine and launching an Arduino simple pin C13 blinking app.

I have written a small app that is doing the same but with vscode makefile...

the app is working when upload and starting at 0x08000000U

Now I want it to start with the UF2 bootloader so I defined the 

USER_VECT_TAB_ADDRESS in the make file 

I changed system_stm32f4xx.c: 

#define VECT_TAB_OFFSET 0x00010000U

and I also changed STM32F411CEUx_FLASH.ld with the above post

but it does not start....

please help ;) thanks 

Vincent

[gbm]

Don't change the VECT_TAB_OFFSET - it's relative to the app base set in the linker script file, so it should stay at 0.

My recommendation is to remove the VTOR setting from system_... file and set the VTOR in the bootloader just before starting the app, as shown in some recent topics of bootloader problems.

[vbesson]

Ok, 

so commented line in system_stm32f4xx.c

#if defined(USER_VECT_TAB_ADDRESS)
//  SCB->VTOR = VECT_TAB_BASE_ADDRESS | VECT_TAB_OFFSET; /* Vector Table Relocation in Internal SRAM */
#endif /* USER_VECT_TAB_ADDRESS */

I changed back to 

#if defined(USER_VECT_TAB_ADDRESS)
/*!< Uncomment the following line if you need to relocate your vector Table
     in Sram else user remap will be done in Flash. */
/* #define VECT_TAB_SRAM */
#if defined(VECT_TAB_SRAM)
#define VECT_TAB_BASE_ADDRESS   SRAM_BASE       /*!< Vector Table base address field.
                                                     This value must be a multiple of 0x200. */
#define VECT_TAB_OFFSET         0x00000000U     /*!< Vector Table base offset field.
                                                     This value must be a multiple of 0x200. */
#else
#define VECT_TAB_BASE_ADDRESS   FLASH_BASE      /*!< Vector Table base address field.
                                                     This value must be a multiple of 0x200. */
#define VECT_TAB_OFFSET         0x00000000U     /*!< Vector Table base offset field.
                                                     This value must be a multiple of 0x200. */
#endif /* VECT_TAB_SRAM */
#endif /* USER_VECT_TAB_ADDRESS */

my LD file has 

MEMORY
{
  RAM    (xrw)    : ORIGIN = 0x20000000,   LENGTH = 128K
  BOOT_FLASH    (rx)    : ORIGIN = 0x8010000,   LENGTH = 16K
  EEPROM_EMUL(xrw)      : ORIGIN = 0x8014000,   LENGTH = 16K
  FLASH    (rx)    : ORIGIN = 0x8018000,   LENGTH = 512K - 16K - 16K
}

_EEPROM_Emul_Start = ORIGIN(EEPROM_EMUL);
_EEPROM_Emul_Sector = 1;

/* Sections */
SECTIONS
{
  /* The startup code into "FLASH" Rom type memory */
  .isr_vector :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    KEEP(*(.isr_vector)) /* Startup code */
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >BOOT_FLASH

My boot loader (tinyUF2) jump with 

SCB->VTOR = (uint32_t) 0x08010000;
  // Set stack pointer
  __set_MSP(sp);
  __set_PSP(sp);

  // Jump to Application Entry
  //asm("bx %0" ::"r"(app_entry));
  asm("bx %0" ::"r"(0x08010000));

but still the app is not starting...

Vincent

[vbesson]

I have checked that I have the firmware successfully in the flash at address 0x08010000. 

But the firmware app refuse to start.

How can I solve this ? 

Thanks 

Vincent 

[waclawek.jan]

Using debugger find out where does the program run (where is PC).

JW

[vbesson · Accepted solution]

Hello Jan, 

Ok I found this issue, the jump is correctly made, but the app is crashing at 

SystemClock_Config()

I assume the bootloader is configuring the systemclock... 

Is there a way to deinit and reinit in the app ? 

Vincent

[vbesson]

inside SystemClock_Config()

call to

HAL_RCC_OscConfig(&RCC_OscInitStruct) != HAL_OK)

and inside this function at the very end 

there is a check line 550 stm32f4xx_hal_rcc.c :

        if (((RCC_OscInitStruct->PLL.PLLState) == RCC_PLL_OFF) ||
            (READ_BIT(pll_config, RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLSRC) != RCC_OscInitStruct->PLL.PLLSource) ||
            (READ_BIT(pll_config, RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLM) != (RCC_OscInitStruct->PLL.PLLM) << RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLM_Pos) ||
            (READ_BIT(pll_config, RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLN) != (RCC_OscInitStruct->PLL.PLLN) << RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLN_Pos) ||
            (READ_BIT(pll_config, RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLP) != (((RCC_OscInitStruct->PLL.PLLP >> 1U) - 1U)) << RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLP_Pos) ||
            (READ_BIT(pll_config, RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLQ) != (RCC_OscInitStruct->PLL.PLLQ << RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLQ_Pos)))
#endif /* RCC_PLLCFGR_PLLR */
        {
          return HAL_ERROR;
        }

This is what is causing the error...

and I think it is 

RCC_OscInitStruct->PLL.PLLState) == RCC_PLL_OFF where PLLState=2 and RCC_PLL_OFF==1

Any clue on how I can avoid having this error please

and by the way I would like to understand what is happening 

;)

Vincent

[Tesla DeLorean]

You'd need to inter-stage, where you call the configuration, say enabling HSI, and MCU clocking, and then call a second time to switch back to the PLL with a new setting.

If the loader's already set clocks optimally for the board, no point in tearing down and redoing.

Perhaps test/check the mode and run code accordingly?

[Tesla DeLorean]

Also get Error_Handler() and HardFault_Handler() output actionable data rather than dying silently in a while(1) loop, whilst you scratch your head wondering wtf happened.

Pass __FILE__ and __LINE__ to Error_Handler() to determine where of a dozen places it threw the error.