External loader fails to download

[nikof]

Hi all,

I'm trying to put some TouchGFX data (images, text, ...) in an external flash (S25FL128L) on a custom board with STM32H7B0VB mcu. I'm using the octo-spi peripheral as quad-spi.

So, I followed the guide to make an external loader and I did it. It seems to work properly: if I load the .stdlr file in the STM32CubeProgrammer I can read, write, erase sector and mass erase the external flash.

Also, if I try to debug (STM32CubeIDE) a project using the loader without putting elements into external flash all works well and I can see all the memory locations.

The ploblem occur whe I try to put somenthing inside the external flash. I do that in the linker script with TouchGFX sections: IntFlashSection and TextFlashSection. See the script below:

/* Entry Point */
ENTRY(Reset_Handler)
 
/* Highest address of the user mode stack */
_estack = 0x20020000;    /* end of RAM */
/* Generate a link error if heap and stack don't fit into RAM */
_Min_Heap_Size = 0x200 ;      /* required amount of heap  */
_Min_Stack_Size = 0x400 ; /* required amount of stack */
 
/* Specify the memory areas */
MEMORY
{
  FLASH (rx)      : ORIGIN = 0x08000000, LENGTH = 2048K
  RAM   (xrw)     : ORIGIN = 0x20000000, LENGTH = 128K
  AXI_SRAM (xrw)  : ORIGIN = 0x24000000, LENGTH = 1024K
  AHB_SRAM (xrw)  : ORIGIN = 0x30000000, LENGTH = 128K
  OCTOSPI (r)	  : ORIGIN = 0x90000000, LENGTH = 16M
}
 
/* Define output sections */
SECTIONS
{
  /* The startup code goes first into FLASH */
  .isr_vector :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    KEEP(*(.isr_vector)) /* Startup code */
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >FLASH
 
  /* The program code and other data goes into FLASH */
  .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 goes into FLASH */
  .rodata :
  {
    . = ALIGN(4);
    *(.rodata)         /* .rodata sections (constants, strings, etc.) */
    *(.rodata*)        /* .rodata* sections (constants, strings, etc.) */
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >FLASH
 
  .ARM.extab   : { *(.ARM.extab* .gnu.linkonce.armextab.*) } >FLASH
  .ARM : {
    __exidx_start = .;
    *(.ARM.exidx*)
    __exidx_end = .;
  } >FLASH
 
  .preinit_array     :
  {
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__preinit_array_start = .);
    KEEP (*(.preinit_array*))
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__preinit_array_end = .);
  } >FLASH
  .init_array :
  {
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__init_array_start = .);
    KEEP (*(SORT(.init_array.*)))
    KEEP (*(.init_array*))
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__init_array_end = .);
  } >FLASH
  .fini_array :
  {
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__fini_array_start = .);
    KEEP (*(SORT(.fini_array.*)))
    KEEP (*(.fini_array*))
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__fini_array_end = .);
  } >FLASH
 
  /* used by the startup to initialize data */
  _sidata = LOADADDR(.data);
 
  /* Initialized data sections goes into RAM, load LMA copy after code */
  .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 */
  . = ALIGN(4);
  .bss :
  {
    /* This is used by the startup in order to initialize the .bss secion */
    _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 left */
  ._user_heap_stack :
  {
    . = ALIGN(8);
    PROVIDE ( end = . );
    PROVIDE ( _end = . );
    . = . + _Min_Heap_Size;
    . = . + _Min_Stack_Size;
    . = ALIGN(8);
  } >RAM
 
  /* Remove information from the standard libraries */
  /DISCARD/ :
  {
    libc.a ( * )
    libm.a ( * )
    libgcc.a ( * )
  }
 
  .ARM.attributes 0 : { *(.ARM.attributes) }
 
    IntFlashSection :
  	{
  		*(IntFlashSection IntFlashSection.*)
  		*(.gnu.linkonce.r.*)
  		. = ALIGN(0x4);
  	} >OCTOSPI
 
    TextFlashSection :
  	{
  		*(TextFlashSection TextFlashSection.*)
  		*(.gnu.linkonce.r.*)
  		. = ALIGN(0x4);
  	} >OCTOSPI
 
}

The output of the console when I try to Debug or Run with this linker script is:

STMicroelectronics ST-LINK GDB server. Version 6.1.0
Copyright (c) 2022, STMicroelectronics. All rights reserved.
 
Starting server with the following options:
        Persistent Mode            : Disabled
        Logging Level              : 1
        Listen Port Number         : 61234
        Status Refresh Delay       : 15s
        Verbose Mode               : Disabled
        SWD Debug                  : Enabled
        InitWhile                  : Enabled
 
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Waiting for debugger connection...
      -------------------------------------------------------------------
                       STM32CubeProgrammer v2.10.0                  
      -------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
Log output file:   c:\users\niko~1.fio\appdata\local\temp\stm32cubeprogrammer_a14888.log
ST-LINK SN  : 34FF74065250343847111043
ST-LINK FW  : V2J39S7
Board       : --
Voltage     : 3.23V
SWD freq    : 4000 KHz
Connect mode: Under Reset
Reset mode  : Hardware reset
Device ID   : 0x480
Revision ID : Rev Z
Device name : STM32H7A/B
Flash size  : 128 KBytes
Device type : MCU
Device CPU  : Cortex-M7
BL Version  : 0x90
 
 
 
Memory Programming ...
Opening and parsing file: st-link_gdb_server_a14888.srec
  File          : st-link_gdb_server_a14888.srec
  Size          : 694.94 KB 
  Address       : 0x08000000 
 
 
Erasing memory corresponding to segment 0:
Erasing internal memory sectors [0 32]
Erasing memory corresponding to segment 1:
Erasing external memory sectors [0 108]
Download in Progress:
 
 
Error: failed to download Segment[0]
Error: failed to download the File
Shutting down...
Exit.

I dont't know how to solve this. Any ideas?

[nikof]

I made the loader following this guide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqCq0xtQmbI&t=505s

The source code of this is available in this repo:

https://github.com/STMicroelectronics/stm32-external-loader/tree/contrib

These are my functions defined in Loader_Src.c file:

int
Init(void) {
 
    *(uint32_t*)0xE000EDF0 = 0xA05F0000; //enable interrupts in debug
 
 
    SystemInit();
	//__disable_irq();
 
    /* ADAPTATION TO THE DEVICE
     *
     * change VTOR setting for H7 device
     * SCB->VTOR = 0x24000000 | 0x200;
     *
     * change VTOR setting for other devices
     * SCB->VTOR = 0x20000000 | 0x200;
     *
     * */
 
    SCB->VTOR = 0x24000000 | 0x200;
 
    //__set_PRIMASK(0); //enable interrupts
 
    HAL_Init();
 
    SystemClock_Config();
 
    MX_GPIO_Init();
 
    __HAL_RCC_OSPI1_FORCE_RESET();		//completely reset peripheral
    __HAL_RCC_OSPI1_RELEASE_RESET();
 
    if (LDR_QUADSPI_Init() != HAL_OK) {
        __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
        return LOADER_FAIL;
    }
 
 
    if (CSP_QSPI_EnableMemoryMappedMode() != HAL_OK) {
        __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
        return LOADER_FAIL;
    }
 
    /*Trigger read access before HAL_QSPI_Abort() otherwise abort functionality gets stuck*/
    uint32_t a = *(uint32_t*) 0x90000000;
    a++;
 
    __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
    return LOADER_OK;
}
 
/**
 * @brief   Program memory.
 * @param   Address: page address
 * @param   Size   : size of data
 * @param   buffer : pointer to data buffer
 * @retval  LOADER_OK = 1       : Operation succeeded
 * @retval  LOADER_FAIL = 0 : Operation failed
 */
int
Write(uint32_t Address, uint32_t Size, uint8_t* buffer) {
 
    //__set_PRIMASK(0); //enable interrupts
 
    if (HAL_OSPI_Abort(&hospi1) != HAL_OK) {
        __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
        return LOADER_FAIL;
    }
 
    if (CSP_QSPI_Write((uint8_t*) buffer, (Address & (0x0fffffff)), Size) != HAL_OK) {
        __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
        return LOADER_FAIL;
    }
 
    __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
    return LOADER_OK;
}
 
/**
 * @brief   Read memory. (not mandatory)
 * @param   Address: page address
 * @param   Size   : size of data
 * @param   buffer : pointer to data buffer
 * @retval  LOADER_OK = 1       : Operation succeeded
 * @retval  LOADER_FAIL = 0 : Operation failed
 */
int
Read(uint32_t Address, uint32_t Size, uint8_t* buffer) {
 
	int i = 0;
 
    //__set_PRIMASK(0); //enable interrupts
 
    if (HAL_OSPI_Abort(&hospi1) != HAL_OK) {
		__set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
		return LOADER_FAIL;
	}
 
    if (CSP_QSPI_EnableMemoryMappedMode() != HAL_OK) {
        __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
        return LOADER_FAIL;
    }
 
    for (i=0; i < Size;i++)
	{
		*(uint8_t*)buffer++ = *(uint8_t*)Address;
		Address ++;
	}
 
    __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
    return LOADER_OK;
}
 
/**
 * @brief   Sector erase.
 * @param   EraseStartAddress :  erase start address
 * @param   EraseEndAddress   :  erase end address
 * @retval  LOADER_OK = 1       : Operation succeeded
 * @retval  LOADER_FAIL = 0 : Operation failed
 */
int
SectorErase(uint32_t EraseStartAddress, uint32_t EraseEndAddress) {
 
    //__set_PRIMASK(0); //enable interrupts
 
    if (HAL_OSPI_Abort(&hospi1) != HAL_OK) {
        __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
        return LOADER_FAIL;
    }
 
    if (CSP_QSPI_EraseSector(EraseStartAddress, EraseEndAddress) != HAL_OK) {
        __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
        return LOADER_FAIL;
    }
 
    __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
    return LOADER_OK;
}
 
/**
 * Description :
 * Mass erase of external flash area
 * Optional command - delete in case usage of mass erase is not planed
 * Inputs    :
 *      none
 * outputs   :
 *     none
 * Note: Optional for all types of device
 */
int
MassErase(void) {
 
    //__set_PRIMASK(0); //enable interrupts
 
    if (HAL_OSPI_Abort(&hospi1) != HAL_OK) {
        __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
        return LOADER_FAIL;
    }
 
    if (CSP_QSPI_Erase_Chip() != HAL_OK) {
        __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
        return LOADER_FAIL;
    }
 
    __set_PRIMASK(1); //disable interrupts
    return LOADER_OK;
}

I tried to disable interrupts but nothing changed.

Also, in the guide there is a testing file for external flash. Downloading this file into ext flash (starting from 0x90000000) works well. Like you said I think the problem occurs when I need to switch between internal and external loader.

So, following your suggestion it seems to be a problem of RAM.

[Xzhiy.1]

Following words may be wrong? IntFlashSection is apparently not SPI memory, just a hint.

1. IntFlashSection :
2. {
3. *(IntFlashSection IntFlashSection.*)
4. *(.gnu.linkonce.r.*)
5. . = ALIGN(0x4);
6. } >OCTOSPI

[nikof]

It seems not a problem. I tried to remove the IntFlashSection from the OCTOSPI but doesn't work.

[Markus GIRDLAND]

This could be because you need to initialize the external loader in your debug configuration inside STM32CubeIDE.

Do you know if this checkbox is checked?

[nikof]

It was unchecked, but checking it doesn't resolve the problem.

[Sara BEN HADJ YAHYA · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Please check N. SANTINI comment in this thread.

Sara.