Ezynq

Decription

Ezynq project is started to create a bootloader for systems based on the Xilinx Zynq SoC without the inconvenience of the non-free tools and/or files. The goal is not just to "free" the code, but to provide users with the higher degree of flexibility in fine-tuning of the configuration parameters.

"Free" the code part

as of 2014/02/23...

Ezynq addresses the potential legal problems with distribution of a product/software based on Zynq platform:

• FSBL is under Xilinx's copyright
• The current (2014/02/23) official SPL implementation in the u-boot-xlnx master-next 54fee227ef141214141a226efd17ae0516deaf32 branch is FSBL-less but it requires to use the files (ps7_init.c/h) that come under Xilinx's copyright which makes u-boot noncompliant with its GPL license.

as of 2016/01/13...

• For a new board you still have to run an extra Xilinx program to generate ps7_init.c/h.

as of 2016/03/18...

• master-next branch is removed long ago - so the link above is broken

Supported boards

Board	Chip	Manufacturer	Tested?
MicroZed	Zynq 7Z010	Avnet	Y
ZC706	Zynq 7Z045	Xilinx	N
ZedBoard	Zynq 7Z020	Digilent/Avnet	N
10393	Zynq 7Z030	Elphel	Y

Output

• boot.bin (SPL) - loads u-boot.img, no FSBL needed.
• u-boot-dtb.img (u-boot image)

Boot: Copy them to SD card in order to boot from it.

Install meta-toolchain (Kubuntu 13.04)

• Build:

sudo apt-get install texinfo chrpath
git clone -b jethro git://git.yoctoproject.org/poky
cd poky
. ./oe-init-build-env
bitbake meta-toolchain

• Run installation script in build/tmp/deploy/sdk

Install Ezynq (Kubuntu 14.04)

git clone https://github.com/Elphel/ezynq.git
cd ezynq
./install_uboot.sh (edit the toolchain path)

Build

• Edit initenv according to the built meta-toolchain
• Build:

cd u-boot-xlnx
./makeuboot <target>

Supported <targets>:

./makeuboot zynq_microzed_config
./makeuboot zynq_zc706_config
./makeuboot elphel393_config
./makeuboot zynq_zed_config

• The generated files are:
  • boot_head.bin - contains values for RBL register initialization
  • boot.bin - the SPL image
  • u-boot-dtb.img - the u-boot image
  • u-boot.html - configuration settings overview
  • u-boot.map - the bootloader's memory map
  • u-boot - ELF file

Develop (add support for new boards)

• (not needed anymore?) Add a new board record to the list in the boards.cfg (or leave as is if the item already exists).
• Create configs/zynq_microzed_defconfig file
• Create a configuration file for the new board - use include/configs/zynq_microzed.h as a reference
• Edit (or create new for specific memory and chip) according to the board configuration the following files:

include/configs/ezynq/ezynq_MT41K256M16RE125.h
include/configs/ezynq/ezynq_XC7Z010_1CLG400.h
include/configs/ezynq/zed_ezynq.h

• Build:

./makeuboot <new_board>_config

Known issues

• [FIXED] (in Linux) USB does not work yet.
• [FIXED] (in Linux) Ethernet is not tested (on the board we have it does not work with provided images, so we suspect a hardware problem. If no network:

ifconfig eth0 down
ifconfig eth0 up

• Bitstream loading is not tested, current code does not enable level shifters - it may be more appropriate to do just before loading of the bitstream.
• Write level training for DDR memory doesn't work in MicroZed and ZC706