| .. _96b_meerkat96: |
| |
| 96Boards Meerkat96 |
| ################## |
| |
| Overview |
| ******** |
| |
| 96Boards Meerkat96 board is based on NXP i.MX7 Hybrid multi-core processor, |
| composed of a dual Cortex®-A7 and a single Cortex®-M4 core. |
| Zephyr OS is ported to run on the Cortex®-M4 core. |
| |
| - Board features: |
| |
| - RAM: 512 Mbyte |
| - Storage: |
| |
| - microSD Socket |
| - Wireless: |
| |
| - WiFi: 2.4GHz IEEE 802.11b/g/n |
| - Bluetooth: v4.1 (BR/EDR) |
| - USB: |
| |
| - Host - 2x type A |
| - OTG: - 1x type micro-B |
| - HDMI |
| - Connectors: |
| |
| - 40-Pin Low Speed Header |
| - 60-Pin High Speed Header |
| - LEDs: |
| |
| - 4x Green user LEDs |
| - 1x Blue Bluetooth LED |
| - 1x Yellow WiFi LED |
| |
| .. image:: img/96b_meerkat96.jpg |
| :align: center |
| :alt: 96Boards Meerkat96 |
| |
| More information about the board can be found at the |
| `96Boards website`_. |
| |
| Hardware |
| ******** |
| |
| The i.MX7 SoC provides the following hardware capabilities: |
| |
| - Dual Cortex A7 (800MHz/1.0GHz) core and Single Cortex M4 (200MHz) core |
| |
| - Memory |
| |
| - External DDR memory up to 1 Gbyte |
| - Internal RAM -> A7: 256KB SRAM |
| - Internal RAM -> M4: 3x32KB (TCML, TCMU, OCRAM_S), 1x128KB (OCRAM) and 1x256MB (DDR) |
| |
| - Display |
| |
| - RGB 1920x1080x24bpp |
| - 4-wire Resistive touch |
| |
| - Multimedia |
| |
| - 1x Camera Parallel Interface |
| - 1x Analog Audio Line in (Stereo) |
| - 1x Analog Audio Mic in (Mono) |
| - 1x Analog Audio Headphone out (Stereo) |
| |
| - Connectivity |
| |
| - USB 2.0 OTG (High Speed) |
| - USB 2.0 host (High Speed) |
| - 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet PHY |
| - 4x I2C |
| - 4x SPI |
| - 7x UART |
| - 1x IrDA |
| - 20x PWM |
| - Up to 125 GPIO |
| - 4x Analog Input (12 Bit) |
| - 2x SDIO/SD/MMC (8 Bit) |
| - 2x CAN |
| |
| More information about the i.MX7 SoC can be found here: |
| |
| - `i.MX 7 Series Website`_ |
| - `i.MX 7 Dual Datasheet`_ |
| - `i.MX 7 Dual Reference Manual`_ |
| |
| Supported Features |
| ================== |
| |
| The Zephyr 96b_meerkat96 board configuration supports the following hardware |
| features: |
| |
| +-----------+------------+-------------------------------------+ |
| | Interface | Controller | Driver/Component | |
| +===========+============+=====================================+ |
| | NVIC | on-chip | nested vector interrupt controller | |
| +-----------+------------+-------------------------------------+ |
| | SYSTICK | on-chip | systick | |
| +-----------+------------+-------------------------------------+ |
| | GPIO | on-chip | gpio | |
| +-----------+------------+-------------------------------------+ |
| | UART | on-chip | serial port-polling; | |
| | | | serial port-interrupt | |
| +-----------+------------+-------------------------------------+ |
| |
| The default configuration can be found in the defconfig file: |
| |
| :zephyr_file:`boards/96boards/meerkat96/96b_meerkat96_mcimx7d_m4_defconfig` |
| |
| Other hardware features are not currently supported by the port. |
| |
| Connections and IOs |
| =================== |
| |
| 96Boards Meerkat96 board was tested with the following pinmux controller |
| configuration. |
| |
| +---------------+-----------------+---------------------------+ |
| | Board Name | SoC Name | Usage | |
| +===============+=================+===========================+ |
| | UART_1 RXD | UART1_TXD | UART Console | |
| +---------------+-----------------+---------------------------+ |
| | UART_1 TXD | UART1_RXD | UART Console | |
| +---------------+-----------------+---------------------------+ |
| | LED_R1 | GPIO1_IO04 | LED0 | |
| +---------------+-----------------+---------------------------+ |
| | LED_R2 | GPIO1_IO05 | LED1 | |
| +---------------+-----------------+---------------------------+ |
| | LED_R3 | GPIO1_IO06 | LED2 | |
| +---------------+-----------------+---------------------------+ |
| | LED_R4 | GPIO1_IO07 | LED3 | |
| +---------------+-----------------+---------------------------+ |
| |
| System Clock |
| ============ |
| |
| The M4 Core is configured to run at a 200 MHz clock speed. |
| |
| Serial Port |
| =========== |
| |
| The iMX7D SoC has seven UARTs. UART_1 is configured for the console and |
| the remaining are not used/tested. |
| |
| Programming and Debugging |
| ************************* |
| |
| The 96Boards Meerkat96 board doesn't have QSPI flash for the M4 and it needs |
| to be started by the A7 core. The A7 core is responsible to load the M4 binary |
| application into the RAM, put the M4 in reset, set the M4 Program Counter and |
| Stack Pointer, and get the M4 out of reset. The A7 can perform these steps at |
| bootloader level or after the Linux system has booted. |
| |
| The M4 can use up to 5 different RAMs. These are the memory mapping for A7 and M4: |
| |
| +------------+-----------------------+------------------------+-----------------------+----------------------+ |
| | Region | Cortex-A7 | Cortex-M4 (System Bus) | Cortex-M4 (Code Bus) | Size | |
| +============+=======================+========================+=======================+======================+ |
| | DDR | 0x80000000-0xFFFFFFFF | 0x80000000-0xDFFFFFFF | 0x10000000-0x1FFEFFFF | 2048MB (less for M4) | |
| +------------+-----------------------+------------------------+-----------------------+----------------------+ |
| | OCRAM | 0x00900000-0x0091FFFF | 0x20200000-0x2021FFFF | 0x00900000-0x0091FFFF | 128KB | |
| +------------+-----------------------+------------------------+-----------------------+----------------------+ |
| | TCMU | 0x00800000-0x00807FFF | 0x20000000-0x20007FFF | | 32KB | |
| +------------+-----------------------+------------------------+-----------------------+----------------------+ |
| | TCML | 0x007F8000-0x007FFFFF | | 0x1FFF8000-0x1FFFFFFF | 32KB | |
| +------------+-----------------------+------------------------+-----------------------+----------------------+ |
| | OCRAM_S | 0x00180000-0x00187FFF | 0x20180000-0x20187FFF | 0x00000000-0x00007FFF | 32KB | |
| +------------+-----------------------+------------------------+-----------------------+----------------------+ |
| | QSPI Flash | | | 0x08000000-0x0BFFFFFF | 64MB | |
| +------------+-----------------------+------------------------+-----------------------+----------------------+ |
| |
| For more information about memory mapping see the |
| `i.MX 7 Dual Reference Manual`_ (section 2.1.2 and 2.1.3), and the |
| `Toradex Wiki`_. |
| |
| At compilation time you have to choose which RAM will be used. This |
| configuration is done in the file :zephyr_file:`boards/96boards/meerkat96/96b_meerkat96_mcimx7d_m4.dts` |
| with "zephyr,flash" (when CONFIG_XIP=y) and "zephyr,sram" properties. |
| The available configurations are: |
| |
| .. code-block:: none |
| |
| "zephyr,flash" |
| - &ddr_code |
| - &tcml_code |
| - &ocram_code |
| - &ocram_s_code |
| - &ocram_pxp_code |
| - &ocram_epdc_code |
| |
| "zephyr,sram" |
| - &ddr_sys |
| - &tcmu_sys |
| - &ocram_sys |
| - &ocram_s_sys |
| - &ocram_pxp_sys |
| - &ocram_epdc_sys |
| |
| |
| Below you will find the instructions to load and run Zephyr on M4 from |
| A7 using u-boot. |
| |
| Copy the compiled zephyr.bin to the first FAT partition of the SD card and |
| plug into the board. Power it up and stop the u-boot execution. |
| Set the u-boot environment variables and run the zephyr.bin from the |
| appropriated memory configured in the Zephyr compilation: |
| |
| .. code-block:: console |
| |
| setenv bootm4 'fatload mmc 0:1 $m4addr $m4fw && dcache flush && bootaux $m4addr' |
| # TCML |
| setenv m4tcml 'setenv m4fw zephyr.bin; setenv m4addr 0x007F8000' |
| setenv bootm4tcml 'run m4tcml && run bootm4' |
| run bootm4tcml |
| # TCMU |
| setenv m4tcmu 'setenv m4fw zephyr.bin; setenv m4addr 0x00800000' |
| setenv bootm4tcmu 'run m4tcmu && run bootm4' |
| run bootm4tcmu |
| # OCRAM |
| setenv m4ocram 'setenv m4fw zephyr.bin; setenv m4addr 0x00900000' |
| setenv bootm4ocram 'run m4ocram && run bootm4' |
| run bootm4ocram |
| # OCRAM_S |
| setenv m4ocrams 'setenv m4fw zephyr.bin; setenv m4addr 0x00180000' |
| setenv bootm4ocrams 'run m4ocrams && run bootm4' |
| run bootm4ocrams |
| # DDR |
| setenv m4ddr 'setenv m4fw zephyr.bin; setenv m4addr 0x80000000' |
| setenv bootm4ddr 'run m4ddr && run bootm4' |
| run bootm4ddr |
| |
| Debugging |
| ========= |
| |
| 96Boards Meerkat96 board can be debugged by connecting an external JLink |
| JTAG debugger to the J4 debug connector. Then download and install |
| `J-Link Tools`_ and `NXP iMX7D Connect CortexM4.JLinkScript`_. |
| |
| To run Zephyr Binary using J-Link create the following script in order to |
| get the Program Counter and Stack Pointer from zephyr.bin. |
| |
| get-pc-sp.sh: |
| .. code-block:: console |
| |
| #!/bin/sh |
| |
| firmware=$1 |
| |
| pc=$(od -An -N 8 -t x4 $firmware | awk '{print $2;}') |
| sp=$(od -An -N 8 -t x4 $firmware | awk '{print $1;}') |
| |
| echo pc=$pc |
| echo sp=$sp |
| |
| |
| Get the SP and PC from firmware binary: ``./get-pc-sp.sh zephyr.bin`` |
| .. code-block:: console |
| |
| pc=00900f01 |
| sp=00905020 |
| |
| Plug in the J-Link into the board and PC and run the J-Link command line tool: |
| |
| .. code-block:: console |
| |
| /usr/bin/JLinkExe -device Cortex-M4 -if JTAG -speed 4000 -autoconnect 1 -jtagconf -1,-1 -jlinkscriptfile iMX7D_Connect_CortexM4.JLinkScript |
| |
| The following steps are necessary to run the zephyr.bin: |
| |
| 1. Put the M4 core in reset |
| 2. Load the binary in the appropriate addr (TMCL, TCMU, OCRAM, OCRAM_S or DDR) |
| 3. Set PC (Program Counter) |
| 4. Set SP (Stack Pointer) |
| 5. Get the M4 core out of reset |
| |
| Issue the following commands inside J-Link commander: |
| |
| .. code-block:: console |
| |
| w4 0x3039000C 0xAC |
| loadfile zephyr.bin,0x00900000 |
| w4 0x00180000 00900f01 |
| w4 0x00180004 00905020 |
| w4 0x3039000C 0xAA |
| |
| With these mechanisms, applications for the ``96b_meerkat96`` board |
| configuration can be built and debugged in the usual way (see |
| :ref:`build_an_application` and :ref:`application_run` for more details). |
| |
| References |
| ========== |
| |
| - `Loading Code on Cortex-M4 from Linux for the i.MX 6SoloX and i.MX 7Dual/7Solo Application Processors`_ |
| - `J-Link iMX7D Instructions`_ |
| |
| .. _96Boards website: |
| https://www.96boards.org/product/imx7-96/ |
| |
| .. _i.MX 7 Series Website: |
| https://www.nxp.com/products/processors-and-microcontrollers/applications-processors/i.mx-applications-processors/i.mx-7-processors:IMX7-SERIES?fsrch=1&sr=1&pageNum=1 |
| |
| .. _i.MX 7 Dual Datasheet: |
| https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/data-sheet/IMX7DCEC.pdf |
| |
| .. _i.MX 7 Dual Reference Manual: |
| https://www.nxp.com/webapp/Download?colCode=IMX7DRM |
| |
| .. _J-Link Tools: |
| https://www.segger.com/downloads/jlink/#J-LinkSoftwareAndDocumentationPack |
| |
| .. _NXP iMX7D Connect CortexM4.JLinkScript: |
| https://wiki.segger.com/images/8/86/NXP_iMX7D_Connect_CortexM4.JLinkScript |
| |
| .. _Loading Code on Cortex-M4 from Linux for the i.MX 6SoloX and i.MX 7Dual/7Solo Application Processors: |
| https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/application-note/AN5317.pdf |
| |
| .. _J-Link iMX7D Instructions: |
| https://wiki.segger.com/IMX7D |
| |
| .. _Toradex Wiki: |
| https://developer.toradex.com/knowledge-base/freertos-on-the-cortex-m4-of-a-colibri-imx7#Memory_areas |