Load Image Didn't Work, Need Advice

[zafo]

I picked up a nice SIMpad SL4 at a garage sale and was happy to see a Linux distribution for it. I successfully upgraded the bootloader to 2.5.3 and then to the hh.org version. I then tried to load the root distribution (Angstrom-x11-image-glibc-ipk-2007.12-r14-simpad.rootfs.jffs2) but am getting errors trying to run it.

I used the Cutecom graphical terminal program rather Minicom. It worked fine for uploading the bootloaders. After typing load root, I clicked on the "Send File" button and specified the image. The Cutecom window seemed to lock up (no display), but I could hear the computer's hard drive accessing and eventually the window came back and the prompt returned.

It seems to load OK, but eventually starts showing some errors:
vfat_find_file_entry: fname='/simpad-rootfs.jffs2'
                    dirname=''
                   basename='SIMPAD-ROOTFS.JFFS2'
Could not find file.vfat_file_open: file not found errno=00000016
Could not open source hda1:/simpad-rootfs.jffs2
partition <throwaway_bootldr_partition> deleted
RXSTAT error: 000000FF
booting jffs2...
booting boot/zImage from partition >root<
find_inode failed for name=zImage
Failed to find inode
loaded file of size = 0x00000000 at location 0xC0008000
kernel partition base C0008000
kernel_magic=20746573
kernel_region_words[9]=6F6C6264
Unrecognized kernel image
boot command failed, entering monitor
boot>

If anyone can tell me where I went wrong and where to go from here, I would appreciate it. I have been running Linux on several computers for years and I understand the basics but am not a programmer.

Thanks in advance.

Rod

[tml]

It seems to load OK, but eventually starts showing some errors:
vfat_find_file_entry: fname='/simpad-rootfs.jffs2'
                    dirname=''
                   basename='SIMPAD-ROOTFS.JFFS2'
Could not find file.vfat_file_open: file not found errno=00000016
Could not open source hda1:/simpad-rootfs.jffs2

It's quite some time that I tried this so I might be totally wrong with this but IIRC with the new bootloader the image should be on a CF and loaded from there. I think hda1 refers to the CF disk. Or maybe not?

[zafo]

It seems to load OK, but eventually starts showing some errors:
vfat_find_file_entry: fname='/simpad-rootfs.jffs2'
                    dirname=''
                   basename='SIMPAD-ROOTFS.JFFS2'
Could not find file.vfat_file_open: file not found errno=00000016
Could not open source hda1:/simpad-rootfs.jffs2

It's quite some time that I tried this so I might be totally wrong with this but IIRC with the new bootloader the image should be on a CF and loaded from there. I think hda1 refers to the CF disk. Or maybe not?

The instructions I had said there were two ways to do it, the slow serial method or the slightly faster CF card method. Since I don't have a CF card, I opted for the serial method. I guess I could go get one if that is what is required. Do I need to erase the root image somehow, before I try it again?

Thanks,
Rod

[mr_nice]

Easy way would be to follow [1] with the tools mentioned there. Else you will have to adapt the steps to cutecom (which I don't know). You can than extend the wiki entry about how to use cutecom.

best regards
mr nice

http://opensimpad.org/index.php/Linux#Inst...trom.2FFamiliar

[zafo]

[quote name='mr_nice' date='Jul 1 2008, 06:42 PM' post='178307']
Easy way would be to follow [1] with the tools mentioned there. Else you will have to adapt the steps to cutecom (which I don't know). You can than extend the wiki entry about how to use cutecom.

best regards
mr nice

The problem doesn't seem to be cutecom. I went out and bought a CF memory card and PCMCIA adapter, per the other suggestion. It seemed to successfully copy over to the SIMpad's flash using the command "copy hda1:/rootfs.jffs2 root", but when I reset I get:

Code: [Select]

boot> U3
@00000348
F04000000

*MTST
00000001
00000002
00000004
00000008
00000010
00000020
00000040
00000080
00000100
00000200
00000400
00000800
00001000
00002000
00004000
00008000
00010000
00020000
00040000
00080000
00100000
00200000
00400000
00800000
01000000
02000000
04000000
08000000
10000000
20000000
40000000
80000000
MBK2
00000001
0000E59F
00000002
0000E59F
00000004
0000E59F
00000008
0000E59F
00000010
0000E59F
00000020
0000E59F
00000040
0000E59F
00000080
0000E59F
00000100
0000E59F
00000200
0000E59F
00000400
0000E59F
00000800
0000E59F
00001000
0000E59F
00002000
0000E59F
00004000
0000E59F
00008000
0000E59F
00010000
0001E59F
00020000
0002E59F
00040000
0004E59F
00080000
0008E59F
00100000
0010E59F
00200000
0020E59F
00400000
0040E59F
00800000
0080E59F
01000000
0100E59F
02000000
0200E59F
04000000
0400E59F
08000000
0800E59F
10000000
1000E59F
20000000
2000E59F
40000000
4000E59F
80000000
8000E59F
ENDM
STKP
C19F3FF0
setting flashword=50000000
 Flash style = 1x16
verify flash size...
btflash_init: mfrid=00000089
  devid=00000018
mfrid=00000089
deviceid=00000018
walking flash descriptors (1x16)
btflash_init: found flash 28F128J3A_1x16
  flashDescriptor=00031894
  flashSectors=00031474
  nsectors=00000100
  flash_size=02000000
  flash_address_mask=03FFFFFF
Read back MQ200 ID is 0x4BE00C02

Correct Device ID should be 0x02004D51. - retr8(ng
Rebooting...U3
@00000348
F04000000

*MTST
00000001
00000002
00000004
00000008
00000010
00000020
00000040
00000080
00000100
00000200
00000400
00000800
00001000
00002000
00004000
00008000
00010000
00020000
00040000
00080000
00100000
00200000
00400000
00800000
01000000
02000000
04000000
08000000
10000000
20000000
40000000
80000000
MBK2
00000001
0000E59F
00000002
0000E59F
00000004
0000E59F
00000008
0000E59F
00000010
0000E59F
00000020
0000E59F
00000040
0000E59F
00000080
0000E59F
00000100
0000E59F
00000200
0000E59F
00000400
0000E59F
00000800
0000E59F
00001000
0000E59F
00002000
0000E59F
00004000
0000E59F
00008000
0000E59F
00010000
0001E59F
00020000
0002E59F
00040000
0004E59F
00080000
0008E59F
00100000
0010E59F
00200000
0020E59F
00400000
0040E59F
00800000
0080E59F
01000000
0100E59F
02000000
0200E59F
04000000
0400E59F
08000000
0800E59F
10000000
1000E59F
20000000
2000E59F
40000000
4000E59F
80000000
8000E59F
ENDM
STKP
C19F3FF0
setting flashword=50000000
 Flash style = 1x16
verify flash size...
btflash_init: mfrid=00000089
  devid=00000018
mfrid=00000089
deviceid=00000018
walking flash descriptors (1x16)
btflash_init: found flash 28F128J3A_1x16
  flashDescriptor=00031894
  flashSectors=00031474
  nsectors=00000100
  flash_size=02000000
  flash_address_mask=03FFFFFF
MQ200 - Revision ID=0x00000002

Machine type--> SIMpad
mach_type  ->00000057
reset_partitions: partition_table = 0x00000000
reset_partitions: flashDescriptor = 0x00031894
define_partition: base 0x00000000
define_partition: partition_table 0x00000000
allocated partition_table
defining partition: bootldr
define_partition: base 0x00040000
define_partition: partition_table 0xC1A00014
defining partition: root
define_partition: base 0x01800000
define_partition: partition_table 0xC1A00014
defining partition: home
initialize_by_mach_type done
probing ram
Probing bank0 me bank0 memory size=04000000
MDCNFG=0000F367
dram_size_ptr=00032888
Probing memory size bank=00000000
  dram[0]=04000000
  mem_size=[i]04000000
  mem_saves[i]=08000000
  mem_size=[i]02000000
  mem_saves[i]=02000000
  mem_size=[i]01000000
  mem_saves[i]=01000000
maybe mem_size=04000000
found=
04000000
  mem_size[i]=08000000
  mem_saves[i]=30303030
  mem_size[i]=04000000
  mem_saves[i]=08000000
  mem_size[i]=02000000
  mem_saves[i]=02000000
  mem_size[i]=01000000
  mem_saves[i]=01000000
 memory size=04000000
dram_size_ptr=0003289C
Probing memory size bank=00000001
  dram[0]=C8000C02
seems to be no dram in bank=00000001
n_banks=00000001
dram_sizes[0]=04000000
dram_sizes[1]=00000000
SDRAM size: 0x04000000
 in megs: 64M
>> Compaq OHH BootLoader, Rev 2-21-13 [BIG_KERNEL] [MD5] [MONO]
>> 04-11-20_15:58
>> Last link date: Sat Nov 20 15:58:14 GMT 2004
>> Contact: bootldr@handhelds.org

Cpu company: INTEL
Cpu Architecture: StrongArm
Cpu Part: SA1110
processor ID: 6901B119
>> (c) 2000-2001 Compaq Computer Corporation, provided with NO WARRANTY under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
>> See http://www.handhelds.org/bootldr/ for full license and sourcesPress Return to start the OS now, any other key for monitor menu

params_eval: prefix_in =bootldr:
params_eval: just_show =00000000
define_partition: base 0x00040000
define_partition: partition_table 0xC1A00014
defining partition: throwaway_bootldr_partition
params_eval_file: tmpPart->base  =00040000
params_eval_file: tmpPart->size  =017C0000
Scanning all of flash for your JFFS2 convenience. Est Time: 6-12 seconds!
build_list: max = 017BFFBC
..
dir entries = 0000072C
frag entries = 000015F1
+4 increments = 000000AA
+file_offset increments = 00003344
find_inode failed for name=boot
Failed to find inode
pef: loaded a file of size 00000000
failed to load params file /boot/params ...
partition deleted
RXSTAT error: 000000FF
booting jffs2...
booting boot/zImage from partition >root<
find_inode failed for name=boot
Failed to find inode
loaded file of size = 0x00000000 at location 0xC0008000
kernel partition base C0008000
kernel_magic=20746573
kernel_region_words[9]=6F6C6264
Unrecognized kernel image
boot command failed, entering monitor
boot>
I cannot get anything on the SIMpad's display, and I can't turn it off (green power light stays on). But the hh loader seems to be working, since it tries to boot and I get a boot prompt. I am open for any other suggestions.

Rod

[mr_nice]

hm, ok.
please provide a log of the copy output.

best regards
mr nice

[zafo]

hm, ok.
please provide a log of the copy output.

best regards
mr nice

I am afraid the log wasn't running. I did try to connect using minicom, but could not get it to work (just a ? character in a black circle). When I tried to reconnect using cutecom, I got a series of characters (memory locations?) starting with 0x followed by 2-6 characters. It did come back to the boot sequence for some time, but now is back to the 0x etc. character strings.... It looks like I've corrupted the bootloader. I assume the only thing to do now is to try to revive it through JTAG?

Sadly,
Rod

[mr_nice]

Hi,
double check the minicom/cutecom settings

set the connection to 115200 baud 8 databits no parity 1 stopbit (115200 8N1), no hardware and no software flow control.

if you get to the
boot>
prompt everything is fine and you don't have to use jtag.

best regards
mr nice

[zafo]

Hi,
double check the minicom/cutecom settings

set the connection to 115200 baud 8 databits no parity 1 stopbit (115200 8N1), no hardware and no software flow control.

if you get to the
boot>
prompt everything is fine and you don't have to use jtag.

best regards
mr nice

The settings were not changed and are still 115200 8 N 1 with no h/w or s/w flow control. This happened once before and somehow started working again after I did a Button-G + Reset one time, but I cannot get it to work at all now.

Thanks for your responses, mr. nice.

Rod

[mr_nice]

If you cannot reach the boot> prompt you can try out the jtag mod. Best will be to erase the hole flash and then flash the siemensloader. After that you can reload the hh.org loader.

best regards
mr nice