Can't erase or read NOR using mtd part-id

Hello,

I'm using u-boot to boot a Linux-based device.
I created some MTD partitions for my NOR and NAND flashes.

Here is the configuration:

device nor0 <NOR>, # parts = 4
#: name size offset mask_flags

  0: U-Boot              0x00080000      0x00000000      0
  1: Environment         0x00020000      0x00080000      0
  2: Kernel              0x00400000      0x000a0000      0
  3: FreeNOR             0x00360000      0x004a0000      0

device nand0 <NAND>, # parts = 2
#: name size offset mask_flags

  0: FS                  0x02000000      0x00000000      0
  1: FreeNAND            0x06000000      0x02000000      0

active partition: nor0,0 - (U-Boot) 0x00080000 @ 0x00000000

defaults:
mtdids : nor0=NOR,nand0=NAND
mtdparts:
mtdparts=NOR:512k(U-Boot),128k(Environment),4M(Kernel),-(FreeNOR);NAND:32M(FS),-(FreeNAND)

When I want to erase the U-Boot partition I can't use the command erase U-Boot, the following error occurs : "incorrect device type in U-Boot". I must use the command erase 1:0-7.

Is-it normal ?

My second question is when I try to read the Environment partition with the command md.b Environment 128 I get the following dump (which is not correct).

0000000e: 0e 40 ff e0 18 40 c0 cb 18 40 18 40 0c cb 03 61 . at ...@... at [email protected]
0000001e: a5 e0 18 40 01 21 1f e0 18 40 ff cb 18 40 ff cb ... at .!... at ...@..
0000002e: 18 40 ff cb 03 64 b5 c7 03 69 92 6a a8 39 b4 da . at ...d...i.j.9..
0000003e: b6 db 90 3a 29 08 49 29 f6 e0 18 40 10 cb 18 40 ...:).I)... at ...@
0000004e: 18 40 03 61 00 e2 01 e3 18 43 01 e0 3c 31 22 21 . at .a.....C..<1"!
0000005e: 0f 88 fb 8f 01 70 80 e0 18 40 18 40 18 40 03 61 .....p... at .@. at .a
0000006e: f6 e0 18 40 10 cb 18 40 18 40 12 20 40 e0 18 40 ... at ...@. at .
@..@
0000007e: 18 40 03 cb 18 40 80 cb 03 61 f7 e0 18 40 10 cb . at [email protected]... at ..
0000008e: 18 40 18 40 12 20 90 e0 18 40 18 40 18 40 03 61 . at .@.
... at .@. at .a
0000009e: f6 e0 18 40 10 cb 18 40 02 cb 18 40 12 20 40 e0 ... at ...@... at . @.
000000ae: 18 40 18 40 03 cb 18 40 80 cb 03 61 f7 e0 18 40 . at .@... at ...a...@
000000be: 10 cb 18 40 02 cb 18 40 12 20 88 e0 18 40 18 40 ... at ...@.
... at .@
000000ce: 18 40 03 61 f6 e0 18 40 10 cb 18 40 01 cb 18 40 . at .a...@... at ...@
000000de: 12 20 48 e0 18 40 18 40 03 cb 18 40 80 cb 03 61 .
H.. at .@... at ...a
000000ee: f7 e0 18 40 10 cb 18 40 01 cb 18 40 12 20 98 e0 ... at ...@... at . ..
000000fe: 18 40 18 40 18 40 03 61 f6 e0 18 40 10 cb 18 40 . at .@. at .a...@...@
0000010e: 03 cb 18 40 12 20 48 e0 18 40 18 40 03 cb 18 40 ... at .
H.. at .@...@
0000011e: 80 cb 03 61 f7 e0 18 40 10 cb 18 40 03 cb 18 40 ...a... at ...@...@
0000012e: 12 20 a0 e0 18 40 18 40 . ...@.@

If use the command md.b 0xA0080000 128 I get the right dump...

a0080000: 0e c8 12 74 62 6f 6f 74 64 65 6c 61 79 3d 31 30 ...tbootdelay=10
a0080010: 00 62 61 75 64 72 61 74 65 3d 31 31 35 32 30 30 .baudrate=115200
a0080020: 00 62 6f 61 72 64 3d 73 6b 79 77 6f 72 74 68 00 .board=skyworth.
a0080030: 6d 6f 6e 69 74 6f 72 5f 62 61 73 65 3d 30 78 41 monitor_base=0xA
a0080040: 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 00 6d 6f 6e 69 74 6f 72 5f 0000000.monitor_
a0080050: 6c 65 6e 3d 30 78 30 30 30 38 30 30 30 30 00 6d len=0x00080000.m
a0080060: 6f 6e 69 74 6f 72 5f 73 65 63 3d 31 3a 30 2d 37 onitor_sec=1:0-7
a0080070: 00 6c 6f 61 64 5f 61 64 64 72 3d 30 78 38 30 30 .load_addr=0x800
a0080080: 30 30 30 30 30 00 65 74 68 61 64 64 72 3d 30 30 00000.ethaddr=00
a0080090: 3a 30 65 3a 65 62 3a 30 30 3a 33 34 3a 62 63 00 :0e:eb:00:34:bc.
a00800a0: 73 65 72 76 65 72 69 70 3d 31 39 32 2e 31 36 38 serverip=192.168
a00800b0: 2e 31 2e 36 30 00 69 70 61 64 64 72 3d 31 39 32 .1.60.ipaddr=192
a00800c0: 2e 31 36 38 2e 31 2e 31 31 30 00 66 69 72 73 74 .168.1.110.first
a00800d0: 5f 69 6e 69 74 3d 6d 74 64 20 64 65 6c 20 61 6c _init=mtd
del al
a00800e0: 6c 3b 72 75 6e 20 65 72 61 73 65 5f 6e 6f 72 3b l;run
erase_nor;
a00800f0: 6d 74 64 20 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 3b 73 61 76 65 mtd
default;save
a0080100: 65 6e 76 3b 72 75 6e 20 75 70 64 61 74 65 5f 75 env;run
update_u
a0080110: 62 6f 6f 74 00 65 72 61 73 65 5f 6e 6f 72 3d 70 boot.erase_nor=p
a0080120: 72 6f 74 65 63 74 20 6f rotect o

Is-it normal as well ?

Thanls in advance for your help.
Alex.

Hello,

Which version og u-boot are you running?

Some old version also had to set CONFIG_JFFS2 to get erase & friends to accept mtdparts.

HTH
Alexander

Hello,

thanks for your reply.
I'm running u-boot 1.3.1. I got it from STLinux.

I will try to set CONFIG_JFFS2.
But does it mean it will erase the partition using JFFS2 ? Will it support to read and write the environment settings with this file format ?

Alex

Hello,

ouch, that's pretty old.

No, the feature depended on both MTDPARTS and JFFS2 which has changed by now. If this doesn't work. I can't help you (see above)

Alexander

Dear Alexandre Gambier,

...

There are many ways to specify a flash area. When referring to MTD partitions, the synatx is "<device name>,<partition number>", i. e. for the partition named "U-Boot" above you use

erase nor0,0

So yes, the behaviour is normal.

...

Only very few commands (and only flash related ones) accept MTD partition specifications for addresses. "md" does not. What happpens here is that the argument "Environment" gets parsed as a hex number. Only the first character, 'E', can successfully be converted, then the conversion stops (without error message). Then you get the dump starting at 0x0000000E.

Yes, it is.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
There are certain things men must do to remain men.
	-- Kirk, "The Ultimate Computer", stardate 4929.4

Dear Wolfgang,

Thanks for this explanation.

Best regards
Alex