RedBoot is an embedded application running in the eCos Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) that provides bootloader functionality to a wide variety of platforms. It is often used as the bootloader for boards using the Intel IXP-4xx Xscale CPU.
This repository consists of the original eCos source code imported into git from CVS using Migrate CVS repositories to Subversion or Git.
The Intel IXDP425 Development Platform is currently supported.
This eCos repository has been updated to work with recent versions of the GNU C Compiler available as part of OpenWrt. As of this writing, gcc 12.1 is supported.
Obtain OpenWrt and build for Intel Xscale to obtain the required GCC cross compiler.
$ sudo apt-get install tcl tk tk-dev tcl-dev
$ cd ~/src
$ git clone https://github.com/hharte/ecos.git
$ cd ecos/
$ export OPENWRT_PATH=<path_to_openwrt>
$ export ECOS_REPOSITORY=~/src/ecos/packages/
$ export PATH=$PATH:$OPENWRT_PATH/staging_dir/toolchain-armeb_xscale_gcc-12.3.0_musl/bin
$ export STAGING_DIR=$OPENWRT_PATH/staging_dir/toolchain-armeb_xscale_gcc-12.3.0_musl/
$ mkdir build-host
$ cd build-host
$ ../configure
$ make && sudo make install
$ cd ..
Tools are now in: /usr/local/bin/
.
$ mkdir build-ROM
$ cd build-ROM
$ ecosconfig new ixdp425 redboot
$ ecosconfig import $ECOS_REPOSITORY/hal/arm/xscale/ixdp425/current/misc/redboot_ROM.ecm
$ ecosconfig tree
$ make -j
When the build completes, redboot will be in the install/bin
directory. Four files are built:
redboot.bin
|
Binary file suitable for flashing with JTAG or programming with a device programmer. |
redboot.img
|
Redboot ELF binary, stripped of debug information. This can be downloaded by RedBoot itself. |
redboot.elf
|
Full RedBoot ELF binary, useful with gdb .
|
redboot.srec
|
S-Record file useful with some device programmers. |
It is possible to program the IXDP425 via JTAG using OpenOCD.
The 28F128J3 16MB NOR FLASH device on the ixdp425 Development Board is socketed, so it can be programmed in an external device programmer. I used an XGecu T56 Programmer available on Amazon that comes with the required 56-pin TSOP adapter.
After loading the redboot.bin file, convert to big-endian by choosing File->Fill Block/Swap(F).
The following resources are currently not available online anymore, and I would love to obtain them. If you have any of these, please let me know.
Item | Details |
Intel RedBoot 2.04 Source Code | Original filename: redboot-intel-ixp4xx-070320.tar.gz |
Redboot 2.04 pre-built binaries for IXP4XX-based platforms | Original filename: Redboot-v2_04-npe_bins-070320.tar.gz |
Intel® IXDP425 / IXCDP1100 Development Platform Quick Start Guide | Document Number: 253177 |
Intel® IXDP425 / IXCDP1100 Development Platform User’s Guide | Document Number: 273743 |
Intel® IXDP425 / IXCDP1100 Development Platform Boot-Loader Flash Conversion Guide | Document Number: 253201 |
Intel® IXDP425 / IXCDP1100 Development Platform Schematics | |
Intel® IXDP425 Network Processor Development Platform Upgrade White Paper | Document Number: 252779 |