Boot Linux from microSD card¶

This page describes how to boot Linux of the HMI SDK from a microSD card in QSPI boot mode.

Please note that you need to update bootloaders in Flash ROM on the EVK to use the QSPI boot mode. In the eSD boot mode, bootloaders stored in the microSD card are used, but bootloaders stored in the ROM are used when you use the QSPI boot mode. For information about how to update bootloaders, see Update firmware (bootloaders) on EVK.

1. Create a bootable microSD card¶

Get a microSD card ready. For information about requirements for the microSD card, see 1. Necessary Equipment. And for information about how to create a bootable microSD card, see Step 4: Prepare HMI SDK SD card image for demo.

2. Set boot mode to QSPI boot mode¶

To use QSPI boot mode, set the SW11 as follows.

3. Set bootable microSD card¶

Insert the bootable microSD card into the card slot on RZ SMARC Carrier Board.

4. Boot Linux on the board¶

Press and hold power button (SW9) for 1 second to turn on the EVK. You will see the following messages in the console.

U-Boot 2021.10 (Dec 15 2023 - 06:47:44 +0000)

CPU:   Renesas Electronics CPU rev 1.0
Model: smarc-rzg2l
DRAM:  1.9 GiB
MMC:   sd@11c00000: 0, sd@11c10000: 1
Loading Environment from MMC... OK

In:    serial@1004b800
Out:   serial@1004b800
Err:   serial@1004b800
U-boot WDT started!
Net:   
Error: ethernet@11c20000 address not set.
No ethernet found.

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  2  1  0 
switch to partitions #0, OK
mmc1 is current device
19857920 bytes read in 1229 ms (15.4 MiB/s)
39079 bytes read in 6 ms (6.2 MiB/s)
Moving Image from 0x48080000 to 0x48200000, end=49350000
## Flattened Device Tree blob at 48000000
   Booting using the fdt blob at 0x48000000
   Loading Device Tree to 0000000057ff3000, end 0000000057fff6fc ... OK

Starting kernel ...

[    0.000000] Booting Linux on physical CPU 0x0000000000 [0x412fd050]
[    0.000000] Linux version 5.10.184-cip36-yocto-standard (oe-user@oe-host) 
...
    (omitted)
...

Poky (Yocto Project Reference Distro) 3.1.26 smarc-rzg2l ttySC0

BSP: RZG2L/RZG2L-SMARC-EVK/3.0.6-update3
LSI: RZG2L
Version: 3.0.6-update3
smarc-rzg2l login: root
root@smarc-rzg2l:~#

You can login as root without password.

If you are faced with an error in the boot process, it may be caused by u-boot configuration. See Configure U-boot.

5. Shutdown¶

To shut down the system, run shutdown command as follows.

shutdown -h now

After you executing the shutdown command, it shuts down the system immediately. And when it completes, you will see the following message.

reboot: Power down

Then, press and hold power button (SW9) for 2 seconds to turn off the EVK.

Appendix¶

Configure U-boot¶

U-boot is configured for QSPI/SD boot mode by default. But if you used other modes, the configuration has been changed. In that case, initialize U-boot configuration as follows.

Turn on the EVK, and hit any key to stop autoboot after you see the following messages in the console.

U-Boot 2021.10 (Mar 31 2022 - 03:57:20 +0000)

CPU: Renesas Electronics K rev 16.10
Model: smarc-rzg2l
DRAM: 1.9 GiB
MMC: sd@11c00000: 0, sd@11c10000: 1
Loading Environment from MMC... OK
In: serial@1004b800
Out: serial@1004b800
Err: serial@1004b800
Net:
Error: ethernet@11c20000 address not set.
No ethernet found.

Hit any key to stop autoboot:

Then, input the following command to restore the default configuration.

env default -a

Save the configuration by saveenv command.

saveenv

To start Linux on the EVK, press reset switch (SW10).