NXP Semiconductors Document Number: AN12108

Application Notes Rev. 4, 07/2019

How to Enable Boot from QSPI Flash

1. Introduction Contents
The i.MX RT Series is industry’s first crossover 1. Introduction ........................................................................ 1
2. MIMXRT1050 EVK board settings ................................... 2
processor provided by NXP. This document describes 2.1. EVKA Settings .......................................................... 2
how to program a bootable image into the external 2.2. EVKB Settings........................................................... 3
storage device. For Information about Flashloader, 3. Program tools ..................................................................... 5
3.1. DAP-Link (OpenSDA MSD drag/drop) .................... 5
MfgTool, refer to the application note “How to Enable 3.2. MFG tool ................................................................... 5
Boot from Octal SPIFlash and SD Card”AN12107. 4. Examples............................................................................ 5
4.1. OpenSDA Drag/Drop and boot from QSPI Flash ...... 5
The software used for example in this document are 4.2. MFG Boot from QSPI Flash .................................... 10
based on the i.MXRT1050 SDK 2.4.0. The development 4.3. MFG Boot from QSPI Flash with DCD for SDRAM
environment is IAR Embedded Workbench 8.22.2. The ................................................................................. 21
5. QSPI Flash support list .................................................... 21
hardware development environment is IMXRT1050- 6. Conclusion ....................................................................... 22
EVKB Board. The version of Flashloader is V1.1. 7. Revision history ............................................................... 23

© 2019 NXP B.V.

MIMXRT1050 EVK board settings

2. MIMXRT1050 EVK board settings

2.1. EVKA Settings

In order to enable the onboard QSPI Flash features, EVK board (EVKA Board) settings need to be
changed.
Step 1:
The onboard Hyper Flash should be removed, otherwise it will impact the QSPI Flash read and write
timing.
Step 2:
• Weld 0 Ω resistor to the pad from R153 to R158.

Figure 1. Hyper Flash

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 MIMXRT1050 EVK board settings

Figure 2. Weld 0 Ω resistor to the pad from R153 to R158

Step 3:
• The firmware of OpenSDA needs to be replaced. The default firmware onboard is used to Hyper
Flash, so that the firmware should be replaced to QSPI Flash. Both Hyper Flash and QSPI
Flash’s firmware can be downloaded from NXP Website.

2.2. EVKB Settings

For EVKB board, the onboard Hyper Flash does not need to remove.
Removed resistors: R356, R361 - R366.
Weld 0Ωresistors: R153 - R158.
Follow the Step3 of Section 2.1 to update the OpenSDA firmware.

After those steps, the onboard QSPI Flash is ready to use.

NOTE
Even if QSPI flash itself doesn’t have DQS pin, keep it to be floating and
enable it to get a higher read/write frequency. Please refer to Table 35 and
Table 36 in the RT1050 datasheet. If DQS pin is not used, only 60 MHz
frequency of operation is supported while could up to 133 MHz frequency
of operation if DQS pin enabled for input timing.

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MIMXRT1050 EVK board settings

Figure 3. SDR mode input timing parameter

2.2.1. Macros for the boot header

The Table 1 shows three macros that are added in flexspi_nor targets to support XIP:
Macros for the boot header
1: Exclude the code which will change the clock of flexspi.
XIP_EXTERNAL_FLASH 0: make no changes.

1: Add flexspi configuration block, image vector table, boot data

and device configuration data(optional) to the image by default.
XIP_BOOT_HEADER_ENABLE 0: Add nothing to the image by default.

1: Add device configuration data to the image.

0: Do NOT add device configuration data to the image.
XIP_BOOT_HEADER_DCD_ENABLE

The Table 2 shows the different effect on the built image with different combination of these macros:
Different effect on the built image with difference macros
XIP_BOOT_HEADER_DCD_ENA XIP_BOOT_HEADER_DCD_ENA
BLE=1 BLE=0
XIP_EXTERNAL_FLA

Can be programed to Hyper Flash Can be programed to Hyper Flash

SH=1

XIP_BOOT_HEA by IDE and can run after POR reset by IDE and can run after POR reset
DER_ENABLE=1 if Hyper Flash is the boot source. if Hyper Flash is the boot source.
SDRAM will be initialized. SDRAM will NOT be initialized.

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 Examples

XIP_BOOT_HEA Can NOT run after POR reset if it is programed by IDE even if Hyper
DER_ENABLE=0 Flash is the boot source.

XIP_EXTERNAL_FLASH This image can NOT do XIP because when this macro is set to 1, it will
=0 exclude the code which will change the clock of flexspi.

3. Program tools

3.1. DAP-Link (OpenSDA MSD drag/drop)

• QSPI Flash on EVK only.
• Binary file supports only.
NOTE
The default firmware of DAP-Link on EVK supports Hyper Flash only.
The firmware of DAP-Link should be replaced if the QSPI flash drag/drop
is used. The firmware can be downloaded from NXP Web.

3.2. MFG tool

The MfgTool supports I.MXRT BootROM and KBOOT based Flashloader, it can be used in factory
production environment. The Mfgtool can detect the presence of BootROM devices connected to PC
and invokes “blhost” to program the image on target memory devices connected to i.MX MCU device.
The blhost is a command-line host program used to interface with devices running KBOOT based
Bootloader, part of MfgTool release .sb file support only.

4. Examples

4.1. OpenSDA Drag/Drop and boot from QSPI Flash

This chapter describes the steps needed that program an image to QSPI Flash by using OpenSDA
Drag/Drop. The steps are as follows:
Step 1:
• Open the Hello world demo in the SDK and select the project configuration as
flexspi_nor_debug.(Figure 4).

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Examples

Figure 4. Select the project configuration as flexspi_nor_debug

Step 2:
• Build the project and generate an image. You can find the hello_world.bin at following location
(Figure 5).

NOTE
Before an image generate, flash configure parameters need to be changed.
Please refer to “How to Enable Debugging for FLEXSPI NOR Flash”,
AN12183

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 Examples

Figure 5. hello_world.bin location

Step 3:
• Configure the board to serial downloader mode and make sure the power supply is form the
Debug USB. To achieve these, SW7-4 should pull-up others pull-down Figure 6 and the J1-5, J1-
6 should be connected Figure 7.

Figure 6. SW7-4 pull-up and others pull-down

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Examples

Figure 7. Power supply switch

Step 4:
• Power up the board by connecting USB Debug Cable to J28 and open windows explorer and
confirm that a U-Disk appears as a drive like Figure 8.

Figure 8. RT1050-EVK appeared

NOTE
The first time you connect the MBED USB to Host Computer Windows
will ask to install the MBED serial driver.
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 Examples

Step 5:
• Drag/Drop the hello_world.bin to RT1050-EVK. Then the RT1050-EVK
disappears and after few seconds it will appear again.
Step 6:
• Disconnect the USB Debug Cable, and configure the board to QSPI Flash Boot
Mode which means SW7-3 pull-up others pull-down Figure 9.

Figure 9. QSPI Flash Boot Mode Configuration

Step 7:
• Connect the USB Debug Cable again and configure the Terminal Window.
o Baud rate: 115200
o Data bits: 8
o Stop bit: 1
o Parity: None
o Flow control: None
Step 8:
• Press SW3 to reset the EVK Board and “hello world” will be printed to the terminal. Figure 10

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Examples

Figure 10. “hello world” be printed to the terminal

4.2. MFG Boot from QSPI Flash

This chapter describes the steps that using MFG tool to program an image to QSPI Flash and boot from
the QSPI Flash.

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 Examples

Step 1:
• Open the Hello world demo in the SDK and select the project configuration as
flexspi_nor_debug Figure 11 and make sure the settings likes Figure 12.

Figure 11. Select the project configuration as flexspi_nor_debug

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Examples

Figure 12. Defined Symbols for hello_world

Step 2:
Change the default entry to Reset_Handler likes following Figure.

Figure 13. Change the default entry to Reset_Handle

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 Examples

NOTE
Step 5 can be skipped if this step is set.

Step 3:
• Build the project and generate the image. You can find the hello_world.srec at following location
Figure 14.

Figure 14. hello_world.srec location

Step 4:
• Copy hello_world.srec to the elftosb folder:

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Examples

Figure 15. Copy hello_world.srec

Step 5:
Open the imx-flexspinor-normal-unsigned.bd under path
Flashloader_i.MXRT1050_GA\Tools\bd_file\imx10xx. Open it and set the entryPointAddress to

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 Examples

0x60002000 likes following Figure.

Figure 16. Set the entryPointAddress to 0x60002000

NOTE
Step 2 can be skipped if this step is set.

Step 6:
• Now we can use command to generate the i.MX Bootable image using elftosb file. Open
cmd.exe and type following command:
elftosb.exe -f imx -V -c ../../bd_file/imx10xx/imx-flexspinor-normal-unsigned.bd -o
ivt_flexspi_nor_hello_world.bin hello_world.srec

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Examples

Figure 17. Generate i.MX Bootable image

After above command, two bootable images are generated:

• ivt_flexspi_nor_hello_world.bin
• ivt_flexspi_nor_hello_world_nopadding.bin
ivt_flexspi_nor_hello_world.bin:
The memory regions from 0 to ivt_offset are filled with padding bytes (all 0x00s).
ivt_flexspi_nor_hello_world_nopadding.bin:
Starts from ivtdata directly without any padding before ivt.
The later one will be used to generate SB file for QSPI Flash programming in subsequent section.

Step 7:
Open cmd.exe and type following command:
elftosb.exe -f kinetis -V -c ../../bd_file/imx10xx/program_flexspinor_image_qspinor.bd -o boot_image.sb
ivt_flexspi_nor_hello_world_nopadding.bin

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 Examples

Figure 18. Create a SB file for QSPI Flash programming

After performing above command, the boot_image.sb is generated under elftosb folder Figure 19.

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Examples

Figure 19. The boot_image.sb is generated

Step 8:
• Copy the boot_image.sb file to OS Firmware folder:

Figure 20. Copy the boot_image.sb to OS Firmware folder

Now, make sure the “name” under “[List]” to “MXRT105x-DevBoot” in cfg.ini file under
<mfgtool_root_dir> folder.

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 Examples

Figure 21. Make sure the name to “MXRT105x-DevBoot”

Switch the EVK-Board to Serial Downloader mode by setting SW7 to “1-OFF, 2-OFF, 3-OFF, 4-ON”.
Connect a UAB Cable to J9 and power on the EVK Board by inserting USB Cable to J28. Open
MfgTool, it will show the detected device like Figure 22.
NOTE
In some corner case, HID-compliant device is not recognized which is
because the PC only have USB root device and no USB hub device, and
this software limitation will be fixed in near future, the workaround at this
moment is to use external USB hub as extension.

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Examples

Figure 22. MfgTool GUI with device connected

Click Start. Mfgtool initiates and prompts the success status as shown in Figure 23. Click Stop and
close the Mfgtool.

Figure 23. Successful Status

Step 9:
• Switch the RT1050-EVK board to Internal boot mode and select QSPI Flash as boot device by
setting SW7 to “1-OFF, 2-OFF, 3-ON, 4-OFF”. Connect the USB Cable to J28 and open a
terminal, then reset the Board. We can see that “hello world” will be printed to the terminal.

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 QSPI Flash support list

Figure 24. “hello world” be printed to the terminal

4.3. MFG Boot from QSPI Flash with DCD for SDRAM
For steps, please refer to “How to Enable Boot from Octal SPIFlash and SD Card”, AN12107.

5. QSPI Flash support list

Besides the EVK onboard QSPI Flash, the following Flashes are also supported and please note those
are just typical examples with those flash vendors, theoretically we could support all the flash memory
that comply with JESD216/JESD216A/JESD216B.
At the same time, the RT1050EVK could support both 1.8 V and 3.3 V SPI flash device by switching
the FLASH_VCC power supply as below Figure 25 shows. If 3.3 V SPI flash is mounted, you need
mount R301 and DNP R49, otherwise you need mount R49 and DNP R301.

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Conclusion

FLASHVCC

DCDC_3V3
1V8LDO

R301 0
MAX 250 mA FLASH_VCC
DNP

U7 TP10 LDO_1V8
DCDC_3V3

R48 0 3 2 R49 0
VIN VOUT
CSI_1V8

GND
C67
L20
C65 C66 4.7uF C68
10uF 0.1UF UM1550S-18 0.1UF

1
120 Ohm

GND GND
GND

Figure 25. FLASH_VCC switching

QSPI Flash support list

Vendor Flash Part Number Voltage
Macronix MX25L6433F 3.3 V
Macronix MX25U6435E 1.8 V
ISSI IS25LP064A-JBLE 3.3 V
ISSI IS25WP064AJBLE 1.8 V
GigaDevice GD25Q64C 3.3 V
GigaDevice GD25LQ64C, GD25LT256E,GD25LB256E 1.8 V
WINBOND W25Q64JV 3.3 V
WINBOND W25Q64FW 1.8 V
Micron MT25QL128ABA1ESE-0SIT 3.3 V
Micron MT25QU128ABA1ESE-0SIT 1.8 V
Adesto AT25QF641-SUB-T 3.3 V
Adesto AT25QL641-SUE-T 1.8 V

6. Conclusion
This application note mainly describes how to use Flashloader step by step. For more information, refer
to “i.MX MCU Manufacturing User's Guide” and “How to Enable Boot from Octal SPIFlash and SD
Card”.

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 Revision history

7. Revision history
Revision history
Revision number Date Substantive changes
0 12/2017 Initial release
1 06/2018 Adapted SDK version 2.3.1 and Flashloader version
1.1. In Table 1. QSPI Flash support list, changed
MX25U6433F to MX25L6433F.
2 07/2018 • Added steps to change the entry address.
• Used srec file instead of .out file as the source file.
3 09/2018 Updated Table 3 QSPI Flash support list.
4 07//2019 Updated Table 3 QSPI Flash support list.

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© 2018-2019 NXP B.V. Document Number: AN12108

Rev. 4
07/2019