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2.SoftwareSetup
WhenMINI-MAX/ARM9260-E isfirst powered, it goesthrough aboot sequenceand executesvariouscomponentsin
thefollowingorder:
ROMbootloader(built-inROM)
AT91BootStrap(DataFlash)
U-boot(DataFlash)
Linuxkernel(uimagefile underUSBFATroot)
RAMDISK(gpcfs.gzfile underUSBFATroot)
ROMboot loaderisbuiltintothe AT91SAM9260B-CUmicrocontrollerand cannotbechanged. Assoon astheboard
ispoweredtheROMboot loaderstarts. Itdownloadsandrunsanapplication(AT91BootStrap)fromexternalstorage
media (DataFlash)intointernal SRAM.AT91BootStrap hasbeen developed byBiPOMElectronicsspecificallyfor
MINI-MAX/ARM9.
AT91BootStrapisresponsible forinitializinghardwaresuchasDataFlash, SDRAM,digital outputs,LCDcontroller,
andRS232serial port.
AT91BootStrapdownloadstoSDRAMandpassescontroltoU-Bootwhichisapowerful bootloaderthat residesalso
in DataFlash.U-Boot performsmanylow-level taskssuchasdetecting USBhardware, readingthe ‘logo’ file toshow
thesplashscreen,readingLinuximagefromexternalUSBflashdrive, uncompressingLinuximagetoSDRAM, and
passingcontroltoLinuximagein SDRAM.
U-Bootisopensourcesystemthatmaybe upgradedfromtimetotimebyBiPOMElectronicsforadditional
functionality.U-Boot canbe upgradedbytheuserasdescribed in thisdocument.
Linuxkernel andRootFS(RAMDISK) arethe twomain andlargestcomponentsoftheoperatingsystem. Theseare
alsotheeasiest toupgrade sincetheyresideon anexternalUSBflashdrive. LinuxandRootFS(RAMDISK) upgrades
areprovided byBiPOMElectronics. However,usersmayalsobuildtheirownLinuxkernel,copytoUSBflashDrive
andboot fromtheirownLinuxkernel.
WhenLinuxkernelisstarted,it willmount RAMDISKasRootFS.
ThenLinuxscriptswilltrytomount USB flashdriveautomatically.
IftheUSBflashdriveisinstalledtoanyport, it willbedetectedandmounted to/mnt/usb.
Ifthenewdisk driveismounted,anexternalcommandfile /mnt/usb/user.shwillbe executed.
Thisfile canprovideextrainitializationof thesystem
- addnewusers;
- changepasswords;
- insertdrivers;
- runservers;
- etc.
ForuserswishingtousetheMINI-MAX/ARM9260-Ehardware(“baremetal”) outside ofthe Linuxenvironment, there
isalsoasection that describeshowtobuildanddownloadyourCprogramstoMINI-MAX/ARM9260-E.
2.1. Downloadand install AT91In-systemProgrammerfrom
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/Install%20AT91-ISP%20v1.12.exe
ThisinstallationincludesSAM-BAV2.8package. Afterinstallation,SAM-BA mayask you toreboot yourcomputer.
Pleasereboot ifinstructedtodoso.
