To install a new firmware use SD cards. To copy the built images on the host system to a connected card type:

$ cd <BSP project>/platform-<platform_name>/images
$ sudo dd if=u-boot_<mod_name>_hd.img of=/dev/sdf bs=1M conv=fsync #Assuming the SD card is assigned to /dev/sdf

To find out what device file the SD card has, type “dmesg” after you connect the card to see the system messages. At the bottom you'll see some “Attached scsi …” messages along with something like:

[ 8197.588395]  sdf: sdf1

To update bootloader / kernel / devicetree in a running system you have to copy the images in your tftp directory and upload them to the eMMC or SD Card.

Please see How to setup TFTP Server

1. Boot from eMMC or SD and stop autoboot in U-Boot

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
=>

2. Set U-Boot variable mmcdev according to the drive you want to write to

=> setenv mmcdev <Nr.>

3. Connect device via ethernet to a tftp server supplying the image
4. Provide the correct network configuration in U-Boot:

• ⇒ setenv autoload no
• ⇒ setenv serverip <serverip> (e.g.: setenv serverip 192.168.100.110)
• ⇒ setenv ipaddr <ipaddr> (e.g.: setenv ipaddr 192.168.100.111)
• ⇒ setenv netmask <netmask> (e.g.: setenv netmask 255.255.255.0)

5. Provide U-Boot the file name of the desired image on the tftp server:

• For U-Boot update: ⇒ setenv uboot <filename>
  
• For Device Tree update: ⇒ setenv fdt_file <filename>
  
• For Kernel update: ⇒ setenv zimage <filename>
  

6. Perform Update:

• U-Boot update: ⇒ run update_uboot
  
• Device Tree update: ⇒ run update_fdt
  
• Kernel update: ⇒ run update_kernel
  

• Write Image to SD card (use dd command under linux or Win32diskImager under Windows)
• Set Starterkit to boot from SD, please see DIP Switch Settings
• Interrupt the boot process to get to the U-Boot prompt
• Use the following command to copy the SD card to eMMMC

 
mmc dev 1 && mmc rescan && mmc read ${loadaddr} 0 (number of blocks)  && mmc dev 0 && mmc rescan && mmc write ${loadaddr} 0 (number of blocks)

Example for precompiled SD card image included in BSP Rev.0109

mmc dev 1 && mmc rescan && mmc read ${loadaddr} 0 0x84000  && mmc dev 0 && mmc rescan && mmc write ${loadaddr} 0 0x84000

The rootfs is located in the second partition of the SD card/eMMC please see Partition Scheme

example for TQMa6Q

dd if=/dev/mmcblk0p2 of=/dev/mmcblk1p2 bs=1M

• How to setup the NFS Server on your Host Computer
• How to setup the TFTP Server on your Host Computer

To boot the TQMa6x from network you need a working bootloader in eMMC/SD-card or SPI-NOR (placement option on TQMa6x) which is able to get the kernel image over tftp and to provide the kernel with commandline settings for NFS.
The dtb-file and kernel image have to be provided via tftp and the rootfs via nfs.

The bootloader environment needs to be modified to work with your tftp-server and your nfs-server.

• setenv autoload no
• setenv serverip <serverip> (e.g.: setenv serverip 192.168.100.1)
• setenv ipaddr <ipaddr> (e.g.: setenv ipaddr 192.168.0.10)
• setenv netmask <netmask> (e.g.: setenv netmask 255.255.255.0)
• setenv rootpath <rootpath> (NFS share has to set in /etc/exports on the Computer that runs the NFS server first)
• setenv fdt_file <fdt_file> (name of devicetree file to be downloaded from the tftp server)
• setenv zimage <zimage> (name of the Linux kernel image to be downloaded from the tftp server)

Starting with TQMa6x-BSP-REV.0109 we deliver a Linux tool to upload U-Boot into the TQMa6X RAM from your development host and start it. After building the BSP the tool is located under
…/TQMa6x-BSP-REV.0109/platform-MBa6x/packages/h-imx_usb_loader-master

You have to apply the following steps before you can start to work with the tool:

• Copy the content of folder …/TQMa6x-BSP-REV.0109/platform-MBa6x/packages/host-imx_usb_loader-master/usr/etc/ to /etc
• Copy the content of folder …/TQMa6x-BSP-REV.0109/platform-MBa6x/packages/host-imx_usb_loader-master/usr/bin/ to /bin

1. Set Starterkit to boot-mode “serial downloader”, please see MBa6x DIP switch settings
2. Connect Starterkit connector X8 (Micro USB cable provided with the Starterkit) to your host
3. Connect Starterkit connector X15 (RS232) to your host
4. Power up Starterkit
5. Please check that Linux recognized a new USB device, see output of command dmesg | grep -i usb. You should see something like the following :

   usb 1-1: Manufacturer: Freescale SemiConductor Inc 
   hid-generic 0003:15A2:0054.0002: hiddev0,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Device [Freescale SemiConductor Inc  SE Blank ARIK] on usb-0000:02:03.0-1/input0

6. Open a serial terminal on your host e.g. TeraTerm
7. Open a Linux terminal and naviagate to folder “images” in the BSP dirctory
   e.g. /home/embedded/TQMa6x-BSP-REV.0109/platform-MBa6x/images
   
8. Start the serial downloader imx_usb as super user with the desired U-Boot as parameter

   Keep in mind to select a U-Boot that is corresponding to your module, please see deployment

   e.g.

   embedded@ubuntu:~/workspace/TQMa6x-BSP-REV.0109/platform-MBa6x/images$ sudo imx_usb u-boot-TQMa6Q_MBa6x.imx

   host console output after starting the serial downloader

   config file </etc/imx-loader.d/imx_usb.conf>
   vid=0x066f pid=0x3780 file_name=mx23_usb_work.conf
   vid=0x15a2 pid=0x004f file_name=mx28_usb_work.conf
   vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0052 file_name=mx50_usb_work.conf
   vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0054 file_name=mx6_usb_work.conf
   vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0061 file_name=mx6_usb_work.conf
   vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0063 file_name=mx6_usb_work.conf
   vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0041 file_name=mx51_usb_work.conf
   vid=0x15a2 pid=0x004e file_name=mx53_usb_work.conf
   vid=0x15a2 pid=0x006a file_name=vybrid_usb_work.conf
   vid=0x066f pid=0x37ff file_name=linux_gadget.conf
   config file </etc/imx-loader.d/mx6_usb_work.conf>
   parse /etc/imx-loader.d/mx6_usb_work.conf
   15a2:0054(mx6_qsb) bConfigurationValue =1
   Interface 0 claimed
   HAB security state: development mode (0x56787856)
   == work item
   filename u-boot-TQMa6Q_MBa6x.imx
   load_size 0 bytes
   load_addr 0x00000000
   dcd 1
   clear_dcd 0
   plug 1
   jump_mode 2
   jump_addr 0x00000000
   == end work item
   main dcd length 308
   sub dcd length 304
   
   loading binary file(u-boot-TQMa6Q_MBa6x.imx) to 4fbff400, skip=0, fsize=5cc00 type=aa
   
   <<<379904, 379904 bytes>>>
   succeeded (status 0x88888888)
   jumping to 0x4fbff400

9. Now you can see the U-Boot messages in the serial terminal programm

Next steps are:

• write U-Boot using tftp to eMMC, see Updating existing firmware over ethernet
• write kernel image using tftp to eMMC, see Updating existing firmware over ethernet

Finally, you will find the built images in platform-<platformname>/images.