blob: 83c46ac0493d9f403d9753cd7f6b0085649b5fbc [file] [log] [blame]
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -06001.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+ OR BSD-3-Clause
2.. sectionauthor:: Bryan Brattlof <bb@ti.com>
3
4K3 Generation
5=============
6
7Summary
8-------
9
10Texas Instrument's K3 family of SoCs utilize a heterogeneous multicore
11and highly integrated device architecture targeted to maximize
12performance and power efficiency for a wide range of industrial,
13automotive and other broad market segments.
14
15Typically the processing cores and the peripherals for these devices are
16partitioned into three functional domains to provide ultra-low power
17modes as well as accommodating application and industrial safety systems
18on the same SoC. These functional domains are typically called the:
19
20* Wakeup (WKUP) domain
21* Micro-controller (MCU) domain
22* Main domain
23
24For a more detailed view of what peripherals are attached to each
25domain, consult the device specific documentation.
26
27K3 Based SoCs
28-------------
29
30.. toctree::
31 :maxdepth: 1
32
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -060033 am62x_sk
Nishanth Menon1f2b6f92023-11-04 03:01:36 -050034 ../beagle/am62x_beagleplay
Marcel Ziswiler315deb32023-08-04 12:08:08 +020035 ../toradex/verdin-am62
Roger Quadroscd87b1e2023-08-05 11:14:39 +030036 am64x_evm
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +053037 am65x_evm
Nishanth Menone83fe672023-07-27 13:59:01 -050038 j7200_evm
Nishanth Menon756b8782023-11-04 03:11:03 -050039 ../beagle/j721e_beagleboneai64
Nishanth Menone83fe672023-07-27 13:59:01 -050040 j721e_evm
Manorit Chawdhry670a22b2023-10-06 10:16:00 +053041 j721s2_evm
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -060042
43Boot Flow Overview
44------------------
45
46For all K3 SoCs the first core started will be inside the Security
47Management Subsystem (SMS) which will secure the device and start a core
48in the wakeup domain to run the ROM code. ROM will then initialize the
49boot media needed to load the binaries packaged inside `tiboot3.bin`,
50including a 32bit U-Boot SPL, (called the wakup SPL) that ROM will jump
51to after it has finished loading everything into internal SRAM.
52
Nishanth Menon7bdb2d52023-07-27 13:59:02 -050053.. image:: img/boot_flow_01.svg
Heinrich Schuchardtd0894b22023-08-22 11:40:55 -050054 :alt: Boot flow up to wakeup domain SPL
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -060055
56The wakeup SPL, running on a wakeup domain core, will initialize DDR and
57any peripherals needed load the larger binaries inside the `tispl.bin`
58into DDR. Once loaded the wakeup SPL will start one of the 'big'
59application cores inside the main domain to initialize the main domain,
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +053060starting with Trusted Firmware-A (TF-A), before moving on to start
61OP-TEE and the main domain's U-Boot SPL.
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -060062
Nishanth Menon7bdb2d52023-07-27 13:59:02 -050063.. image:: img/boot_flow_02.svg
Heinrich Schuchardtd0894b22023-08-22 11:40:55 -050064 :alt: Boot flow up to main domain SPL
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -060065
66The main domain's SPL, running on a 64bit application core, has
67virtually unlimited space (billions of bytes now that DDR is working) to
68initialize even more peripherals needed to load in the `u-boot.img`
69which loads more firmware into the micro-controller & wakeup domains and
70finally prepare the main domain to run Linux.
71
Nishanth Menon7bdb2d52023-07-27 13:59:02 -050072.. image:: img/boot_flow_03.svg
Heinrich Schuchardtd0894b22023-08-22 11:40:55 -050073 :alt: Complete boot flow up to Linux
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -060074
75This is the typical boot flow for all K3 based SoCs, however this flow
76offers quite a lot in the terms of flexibility, especially on High
77Security (HS) SoCs.
78
79Boot Flow Variations
80^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
81
82All K3 SoCs will generally use the above boot flow with two main
83differences depending on the capabilities of the boot ROM and the number
84of cores inside the device. These differences split the bootflow into
85essentially 4 unique but very similar flows:
86
87* Split binary with a combined firmware: (eg: AM65)
88* Combined binary with a combined firmware: (eg: AM64)
89* Split binary with a split firmware: (eg: J721E)
90* Combined binary with a split firmware: (eg: AM62)
91
92For devices that utilize the split binary approach, ROM is not capable
93of loading the firmware into the SoC requiring the wakeup domain's
94U-Boot SPL to load the firmware.
95
96Devices with a split firmware will have two firmwares loaded into the
97device at different times during the bootup process. TI's Foundational
98Security (TIFS), needed to operate the Security Management Subsystem,
99will either be loaded by ROM or the WKUP U-Boot SPL, then once the
100wakeup U-Boot SPL has completed, the second Device Management (DM)
101firmware can be loaded on the now free core in the wakeup domain.
102
103For more information on the bootup process of your SoC, consult the
104device specific boot flow documentation.
105
106Software Sources
107----------------
108
109All scripts and code needed to build the `tiboot3.bin`, `tispl.bin` and
110`u-boot.img` for all K3 SoCs can be located at the following places
111online
112
Nishanth Menonee91e482023-07-27 13:58:44 -0500113.. k3_rst_include_start_boot_sources
114
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600115* **Das U-Boot**
116
117 | **source:** https://source.denx.de/u-boot/u-boot.git
118 | **branch:** master
119
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +0530120* **Trusted Firmware-A (TF-A)**
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600121
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +0530122 | **source:** https://git.trustedfirmware.org/TF-A/trusted-firmware-a.git/
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600123 | **branch:** master
124
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +0530125* **Open Portable Trusted Execution Environment (OP-TEE)**
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600126
127 | **source:** https://github.com/OP-TEE/optee_os.git
128 | **branch:** master
129
Nishanth Menone2a47452023-08-22 11:41:07 -0500130* **TI Firmware (TIFS, DM, SYSFW)**
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600131
132 | **source:** https://git.ti.com/git/processor-firmware/ti-linux-firmware.git
133 | **branch:** ti-linux-firmware
134
Nishanth Menone2a47452023-08-22 11:41:07 -0500135.. note::
136
137 The TI Firmware required for functionality of the system can be
138 one of the following combination (see platform specific boot diagram for
139 further information as to which component runs on which processor):
140
141 * **TIFS** - TI Foundational Security Firmware - Consists of purely firmware
142 meant to run on the security enclave.
143 * **DM** - Device Management firmware also called TI System Control Interface
144 server (TISCI Server) - This component purely plays the role of managing
145 device resources such as power, clock, interrupts, dma etc. This firmware
146 runs on a dedicated or multi-use microcontroller outside the security
147 enclave.
148
149 OR
150
151 * **SYSFW** - System firmware - consists of both TIFS and DM both running on
152 the security enclave.
153
Nishanth Menonee91e482023-07-27 13:58:44 -0500154.. k3_rst_include_end_boot_sources
155
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600156Build Procedure
157---------------
158
159Depending on the specifics of your device, you will need three or more
160binaries to boot your SoC.
161
162* `tiboot3.bin` (bootloader for the wakeup domain)
163* `tispl.bin` (bootloader for the main domain)
164* `u-boot.img`
165
166During the bootup process, both the 32bit wakeup domain and the 64bit
167main domains will be involved. This means everything inside the
168`tiboot3.bin` running in the wakeup domain will need to be compiled for
16932bit cores and most binaries in the `tispl.bin` will need to be
170compiled for 64bit main domain CPU cores.
171
172All of that to say you will need both a 32bit and 64bit cross compiler
173(assuming you're using an x86 desktop)
174
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500175.. k3_rst_include_start_common_env_vars_desc
176.. list-table:: Generic environment variables
177 :widths: 25 25 50
178 :header-rows: 1
179
180 * - S/w Component
181 - Env Variable
182 - Description
183 * - All Software
184 - CC32
185 - Cross compiler for ARMv7 (ARM 32bit), typically arm-linux-gnueabihf-
186 * - All Software
187 - CC64
188 - Cross compiler for ARMv8 (ARM 64bit), typically aarch64-linux-gnu-
189 * - All Software
190 - LNX_FW_PATH
191 - Path to TI Linux firmware repository
192 * - All Software
193 - TFA_PATH
194 - Path to source of Trusted Firmware-A
195 * - All Software
196 - OPTEE_PATH
197 - Path to source of OP-TEE
198.. k3_rst_include_end_common_env_vars_desc
199
200.. k3_rst_include_start_common_env_vars_defn
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500201.. prompt:: bash $
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600202
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500203 export CC32=arm-linux-gnueabihf-
204 export CC64=aarch64-linux-gnu-
205 export LNX_FW_PATH=path/to/ti-linux-firmware
206 export TFA_PATH=path/to/trusted-firmware-a
207 export OPTEE_PATH=path/to/optee_os
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500208.. k3_rst_include_end_common_env_vars_defn
209
210We will also need some common environment variables set up for the various
211other build sources. we shall use the following, in the build descriptions below:
212
213.. k3_rst_include_start_board_env_vars_desc
214.. list-table:: Board specific environment variables
215 :widths: 25 25 50
216 :header-rows: 1
217
218 * - S/w Component
219 - Env Variable
220 - Description
221 * - U-Boot
222 - UBOOT_CFG_CORTEXR
223 - Defconfig for Cortex-R (Boot processor).
224 * - U-Boot
225 - UBOOT_CFG_CORTEXA
226 - Defconfig for Cortex-A (MPU processor).
227 * - Trusted Firmware-A
228 - TFA_BOARD
229 - Platform name used for building TF-A for Cortex-A Processor.
230 * - Trusted Firmware-A
231 - TFA_EXTRA_ARGS
232 - Any extra arguments used for building TF-A.
233 * - OP-TEE
234 - OPTEE_PLATFORM
235 - Platform name used for building OP-TEE for Cortex-A Processor.
236 * - OP-TEE
237 - OPTEE_EXTRA_ARGS
238 - Any extra arguments used for building OP-TEE.
239.. k3_rst_include_end_board_env_vars_desc
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600240
241Building tiboot3.bin
Heinrich Schuchardtb72160b2023-10-28 11:59:32 +0200242^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600243
2441. To generate the U-Boot SPL for the wakeup domain, use the following
245 commands, substituting :code:`{SOC}` for the name of your device (eg:
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +0530246 am62x) to package the various firmware and the wakeup UBoot SPL into
247 the final `tiboot3.bin` binary. (or the `sysfw.itb` if your device
248 uses the split binary flow)
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600249
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500250.. k3_rst_include_start_build_steps_spl_r5
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500251.. prompt:: bash $
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600252
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500253 # inside u-boot source
254 make $UBOOT_CFG_CORTEXR
255 make CROSS_COMPILE=$CC32 BINMAN_INDIRS=$LNX_FW_PATH
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500256.. k3_rst_include_end_build_steps_spl_r5
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600257
258At this point you should have all the needed binaries to boot the wakeup
259domain of your K3 SoC.
260
261**Combined Binary Boot Flow** (eg: am62x, am64x, ... )
262
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +0530263 `tiboot3-{SOC}-{gp/hs-fs/hs}.bin`
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600264
265**Split Binary Boot Flow** (eg: j721e, am65x)
266
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +0530267 | `tiboot3-{SOC}-{gp/hs-fs/hs}.bin`
268 | `sysfw-{SOC}-{gp/hs-fs/hs}-evm.itb`
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600269
270.. note ::
271
272 It's important to rename the generated `tiboot3.bin` and `sysfw.itb`
273 to match exactly `tiboot3.bin` and `sysfw.itb` as ROM and the wakeup
274 UBoot SPL will only look for and load the files with these names.
275
276Building tispl.bin
Heinrich Schuchardtb72160b2023-10-28 11:59:32 +0200277^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600278
279The `tispl.bin` is a standard fitImage combining the firmware need for
280the main domain to function properly as well as Device Management (DM)
281firmware if your device using a split firmware.
282
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +05302832. We will first need TF-A, as it's the first thing to run on the 'big'
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600284 application cores on the main domain.
285
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500286.. k3_rst_include_start_build_steps_tfa
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500287.. prompt:: bash $
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600288
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500289 # inside trusted-firmware-a source
290 make CROSS_COMPILE=$CC64 ARCH=aarch64 PLAT=k3 SPD=opteed $TFA_EXTRA_ARGS \
291 TARGET_BOARD=$TFA_BOARD
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500292.. k3_rst_include_end_build_steps_tfa
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600293
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +0530294Typically all `j7*` devices will use `TARGET_BOARD=generic` or `TARGET_BOARD
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500295=j784s4` (if it is a J784S4 device), while typical Sitara (`am6*`) devices
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +0530296use the `lite` option.
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600297
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +05302983. The Open Portable Trusted Execution Environment (OP-TEE) is designed
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600299 to run as a companion to a non-secure Linux kernel for Cortex-A cores
300 using the TrustZone technology built into the core.
301
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500302.. k3_rst_include_start_build_steps_optee
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500303.. prompt:: bash $
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600304
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500305 # inside optee_os source
306 make CROSS_COMPILE=$CC32 CROSS_COMPILE64=$CC64 CFG_ARM64_core=y $OPTEE_EXTRA_ARGS \
307 PLATFORM=$OPTEE_PLATFORM
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500308.. k3_rst_include_end_build_steps_optee
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600309
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +05303104. Finally, after TF-A has initialized the main domain and OP-TEE has
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600311 finished, we can jump back into U-Boot again, this time running on a
312 64bit core in the main domain.
313
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500314.. k3_rst_include_start_build_steps_uboot
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500315.. prompt:: bash $
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600316
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500317 # inside u-boot source
318 make $UBOOT_CFG_CORTEXA
319 make CROSS_COMPILE=$CC64 BINMAN_INDIRS=$LNX_FW_PATH \
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500320 BL31=$TFA_PATH/build/k3/$TFA_BOARD/release/bl31.bin \
321 TEE=$OPTEE_PATH/out/arm-plat-k3/core/tee-raw.bin
322.. k3_rst_include_end_build_steps_uboot
Bryan Brattlof6d138132022-12-19 14:29:50 -0600323
324At this point you should have every binary needed initialize both the
325wakeup and main domain and to boot to the U-Boot prompt
326
327**Main Domain Bootloader**
328
Neha Malcom Francis507be122023-07-22 00:14:43 +0530329 | `tispl.bin` for HS devices or `tispl.bin_unsigned` for GP devices
330 | `u-boot.img` for HS devices or `u-boot.img_unsigned` for GP devices
Manorit Chawdhryce7a62f2023-07-14 11:22:29 +0530331
332Fit Signature Signing
333---------------------
334
335K3 Platforms have fit signature signing enabled by default on their primary
336platforms. Here we'll take an example for creating fit image for J721e platform
337and the same can be extended to other platforms
338
3391. Describing FIT source
340
341 .. code-block:: bash
342
343 /dts-v1/;
344
345 / {
346 description = "Kernel fitImage for j721e-hs-evm";
347 #address-cells = <1>;
348
349 images {
350 kernel-1 {
351 description = "Linux kernel";
352 data = /incbin/("Image");
353 type = "kernel";
354 arch = "arm64";
355 os = "linux";
356 compression = "none";
357 load = <0x80080000>;
358 entry = <0x80080000>;
359 hash-1 {
360 algo = "sha512";
361 };
362
363 };
364 fdt-ti_k3-j721e-common-proc-board.dtb {
365 description = "Flattened Device Tree blob";
366 data = /incbin/("k3-j721e-common-proc-board.dtb");
367 type = "flat_dt";
368 arch = "arm64";
369 compression = "none";
370 load = <0x83000000>;
371 hash-1 {
372 algo = "sha512";
373 };
374
375 };
376 };
377
378 configurations {
379 default = "conf-ti_k3-j721e-common-proc-board.dtb";
380 conf-ti_k3-j721e-common-proc-board.dtb {
381 description = "Linux kernel, FDT blob";
382 fdt = "fdt-ti_k3-j721e-common-proc-board.dtb";
383 kernel = "kernel-1";
384 signature-1 {
385 algo = "sha512,rsa4096";
386 key-name-hint = "custMpk";
387 sign-images = "kernel", "fdt";
388 };
389 };
390 };
391 };
392
393 You would require to change the '/incbin/' lines to point to the respective
394 files in your local machine and the key-name-hint also needs to be changed
395 if you are using some other key other than the TI dummy key that we are
396 using for this example.
397
3982. Compile U-boot for the respective board
399
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500400.. include:: k3.rst
401 :start-after: .. k3_rst_include_start_build_steps_uboot
402 :end-before: .. k3_rst_include_end_build_steps_uboot
Manorit Chawdhryce7a62f2023-07-14 11:22:29 +0530403
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500404.. note::
Manorit Chawdhryce7a62f2023-07-14 11:22:29 +0530405
406 The changes only affect a72 binaries so the example just builds that
407
4083. Sign the fit image and embed the dtb in uboot
409
410 Now once the build is done, you'll have a dtb for your board that you'll
411 be passing to mkimage for signing the fitImage and embedding the key in
412 the u-boot dtb.
413
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500414 .. prompt:: bash $
Manorit Chawdhryce7a62f2023-07-14 11:22:29 +0530415
416 mkimage -r -f fitImage.its -k $UBOOT_PATH/board/ti/keys -K
417 $UBOOT_PATH/build/a72/dts/dt.dtb
418
419 For signing a secondary platform, pass the -K parameter to that DTB
420
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500421 .. prompt:: bash $
Manorit Chawdhryce7a62f2023-07-14 11:22:29 +0530422
423 mkimage -f fitImage.its -k $UBOOT_PATH/board/ti/keys -K
424 $UBOOT_PATH/build/a72/arch/arm/dts/k3-j721e-sk.dtb
425
426 .. note::
427
428 If changing `CONFIG_DEFAULT_DEVICE_TREE` to the secondary platform,
429 binman changes would also be required so that correct dtb gets packaged.
430
431 .. code-block:: bash
432
433 diff --git a/arch/arm/dts/k3-j721e-binman.dtsi b/arch/arm/dts/k3-j721e-binman.dtsi
434 index 673be646b1e3..752fa805fe8d 100644
435 --- a/arch/arm/dts/k3-j721e-binman.dtsi
436 +++ b/arch/arm/dts/k3-j721e-binman.dtsi
437 @@ -299,8 +299,8 @@
438 #define SPL_J721E_SK_DTB "spl/dts/k3-j721e-sk.dtb"
439
440 #define UBOOT_NODTB "u-boot-nodtb.bin"
441 -#define J721E_EVM_DTB "u-boot.dtb"
442 -#define J721E_SK_DTB "arch/arm/dts/k3-j721e-sk.dtb"
443 +#define J721E_EVM_DTB "arch/arm/dts/k3-j721e-common-proc-board.dtb"
444 +#define J721E_SK_DTB "u-boot.dtb"
445
4465. Rebuilt u-boot
447
448 This is required so that the modified dtb gets updated in u-boot.img
449
Nishanth Menonb7ee22f2023-07-27 13:58:48 -0500450.. include:: k3.rst
451 :start-after: .. k3_rst_include_start_build_steps_uboot
452 :end-before: .. k3_rst_include_end_build_steps_uboot
Manorit Chawdhryce7a62f2023-07-14 11:22:29 +0530453
4546. (Optional) Enabled FIT_SIGNATURE_ENFORCED
455
456 By default u-boot will boot up the fit image without any authentication as
457 such if the public key is not embedded properly, to check if the public key
458 nodes are proper you can enable FIT_SIGNATURE_ENFORCED that would not rely
459 on the dtb for anything else then the signature node for checking the fit
460 image, rest other things will be enforced such as the property of
461 required-keys. This is not an extensive check so do manual checks also
462
463 This is by default enabled for devices with TI_SECURE_DEVICE enabled.
464
465.. note::
466
467 The devices now also have distroboot enabled so if the fit image doesn't
468 work then the fallback to normal distroboot will be there on hs devices,
469 this will need to be explicitly disabled by changing the boot_targets.
470
471Saving environment
472------------------
473
474SAVEENV is disabled by default and for the new flow uses Uenv.txt as the default
475way for saving the environments. This has been done as Uenv.txt is more granular
476then the saveenv command and can be used across various bootmodes too.
477
478**Writing to MMC/EMMC**
479
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500480.. prompt:: bash =>
Manorit Chawdhryce7a62f2023-07-14 11:22:29 +0530481
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500482 env export -t $loadaddr <list of variables>
483 fatwrite mmc ${mmcdev} ${loadaddr} ${bootenvfile} ${filesize}
Manorit Chawdhryce7a62f2023-07-14 11:22:29 +0530484
485**Reading from MMC/EMMC**
486
487By default run envboot will read it from the MMC/EMMC partition ( based on
488mmcdev) and set the environments.
489
490If manually needs to be done then the environment can be read from the
491filesystem and then imported
492
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500493.. prompt:: bash =>
Manorit Chawdhryce7a62f2023-07-14 11:22:29 +0530494
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500495 fatload mmc ${mmcdev} ${loadaddr} ${bootenvfile}
496 env import -t ${loadaddr} ${filesize}
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500497
498.. _k3_rst_refer_openocd:
499
500Common Debugging environment - OpenOCD
501--------------------------------------
502
503This section will show you how to connect a board to `OpenOCD
504<https://openocd.org/>`_ and load the SPL symbols for debugging with
505a K3 generation device. To follow this guide, you must build custom
506u-boot binaries, start your board from a boot media such as an SD
507card, and use an OpenOCD environment. This section uses generic
508examples, though you can apply these instructions to any supported K3
509generation device.
510
511The overall structure of this setup is in the following figure.
512
513.. image:: img/openocd-overview.svg
Nishanth Menon5746e032023-08-22 11:40:56 -0500514 :alt: Overview of OpenOCD setup.
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500515
516.. note::
517
518 If you find these instructions useful, please consider `donating
519 <https://openocd.org/pages/donations.html>`_ to OpenOCD.
520
521Step 1: Download and install OpenOCD
522^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
523
524To get started, it is more convenient if the distribution you
525use supports OpenOCD by default. Follow the instructions in the
526`getting OpenOCD <https://openocd.org/pages/getting-openocd.html>`_
527documentation to pick the installation steps appropriate to your
528environment. Some references to OpenOCD documentation:
529
530* `OpenOCD User Guide <https://openocd.org/doc/html/index.html>`_
531* `OpenOCD Developer's Guide <https://openocd.org/doc/doxygen/html/index.html>`_
532
533Refer to the release notes corresponding to the `OpenOCD version
534<https://github.com/openocd-org/openocd/releases>`_ to ensure
535
536* Processor support: In general, processor support shouldn't present
537 any difficulties since OpenOCD provides solid support for both ARMv8
538 and ARMv7.
539* SoC support: When working with System-on-a-Chip (SoC), the support
540 usually comes as a TCL config file. It is vital to ensure the correct
541 version of OpenOCD or to use the TCL files from the latest release or
542 the one mentioned.
543* Board or the JTAG adapter support: In most cases, board support is
544 a relatively easy problem if the board has a JTAG pin header. All
545 you need to do is ensure that the adapter you select is compatible
546 with OpenOCD. Some boards come with an onboard JTAG adapter that
547 requires a USB cable to be plugged into the board, in which case, it
548 is vital to ensure that the JTAG adapter is supported. Fortunately,
549 almost all TI K3 SK/EVMs come with TI's XDS110, which has out of the
550 box support by OpenOCD. The board-specific documentation will
551 cover the details and any adapter/dongle recommendations.
552
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500553.. prompt:: bash $
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500554
555 openocd -v
556
557.. note::
558
559 OpenOCD version 0.12.0 is usually required to connect to most K3
560 devices. If your device is only supported by a newer version than the
561 one provided by your distribution, you may need to build it from the source.
562
563Building OpenOCD from source
564""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
565
566The dependency package installation instructions below are for Debian
567systems, but equivalent instructions should exist for systems with
568other package managers. Please refer to the `OpenOCD Documentation
569<https://openocd.org/>`_ for more recent installation steps.
570
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500571.. prompt:: bash $
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500572
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500573 # Check the packages to be installed: needs deb-src in sources.list
574 sudo apt build-dep openocd
575 # The following list is NOT complete - please check the latest
576 sudo apt-get install libtool pkg-config texinfo libusb-dev \
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500577 libusb-1.0.0-dev libftdi-dev libhidapi-dev autoconf automake
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500578 git clone https://github.com/openocd-org/openocd.git openocd
579 cd openocd
580 git submodule init
581 git submodule update
582 ./bootstrap
583 ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/
584 make -j`nproc`
585 sudo make install
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500586
587.. note::
588
589 The example above uses the GitHub mirror site. See
590 `git repo information <https://openocd.org/doc/html/Developers.html#OpenOCD-Git-Repository>`_
591 information to pick the official git repo.
592 If a specific version is desired, select the version using `git checkout tag`.
593
594Installing OpenOCD udev rules
595"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
596
597The step is not necessary if the distribution supports the OpenOCD, but
598if building from a source, ensure that the udev rules are installed
599correctly to ensure a sane system.
600
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500601.. prompt:: bash $
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500602
603 # Go to the OpenOCD source directory
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500604 cd openocd
605 Copy the udev rules to the correct system location
606 sudo cp ./contrib/60-openocd.rules \
Jonathan Humphreys27fd4982023-08-22 13:49:03 -0500607 ./src/jtag/drivers/libjaylink/contrib/99-libjaylink.rules \
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500608 /etc/udev/rules.d/
609 # Get Udev to load the new rules up
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500610 sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500611 # Use the new rules on existing connected devices
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500612 sudo udevadm trigger
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500613
614Step 2: Setup GDB
615^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
616
617Most systems come with gdb-multiarch package.
618
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500619.. prompt:: bash $
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500620
621 # Install gdb-multiarch package
Nishanth Menon55fbcae2023-08-24 10:40:36 -0500622 sudo apt-get install gdb-multiarch
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500623
624Though using GDB natively is normal, developers with interest in using IDE
625may find a few of these interesting:
626
627* `gdb-dashboard <https://github.com/cyrus-and/gdb-dashboard>`_
628* `gef <https://github.com/hugsy/gef>`_
629* `peda <https://github.com/longld/peda>`_
630* `pwndbg <https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg>`_
631* `voltron <https://github.com/snare/voltron>`_
632* `ddd <https://www.gnu.org/software/ddd/>`_
633* `vscode <https://www.justinmklam.com/posts/2017/10/vscode-debugger-setup/>`_
634* `vim conque-gdb <https://github.com/vim-scripts/Conque-GDB>`_
635* `emacs realgud <https://github.com/realgud/realgud/wiki/gdb-notes>`_
636* `Lauterbach IDE <https://www2.lauterbach.com/pdf/backend_gdb.pdf>`_
637
638.. warning::
639 LLDB support for OpenOCD is still a work in progress as of this writing.
640 Using GDB is probably the safest option at this point in time.
641
642Step 3: Connect board to PC
643^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
644There are few patterns of boards in the ecosystem
645
646.. k3_rst_include_start_openocd_connect_XDS110
647
648**Integrated JTAG adapter/dongle**: The board has a micro-USB connector labelled
649XDS110 USB or JTAG. Connect a USB cable to the board to the mentioned port.
650
651.. note::
652
653 There are multiple USB ports on a typical board, So, ensure you have read
654 the user guide for the board and confirmed the silk screen label to ensure
655 connecting to the correct port.
656
657.. k3_rst_include_end_openocd_connect_XDS110
658
659.. k3_rst_include_start_openocd_connect_cti20
660
661**cTI20 connector**: The TI's `cTI20
662<https://software-dl.ti.com/ccs/esd/documents/xdsdebugprobes/emu_JTAG_connectors.html#cti-20-pin-header-information>`_ connector
663is probably the most prevelant on TI platforms. Though many
664TI boards have an onboard XDS110, cTI20 connector is usually
665provided as an alternate scheme to connect alternatives such
666as `Lauterbach <https://www.lauterbach.com/>`_ or `XDS560
667<https://www.ti.com/tool/TMDSEMU560V2STM-U>`_.
668
669To debug on these boards, the following combinations is suggested:
670
671* `TUMPA <https://www.diygadget.com/JTAG-cables-and-microcontroller-programmers/tiao-usb-multi-protocol-adapter-JTAG-spi-i2c-serial>`_
672 or `equivalent dongles supported by OpenOCD. <https://openocd.org/doc/html/Debug-Adapter-Hardware.html#Debug-Adapter-Hardware>`_
673* Cable such as `Tag-connect ribbon cable <https://www.tag-connect.com/product/20-pin-cortex-ribbon-cable-4-length-with-50-mil-connectors>`_
674* Adapter to convert cTI20 to ARM20 such as those from
675 `Segger <https://www.segger.com/products/debug-probes/j-link/accessories/adapters/ti-cti-20-adapter/>`_
676 or `Lauterbach LA-3780 <https://www.lauterbach.com/ad3780.html>`_
677 Or optionally, if you have manufacturing capability then you could try
678 `BeagleBone JTAG Adapter <https://github.com/mmorawiec/BeagleBone-Black-JTAG-Adapters>`_
679
680.. warning::
681 XDS560 and Lauterbach are proprietary solutions and is not supported by
682 OpenOCD.
683 When purchasing an off the shelf adapter/dongle, you do want to be careful
684 about the signalling though. Please
685 `read for additional info <https://software-dl.ti.com/ccs/esd/xdsdebugprobes/emu_JTAG_connectors.html>`_.
686
687.. k3_rst_include_end_openocd_connect_cti20
688
689.. k3_rst_include_start_openocd_connect_tag_connect
690
691**Tag-Connect**: `Tag-Connect <https://www.tag-connect.com/>`_
692pads on the boards which require special cable. Please check the documentation
693to `identify <https://www.tag-connect.com/info/legs-or-no-legs>`_ if "legged"
694or "no-leg" version of the cable is appropriate for the board.
695
696To debug on these boards, you will need:
697
698* `TUMPA <https://www.diygadget.com/JTAG-cables-and-microcontroller-programmers/tiao-usb-multi-protocol-adapter-JTAG-spi-i2c-serial>`_
699 or `equivalent dongles supported by OpenOCD <https://openocd.org/doc/html/Debug-Adapter-Hardware.html#Debug-Adapter-Hardware>`_.
700* Tag-Connect cable appropriate to the board such as
701 `TC2050-IDC-NL <https://www.tag-connect.com/product/TC2050-IDC-NL-10-pin-no-legs-cable-with-ribbon-connector>`_
702* In case of no-leg, version, a
703 `retaining clip <https://www.tag-connect.com/product/tc2050-clip-3pack-retaining-clip>`_
704* Tag-Connect to ARM20
705 `adapter <https://www.tag-connect.com/product/tc2050-arm2010-arm-20-pin-to-tc2050-adapter>`_
706
707.. note::
708 You can optionally use a 3d printed solution such as
709 `Protective cap <https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3025584>`_ or
710 `clip <https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3035278>`_ to replace
711 the retaining clip.
712
713.. warning::
714 With the Tag-Connect to ARM20 adapter, Please solder the "Trst" signal for
715 connection to work.
716
717.. k3_rst_include_end_openocd_connect_tag_connect
718
719Debugging with OpenOCD
720^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
721
722Debugging U-Boot is different from debugging regular user space
723applications. The bootloader initialization process involves many boot
724media and hardware configuration operations. For K3 devices, there
725are also interactions with security firmware. While reloading the
726"elf" file works through GDB, developers must be mindful of cascading
727initialization's potential consequences.
728
729Consider the following code change:
730
731.. code-block:: diff
732
733 --- a/file.c 2023-07-29 10:55:29.647928811 -0500
734 +++ b/file.c 2023-07-29 10:55:46.091856816 -0500
735 @@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
736 val = readl(reg);
737 -val |= 0x2;
738 +val |= 0x1;
739 writel(val, reg);
740
741Re-running the elf file with the above change will result in the
742register setting 0x3 instead of the intended 0x1. There are other
743hardware blocks which may not behave very well with a re-initialization
744without proper shutdown.
745
746To help narrow the debug down, it is usually simpler to use the
747standard boot media to get to the bootloader and debug only in the area
748of interest.
749
750In general, to debug u-boot spl/u-boot with OpenOCD there are three steps:
751
752* Modify the code adding a loop to allow the debugger to attach
753 near the point of interest. Boot up normally to stop at the loop.
754* Connect with OpenOCD and step out of the loop.
755* Step through the code to find the root of issue.
756
757Typical debugging involves a few iterations of the above sequence.
758Though most bootloader developers like to use printf to debug,
759debug with JTAG tends to be most efficient since it is possible to
760investigate the code flow and inspect hardware registers without
761repeated iterations.
762
763Code modification
764"""""""""""""""""
765
766* **start.S**: Adding an infinite while loop at the very entry of
767 U-Boot. For this, look for the corresponding start.S entry file.
768 This is usually only required when debugging some core SoC or
769 processor related function. For example: arch/arm/cpu/armv8/start.S or
770 arch/arm/cpu/armv7/start.S
771
772.. code-block:: diff
773
774 diff --git a/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/start.S b/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/start.S
775 index 69e281b086..744929e825 100644
776 --- a/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/start.S
777 +++ b/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/start.S
778 @@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
779 #endif
780
781 reset:
782 +dead_loop:
783 + b dead_loop
784 /* Allow the board to save important registers */
785 b save_boot_params
786 save_boot_params_ret:
787
788* **board_init_f**: Adding an infinite while loop at the board entry
789 function. In many cases, it is important to debug the boot process if
790 any changes are made for board-specific applications. Below is a step
791 by step process for debugging the boot SPL or Armv8 SPL:
792
793 To debug the boot process in either domain, we will first
794 add a modification to the code we would like to debug.
795 In this example, we will debug ``board_init_f`` inside
796 ``arch/arm/mach-k3/{soc}_init.c``. Since some sections of U-Boot
797 will be executed multiple times during the bootup process of K3
Jonathan Humphreys27fd4982023-08-22 13:49:03 -0500798 devices, we will need to include either ``CONFIG_ARM64`` or
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500799 ``CONFIG_CPU_V7R`` to catch the CPU at the desired place during the
800 bootup process (Main or Wakeup domains). For example, modify the
801 file as follows (depending on need):
802
803.. code-block:: c
804
805 void board_init_f(ulong dummy)
806 {
807 .
808 .
809 /* Code to run on the R5F (Wakeup/Boot Domain) */
810 if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_CPU_V7R)) {
811 volatile int x = 1;
812 while(x) {};
813 }
814 ...
815 /* Code to run on the ARMV8 (Main Domain) */
Jonathan Humphreys27fd4982023-08-22 13:49:03 -0500816 if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARM64)) {
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500817 volatile int x = 1;
818 while(x) {};
819 }
820 .
821 .
822 }
823
824Connecting with OpenOCD for a debug session
825"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
826
827Startup OpenOCD to debug the platform as follows:
828
829* **Integrated JTAG interface**: If the evm has a debugger such as
830 XDS110 inbuilt, there is typically an evm board support added and a
831 cfg file will be available.
832
833.. k3_rst_include_start_openocd_cfg_XDS110
834
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500835.. prompt:: bash $
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500836
837 openocd -f board/{board_of_choice}.cfg
838
839.. k3_rst_include_end_openocd_cfg_XDS110
840
841.. k3_rst_include_start_openocd_cfg_external_intro
842
843* **External JTAG adapter/interface**: In other cases, where an
844 adapter/dongle is used, a simple cfg file can be created to integrate the
845 SoC and adapter information. See `supported TI K3 SoCs
846 <https://github.com/openocd-org/openocd/blob/master/tcl/target/ti_k3.cfg#L59>`_
847 to decide if the SoC is supported or not.
848
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500849.. prompt:: bash $
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500850
851 openocd -f openocd_connect.cfg
852
853.. k3_rst_include_end_openocd_cfg_external_intro
854
855 For example, with BeaglePlay (AM62X platform), the openocd_connect.cfg:
856
857.. code-block:: tcl
858
859 # TUMPA example:
860 # http://www.tiaowiki.com/w/TIAO_USB_Multi_Protocol_Adapter_User's_Manual
861 source [find interface/ftdi/tumpa.cfg]
862
863 transport select jtag
864
865 # default JTAG configuration has only SRST and no TRST
866 reset_config srst_only srst_push_pull
867
868 # delay after SRST goes inactive
869 adapter srst delay 20
870
871 if { ![info exists SOC] } {
872 # Set the SoC of interest
873 set SOC am625
874 }
875
876 source [find target/ti_k3.cfg]
877
878 ftdi tdo_sample_edge falling
879
880 # Speeds for FT2232H are in multiples of 2, and 32MHz is tops
881 # max speed we seem to achieve is ~20MHz.. so we pick 16MHz
882 adapter speed 16000
883
884Below is an example of the output of this command:
885
886.. code-block:: console
887
888 Info : Listening on port 6666 for tcl connections
889 Info : Listening on port 4444 for telnet connections
890 Info : XDS110: connected
891 Info : XDS110: vid/pid = 0451/bef3
892 Info : XDS110: firmware version = 3.0.0.20
893 Info : XDS110: hardware version = 0x002f
894 Info : XDS110: connected to target via JTAG
895 Info : XDS110: TCK set to 2500 kHz
896 Info : clock speed 2500 kHz
897 Info : JTAG tap: am625.cpu tap/device found: 0x0bb7e02f (mfg: 0x017 (Texas Instruments), part: 0xbb7e, ver: 0x0)
898 Info : starting gdb server for am625.cpu.sysctrl on 3333
899 Info : Listening on port 3333 for gdb connections
900 Info : starting gdb server for am625.cpu.a53.0 on 3334
901 Info : Listening on port 3334 for gdb connections
902 Info : starting gdb server for am625.cpu.a53.1 on 3335
903 Info : Listening on port 3335 for gdb connections
904 Info : starting gdb server for am625.cpu.a53.2 on 3336
905 Info : Listening on port 3336 for gdb connections
906 Info : starting gdb server for am625.cpu.a53.3 on 3337
907 Info : Listening on port 3337 for gdb connections
908 Info : starting gdb server for am625.cpu.main0_r5.0 on 3338
909 Info : Listening on port 3338 for gdb connections
910 Info : starting gdb server for am625.cpu.gp_mcu on 3339
911 Info : Listening on port 3339 for gdb connections
912
913.. note::
914 Notice the default configuration is non-SMP configuration allowing
915 for each of the core to be attached and debugged simultaneously.
916 ARMv8 SPL/U-Boot starts up on cpu0 of a53/a72.
917
918.. k3_rst_include_start_openocd_cfg_external_gdb
919
920To debug using this server, use GDB directly or your preferred
921GDB-based IDE. To start up GDB in the terminal, run the following
922command.
923
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500924.. prompt:: bash $
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500925
926 gdb-multiarch
927
928To connect to your desired core, run the following command within GDB:
929
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500930.. prompt:: bash (gdb)
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500931
932 target extended-remote localhost:{port for desired core}
933
934To load symbols:
935
936.. warning::
937
938 SPL and U-Boot does a re-location of address compared to where it
939 is loaded originally. This step takes place after the DDR size is
940 determined from dt parsing. So, debugging can be split into either
941 "before re-location" or "after re-location". Please refer to the
942 file ''doc/README.arm-relocation'' to see how to grab the relocation
943 address.
944
945* Prior to relocation:
946
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500947.. prompt:: bash (gdb)
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500948
949 symbol-file {path to elf file}
950
951* After relocation:
952
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500953.. prompt:: bash (gdb)
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500954
955 # Drop old symbol file
956 symbol-file
957 # Pick up new relocaddr
958 add-symbol-file {path to elf file} {relocaddr}
959
960.. k3_rst_include_end_openocd_cfg_external_gdb
961
962In the above example of AM625,
963
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500964.. prompt:: bash (gdb)
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500965
966 target extended-remote localhost:3338 <- R5F (Wakeup Domain)
967 target extended-remote localhost:3334 <- A53 (Main Domain)
968
969The core can now be debugged directly within GDB using GDB commands or
970if using IDE, as appropriate to the IDE.
971
972Stepping through the code
973"""""""""""""""""""""""""
974
975`GDB TUI Commands
976<https://sourceware.org/gdb/onlinedocs/gdb/TUI-Commands.html>`_ can
977help set up the display more sensible for debug. Provide the name
978of the layout that can be used to debug. For example, use the GDB
979command ``layout src`` after loading the symbols to see the code and
980breakpoints. To exit the debug loop added above, add any breakpoints
981needed and run the following GDB commands to step out of the debug
982loop set in the ``board_init_f`` function.
983
Nishanth Menon740c41c2023-11-02 23:40:25 -0500984.. prompt:: bash (gdb)
Jason Kacinesb0fdee92023-08-03 01:29:22 -0500985
986 set x = 0
987 continue
988
989The platform has now been successfully setup to debug with OpenOCD
990using GDB commands or a GDB-based IDE. See `OpenOCD documentation for
991GDB <https://openocd.org/doc/html/GDB-and-OpenOCD.html>`_ for further
992information.
993
994.. warning::
995
996 On the K3 family of devices, a watchdog timer within the DMSC is
997 enabled by default by the ROM bootcode with a timeout of 3 minutes.
998 The watchdog timer is serviced by System Firmware (SYSFW) or TI
999 Foundational Security (TIFS) during normal operation. If debugging
1000 the SPL before the SYSFW is loaded, the watchdog timer will not get
1001 serviced automatically and the debug session will reset after 3
1002 minutes. It is recommended to start debugging SPL code only after
1003 the startup of SYSFW to avoid running into the watchdog timer reset.
1004
1005Miscellaneous notes with OpenOCD
1006^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1007
1008Currently, OpenOCD does not support tracing for K3 platforms. Tracing
1009function could be beneficial if the bug in code occurs deep within
1010nested function and can optionally save developers major trouble of
1011stepping through a large quantity of code.