Unbricking the Digi ConnectCore i.MX6 UltraLite Pro

Vendor Documentation

The following article may include pictures, code, and/or instructions from the following:

• Digi ConnectCore Dev Board: https://www.digi.com/products/models/cc-wmx6ul-kit
• DSTREAM Debugger: http://infocenter.arm.com/help/topic/com.arm.doc.dui0481b/DUI0481B_setting_up_the_hardware.pdf
• Tag-Connect Cable Adapter: http://www.tag-connect.com/Materials/TC2050-IDC-NL%20Datasheet.pdf

Products Utilized

• Digi ConnectCore i.MX6 UltraLite Pro Dev Kit at Digi-Key Electronics
• DSTREAM Debugger at Digi-Key Electronics
• Tag-Connect JTAG Cable Adapter at Digi-Key Electronics
• Adafruit Jumper Wire at Digi-Key Electronics

Setup

• Connect Tag-Connect cable to JTAG connector on the underside of the Digi ConnectCore board.  The 10-pin rectangular connector on the other side of the Tag-Connect cable will not fit any of the receptacles on the DSTREAM. Using the jumper wires connect the pins as follows:

• Connect included USB cable to the back of the DSTREAM and to the host computer.
• Power up DSTREAM and Digi ConnectCore

ARM DS-5 Ultimate Edition

• Download evaluation version
• Follow installation and registration instructions

Create Symbol File to Upload

Open ARM DS-5 Ultimate Edition.

Here are a series of screen shots to help.

Open a new project by navigating to File > New > Project.

Select C Project and click Next.

Name your project (e.g. Hello_World). Select Hello World ANSI C Project and Arm Compiler 5 (DS-5 built-in) and click Finish.

This box will open. Click Yes.

Find the project name you created.

Right click on that name and click Build Project.

Once the project is built, click Window > Perspective > Open Perspective > Other.

Click DS-5 Debug and click OK.

Right click in the upper left white space and then click Debug Configuration.

Select DS-5 Debugger in the left panel.  Name the configuration (e.g. ConnectCore6UL_Boot_Debug). Scroll down to NXP > i.MX6 UltraLite(Generic) > Bare Metal Debug > Cortex-A7.  Click Browse. This will bring up a window that will show the connection(s) to the DSTREAM. Click on the correct one, in my case, USB:000633.

Click on the Debugger tab to make sure that the Connect only button is highlighted and click Debug.

DS-5 should connect to target through the DSTEAM.  Change directories to the Debug folder of the project you created earlier (e.g. Hello_World).

Type in the command "add-symbol-file Hello_World.axf n:0".  You will notice below that I neglected the "n:0", which is to tell the program where to install the symbol file.

Right click the connection on the upper left field and click Disconnect from Target.

Open Target Through Serial Debugger

Set up board.

1. Unconnect the JTAG from the ConnectCore.
2. Connect USB cable to serial connector.
3. Connect micro USB cable to connect on the underside of the board.
4. Place jumper on BOOT connector (see image below).
5. Power board up.

Download and unzip installer files

sudo mkdir ccimx6ulsbc-installer
cd ccimx6ulsbc-installer
sudo wget ftp://ftp1.digi.com/support/digiembeddedyocto/2.4/r1/images/ccimx6ulsbc-installer.zip
sudo unzip ccimx6ulsbc-installer.zip
sudo rm ccimx6ulsbc-installer.zip

Setup microSD card. These commands are merely to format the SD card to allow the copy of the installer files to the SD card.  To determine the location of your SD card, use command lsblk.

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1M count=10
sudo parted /dev/sdb
(parted) mklabel msdos
(parted) mkpart primary fat32 1MiB 100%
(parted) set 1 boot on
(parted) quit
sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
sudo mkdir /media/ccimx6ulsbc-installer
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /media/ccimx6ulsbc-installer
sudo cp -r ~/ccimx6ulsbc-installer /media/

Remove SD card from computer and put in SD slot on the ConnectCore.

Open terminal.  Download and build the toolchain.

wget ftp://ftp1.digi.com/support/digiembeddedyocto/2.4/r1/sdk/ccimx6ulsbc/x11/dey-glibc-x86_64-dey-image-qt-x11-cortexa7hf-neon-toolchain-2.4-r1.sh
chmod +x dey-glibc-x86_64-dey-image-qt-x11-cortexa7hf-neon-toolchain-2.4-r1.sh
./dey-glibc-x86_64-dey-image-qt-x11-cortexa7hf-neon-toolchain-2.4-r1.sh
source /opt/dey/2.4-r1/environment-setup-cortexa7hf-neon-dey-linux-gnueabi
make

Open separate serial terminal with settings 115200/8/n/1 (make sure the Hardware Flow is OFF). In the first terminal type:

sudo /opt/dey/2.4-r1/sysroots/x86_64-deysdk-linux/usr/bin/imx_usb ~/ccimx6ulsbc-installer/u-boot-ccimx6ulsbc.imx

You should get the following display in the serial terminal.

=> update uboot mmc 0 fat u-boot-ccimx6ulsbc.imx

If you get an error, while trying to update the RAM.

=> mmc part

If you get an error.

=> mmc rescan
=> mmc part

If no error, try update again.

Remove the BOOT jumper and reset the board. It should boot normally.