2023.04 U-Boot MVEBU -- Armada 38x

This is a release candidate for Synology DS116/RS816 and for Thecus N2350 u-boot-2023.04 .

These u-boot images are fully functional as a drop-in replacement for stock u-boot. Each is the final release version for that box. But I have not finalized the new default envs image for it. It will come later.

If you have installed the N2350 and DS116, this u-boot can boot these boxes exactly the same way using your current u-boot envs.

Warning: During testing these u-boot images with kwboot, please do not use fw_setenv to change envs in Debian or use saveenv in u-boot.

However, there is no restriction whatsoever regarding boot storage devices or anything else like in stock u-boots. So to take advantage of the new capbility, please try with kwboot, and set envs to load kernel uImage and uInitrd directly your rootfs Ext3/Ext4 file system on either USB or SCSI (SATA).

I will revise the installation instruction for these 2 boxes to remove all HDD raw sectors,... and other workarounds, once I have the new default envs image for you to write to flash.

In the mean time, post questions if you are not sure how to tweak your current envs.

=============================

Download at Dropbox

uboot.2023.04-tld-1.n2350.bodhi.tar

md5:
ca67534a904675ecac0bbbe7d4d25f12 uboot.2023.04-tld-1.n2350.bodhi.tar
sha256:
f316eac207e3d2b9bf62588f0f573402f1f6e527f0359b2d43f24c3c55a21726 uboot.2023.04-tld-1.n2350.bodhi.tar

uboot.2023.04-tld-1.ds116.bodhi.tar

md5:
c0ff90b04a013411e3c1f0793cb93291
sha256:
ea51053afc9580f8bcfa481b990e53bb9ca36129fec1ee3820e1375a271ed5f6 uboot.2023.04-tld-1.ds116.bodhi.tar

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Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2024 01:35PM by bodhi.

Reserved.

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U-Boot 2023.04 images for Synology DS116 and for Thecus N2350 have been uploaded. Please see 1st post for download link.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2023 07:59PM by bodhi.

New version for Thecus N2350 uboot will be uploaded.

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Hi,
I don't know if the image should be compatible with a DS218j, but it looks like it does not work :

$ sudo kwboot -b uboot.2023.04-rc1-tld-1.ds116.mtd0.kwb -p -t -B 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0
Sending boot message. Please reboot the target...-
Sending boot image...

BootROM - 1.73
 (Boot)
Booting from SPI flash


General initialization - Version: 1.0.0
AVS selection from EFUSE disabled (Skip reading EFUSE values)
Overriding default AVS value to: 0x23
Detected Device ID 6820
High speed PHY - Version: 2.0

Init Synology board board SerDes lanes topology details:
 | Lane # | Speed|    Type     |
 ------------------------------|
 |   0    |  0   |  SGMII0     |
 |   1    |  6   |  SATA0      |
 |   2    |  6   |  SATA1      |
 |   4    |  5   |  USB3 HOST0 |
 |   5    |  5   |  USB3 HOST1 |
 -------------------------------
High speed PHY - Ended Successfully
DDR3 Training Sequence - Ver TIP-1.46.0
DDR3 Training Sequence - Switching XBAR Window to FastPath Window
DDR3 Training Sequence - Ended Successfully
  0 % [+xmodem: Protocol error

Best regards

emvivre,

> I don't know if the image should be compatible
> with a DS218j, but it looks like it does not work

Probably something is not compatible.

But you should use the latest kwboot that I posted here if you are running from an ARM box:

https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,27280

The distro version of kwboot on your Linux box is usually very old, and it might be not enough.

Do you have another ARM box that you can use to run the latest kwboot?

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Yes, indeed I used an old version (2019) which was not compatible with Armada 38x

With the old one :

$ kwboot
Usage: kwboot [OPTIONS] [-b <image> | -D <image> ] [-B <baud> ] <TTY>

  -b <image>: boot <image> with preamble (Kirkwood, Armada 370/XP)
...

With the last version :

$ kwboot
kwboot version 2023.04-rc2-g8c39999a-dirty
Usage: kwboot [OPTIONS] [-b <image> | -D <image> | -b | -d ] [-B <baud> ] [-t] <TTY>

  -b <image>: boot <image> with preamble (Kirkwood, Avanta, Armada 370/XP/375/38x/39x)
...

Unfortunately it does not work neither :

sudo ./kwboot -b uboot.2023.04-rc1-tld-1.ds116.mtd0.kwb -t -B 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0
kwboot version 2023.04-rc2-g8c39999a-dirty
Patching image boot signature to UART
Aligning image header to Xmodem block size
Sending boot message. Please reboot the target...\
Sending boot image header (101632 bytes)...
  0 % [......................................................................]
  8 % [......................................................................]
 17 % [......................................................................]
 26 % [......................................................................]
 35 % [......................................................................]
 44 % [......................................................................]
 53 % [......................................................................]
 61 % [......................................................................]
 70 % [......................................................................]
 79 % [......................................................................]
 88 % [......................................................................]
 97 % [........................                                              ]
Done

U-Boot SPL 2023.04-tld-1-00263-g9d1cdaf374-dirty (Feb 07 2023 - 14:29:52 -0800)
High speed PHY - Version: 2.0
Detected Device ID 6820
board SerDes lanes topology details:
 | Lane # | Speed |  Type       |
 --------------------------------
 |   0    |   0   | SGMII0      |
 |   1    |   6   | SATA0       |
 |   4    |   5   | USB3 HOST0  |
 |   5    |   5   | USB3 HOST1  |
 --------------------------------
High speed PHY - Ended Successfully
mv_ddr: 14.0.0
WL Supp: IF 0 bus_id 0 Failed !
WL Supp: IF 0 bus_id 1 Failed !
WL Supp: IF 0 bus_id 2 Failed !
WL Supp: IF 0 bus_id 3 Failed !
WL Supp: CS# 0: IF 0 failed
ddr3_tip_dynamic_write_leveling_supp failure
Title: I/F# , Tj, Calibration_n0, Calibration_p0, Calibration_n1, Calibration_p1, Calibration_n2, Calibration_p2,CS0 ,
VWTx, VWRx, WL_tot, WL_ADLL, WL_PH, RL_Tot, RL_ADLL, RL_PH, RL_Smp, Cen_tx, Cen_rx, Vref, DQVref,               PBSTx-Pad0,PBSTx-Pad1,PBSTx-Pad2,PBSTx-Pad3,PBSTx-Pad4,PBSTx-Pad5,PBSTx-Pad6,PBSTx-Pad7,PBSTx-Pad8\
,PBSTx-Pad9,PBSTx-Pad10,             PBSRx-Pad0,PBSRx-Pad1,PBSRx-Pad2,PBSRx-Pad3,PBSRx-Pad4,PBSRx-Pad5,PBSRx-Pad6,PBSRx-Pad7,PBSRx-Pad8,PBSRx-Pad9,PBSRx-Pad10,
Data: 0,57,15,13,15,13,20,20,CS0 ,
0,0,64,0,2,575,31,5,6,13,10,4,0,                0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,          0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
0,0,64,0,2,575,31,5,6,13,10,4,0,                0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,          0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
0,0,64,0,2,575,31,5,6,13,10,4,0,                0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,          0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
0,0,64,0,2,575,31,5,6,13,10,4,0,                0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,          0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,

********   DRAM initialization Failed (res 0x1)   ********
DDR3 Training Sequence - FAILED
ddr3_init() failed: 1
### ERROR ### Please RESET the board ###


xmodem: Connection timed out

Quote

> mv_ddr: 14.0.0
> WL Supp: IF 0 bus_id 0 Failed !
> WL Supp: IF 0 bus_id 1 Failed !
> WL Supp: IF 0 bus_id 2 Failed !
> WL Supp: IF 0 bus_id 3 Failed !
> WL Supp: CS# 0: IF 0 failed
> ddr3_tip_dynamic_write_leveling_supp failure
> Title: I/F# , Tj, Calibration_n0, Calibration_p0,
> Calibration_n1, Calibration_p1, Calibration_n2,
> Calibration_p2,CS0 ,
> VWTx, VWRx, WL_tot, WL_ADLL, WL_PH, RL_Tot,
> RL_ADLL, RL_PH, RL_Smp, Cen_tx, Cen_rx, Vref,
> DQVref,
> PBSTx-Pad0,PBSTx-Pad1,PBSTx-Pad2,PBSTx-Pad3,PBSTx-Pad4,PBSTx-Pad5,PBSTx-Pad6,PBSTx-Pad7,PBSTx-Pad8\
> ,PBSTx-Pad9,PBSTx-Pad10,
> PBSRx-Pad0,PBSRx-Pad1,PBSRx-Pad2,PBSRx-Pad3,PBSRx-Pad4,PBSRx-Pad5,PBSRx-Pad6,PBSRx-Pad7,PBSRx-Pad8,PBSRx-Pad9,PBSRx-Pad10,
> Data: 0,57,15,13,15,13,20,20,CS0 ,
> 0,0,64,0,2,575,31,5,6,13,10,4,0,
> 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
> 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
> 0,0,64,0,2,575,31,5,6,13,10,4,0,
> 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
> 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
> 0,0,64,0,2,575,31,5,6,13,10,4,0,
> 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
> 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
> 0,0,64,0,2,575,31,5,6,13,10,4,0,
> 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
> 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
>
> ******** DRAM initialization Failed (res 0x1)
> ********
> DDR3 Training Sequence - FAILED
> ddr3_init() failed: 1
> ### ERROR ### Please RESET the board ###
>
>
> xmodem: Connection timed out

I see. This error means the DRAM chips are not comaptible between these 2 boxes. Probably the DS116 DRAM is a lot faster (I own this DS116 because it is probably among the fastest Armada 385 NAS).

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2023 04:33PM by bodhi.

DS218j:

Quote

DDR3 @ 666 [MHz]
DDR3 16 Bit Width,FastPath Memory Access, DLB Enabled, ECC Disabled
DRAM: 512 MiB

DS116 (DDR3):

Quote

DRAM: 1 GiB (933 MHz, 32-bit, ECC not enabled)

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Hi Bodhi,
Will it be possible to port u-boot to dove platform?

wildhem,

> Will it be possible to port u-boot to dove
> platform?

Sorry for the late reply! I closed this tab accidentally.

It is possible. But I have problem running kwboot on HP T5335x (Dove SoC). So I'm stuck there. Before I can have a recovery/testing path, I cannot proceed with writing new u-boot.

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For the ds218j, the following works:

dram:

+static struct mv_ddr_topology_map board_topology_map = {
+       DEBUG_LEVEL_TRACE,
+       0x1, /* active interfaces */
+       /* cs_mask, mirror, dqs_swap, ck_swap X PUPs */
+       { { { {0x1, 0, 0, 0},
+             {0x1, 0, 0, 0},
+             {0x1, 0, 0, 0},
+             {0x1, 0, 0, 0},
+             {0x1, 0, 0, 0} },
+           SPEED_BIN_DDR_1600K,        /* speed_bin */
+           MV_DDR_DEV_WIDTH_16BIT,     /* memory_width - 16 bits */
+           MV_DDR_DIE_CAP_4GBIT,       /* mem_size - DS218J board has H5TC4G63CFR, 256Mx16 */
+           MV_DDR_FREQ_667,            /* frequency */
+           0, 0,                       /* cas_wl cas_l */
+           MV_DDR_TEMP_LOW,            /* temperature */
+           MV_DDR_TIM_DEFAULT} },      /* timing */
+       BUS_MASK_16BIT,                 /* Busses mask */
+       MV_DDR_CFG_DEFAULT,             /* ddr configuration data source */
+       NOT_COMBINED,                   /* ddr twin-die combined */
+       { {0} },                        /* raw spd data */
+       {0}                             /* timing parameters */
+};

sedes_map:

+static struct serdes_map board_serdes_map[] = {
+       {SGMII0, SERDES_SPEED_1_25_GBPS, SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
+       {SATA0, SERDES_SPEED_6_GBPS, SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
+       {SATA1, SERDES_SPEED_6_GBPS, SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
+       {DEFAULT_SERDES, SERDES_SPEED_5_GBPS, SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
+       {USB3_HOST0, SERDES_SPEED_5_GBPS, SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
+       {USB3_HOST1, SERDES_SPEED_5_GBPS, SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
+};

Device tree changes:

+/ {
+       model = "Synology DS218j";
+       chosen {
+               stdout-path = "serial0:115200n8";
+               bootargs = "console=ttyS0,115200 earlyprintk";
+       };
+       memory {
+               device_type = "memory";
+               reg = <0x00000000 0x20000000>; /* 512MB */
+       };

Still some unfinished work here; uboot isn't seeing the second scsi interface. My intention is to reflash my DS218j to support https://u-boot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/develop/bootstd.html and zfs, then I'll post to uboot lists.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2023 10:22AM by nslick.

nslick,

> For the ds218j, the following works:
>
> dram:
>
>

> +static struct mv_ddr_topology_map
> board_topology_map = {
> +       DEBUG_LEVEL_TRACE,
> +       0x1, /* active interfaces */
> +       /* cs_mask, mirror, dqs_swap, ck_swap X
> PUPs */
> +       { { { {0x1, 0, 0, 0},
> +             {0x1, 0, 0, 0},
> +             {0x1, 0, 0, 0},
> +             {0x1, 0, 0, 0},
> +             {0x1, 0, 0, 0} },
> +           SPEED_BIN_DDR_1600K,        /*
> speed_bin */
> +           MV_DDR_DEV_WIDTH_16BIT,     /*
> memory_width - 16 bits */
> +           MV_DDR_DIE_CAP_4GBIT,       /*
> mem_size - DS218J board has H5TC4G63CFR, 256Mx16
> */
> +           MV_DDR_FREQ_667,            /*
> frequency */
> +           0, 0,                       /* cas_wl
> cas_l */
> +           MV_DDR_TEMP_LOW,            /*
> temperature */
> +           MV_DDR_TIM_DEFAULT} },      /* timing
> */
> +       BUS_MASK_16BIT,                 /* Busses
> mask */
> +       MV_DDR_CFG_DEFAULT,             /* ddr
> configuration data source */
> +       NOT_COMBINED,                   /* ddr
> twin-die combined */
> +       { {0} },                        /* raw spd
> data */
> +       {0}                             /* timing
> parameters */
> +};
>

>
>
> sedes_map:
>
>

> +static struct serdes_map board_serdes_map[] = {
> +       {SGMII0, SERDES_SPEED_1_25_GBPS,
> SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
> +       {SATA0, SERDES_SPEED_6_GBPS,
> SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
> +       {SATA1, SERDES_SPEED_6_GBPS,
> SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
> +       {DEFAULT_SERDES, SERDES_SPEED_5_GBPS,
> SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
> +       {USB3_HOST0, SERDES_SPEED_5_GBPS,
> SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
> +       {USB3_HOST1, SERDES_SPEED_5_GBPS,
> SERDES_DEFAULT_MODE, 0, 0},
> +};
>

>
>
> Device tree changes:
>
>

> +/ {
> +       model = "Synology DS218j";
> +       chosen {
> +               stdout-path = "serial0:115200n8";
> +               bootargs = "console=ttyS0,115200
> earlyprintk";
> +       };
> +       memory {
> +               device_type = "memory";
> +               reg = <0x00000000 0x20000000>; /*
> 512MB */
> +       };
>

>

Nice!

> Still some unfinished work here; uboot isn't
> seeing the second scsi interface.

See the working thread for the GPIO to turn on the 2nd HDD for ds218j, starting at this post:

https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,76314,134035#msg-134035

> My intention is
> to reflash my DS218j to support
> https://u-boot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/develop/bootstd.html
> and zfs, then I'll post to uboot lists.

Cool! please put me on the CC or TO list when you do that.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2023 12:51PM by bodhi.

Any chance this release will work with the Thecus N4350? It appears to be a 4 bay version of the N2350 with a 1.8GHz processor instead of the 1GHz in the 2350.

Ray

Ray,

> Any chance this release will work with the Thecus
> N4350? It appears to be a 4 bay version of the
> N2350 with a 1.8GHz processor instead of the 1GHz
> in the 2350.

Yes it should. More important is the RAM, and both have 1GB DDR4 RAM. The CPU speed is usually determined by u-boot, not hardcoded (but I need to take a look at the code again to be sure that there is any dependency, which is very unlikely).

If you have the N4350 box, post the stock boot log with u-boot envs and output of u-boot help command. And run kwboot to see if you can get it boot the u-boot prompt.

BTW, I will upload a new 2023.10 version for this u-boot and the DS116 eventually,

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2023 10:45PM by bodhi.

The N2350 and N4350 look almost identical in the GPL source, except for SATA.

So other than 2 SATA ports vs 4 SATA ports (and some additional PCIe functionality to handle those extra 2), N2350 u-boot should work on N4350.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2023 12:47AM by bodhi.

I don't yet have the N4350, but it is on it's way to me and scheduled to arrive by October 31st.

Ray

Bodhi,

I've made an entry for the Thecus N4350 with photos at WikiDevi. Is the board the same as used in the N2350? Do you have GPL source code for N2350? The source code available currently at Thecus website appears to be wrong (i.e. it appears to be for one of there x86 boards not the N2350/N4350).

Ray

Hey Ray,

> I've made an entry for the Thecus N4350 with
> photos at
> WikiDevi.

Nice!

> Is the board the same as used in the N2350?

It looks just like the same board. But of course, the N2350 CPU is a slower cousin (Armada 385 dual core 1Ghz) with 2-bay SATA board hanging off the motherboard.

> Do
> you have GPL source code for N2350? The source
> code available currently at Thecus website appears
> to be wrong (i.e. it appears to be for one of
> there x86 boards not the N2350/N4350).
>

Yes. I have GPL source. Thecus was pretty good in compliance with GPL license in that they promptly provided the GPL source upon my request. You can do the same by email providing the serial number. But I can upload the GPL tarball to my Dropbox if you prefer.

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However, I think using N2350 installation will work out of the box for the N4350.

When you're ready, create a new thread (Debian on Thecus N4350) and post the serial boot log with u-boot envs. We can match up that with the N2350 info to see if anything needs to change.

I will build 2024.01-rc u-boot version for the N2350. We can't flash it yet but it should be good for running kwboot.

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Did you figure out pin configuration of serial port? If so could you provide. Also I'd appreciate if you could provide link to GPL code as it will likely be quicker than getting a response from Thecus. I don't know why these vendors don't just host the code on a GitHub repository!

Ray

Sure,

As always, connecting serial console is the first thing I do for a new board.

Here is the Serial Console pinouts.

J1 serial port (with the case opened, on the right side of the NAS, bottom left of the board, right to left).

1. Square: Vcc 3.3V
2. TXD
3. RXD
4. GND

I will upload the GPL source to drop box.

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Ray,

I sent you PM.

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We are testing the new Synology DS216 u-boot here:

https://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,137280,137377#msg-137377

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great!

Question, on DS116/DS216/RS816, if this release candidate U-Boot tests okay, we no longer need to flash uImage to mtd for USB rootfs boot, or write uImage/uInitrd to raw sectors for SATA rootfs boot, right?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2025 11:41PM by eno789.

eno789,

> Question, on DS116/DS216/RS816, if this release
> candidate U-Boot tests okay, we no longer need to
> flash uImage to mtd for USB rootfs boot, or write
> uImage/uInitrd to raw sectors for SATA rootfs
> boot, right?

Exactly, it is a full feature u-boot. There is no limitation as how you want to boot the box. You can boot straight from USB or HDD rootfs.

I'm ready to release the 2025.07 u-boot for these 2 boxes. But unfortunately I'm out of time (will be on travel in on and off in the next few weeks). So I don't have the flashing instruction written yet.

You can try kwboot with the release candidate, and I'll help to boot into Debian rootfs on USB or HDD. Just a matter of loading the correct envs from a text file (which are this u-boot default envs).

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2025 03:29PM by bodhi.

Here is the default envs for Synology DS116.

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Thanks bodhi, I'll be able to help test in a week or two, have a DS116 on its way.

Attached is the latest uboot for DS116.

It's only a few days before the mainline u-boot 2025.07 will be released, so I'd expect there will be no significant change upstream.

uboot.2025.07-rc5-tld-1.ds116.kwb

sha256:
a161d56317ee9f0cb8e883ed81b61e4796f6a82ee114c7f276d24b15389ff760

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2025 04:28PM by bodhi.