Intel Agilex® 7 Hard Processor System Remote System Update User Guide

ID 683184
Date 6/09/2023
Public

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Document Table of Contents

1.1. Features

The remote system update solution:
  • Provides support for creating the initial flash image for a system to support RSU. The image is created offline, before the device is deployed in the field.
  • Provides the ability to load a specific application image or the factory image.2
  • Allows a set of application images to be tried in a specific order until one is successful.3 4
  • Loads a factory image if no application image is available, or all application images failed.5
  • Provides the direct factory image fallback option. When enabled, the factory image is loaded after an application image configuration is unsuccessful, instead of trying the next application image in the list.
  • Provides a pin to force load the factory image instead of the highest priority application image if asserted during a configuration caused by a POR or nCONFIG event.
  • Provides the ability to add and remove application images.
  • Provides the ability to change the order in which the application images are initially loaded.
  • Provides information about the image that is currently running, and errors that the RSU has encountered.
  • Provides the RSU Notify feature, which allows a 16-bit value reported by HPS software to survive when the current image fails due to a watchdog timeout. The value can then be queried from HPS software after the next image is loaded.
  • Provides the max retry option, which allows each application image and the factory image the option to be tried up to three times. For more information, refer to the Retrying when Configuration Fails section.
  • Provides a flow to update the factory image.
  • Provides a flow for updating the decision firmware.
  • Fully supports both FPGA configuration first and HPS boots first use cases. The HPS boots first case produce smaller configuration bitstreams, which can enable a smaller QSPI device to be used.

For a description of the image selection flow that occurs when the RSU enabled device is configured as a result of a power-up or nCONFIG event, refer to the Configuration Flow Diagrams appendix.

For more information about the watchdog timer, refer to the Remote System Update Watchdog and Enabling HPS Watchdog to Trigger RSU sections.

2 The factory and application images are also called bitstreams and typically contain the FPGA fabric configuration, the SDM firmware, and the HPS First Stage Bootloader. Note: For HPS first mode, the FPGA fabric configuration is omitted.
3 When configuration succeeds, the HPS First Stage Bootloader is loaded and the HPS is taken out of reset (or just the HPS and HPS EMIF I/Os when in HPS first mode). Optionally, an HPS watchdog timeout can be treated as a RSU failure too.
4 A maximum of seven application images can be specified at image creation time, but more can be added later. The maximum number of application images is 126; but typically only a few are used because flash memory size is limited.
5 If the factory image also fails to configure, the SDM clears the FPGA and HPS and the device remains not configured.