Custom External Loader fails: Error: failed to download Segment[0]

[Marcus1]

Hi

I am trying to get a custom external loader working on a STM32L562VET with a MT25QL128ABA attached over QuadSPI. I have followed this tutorial: https://www.st.com/content/st_com/en/support/learning/stm32-education/stm32-moocs/external_QSPI_loader.html
and after some modifications, I managed to successfully run the main_test code and everything seems to work fine. I can also see the data in the memory viewer in the STM32CubeIDE.

I then continued to build the *.stldr which also seem to work fine. However when I import it in STMCubeProgrammer v2.15.0, I can erase certain sectors or the whole chip. But if I try to download a .bin file (256Bytes random ASCII), I get the following error messages:

15:39:48 : Error: failed to download Segment[0]
15:39:48 : Error: failed to download the File

If I go back to the memory viewer, I can see that the data was successfully written to the flash despite the error message. What could be the problem here?

I already tried with STMCubeProgrammer v2.6.0 but get the same error message.

This is the log I get:

 

 

 15:43:24:265 : Memory Programming ...
 15:43:24:265 : Opening and parsing file: output-onlinefiletools.bin
 15:43:24:266 : File : output-onlinefiletools.bin
 15:43:24:266 : Size : 256.00 B 
 15:43:24:266 : Address : 0x90000000 
 15:43:24:266 : Erasing Segment <0> Address <0x90000000> Size <256>Bytes
 15:43:24:266 : Erasing memory corresponding to segment 0:
 15:43:24:266 : Memory Erase via FlashLoader!
 15:43:24:266 : Memory erase...
 15:43:24:272 : halt ap 0 
 15:43:24:272 : w ap 0 reg 15 PC (0x20000000) 
 15:43:24:272 : w ap 0 reg 17 MSP (0x20000500) 
 15:43:24:272 : w ap 0 reg 16 xPSR (0x01000000) 
 15:43:24:276 : w ap 0 @0x20012B60 : 0x00000200 bytes, Data 0x00000000...
 15:43:24:276 : w ap 0 @0x20000000 : 0x00000004 bytes, Data 0x0000BE00...
 15:43:24:778 : w ap 0 @0x20000004 : 0x00012728 bytes, Data 0x00000000...
 15:43:24:778 : Erasing external memory sector 0
 15:43:24:778 : Init flashloader...
 15:43:24:778 : halt ap 0 
 15:43:24:778 : w ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x00000001
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 1 R1 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 2 R2 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 3 R3 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 4 R4 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 5 R5 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 6 R6 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 7 R7 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 8 R8 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 9 R9 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 10 R10 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 11 R11 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 12 R12 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 13 SP 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 14 LR 0x20000001
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 15 PC 0x20000731
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 16 xPSR 0x01000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 17 MSP 0x20012B28
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 18 PSP 0x00000000
 15:43:24:779 : run ap 0 
 15:43:24:779 : halt ap 0 
 15:43:24:779 : r ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x00000001
 15:43:24:779 : Loader sector erase...
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x90000000
 15:43:24:779 : w ap 0 reg 1 R1 0x90000000
 15:43:24:780 : w ap 0 reg 2 R2 0x00000002
 15:43:24:796 : w ap 0 reg 3 R3 0x00000000
 15:43:24:799 : w ap 0 reg 4 R4 0x00000000
 15:43:24:801 : w ap 0 reg 5 R5 0x00000000
 15:43:24:801 : w ap 0 reg 6 R6 0x00000000
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 7 R7 0x00000000
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 8 R8 0x00000000
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 9 R9 0x00000000
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 10 R10 0x00000000
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 11 R11 0x00000000
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 12 R12 0x00000000
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 13 SP 0x00000000
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 14 LR 0x20000001
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 15 PC 0x200007CD
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 16 xPSR 0x01000000
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 17 MSP 0x20012B28
 15:43:24:802 : w ap 0 reg 18 PSP 0x00000000
 15:43:24:802 : run ap 0 
 15:43:24:903 : halt ap 0 
 15:43:24:903 : r ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x00000001
 15:43:24:903 : erase: 0638ms
 15:43:24:903 : Download in Progress:
 15:43:24:904 : Size : 256 Bytes
 15:43:24:904 : Address : 0x90000000 
 15:43:24:904 : Buffer program...
 15:43:24:912 : halt ap 0 
 15:43:24:912 : w ap 0 reg 15 PC (0x20000000) 
 15:43:24:912 : w ap 0 reg 17 MSP (0x20000500) 
 15:43:24:912 : w ap 0 reg 16 xPSR (0x01000000) 
 15:43:24:916 : w ap 0 @0x20012B60 : 0x00000200 bytes, Data 0x00000000...
 15:43:24:916 : w ap 0 @0x20000000 : 0x00000004 bytes, Data 0x0000BE00...
 15:43:25:407 : w ap 0 @0x20000004 : 0x00012728 bytes, Data 0x00000000...
 15:43:25:408 : Loader write range...
 15:43:25:409 : w ap 0 @0x20012B60 : 0x00000100 bytes, Data 0x6A7D2670...
 15:43:25:409 : W B1 in RAM @0x20012B60 size 0x00000100 : 0002ms
 15:43:25:409 : Init flashloader...
 15:43:25:411 : halt ap 0 
 15:43:25:411 : w ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x00000001
 15:43:25:411 : w ap 0 reg 1 R1 0x00000000
 15:43:25:412 : w ap 0 reg 2 R2 0x00000000
 15:43:25:412 : w ap 0 reg 3 R3 0x00000000
 15:43:25:412 : w ap 0 reg 4 R4 0x00000000
 15:43:25:412 : w ap 0 reg 5 R5 0x00000000
 15:43:25:413 : w ap 0 reg 6 R6 0x00000000
 15:43:25:413 : w ap 0 reg 7 R7 0x00000000
 15:43:25:414 : w ap 0 reg 8 R8 0x00000000
 15:43:25:414 : w ap 0 reg 9 R9 0x00000000
 15:43:25:415 : w ap 0 reg 10 R10 0x00000000
 15:43:25:415 : w ap 0 reg 11 R11 0x00000000
 15:43:25:416 : w ap 0 reg 12 R12 0x00000000
 15:43:25:416 : w ap 0 reg 13 SP 0x00000000
 15:43:25:416 : w ap 0 reg 14 LR 0x20000001
 15:43:25:417 : w ap 0 reg 15 PC 0x20000731
 15:43:25:417 : w ap 0 reg 16 xPSR 0x01000000
 15:43:25:417 : w ap 0 reg 17 MSP 0x20012B28
 15:43:25:418 : w ap 0 reg 18 PSP 0x00000000
 15:43:25:418 : run ap 0 
 15:43:25:421 : halt ap 0 
 15:43:25:421 : r ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x00000001
 15:43:25:421 : w ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x90000000
 15:43:25:421 : w ap 0 reg 1 R1 0x00000100
 15:43:25:421 : w ap 0 reg 2 R2 0x20012B60
 15:43:25:421 : w ap 0 reg 3 R3 0x00000002
 15:43:25:422 : w ap 0 reg 4 R4 0x00000000
 15:43:25:423 : w ap 0 reg 5 R5 0x00000000
 15:43:25:423 : w ap 0 reg 6 R6 0x00000000
 15:43:25:425 : w ap 0 reg 7 R7 0x00000000
 15:43:25:425 : w ap 0 reg 8 R8 0x00000000
 15:43:25:426 : w ap 0 reg 9 R9 0x00000000
 15:43:25:426 : w ap 0 reg 10 R10 0x00000000
 15:43:25:426 : w ap 0 reg 11 R11 0x00000000
 15:43:25:426 : w ap 0 reg 12 R12 0x00000000
 15:43:25:426 : w ap 0 reg 13 SP 0x00000000
 15:43:25:426 : w ap 0 reg 14 LR 0x20000001
 15:43:25:427 : w ap 0 reg 15 PC 0x20000789
 15:43:25:428 : w ap 0 reg 16 xPSR 0x01000000
 15:43:25:429 : w ap 0 reg 17 MSP 0x20012B28
 15:43:25:429 : w ap 0 reg 18 PSP 0x00000000
 15:43:25:429 : run ap 0 
 15:43:25:433 : w ap 0 @0x20012B60 : 0x00000100 bytes, Data 0x6A7D2670...
 15:43:25:433 : W B2 in RAM @0x20029460 size 0x00000100: 0020ms
 15:43:25:433 : r ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x00000001
 15:43:25:433 : Wait W B1 in Flash @0x90000000 size 0x00000100: 0001ms
 15:43:25:433 : w ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x90000000
 15:43:25:433 : w ap 0 reg 1 R1 0x00000100
 15:43:25:433 : w ap 0 reg 2 R2 0x20012B60
 15:43:25:433 : w ap 0 reg 3 R3 0x00000002
 15:43:25:433 : w ap 0 reg 4 R4 0x00000000
 15:43:25:433 : w ap 0 reg 5 R5 0x00000000
 15:43:25:435 : w ap 0 reg 6 R6 0x00000000
 15:43:25:436 : w ap 0 reg 7 R7 0x00000000
 15:43:25:436 : w ap 0 reg 8 R8 0x00000000
 15:43:25:436 : w ap 0 reg 9 R9 0x00000000
 15:43:25:445 : w ap 0 reg 10 R10 0x00000000
 15:43:25:446 : w ap 0 reg 11 R11 0x00000000
 15:43:25:446 : w ap 0 reg 12 R12 0x00000000
 15:43:25:447 : w ap 0 reg 13 SP 0x00000000
 15:43:25:447 : w ap 0 reg 14 LR 0x20000001
 15:43:25:448 : w ap 0 reg 15 PC 0x20000789
 15:43:25:448 : w ap 0 reg 16 xPSR 0x01000000
 15:43:25:448 : w ap 0 reg 17 MSP 0x20012B28
 15:43:25:448 : w ap 0 reg 18 PSP 0x00000000
 15:43:25:448 : run ap 0 
 15:43:25:448 : r ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x00000000
 15:43:25:448 : halt ap 0 
 15:43:25:448 : w ap 0 reg 15 PC (0x20000000) 
 15:43:25:448 : w ap 0 reg 17 MSP (0x20000500) 
 15:43:25:448 : w ap 0 reg 16 xPSR (0x01000000) 
 15:43:25:448 : Loader write range...
 15:43:25:448 : w ap 0 @0x20012B60 : 0x00000100 bytes, Data 0x6A7D2670...
 15:43:25:448 : W B1 in RAM @0x20012B60 size 0x00000100 : 0002ms
 15:43:25:449 : halt ap 0 
 15:43:25:449 : r ap 0 reg 0 R0 0x00000000
 15:43:25:449 : Error: failed to download Segment[0]
 15:43:25:449 : Error: failed to download the File

 

 

 

[Imen.D]

Hello @Marcus1 

Please check this FAQ: Custom external loader "failed to download segment... - STMicroelectronics Community

I hope this will help.

Please keep me informed about your progress on this issue.

[Marcus1]

Hi @Imen.D,

Thanks for your answer. I already saw that post and tried the suggested modifications but they didn't help. That's also the reason why I switched back to CubeProgrammer v2.6.0.

Maybe the template I used from the following repository is not compatible anymore since it seems outdated? Last change to the repo was 4years ago:

https://github.com/STMicroelectronics/stm32-external-loader/tree/contrib/Loader_Files/other%20devices

 

[Tesla DeLorean]

Doesn't look an unreasonable starting point.

The log seems to indicate it tries to write twice, failing the second time. You can instrument you loader to use any hardware on your board. You can output diagnostic information via an available UART

BTW what's you pin utilization here?

[Pavel A.]

@Imen.D Why won't ST implement "universal" QSPI/OSPI loader like Segger did?

If I understand correctly, they've split the loader to MCU specific part (which supports all QSPI pinout variants) and flash memory specific logic that sits on the host. The MCU part reads the standard flash chip info, then the host decides which commands and parameters to use, etc. This way the flash specific algorithm is done only once for all MCUs. As soon as a new flash chip is made known to the host library, all MCUs and boards automatically support it.

There's no more N*M proliferation of loaders, where N are boards/pinouts and M are flash chips. Users won't have to roll their own.

 

[Tesla DeLorean]

IAR had a scripting method.

A start at the .STLDR level might be for the tools to dynamically query the StorageInfo.

Say another exported function, which takes as input a pin table, defining GPIO Bank, Pin and AF#, and returns a StorageInfo structure.

There's a couple of things that could be done quite easily without breaking backward compatibility.