Can I resurrect my helios64 card?

Gwen Lg · September 10, 2023

Hello,

after some u-boot test, my helios64 don't start the bootloader stage.
I can etablish a serial connection on USB Type-c port, but when I tried to start the system, I have no output on it.

After I disconnected everything :
- I connect usb-c cable, I'm able to connect to serial console with picocom
- I connect the power cable, The LED1 (System Rail Power) is on, and the LED9 (Battery Status) flashes.
- I press the power botton (without sdcard) :
    - LED2 and LED3 (Periph. Rail Power and HDD Rail Power) are on
    - LED4 and LED5 (System ON and HDD Activity) are on.
    - nothing happen on serial console
- If I keep SWI (power botton pressed 5 seconds, i'm able to shutdown the system.

I also follow the process of Maskrom Mode (https://wiki.kobol.io/helios64/maskrom/) with success, with no difference at end.
> $ sudo tools/rkdeveloptool db rk3399_loader_v1.24_RevNocRL.126.bin
> Downloading bootloader succeeded.
> $ sudo tools/rkdeveloptool wl 0 /mnt/astav/distrib/Helios64/Armbian_21.05.1_Helios64_buster_current_5.10.35.img
> Write LBA from file (100%)
> $ sudo tools/rkdeveloptool rd
> Reset Device OK.

Questions :
- What is the role of SPI Flash in the boot process ?
- Does the SPI Flash can be erased ? And if yes, this can be affect the boot process ?
- Can we supposed to be able to boot the armbian image writen on sd-card with SPI FLash skipped from the boot ? (with P11 jumper closed)
- Could the Maskmode procedure help me, or allow me to repair my card ?
- u-boot TPL is supposed to be writed on armbian sdcard ?

- armbian image (like Armbian_21.05.1_Helios64_buster_current_5.10.35.img) are supposed to be able to boot, even when SPI and eMMc boot are skipped ?

Thank you in advance for any help you can give me

Gwen Lg · September 11, 2023

I have do again the process of Maskrom Mode, but this time I write the helios64_sdcard_u-boot-only.img image.

And after this (not 100% sure of the link) I was able to start again the Armbian + OMV system on my helios64.

It's also seems than i have more information dump on serial console than before.
Before the u-boot process I have this informations dumped :

DDR Version 1.24 20191016
In
channel 0
CS = 0
MR0=0x18
MR4=0x1
MR5=0x1
MR8=0x10
MR12=0x72
MR14=0x72
MR18=0x0
MR19=0x0
MR24=0x8
MR25=0x0
channel 1
CS = 0
MR0=0x18
MR4=0x1
MR5=0x1
MR8=0x10
MR12=0x72
MR14=0x72
MR18=0x0
MR19=0x0
MR24=0x8
MR25=0x0
channel 0 training pass!
channel 1 training pass!
change freq to 416MHz 0,1
Channel 0: LPDDR4,416MHz
Bus Width=32 Col=10 Bank=8 Row=16 CS=1 Die Bus-Width=16 Size=2048MB
Channel 1: LPDDR4,416MHz
Bus Width=32 Col=10 Bank=8 Row=16 CS=1 Die Bus-Width=16 Size=2048MB
256B stride
channel 0
CS = 0
MR0=0x18
MR4=0x1
MR5=0x1
MR8=0x10
MR12=0x72
MR14=0x72
MR18=0x0
MR19=0x0
MR24=0x8
MR25=0x0
channel 1
CS = 0
MR0=0x18
MR4=0x1
MR5=0x1
MR8=0x10
MR12=0x72
MR14=0x72
MR18=0x0
MR19=0x0
MR24=0x8
MR25=0x0
channel 0 training pass!
channel 1 training pass!
channel 0, cs 0, advanced training done
channel 1, cs 0, advanced training done
change freq to 856MHz 1,0
ch 0 ddrconfig = 0x101, ddrsize = 0x40
ch 1 ddrconfig = 0x101, ddrsize = 0x40
pmugrf_os_reg[2] = 0x32C1F2C1, stride = 0xD
ddr_set_rate to 328MHZ
ddr_set_rate to 666MHZ
ddr_set_rate to 928MHZ
channel 0, cs 0, advanced training done
channel 1, cs 0, advanced training done
ddr_set_rate to 416MHZ, ctl_index 0
ddr_set_rate to 856MHZ, ctl_index 1
support 416 856 328 666 928 MHz, current 856MHz
OUT
Boot1: 2019-03-14, version: 1.19
CPUId = 0x0
ChipType = 0x10, 254
mmc: ERROR: SDHCI ERR:cmd:0x102,stat:0x18000
mmc: ERROR: Card did not respond to voltage select!
emmc reinit
mmc: ERROR: SDHCI ERR:cmd:0x102,stat:0x18000
mmc: ERROR: Card did not respond to voltage select!
emmc reinit
mmc: ERROR: SDHCI ERR:cmd:0x102,stat:0x18000
mmc: ERROR: Card did not respond to voltage select!
SdmmcInit=2 1
mmc0:cmd5,20
SdmmcInit=0 0
BootCapSize=0
UserCapSize=30436MB
FwPartOffset=2000 , 0
StorageInit ok = 47527
SecureMode = 0
SecureInit read PBA: 0x4
SecureInit read PBA: 0x404
SecureInit read PBA: 0x804
SecureInit read PBA: 0xc04
SecureInit read PBA: 0x1004
SecureInit read PBA: 0x1404
SecureInit read PBA: 0x1804
SecureInit read PBA: 0x1c04
SecureInit ret = 0, SecureMode = 0
atags_set_bootdev: ret:(0)
GPT 0x3380ec0 signature is wrong
recovery gpt...
GPT 0x3380ec0 signature is wrong
recovery gpt fail!
LoadTrust Addr:0x4000
No find bl30.bin
No find bl32.bin
Load uboot, ReadLba = 2000
hdr 0000000003380880 + 0x0:0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,

Load OK, addr=0x200000, size=0xe5ba8
RunBL31 0x40000
NOTICE:  BL31: v1.3(debug):42583b6
NOTICE:  BL31: Built : 07:55:13, Oct 15 2019
NOTICE:  BL31: Rockchip release version: v1.1
INFO:    GICv3 with legacy support detected. ARM GICV3 driver initialized in EL3
INFO:    Using opteed sec cpu_context!
INFO:    boot cpu mask: 0
INFO:    plat_rockchip_pmu_init(1190): pd status 3e
INFO:    BL31: Initializing runtime services
WARNING: No OPTEE provided by BL2 boot loader, Booting device without OPTEE initialization. SMC`s destined for OPTEE will return SMC_UNK
ERROR:   Error initializing runtime service opteed_fast
INFO:    BL31: Preparing for EL3 exit to normal world
INFO:    Entry point address = 0x200000
INFO:    SPSR = 0x3c9


U-Boot 2020.10-armbian (Sep 08 2021 - 10:55:50 +0000)

Edited September 11, 2023 by Gwen Lg