Fail to boot any Armbian Images via SDcard

[Skallwar]

Hello,

I tired to boot Armbian for my Rock5b but whatever image I choose to use, I'm never able to get past U-boot into linux when looking at the Uart output. Here are the log I get:
```

U-Boot SPL board init
U-Boot SPL 2017.09-gd1cf49135ee-220414-dirty #stephen (May 23 2024 - 19:39:28)
Trying to boot from MMC2
GUID Partition Table Entry Array CRC is wrong: 0x71678773 != 0xab54d286
part_get_info_efi: *** ERROR: Invalid GPT ***
part_get_info_efi: ***        Using Backup GPT ***
spl: partition error
Trying fit image at 0x4000 sector
## Verified-boot: 0
## Checking atf-1 0x00040000 ... sha256(7612223b82...) + OK
## Checking uboot 0x00200000 ... sha256(b6f9939e11...) + OK
## Checking fdt 0x003200d8 ... sha256(e3b0c44298...) + OK
fdt_record_loadable: FDT_ERR_BADMAGIC
## Checking atf-2 0xff100000 ... sha256(70505bb764...) + OK
fdt_record_loadable: FDT_ERR_BADMAGIC
## Checking atf-3 0x000f0000 ... sha256(b2af21b504...) + OK
fdt_record_loadable: FDT_ERR_BADMAGIC
Jumping to U-Boot(0x00200000) via ARM Trusted Firmware(0x00040000)
Total: 729.286/924.898 ms

INFO:    Preloader serial: 2
NOTICE:  BL31: v2.3():v2.3-868-g040d2de11:derrick.huang, fwver: v1.48
NOTICE:  BL31: Built : 15:02:44, Dec 19 2024
INFO:    spec: 0x1
INFO:    code: 0x88
INFO:    ext 32k is not valid
INFO:    ddr: stride-en 4CH
INFO:    GICv3 without legacy support detected.
INFO:    ARM GICv3 driver initialized in EL3
INFO:    valid_cpu_msk=0xff bcore0_rst = 0x0, bcore1_rst = 0x0
INFO:    l3 cache partition cfg-0
INFO:    system boots from cpu-hwid-0
INFO:    disable memory repair
INFO:    idle_st=0x21fff, pd_st=0x11fff9, repair_st=0xfff70001
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[0].freq_mhz= 2112MHz
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[1].freq_mhz= 528MHz
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[2].freq_mhz= 1068MHz
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[3].freq_mhz= 1560MHz
INFO:    BL31: Initialising Exception Handling Framework
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
```

I tried to use multiple SDcard and different power supply (67W 5v phone charger and USB-PD bricks) but I never got any logs after `INFO:    SPSR = 0x3c9`.
I tried multiple Armbian images with vendor and current kernel, minimal ones and ubuntu gnome ones.

I'm starting to wonder if my board is broken but I can boot the Android image that I found here https://forum.radxa.com/t/rom-rock5a-b-androidtv-12-by-mo123/15527

Edited 23 hours ago by Skallwar
Added link to the only image I'm able to boot

[Werner]

I guess dirty spi. wipe it and try again

[Skallwar]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I've tried this already following this guide https://docs.radxa.com/en/e/e24c/getting-started/install-os/nvme-system/spi-flash#flash-spi-boot-firmware.
I tried to flash both the release and debug images I found here https://dl.radxa.com/rock5/sw/images/loader/rock-5b/

When you say wipe it, do you mean wipe it and don't flash something else?

[Werner]

57 minutes ago, Skallwar said:

When you say wipe it, do you mean wipe it and don't flash something else?

correct. If the soc does not detect a valid boot loader on spi it will fall back to its hard coded boot order which is spi, emmc, microsd or something like this.

[Skallwar]

Okay I will try that when I get back from work, thanks for your time

[Skallwar]

Hi. I did a wipe of the SPI flahs using the method found in this guide https://docs.radxa.com/en/rock5/rock5b/low-level-dev/install-os/rkdevtool_spi#erase-spi-flash

While I can see that the TF-A version is newer I still hand int the same fashion:
```

DDR b8ce94f14b cym 25/09/26-15:48.05,fwver: v1.20
ch0 ttot10
ch1 ttot10
ch2 ttot10
ch3 ttot10
ch0 ttot18
LPDDR4X, 2112MHz
channel[0] BW=16 Col=10 Bk=8 CS0 Row=17 CS=1 Die BW=16 Size=2048MB
ch1 ttot18
channel[1] BW=16 Col=10 Bk=8 CS0 Row=17 CS=1 Die BW=16 Size=2048MB
ch2 ttot16
channel[2] BW=16 Col=10 Bk=8 CS0 Row=17 CS=1 Die BW=16 Size=2048MB
ch3 ttot18
channel[3] BW=16 Col=10 Bk=8 CS0 Row=17 CS=1 Die BW=16 Size=2048MB
Manufacturer ID:0xff
DQS rds:l0,h1
CH0 RX Vref:27.5%, TX Vref:21.8%,0.0%
DQ rds:l0 h1 h1 h1 h4 h1 h3 h1, h1 h6 h4 h3 h4 h4 h7 h2

DQS rds:l0,h3
CH1 RX Vref:27.5%, TX Vref:20.8%,0.0%
DQ rds:h1 h6 h1 h3 h3 h4 h3 h4, h5 h1 h4 h6 h5 h7 h1 h2

DQS rds:h1,h1
CH2 RX Vref:28.5%, TX Vref:20.8%,0.0%
DQ rds:l0 h4 h2 l0 h6 h5 h4 h2, h3 h3 h2 h4 h5 h5 h7 h6

DQS rds:h1,h1
CH3 RX Vref:28.9%, TX Vref:21.8%,0.0%
DQ rds:h2 h7 h7 h2 h6 h2 h7 h1, h5 l0 h5 l0 h1 h5 h1 h1

stride=0x2, ddr_config=0x0
hash ch_mask0-1 0x20 0x40, bank_mask0-3 0xa00 0x1400 0x2800 0x0, rank_mask0 0x0
change to F1: 528MHz
ch0 ttot10
ch1 ttot10
ch2 ttot10
ch3 ttot10
change to F2: 1068MHz
ch0 ttot14
ch1 ttot12
ch2 ttot12
ch3 ttot14
change to F3: 1560MHz
ch0 ttot16
ch1 ttot16
ch2 ttot14
ch3 ttot16
change to F0: 2112MHz
ch0 ttot18
ch1 ttot18
ch2 ttot18
ch3 ttot18
out
INFO:    Preloader serial: 2
NOTICE:  BL31: v2.3():v2.3-942-g98eaeb2f3:derrick.huang, fwver: v1.53
NOTICE:  BL31: Built : 12:10:56, Aug 25 2025
INFO:    spec: 0x1
INFO:    code: 0x88
INFO:    customer demand: 0x0
INFO:    ext 32k is not valid
INFO:    ddr: stride-en 4CH
INFO:    GICv3 without legacy support detected.
INFO:    ARM GICv3 driver initialized in EL3
INFO:    valid_cpu_msk=0xff bcore0_rst = 0x0, bcore1_rst = 0x0
INFO:    l3 cache partition cfg-0
INFO:    system boots from cpu-hwid-0
INFO:    disable memory repair
INFO:    idle_st=0x21fff, pd_st=0x11fff9, repair_st=0xfff70001
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[0].freq_mhz= 2112MHz
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[1].freq_mhz= 528MHz
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[2].freq_mhz= 1068MHz
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[3].freq_mhz= 1560MHz
INFO:    BL31: Initialising Exception Handling Framework
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

```

[Werner]

12 minutes ago, Skallwar said:

INFO:    SPSR = 0x3c9

Does it simply stop after that line or is the output incomplete?

[Skallwar]

It just stops after that. No Linux UART logs, nothing via HDMI.
I'm flashing this image: Armbian_26.2.1_Rock-5b_noble_vendor_6.1.115_gnome_desktop.img

Edited 2 hours ago by Skallwar

[Werner]

Hm. Pure guess: https://github.com/armbian/build/commit/1bac6d977217039cae7193a1d6c19ae5b50c2c5f

Try to build and boot an image with this reverted

[Skallwar]

Ok I will try that. The `Armbian_26.2.1_Rock-5b_noble_vendor_6.1.115_gnome_desktop.img` image is from February so this commit shouldn't be there but I will try without this commit anyway.
I also try the Ubuntu rolling release from May 24 that should include this commit but the behavior is the same

[Skallwar]

So I cloned the repo, did a git revert on the commit you mentioned then ran `./compile.sh BOARD=rock-5b RELEASE=noble BUILD_DESKTOP=yes BUILD_MINIMAL=no DESKTOP_ENVIRONMENT=gnome DESKTOP_ENVIRONMENT_CONFIG_NAME=config_base KERNEL_CONFIGURE=no`, flashed the image in the output folder and I'm getting but I'm still getting the same output
```

INFO:    Preloader serial: 2
NOTICE:  BL31: v2.3():v2.3-868-g040d2de11:derrick.huang, fwver: v1.48
NOTICE:  BL31: Built : 15:02:44, Dec 19 2024
INFO:    spec: 0x1
INFO:    code: 0x88
INFO:    ext 32k is not valid
INFO:    ddr: stride-en 4CH
INFO:    GICv3 without legacy support detected.
INFO:    ARM GICv3 driver initialized in EL3
INFO:    valid_cpu_msk=0xff bcore0_rst = 0x0, bcore1_rst = 0x0
INFO:    l3 cache partition cfg-0
INFO:    system boots from cpu-hwid-0
INFO:    disable memory repair
INFO:    idle_st=0x21fff, pd_st=0x11fff9, repair_st=0xfff70001
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[0].freq_mhz= 2112MHz
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[1].freq_mhz= 528MHz
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[2].freq_mhz= 1068MHz
INFO:    dfs DDR fsp_params[3].freq_mhz= 1560MHz
INFO:    BL31: Initialising Exception Handling Framework
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
```

I wonder if we are getting to the next step (U-boot, right?) and just not getting any logs