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 Thursday at 09:45 PM 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 15 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

[Werner]

Yes, the next step should be u-boot normally. @meco any clue?

[eselarm]

On 5/28/2026 at 11:42 PM, Skallwar said:

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`.

My ROCK5B was ordered as a 'blue one' on Aliexpress a year ago; I got a 'green one' and as with included case the price was > 150 euro, it got stuck at customs for quite some time. It was with blank/empty SPI flash and endless boot-loop. That was already known by me, so I had fixed 12V soldered to a male USB-C connector. Same story for ROCK3A, although that one booted most of the time but then while running al sorts of strange errors and or crashes.

 

So I think you have to assume USB-C PD negotiation is not working with the Armbian images you tested. Only the U-Boot starting at sector 64 does matter, rest (Linux) is don't care. If a stable U-Boot or UEFIv1.1 form SPI-flash or SD-card, you have already a very extensive commandline interface or text menu's in the EDK2. But lock up  might simply happen because the PSU does not do 65W, instead max 15 W (only up to 3A) and the 5V might drop way too low, just very short dip that is not measurable without good oscilloscope or so. 

 

The Radxa image might have a bootloader variant that does do USB-C PD, although I haven't seen proof anywhere that it correctly handles and does operate the FUSB302, but that might simply be because my ROCK3A and ROCK5B came out of the box with empty SPI and for ROCK5B I have ignored Radxa images anyway after the big troubles with ROCK3A, so do not really know what happens with those.

 

So I have no other advice then use fixed higher voltage, formally it is >= 9V according to Radxa wiki/docs AFAIR, but I remember the powertree design actually better than those quick facts and my conclusion was : forget about 5V, use 12V and it was easy decision for me as I use 12V UPS and 3.5inch HDD that also needs 12V anyway.