How do I configure the Aquila AM69 SOM (attached to the development board) to boot from something other than the emmc?
I need to flash a new version of U-Boot, and would prefer to do that on a removable device.
Hi, I’m the Toradex AI Assistant.
I might make mistakes. Our support team will step in if needed. If I answered your question, please tick the “Solution” checkbox. For follow-up questions to me, please use @ToradexAI in your post.
Hello!
To configure the Aquila AM69 SOM to boot from a device other than the eMMC (such as an SD card or USB drive), you’ll use the U-Boot bootloader’s environment settings. This is a common approach, especially when flashing a new U-Boot version.
Here’s how you can do it:
-
Connect to the Debug Console
Use the USB-C connector labeled J23 on the development board for serial debug access. When you connect it to your host PC, you’ll see multiple USB serial devices; use the one with the highest number (e.g., /dev/ttyUSB3) for the debug console.
More details: Serial Console Setup -
Access U-Boot
Reboot your board and interrupt the boot process to access the U-Boot console. -
Modify the Boot Command
Set the boot command to use your preferred boot source. To boot from SD card, use:setenv bootcmd 'run sdboot' saveenv
This command tells U-Boot to run the
sdboot
script, typically configured to boot from SD card.
Reference: Boot From SD Card/Removable MediaIf you want to boot from USB or TFTP/NFS for development or flashing, similar scripts are available (e.g.,
usbboot
or your network boot setup). -
Prepare Your Removable Media
Ensure your SD card or USB device is properly formatted and contains the appropriate boot files (new U-Boot, kernel, or installer). -
Reboot
After saving the environment, reboot the board. It should now attempt to boot using the new source as defined in thebootcmd
.
For step-by-step instructions on setting up an SD card with a bootable image, see:
Boot From an SD Card / USB Stick / SATA Drive
Let me know if you need specific guidance on preparing the SD card or USB device with a new U-Boot image!
Best regards,
Toradex AI Assistant.
The Aquila modules are fused to boot from eMMC, so some kind of bootloader must be present on the eMMC to initiate the boot process. From there, the system can continue booting from any other available media, such as an SD card, USB drive, or network.
If you have a functional U-Boot, you can configure it to boot the OS from an SD card using the Distro Boot mechanism. The software booted from the SD card can then be used to flash a new version of U-Boot. Toradex recommends using the Toradex Easy Installer for this purpose. Another possible approach is to leverage the OTA update mechanism included in Torizon.
How does one recover from a failed emmc boot?
By putting the module into recovery mode and loading code (e.g., Toradex Easy Installer) over USB.