>>Can I do away with NAND ?

If you need smallest physical size, then you can go with Atmel Serial DataFlash.

NAND-Flash provides the highest amount of storage in a small space.

The BOOT ROM provides many ways to boot up the AT91SAM9261, see Figure 13-1 in the datasheet.

>>Is the sam9 capable of booting NOR directly ?

Yes, the BMS pin determines if it starts up from internal BOOT ROM or external memory (i.e. NOR Flash).

----

There are pro's and con's to each boot method.

The advantage to booting with NOR-Flash is that you can set a break point at beginning of the world.

The disadvantage of NOR-Flash compare to all the serial chips is physical size.

The boot loader only works by loading code into internal RAM because most external chip select aren't initialized yet and attached SDRAM won't be setup and configured yet.

I did one project with NOR-Flash, then another project with Serial DataFlash. The DataFlash was a pain because you had to configure the debugger to wait for the dataflash to download the program into RAM first. It was a lot easier debugging with NOR-Flash in the system.

If I did another ARM project that didn't have internal flash, and I had enough PCB space, I would choose to boot up into NOR-Flash device. If the project allowed it, I would choose SD flash for my mass storage.

What do you mean by "dataflash" ? SPI ? Well SPI ones are tiny,
compared to the gigantic NAND you can get for cheap...

Michael

On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 4:07 PM, Paulo Silva(OpenSoftware)
wrote:
> Hi guys...
>
> Why using nand seems to be prefered than using dataflash?
> Speed?
>
> PSilva
>
> Dan Lyke escreveu:
>>
>> On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:42:10 -0000
>> "gnuarm" > wrote:
>> > I suggest that you research this in the errata. I remember that the
>> > earlier SAM9 parts could not boot from several devices that were
>> > listed as boot devices in the data sheets.
>>
>> Yes. We had this problem with AT91SAM9261 parts. We had to find "B"
>> revision parts to boot off the NAND.
>>
>> Dan
>

Hi guys...

Why using nand seems to be prefered than using dataflash?
Speed?

PSilva

Dan Lyke escreveu:
>
> On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:42:10 -0000
> "gnuarm" > wrote:
> > I suggest that you research this in the errata. I remember that the
> > earlier SAM9 parts could not boot from several devices that were
> > listed as boot devices in the data sheets.
>
> Yes. We had this problem with AT91SAM9261 parts. We had to find "B"
> revision parts to boot off the NAND.
>
> Dan

On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:42:10 -0000
"gnuarm" wrote:
> I suggest that you research this in the errata. I remember that the
> earlier SAM9 parts could not boot from several devices that were
> listed as boot devices in the data sheets.

Yes. We had this problem with AT91SAM9261 parts. We had to find "B"
revision parts to boot off the NAND.

Dan

Hi,

take a look at PROPOX.

http://www.propox.com/products/t_232.html

Regards Noel.

________________________________

From: A... [mailto:A...] On Behalf
Of M P
Sent: 10Nov09 10:07
To: A...
Subject: Re: [AT91SAM] Minimal system for at91sam9*

Thanks guys; so it seems it's a better deal to boot from NAND directly.

Does anyone know of a devboard (apart from the -EK) using the G20 in
that "minimalist" spirit ?

Michael
On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 2:21 AM, Chen, Weiguo (GE, Research)
> wrote:

Yes, If you boot on embedded ROM. it supports dataflash (not
Atmel's at25/26df series), nandflash, SD.

Weiguo

________________________________

From: A...
[mailto:A... ] On
Behalf Of vishnu Tadepalli
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:11 AM
To: A...
Subject: Re: [AT91SAM] Minimal system for at91sam9*

Hi,

16/32 MB of SDRAM should be perfect.
Try using 8/16MB of serial data flash instead of NOR flash.I
think AT91sam9 is capable of booting from dataflash.

TVRPrasad

On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 5:51 PM, M P > wrote:

I'm looking into running a minimal at91sam9 . I've been
trying to
figure out how much minimal resources it would need to
be reliable.

+ 16 or 32B SDRAM for linux ?
+ 2 MB NOR for u-boot(?)+kernel+initrd

Can I do away with NAND ? Is the sam9 capable of booting
NOR directly ?

Anyone did that before ?

Thanks guys; so it seems it's a better deal to boot from NAND directly.

Does anyone know of a devboard (apart from the -EK) using the G20 in that
"minimalist" spirit ?

Michael

On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 2:21 AM, Chen, Weiguo (GE, Research) <
w...@ge.com> wrote:

> Yes, If you boot on embedded ROM. it supports dataflash (not Atmel's
> at25/26df series), nandflash, SD.
>
> Weiguo
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* A... [mailto:A...] *On
> Behalf Of *vishnu Tadepalli
> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:11 AM
> *To:* A...
> *Subject:* Re: [AT91SAM] Minimal system for at91sam9*
>
> Hi,
>
> 16/32 MB of SDRAM should be perfect.
> Try using 8/16MB of serial data flash instead of NOR flash.I think AT91sam9
> is capable of booting from dataflash.
> TVRPrasad
>
> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 5:51 PM, M P wrote:
>
>> I'm looking into running a minimal at91sam9 . I've been trying to
>> figure out how much minimal resources it would need to be reliable.
>>
>> + 16 or 32B SDRAM for linux ?
>> + 2 MB NOR for u-boot(?)+kernel+initrd
>>
>> Can I do away with NAND ? Is the sam9 capable of booting NOR directly ?
>>
>> Anyone did that before ?
>>
>

Yes, If you boot on embedded ROM. it supports dataflash (not Atmel's
at25/26df series), nandflash, SD.

Weiguo

________________________________

From: A... [mailto:A...] On Behalf
Of vishnu Tadepalli
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:11 AM
To: A...
Subject: Re: [AT91SAM] Minimal system for at91sam9*

Hi,

16/32 MB of SDRAM should be perfect.
Try using 8/16MB of serial data flash instead of NOR flash.I think
AT91sam9 is capable of booting from dataflash.
TVRPrasad
On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 5:51 PM, M P > wrote:

I'm looking into running a minimal at91sam9 . I've been trying
to
figure out how much minimal resources it would need to be
reliable.

+ 16 or 32B SDRAM for linux ?
+ 2 MB NOR for u-boot(?)+kernel+initrd

Can I do away with NAND ? Is the sam9 capable of booting NOR
directly ?

Anyone did that before ?

I suggest that you research this in the errata. I remember that the earlier SAM9 parts could not boot from several devices that were listed as boot devices in the data sheets.

Rick
--- In A..., vishnu Tadepalli wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> 16/32 MB of SDRAM should be perfect.
> Try using 8/16MB of serial data flash instead of NOR flash.I think AT91sam9
> is capable of booting from dataflash.
> TVRPrasad
>
> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 5:51 PM, M P wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > I'm looking into running a minimal at91sam9 . I've been trying to
> > figure out how much minimal resources it would need to be reliable.
> >
> > + 16 or 32B SDRAM for linux ?
> > + 2 MB NOR for u-boot(?)+kernel+initrd
> >
> > Can I do away with NAND ? Is the sam9 capable of booting NOR directly ?
> >
> > Anyone did that before ?
> >
>

Hi,

16/32 MB of SDRAM should be perfect.
Try using 8/16MB of serial data flash instead of NOR flash.I think AT91sam9
is capable of booting from dataflash.
TVRPrasad

On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 5:51 PM, M P wrote:

> I'm looking into running a minimal at91sam9 . I've been trying to
> figure out how much minimal resources it would need to be reliable.
>
> + 16 or 32B SDRAM for linux ?
> + 2 MB NOR for u-boot(?)+kernel+initrd
>
> Can I do away with NAND ? Is the sam9 capable of booting NOR directly ?
>
> Anyone did that before ?
>
>

I did a project for a customer, with:
32MBytes of SDRAM.
4MBytes of dataflash for u-boot(?)+kernel+initrd

Hope this help.

M P escreveu:
>
> I'm looking into running a minimal at91sam9 . I've been trying to
> figure out how much minimal resources it would need to be reliable.
>
> + 16 or 32B SDRAM for linux ?
> + 2 MB NOR for u-boot(?)+kernel+initrd
>
> Can I do away with NAND ? Is the sam9 capable of booting NOR directly ?
>
> Anyone did that before ?