From 2faa892e7a799dc7d87c5697e185185baa83a282 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk>
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2015 01:24:25 -0500
Subject: move files to site/
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+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+<head>
+ <meta charset="utf-8">
+ <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
+
+ <style type="text/css">
+ @import url('../css/main.css');
+
+ div.contain {
+ max-width:100%;
+ }
+
+ b {
+ background:#ddd;
+ }
+ </style>
+
+ <title>dmp vortex86ex in libreboot</title>
+
+</head>
+
+<?php
+ include_once "../variables.php";
+?>
+
+<body>
+
+ <div class="contain">
+
+ <div id="libreboot" class="section intro">
+
+ <h1>dmp vortex86ex in libreboot</h1>
+
+ <p>
+ small embedded system (SoC), i586 CPU
+ made by a company called DMP. Seems like there are no blobs except a <a href="#kbd_fw">small firmware</a>
+ for a keyboard controller (PS/2), could use usb keyboard instead if
+ the ps/2 'blob' is an issue.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ <a href="../">(Back to homepage)</a>
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ <b>Last updated 00:22 UTC+0100 on November 23rd, 2014</b>
+ </p>
+
+ </div>
+
+
+ <div class="section">
+
+ <h2>#libreboot on November 15th, 2014</h2>
+
+<pre>
+<pehjota> After the conversation yesterday about KolibriOS, I stumbled upon some hardware that community seems to like: the Vortex86 series of i586-compatible SoCs and the DMP EBOX nettops that use those SoCs. coreboot supports one computer by DMP (src/mainboard/dmp/vortex86ex/) which appears to be the EBOX-3100 (the only EBOX nettop AFAICT without VGA). Three years ago someone ported coreboot to the
+<pehjota> EBOX-3300MX but apparently never upstreamed that work. These Vortex86 SoCs look pretty good, freedom-wise: I think there's no microcode at all, the VGA cores don't seem to need option ROMs, and there are no blobs for things like ME/MRC/AGESA. They have relatively low CPU clock rates (most at 600 or 933 MHz), so they aren't great for compiling or gaming. But they're sold as nettops, thin clients,
+<pehjota> and embedded systems, and the prices ($95–$269 from the US distributor) aren't bad.
+<pehjota> DMP EBOX computers: <a href="http://www.compactpc.com.tw/en/index.html">http://www.compactpc.com.tw/en/index.html</a>. EBOX-3300MX coreboot port: <a href="https://github.com/XVilka/coreboot">https://github.com/XVilka/coreboot</a> (last six commits). Basic (and incomplete) information on the Vortex86 SoCs: <a href="http://www.vortex86.com/">http://www.vortex86.com/</a>. Some technical overviews and resources: <a href="http://www.dmp.com.tw/tech/">http://www.dmp.com.tw/tech/</a>. DMP's BusyBox/Linux distribution (with a Linux config file but apparently no source code):
+<pehjota> <a href="http://www.dmp.com.tw/tech/os-xlinux/">http://www.dmp.com.tw/tech/os-xlinux/</a>.
+</pre>
+
+ <h2>#libreboot on November 16th, 2014</h2>
+
+<pre>
+<fchmmr> pehjota, I added info about those vortex86 machines to libreboot.org/release.html and to git.
+<fchmmr> By the way, xvilka (the person behind those commits on that github page) is in #coreboot at the moment.
+<pehjota> Cool. I can't discuss it right now either (busy and have to go idle soon), but I'm interested in his work and possibly seeing at least EBOX-3350MX (a nice cheap one with VGA) supported as well.
+<pehjota> The EBOX systems are cheap (once you add the cost of a power supply and enclosure to a BBB, it isn't much cheaper than an EBOX is) and most have VGA. Some have dual Ethernet and miniPCI.
+
+<mtjm> what is in dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc in coreboot sources?
+<fchmmr> mtjm, coreboot/src/cpu/dmp/vortex86ex/dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc is part of the "DEBLOB" file in libreboot.
+<fchmmr> I'll check it's contents in a coreboot clone.
+<fchmmr> it's referenced (included) by src/cpu/dmp/vortex86ex/biosdata.{inc,lds}
+<fchmmr> src/cpu/dmp/vortex86ex/biosdata.inc: #include "src/cpu/dmp/vortex86ex/dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc"
+<fchmmr> src/cpu/dmp/vortex86ex/Makefile.inc:chipset_bootblock_inc += $(src)/cpu/dmp/vortex86ex/biosdata.inc
+<mtjm> are there other blobs for that platform?
+<mtjm> for checking if it's code or data, see code that uses it (hardware only here?) and relevant documentation; if a disassembler produces reasonable code for an appropriate ISA, then it's most probably code, otherwise it's unknown
+<mtjm> (or is it e.g. a keymap?)
+<fchmmr> As far as I can tell, src/cpu/dmp/vortex86ex/dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc is the only blob
+<fchmmr> xvilka will know more, I'm sure
+<i>I then asked for more info in #coreboot and emailed Andrew Wu (original maintainer for that board) asking the same question</i>
+</pre>
+
+ <h2>#coreboot on November 16th, 2014</h2>
+
+<pre>
+<fchmmr> xvilka, what is src/cpu/dmp/vortex86ex/dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc for? What kind of data is it?
+<fchmmr> Is there a document that describes this data?
+<idwer> fchmmr: you haven't looked at biosdata.inc/.lds then
+<ruik> fchmmr: i think it is firmware for keyboard controller havent check
+<fchmmr> idwer, i looked at biosdata.inc, not lds. checking now.
+<fchmmr> ruik, keyboard as in ps/2 keyboard?
+<ruik> fchmmr: yes
+<ruik> fchmmr: could be 8051
+<ruik> 0x2 can be LJMP
+</pre>
+
+ <h2>back to #libreboot on November 16th, 2014</h2>
+
+<pre>
+<fchmmr> mtjm, just a hunch from #coreboot discussion: I think it might just be for PS/2 keyboards, not sure.
+<fchmmr> If that is the case though, you could basically just ignore it (not use it) and use a usb keyboard, I imagine.
+
+<pehjota> fchmmr: The EBOX-3100 (only Vortex86EX computer by DMP: <<a href="http://www.compactpc.com.tw/en/product/EBOX-3100/ebox-3100_1.html">http://www.compactpc.com.tw/en/product/EBOX-3100/ebox-3100_1.html</a>>.
+<fchmmr> coreboot menuconfig just says DMP -> Vortex86EX
+<pehjota> Yeah, it doesn't say which computer that is, but I'm guessing it's the EBOX-3100.
+<fchmmr> maybe there are more that also work.
+<fchmmr> I found a few "86duino" boards for isntance.
+<fchmmr> <a href="http://www.bttr-software.de/forum/mix_entry.php?id=13074">http://www.bttr-software.de/forum/mix_entry.php?id=13074</a>
+<fchmmr> <a href="http://www.86duino.com/?page_id=85/installation-troubleshooting-1/recompiling-coreboot-seabios-need-config-files">http://www.86duino.com/?page_id=85/installation-troubleshooting-1/recompiling-coreboot-seabios-need-config-files</a>
+<pehjota> Yeah, there's 86duino which supposedly comes with coreboot installed. There were some old configs posted to a forum but the links are dead. Other than that I can't find source code. And it's not in upstream coreboot.
+<i>Surely someone had a git repository somewhere? Was it public (and is it still online)?</i>
+<i>So we need to check all the usual places (github, gitorious, search google/ddg, etc).</i>
+
+<pehjota> Yeah, that thread; the links are dead.
+<fchmmr> tried the wayback machine?
+<fchmmr> <a href="https://archive.org/web/">https://archive.org/web/</a>
+<pehjota> Oh right, that's a Vortex86EX. Maybe that's the one supported by coreboot. DMP sells that one too.
+<fchmmr> a lot of the actual commits in coreboot seem to come from DMP themselves.
+
+<pehjota> I didn't, but the Wayback Machine usually doesn't archive .zip files or other things that aren't Web documents.
+<fchmmr> sometimes it does.
+
+<pehjota> Yeah, there's a developer at DMP who contributes this code to coreboot.
+<pehjota> And who is apparently active with KolibriOS too.
+<fchmmr> Andrew Wu
+<pehjota> Yup.
+
+<fchmmr> does trisquel 7 run on i586-only hardware?
+<fchmmr> i thought it was i686
+<fchmmr> I asked in #trisquel
+<pehjota> Not sure.
+<pehjota> Rereading the message in 8522f99 ("Add support for DMP Vortex86EX PCI mainboard.") and looking at <<a href="http://www.86duino.com/index.php?p=68">http://www.86duino.com/index.php?p=68</a>>, I think that might be the board.
+<fchmmr> maybe it runs on all vortex86ex soc's
+<pehjota> The code in src/cpu/ should, but src/mainboard/ is specific to individual boards.
+<fchmmr> I meant that maybe the same rom will work on multiple boards.
+<i>Or maybe all those *many* menuconfig options means that it could...</i>
+
+<pehjota> Although src/mainboard/dmp/vortex86ex/Kconfig appears to support configuration for different Vortex86EX-based boards, which is interesting.
+<pehjota> With defaults for 86Duino ZERO.
+<fchmmr> yes. lots of config options in menuconfig.
+<fchmmr> the default microcode options when selecting that board is "do not include microcode", which is promising.
+<pehjota> Yeah, as I said I don't think there's any microcode on Vortex86. I think the ISA is implemented directly in hardware.
+<fchmmr> Where does it say 86Duino in that Kconfigfile?
+<pehjota> It doesn't; I'm just guessing based on some of the default values.
+<fchmmr> select BOARD_ROM_KB_256
+<fchmmr> in Kconfig
+<fchmmr> probably couldn't fit GRUB in there, then. Would hvae to use SeaBIOS.
+<pehjota> And as I said, the initial commit message suggests it could have been originally for the 86Duino ZERO.
+<fchmmr> But if there's no vbios, or if it's a full (and free) vbios implementation, then seabios would be ok.
+<pehjota> Yeah, it uses SeaBIOS.
+<pehjota> Yup.
+<fchmmr> personally I'd prefer to use GRUB, but seabios is also fine.
+<fchmmr> GRUB wouldn't fit in such a small space
+<fchmmr> unless you build it with basically no modules
+<pehjota> It's basic VGA hardware with no option ROM AFAICT. No GPU or anything to initialize. The Linux driver is just a framebuffer one.
+<fchmmr> this all sounds very promising.
+<fchmmr> That file for keyboard can apparently be ignored if it's a freedom issue
+<pehjota> So just a framebuffer that gets sent out on VGA.
+<fchmmr> (can use usb keyboard)
+<pehjota> Yeah.
+<fchmmr> <pehjota> So just a framebuffer that gets sent out on VGA.
+<fchmmr> <pehjota> The Linux driver is just a framebuffer one.
+<pehjota> There's no GPU driver enabled in DMP's Linux config, only a couple video framebuffer drivers.
+<fchmmr> I'll ask on the mailing list (coreboot one) who has vortex86 hardware to test on
+<pehjota> The Linux config file is in the "source" .zip files here: <<a href="http://www.dmp.com.tw/tech/os-xlinux/">http://www.dmp.com.tw/tech/os-xlinux/</a>>.
+<pehjota> (Old version of Linux.)
+<fchmmr> Source for Vortex86DX/MX: xlinux-5.7-src-dx.zip (4.74 MB)
+<fchmmr> Source for Vortex86SX: xlinux-5.7-src-sx.zip (4.77 MB)
+<fchmmr> isn't it vortex86ex that we're looking at?
+<pehjota> fchmmr: Yeah, the SoC supported in mainline coreboot is the EX, for which there are apparently no "sources" on that page. I wouldn't use these systems for routers though; there are cheaper Atheros MIPS boards with dual Ethernet ports and built-in wireless chipsets, which should be able to run U-Boot.
+<pehjota> Good call on asking Andrew Wu. I was planning to just ask DMP in general about coreboot support for the EBOX systems.
+<pehjota> Personally I'm not all that interested in the EX-based systems like 86Duino. They don't have VGA, which would be necessary at least for the use cases I currently have in mind. I think the MX ones are more interesting from a practical perspective (they should be just as potentially free and xvilka ported coreboot to one of them). DX2 ones are also nice, but more expensive.
+
+DMP sells the 86Duino directly, and distributors sell the EBOX-3100 (as well as the other EBOX computers).
+</pre>
+
+ </div>
+
+ <div class="section" id="kbd_fw">
+
+ <h2>Firmware for keyboard</h2>
+
+ <p>
+ In coreboot, see src/cpu/dmp/vortex86ex/dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc. It is believed to be
+ firmware for a PS/2 keyboard controller, though it's actual purpose is yet to be
+ confirmed. You could probably exclude this
+ (libreboot already does, in the DEBLOB script) and plug in a USB keyboard.
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ A copy of dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc: <a href="dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc.txt">dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc.txt</a>.
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ The hex arrays were copied and formated in a PHP file.
+ This outputs the array in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_HEX#Format">intel hex format</a>.
+ See results at <a href="array.php">array.php</a> (for src, clone the libreboot site using the info from the
+ <a href="../">home page</a>).
+ The output was then saved as <b>dis.inc</b> and <b>dis.inc.hex</b>.
+ </p>
+
+ </p>
+ According to ruik in #coreboot IRC channel, this is either 8051 or 8052 assembly code. I installed
+ 2 disassemblers: dis51 (8051 disassembly) and d52 (8052 disassembly). <br/>
+ $ <b>dis51 < dis.inc > dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc.disassembled.dis51.txt</b><br/>
+ And for 8052 disassembly:<br/>
+ $ <b>d52 -dh dis.inc.hex</b><br/>
+ $ <b>mv dis.inc.d52 dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc.disassembled.d52.txt</b>
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ Disassembly results here:<br/>
+ 8051 (dis51) disassembly:
+ <a href="dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc.disassembled.dis51.txt">dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc.disassembled.dis51.txt</a>
+ - lots of data (non-instruction) sections, might be unknown instructions from 8052?<br/>
+ <s>8052 (d52) disassembly:
+ <a href="dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc.disassembled.d52.txt">dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc.disassembled.d52.txt</a></s> -
+ it's 8051 code. See below.
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ The original dmp_kbd_fw_part1.inc in coreboot also has a GPL licence attached, so it's possible
+ that DMP might give the source code for this. Otherwise, if all else fails, we have the
+ disassembled code to try to reverse engineer.
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ Todo's from mtjm:
+ </p>
+ <ul>
+ <li>check if there is any documented load address, check if jump addresses are reasonable</li>
+ <li>check if there are reasonable code sequences (so it's probably really 8051 code)</li>
+ <li>
+ make sure that it's really under the GPL, then work on generating the same binary from disassembly
+ + comments added when trying to understand it
+ </li>
+ <li>check if anything reads the code (there are different memory spaces for code and modifiable data)</li>
+ <li>maybe it has data or unaligned instructions</li>
+ <li>(check that you disassembled it properly, in other words)</li>
+ <li>
+ you want to get code that a machine runs, while you send some (maybe not all) code to it,
+ that code has instructions that can read the available code and probably does some i/o that
+ can be used to send that code
+ </li>
+ <li>not sure if it would have any bootrom; 8051 starts running code at address 0</li>
+ </ul>
+
+ <p>
+ Andrew Wu replied to my email. The keyboard controller firmware is non-free; no source code available.
+ The GPL license on it is bogus. So libreboot will simply not include PS/2 keyboard support for this machine,
+ unless it can be reverse engineered based on the above. (not needed. just use USB)
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ Andrew also said that the firmware is <b>8051</b> code, not 8052. The firmware
+ implements a <b>standard PC/AT 8042 keyboard controller (handling PS/2 KB_CLK, KB_DATA signals, etc)
+ There are datasheets for this!!</b>.
+ </p>
+
+ <p>
+ Andrew also said that he doesn't know about specific hardware as he is in sotfware,
+ so he forwarded me to sales, they/he will let me know what vortex86ex systems are actually available for coreboot.
+ </p>
+
+<pre>
+The 8051 PS/2 keyboard controller firmware not only controls PS/2 keyboard/mouse, but also handles some system functions, like system reset, A20 line enable, etc, via I/O port 60h/64h.
+
+(Because standard PC/AT 8042 keyboard controller does so).
+
+In short, if software reads or writes I/O port 60h/64h in vortex86ex, then you need the 8051 firmware, otherwise these I/O ports won’t work correctly.
+
+I think most OSes, like DOS or Windows, will access port 60h/64h on startup, so removing the firmware code may cause many compatibility problems.
+</pre>
+
+<pre>
+Instead I propose that I take some minimal time to re-disassemble it
+trough the usual free software tools like gdb, binutils(readelf, and
+objdump), or radare2.
+
+^ other approaches.
+</pre>
+
+ <p>
+ If GNU/Linux will work, then it's ok.
+ </p>
+
+ </div>
+
+<br/>
+<hr/>
+
+ <div class="section footer">
+
+<?php
+ include "../footer.php";
+?>
+
+ </div>
+
+ </div>
+
+</body>
+</html>
+
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