Hard Processor System Remote System Update User Guide: Agilex™ 3 and Agilex™ 5 SoCs

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ID 852610
Date 12/15/2025
Public
Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. Overview 2. Use Cases 3. Quad SPI Flash Layout 4. Quartus® Prime Software and Tool Support 5. Software Support 6. Flash Corruption - Detection and Recovery 7. Remote System Update Example 8. Version Compatibility Considerations 9. Revision History for the Hard Processor System Remote System Update User Guide: Agilex™ 3 and Agilex™ 5 SoCs A. Configuration Flow Diagrams B. RSU Status and Error Codes C. U-Boot RSU Reference Information D. LIBRSU Reference Information E. Combined Application Images
1. Overview x
1.1. Features 1.2. System Components 1.3. Glossary
2. Use Cases x
2.1. Manufacturing 2.2. Application Image Boot 2.3. Factory Image Boot 2.4. Modifying the List of Application Images 2.5. Querying RSU Status 2.6. Loading a Specific Image 2.7. Protected Access to Flash 2.8. Remote System Update Watchdog 2.9. RSU Notify 2.10. Updating the Factory Image 2.11. Updating the Decision Firmware 2.12. Retrying when Configuration Fails 2.13. Querying the Decision Firmware Version
3. Quad SPI Flash Layout x
3.1. High-Level Flash Layout 3.2. Detailed Quad SPI Flash Layout 3.3. Decision Firmware Data Max Retry Information 3.4. Firmware Version Information
3.1. High-Level Flash Layout x
3.1.1. Standard (non-RSU) Image Layout in Flash 3.1.2. RSU Image Layout in Flash - SDM Perspective 3.1.3. RSU Image Layout – Your Perspective
3.2. Detailed Quad SPI Flash Layout x
3.2.1. RSU Image Sub-Partitions Layout 3.2.2. Sub-Partition Table Layout 3.2.3. Configuration Pointer Block Layout
4. Quartus® Prime Software and Tool Support x
4.1. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software 4.2. Programming File Generator 4.3. Quartus® Prime Programmer 4.4. Supported QSPI Flash Devices
4.1. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software x
4.1.1. Selecting Factory Load Pin 4.1.2. Enabling HPS Watchdog to Trigger RSU 4.1.3. Setting the Max_Retry Parameter 4.1.4. Setting QSPI Ownership
4.2. Programming File Generator x
4.2.1. Programming File Generator File Types 4.2.2. Bitswap Option 4.2.3. Creating Images
4.2.3. Creating Images x
4.2.3.1. Creating Initial Flash Image 4.2.3.2. Creating Application Images 4.2.3.3. Creating Factory Update Images 4.2.3.4. Creating Decision Firmware Update Images 4.2.3.5. Creating Combined Application Images
4.2.3.1. Creating Initial Flash Image x
4.2.3.1.1. Creating Initial Flash Image for FPGA Configuration First 4.2.3.1.2. Creating Initial Flash Image for HPS Boot First
5. Software Support x
5.1. SDM RSU Support 5.2. Arm Trusted Firmware Support 5.3. U-Boot RSU Support 5.4. Linux* RSU Support
5.3. U-Boot RSU Support x
5.3.1. U-Boot RSU APIs 5.3.2. U-Boot RSU Commands
5.4. Linux* RSU Support x
5.4.1. Altera™ Service Driver 5.4.2. Altera™ RSU Driver 5.4.3. LIBRSU Library 5.4.4. RSU Client
6. Flash Corruption - Detection and Recovery x
6.1. Decision Firmware 6.2. Decision Firmware Data 6.3. Configuration Pointer Block 6.4. Sub-Partition Table 6.5. Application Image 6.6. Factory Image 6.7. Example Maintenance Procedure
6.7. Example Maintenance Procedure x
6.7.1. Maintenance Procedure
6.7.1. Maintenance Procedure x
6.7.1.1. Recover Decision Firmware Procedure
8. Version Compatibility Considerations x
8.1. Component Versions 8.2. Component Interfaces 8.3. Component Version Compatibility 8.4. Using Multiple Quartus® Prime Software Versions for Bitstreams 8.5. Updating U-Boot to Support Different SSBL per Bitstream
A. Configuration Flow Diagrams x
A.1. Load Image on Power Up or nConfig Flow A.2. Try Loading Image Process A.3. Request Specific Image Flow A.4. Configure after Image Failure Process A.5. Watchdog Timeout Flow
C. U-Boot RSU Reference Information x
C.1. Configuration Parameters C.2. Error Codes C.3. Using U-Boot RSU Without a Valid SPT or CPB C.4. Macros C.5. Data Types C.6. Functions C.7. RSU U-Boot Commands
C.1. Configuration Parameters x
C.1.1. rsu_protected_slot C.1.2. rsu_log_level C.1.3. rsu_spt_checksum
C.5. Data Types x
C.5.1. rsu_slot_info C.5.2. rsu_status_info
C.6. Functions x
C.6.1. rsu_init C.6.2. rsu_exit C.6.3. rsu_slot_count C.6.4. rsu_slot_by_name C.6.5. rsu_slot_get_info C.6.6. rsu_slot_size C.6.7. rsu_slot_priority C.6.8. rsu_slot_erase C.6.9. rsu_slot_program_buf C.6.10. rsu_slot_program_factory_update_buf C.6.11. rsu_slot_program_buf_raw C.6.12. rsu_slot_verify_buf C.6.13. rsu_slot_verify_buf_raw C.6.14. rsu_slot_enable C.6.15. rsu_slot_disable C.6.16. rsu_slot_load C.6.17. rsu_slot_load_factory C.6.18. rsu_slot_rename C.6.19. rsu_slot_delete C.6.20. rsu_slot_create C.6.21. rsu_status_log C.6.22. rsu_notify C.6.23. rsu_clear_error_status C.6.24. rsu_reset_retry_counter C.6.25. rsu_dcmf_version C.6.26. rsu_max_retry C.6.27. rsu_dcmf_status C.6.28. rsu_create_empty_cpb C.6.29. rsu_restore_cpb C.6.30. rsu_save_cpb C.6.31. rsu_restore_spt C.6.32. rsu_save_spt C.6.33. rsu_running_factory
C.7. RSU U-Boot Commands x
C.7.1. dtb C.7.2. list C.7.3. slot_by_name C.7.4. slot_count C.7.5. slot_disable C.7.6. slot_enable C.7.7. slot_erase C.7.8. slot_get_info C.7.9. slot_load C.7.10. slot_load_factory C.7.11. slot_priority C.7.12. slot_program_buf C.7.13. slot_program_buf_raw C.7.14. slot_program_factory_update_buf C.7.15. slot_rename C.7.16. slot_delete C.7.17. slot_create C.7.18. slot_size C.7.19. slot_verify_buf C.7.20. slot_verify_buf_raw C.7.21. status_log C.7.22. update C.7.23. notify C.7.24. clear_error_status C.7.25. reset_retry_counter C.7.26. display_dcmf_version C.7.27. display_dcmf_status C.7.28. display_max_retry C.7.29. restore_spt C.7.30. save_spt C.7.31. create_empty_cpb C.7.32. restore_cpb C.7.33. save_cpb C.7.34. check_running_factory
D. LIBRSU Reference Information x
D.1. Configuration File D.2. Error Codes D.3. Using LIBRSU Without a Valid SPT or CPB D.4. Macros D.5. Data Types D.6. Functions D.7. RSU Client Commands
D.5. Data Types x
D.5.1. Operative System Abstraction Layer Data Types D.5.2. rsu_slot_info D.5.3. rsu_status_info D.5.4. rsu_data_callback
D.6. Functions x
D.6.1. rsu_slot_priority D.6.2. rsu_slot_erase D.6.3. rsu_slot_program_buf D.6.4. rsu_slot_program_factory_update_buf D.6.5. rsu_slot_program_file D.6.6. rsu_slot_program_factory_update_file D.6.7. rsu_slot_program_buf_raw D.6.8. rsu_slot_program_file_raw D.6.9. rsu_slot_verify_buf D.6.10. rsu_slot_verify_file D.6.11. rsu_slot_verify_buf_raw D.6.12. rsu_slot_verify_file_raw D.6.13. rsu_slot_program_callback D.6.14. rsu_slot_program_callback_raw D.6.15. rsu_slot_verify_callback D.6.16. rsu_slot_verify_callback_raw D.6.17. rsu_slot_copy_to_file D.6.18. rsu_slot_enable D.6.19. rsu_slot_disable D.6.20. rsu_slot_load_after_reboot D.6.21. rsu_slot_load_factory_after_reboot D.6.22. rsu_slot_rename D.6.23. rsu_slot_delete D.6.24. rsu_slot_create D.6.25. rsu_status_log D.6.26. rsu_notify D.6.27. rsu_clear_error_status D.6.28. rsu_reset_retry_counter D.6.29. rsu_dcmf_version D.6.30. rsu_max_retry D.6.31. rsu_dcmf_status D.6.32. rsu_save_spt D.6.33. rsu_restore_spt D.6.34. rsu_save_cpb D.6.35. rsu_create_empty_cpb D.6.36. rsu_restore_cpb D.6.37. rsu_running_factory
D.7. RSU Client Commands x
D.7.1. count D.7.2. list D.7.3. size D.7.4. priority D.7.5. enable D.7.6. disable D.7.7. request D.7.8. request-factory D.7.9. erase D.7.10. add D.7.11. add-factory-update D.7.12. add-raw D.7.13. verify D.7.14. verify-raw D.7.15. copy D.7.16. log D.7.17. notify D.7.18. clear-error-status D.7.19. reset-retry-counter D.7.20. display-dcmf-version D.7.21. display-dcmf-status D.7.22. display-max-retry D.7.23. create-slot D.7.24. delete-slot D.7.25. restore-spt D.7.26. save-spt D.7.27. create-empty-cpb D.7.28. restore-cpb D.7.29. save-cpb D.7.30. check-running-factory D.7.31. help
1. Overview
2. Use Cases
3. Quad SPI Flash Layout
4. Quartus® Prime Software and Tool Support
5. Software Support
6. Flash Corruption - Detection and Recovery
7. Remote System Update Example
8. Version Compatibility Considerations
9. Revision History for the Hard Processor System Remote System Update User Guide: Agilex™ 3 and Agilex™ 5 SoCs
A. Configuration Flow Diagrams
B. RSU Status and Error Codes
C. U-Boot RSU Reference Information
D. LIBRSU Reference Information
E. Combined Application Images

8.2. Component Interfaces

The SDM provides commands which are accessed by Arm Trusted Firmware (ATF). ATF exports the functionality through a Secure Monitor Call (SMC) handler for the rest of HPS software to use.

You can access the RSU functionality through U-Boot. The SMC handler is used by U-Boot to implement the RSU functionality.

Figure 22. U-Boot RSU Components and Interfaces

You can also access the RSU services through LIBRSU. In this case the SMC handler is used by the Linux* kernel drivers which then expose the functionality to LIBRSU which then is used by Linux* applications in general, and RSU Client application in particular.

Figure 23. Linux RSU Components and Interfaces

The horizontal dotted lines in the above diagrams show interfaces between components. The SDM firmware, U-Boot, and LIBRSU access the SDM Flash, so an interface is also shown there.

Important: Newer versions of the Quartus® Prime software typically include new or updated SDM features implemented in firmware. When generating your configuration bitstream, Altera™ recommends using the latest version of the Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software which includes the latest firmware. You do not need to recompile your .sof file to use the firmware from a newer version of the Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software. You can simply regenerate your configuration bitstream with the new version of the Programming File Generator.
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