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

5.4.2. Altera™ RSU Driver

The Altera™ RSU driver exports the RSU services using the sysfs interface. The source code is located in the drivers/firmware/stratix10-rsu.c file.

The default kernel configuration defines CONFIG_INTEL_STRATIX10_RSU=m which means it is configured as a loadable module which needs to be loaded with insmod. For information about how to use this driver, refer to the device-specific Exercising the RSU Client section, located in the Remote System Update Example section.

The driver offers its services through the following sysfs files located in the /sys/devices/platform/stratix10-rsu.0 folder. This path is a configurable parameter for LIBRSU. For more information, refer to the Configuration File section, located in the LIBRSU Reference Information appendix.

Table 16.  SysFS Entries for Altera™ RSU Driver
File R/W Description
current_image RO Location of currently running image in SDM QSPI flash.
fail_image RO Location of failed image in SDM QSPI flash.
error_details RO Opaque error code, with no meaning to users.
error_location RO Location of error within the image that failed.
state RO State of the RSU system.
version RO Version of the RSU system.
notify WO Used to notify SDM of the HPS software execution stage, also for clearing the error status, and resetting the retry counter.
retry_counter RO Current value of the retry_counter, indicating how many times the current image retries to be loaded. A value of zero means this is the first time.
reboot_image WO Address of image to be loaded on next reboot command.
dcmf0 RO Decision firmware copy 0 version information
dcmf1 RO Decision firmware copy 1 version information
dcmf2 RO Decision firmware copy 2 version information
dcmf3 RO Decision firmware copy 3 version information
dcmf0_status RO Decision firmware copy 0 status. A value of zero means the copy is fine, anything else means the copy is corrupted.
dcmf1_status RO Decision firmware copy 1 status. A value of zero means the copy is fine, anything else means the copy is corrupted.
dcmf2_status RO Decision firmware copy 2 status. A value of zero means the copy is fine, anything else means the copy is corrupted.
dcmf3_status RO Decision firmware copy 3 status. A value of zero means the copy is fine, anything else means the copy is corrupted.
max_retry RO Value of max_retry option, read from decision firmware data section in flash.
For more information, refer to the RSU Status and Error Codes and Decision Firmware Version Information sections.
Note: This information is provided as reference only, as using the RSU driver directly is not recommended or supported. Instead, use the LIBRSU or RSU client directly to perform the RSU tasks.
Note: Linux* is a rapidly changing community project. The information from this section is valid for Linux kernel version 6.12.19-lts, and might change again in the future.
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