Due to a compatibility problem between U-Boot v2023.1 with SDM FW 23.1 and earlier versions, the U-Boot/Linux boot will fail for Intel Agilex® 7 devices with a U-Boot hang.
The problem was introduced after partially fixing an initial issue in U-Boot v2022.10 when HPS EMIF is set to Quarter Rate in HPS EMIF IP GUI and Half Rate Converter (HRC) is enabled.
see https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/programmable/articles/000094703.html.
The formal fix was in SDM FW 23.2 and U-Boot v23.01, but this requires a check between the U-Boot and SDM FW versions. If this is not satisfied, a U-Boot hang will be observed. The following table describes the possible scenarios that could be observed between different versions of U-Boot and SDM FW:
| SDM FW | U-BOOT | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23.2 | 2023.01 | Pass in any configuration | Formal fixes were applied in SDM FW and U-Boot. |
| 23.1 and earlier | 2023.01 | Fail in any configuration with U-Boot SPL hang | The formal fix is only in U-Boot, but as this requires the SDM FW 23.2 to work, a hang is observed |
| 23.2 | 2022.10 | Pass in any configuration | U-Boot 2022.10 has the fix to the initial problem. The initial issue is not observed |
| 23.2 | 2022.07 and earlier |
After applying the workaround described in https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/programmable/articles/000092408.html, Pass in any configuration. | If U-Boot doesn’t implement any fix, the initial issue is observed. |
To avoid compatibility problems, move to the SDM FW 23.2 and U-Boot v2023.01 or later versions.