Write a reset handler

A real embedded system will need initialization before any other code is executed. You will create a minimal reset handler, putting all but one processor to sleep, and executing the application on just one processor.

Write a reset handler

Create a new file, startup_el3.s, with the following contents:

startup_el3.s

    

        
        
              .section  BOOT,"ax"   // Define an executable ELF section, BOOT
  .global el3_entry
  .type el3_entry, "function"

el3_entry:
  MRS      x0, MPIDR_EL1      // Read Affinity register
  AND      x0, x0, #0xFFFF    // Mask off Aff0/Aff1 fields
  CBZ      x0, boot           // Branch to boot if Aff0/Aff1 are zero (Core 0 of Cluster 0)
sleep:                        // Else put processor to sleep
  WFI
  B        sleep

boot:
  MSR      CPTR_EL3, xzr       // Clear all trap bits

  // Branch to scatter loading and C library init code
  .global  __main
  B        __main
        
    

Build the startup code with:

    

        
        
            armclang -c -g --target=aarch64-arm-none-eabi -march=armv8-a startup_el3.s
        
    

Understanding the reset handler

The MPIDR_EL1 register provides a CPU identification mechanism. The Aff0 and Aff1 bitfields let us check which numbered processor in a cluster the code is running on. This startup code sends all but one processor to sleep.

Setting CPTR_EL3 to zero disables various instruction traps which allows the C library init code to proceed.

Link the application

Modify the scatter file so that the startup code goes into the root region ROM_EXEC. This must be located as the FIRST section in the region, so that it is at exactly 0x0, and so is executed when the processors start.

scatter.txt

    

        
        
              ROM_EXEC +0x0
  {
    startup_el3.o (BOOT, +FIRST)
    * (InRoot$$Sections)
    * (+RO)
  }
        
    

Link the objects, specifying the symbol el3_entry as the entry point.

    

        
        
            armlink --scatter=scatter.txt hello.o startup_el3.o -o hello.axf --entry=el3_entry
        
    

The entry point is used by the linker to determine which code is necessary to keep. It is also used by debuggers to know where to start execution from.

Run the new application

You can now successfully execute on the FVP without the additional pctl.startup parameter from before.

    

        
        
            FVP_Base_AEMv8 -a hello.axf
        
    

A single “Hello World!” message is displayed.

    

        
        Hello World!