uTasker for i.MX RT series

[LuisHS]

Hi Mark.
Where can I download the uTasker SD bootloader for i.MX RT1062?

I checked your Github and I don't see any option for MCUXpresso i.MX
I would like to test it with RT1020, RT1024 and RT1062.

Regards.

[mark]

Hi

Presently the i.MX RT 10xx project is only available in the commercial developer's version, where the i.MX RT 1011, 1015, 1021, 1050, 1062, 1064 are supported - the 1024 has been prepared but release tests not yet performed due to the fact that the 1024 EVB was not available until recently (it is expected to be complete around the end of next week).

Regards

Mark

[LuisHS]

How can I buy it and what is the price?

[mark]

Hi

Details are here:
- https://www.utasker.com/Licensing/License.html
- https://www.utasker.com/Licensing/Prices.html
- https://www.utasker.com/Payment/Payment.html

50% reduction for users who have already licensed other processor families in the past.
Licensee support includes direct email and remote desktop support, as well as royalty-free commercial product usage.

Regards

Mark

[LuisHS]

 
Ok.
What is the processor type?
If I order for a full license or a project license, I can use it on all i.MX RT Processors?,  that is on RT1020, RT1024 and RT1062. Or do I have to pay a license for each processor?

Can I create as many keys as I want, or just one?
Provides all sources, such as for Kinetis or just binaries. ?

[mark]

Hi

Both project license and full license cover all i.MX RT 10xx processors.
A project license includes support for a single product development during 3 months, as well as royalty free use in that product for as long as the product is manufactured (one i.MX RT type will probably be used in the single product)
A full license includes support for an unlimited number of product developments during 12 months, as well as royalty free use in those products  for as long as the products are manufactured (any number of different i.MX RT 10xx types can be used).
Any number of keys can be created.
Includes full source code and simulation.

Regards

Mark

[LuisHS]

Fine thanks.
One question I have about i.MX with external flash is the way to protect the code, I think NXP provides a utility to load the encrypted code by USB, but I always need to load by SD card.

1.- So with uTasker for i.MX I can load encrypted code from SD to QSPI, and it will be encrypted in the QSPI? This would be to use it with the RT1062 and the new RT1070.

2.- If I started my application from SD, do you know if it is possible to have access to the SD from the microcontroller to have my own configuration files? What I would like is to be able to share the SD to have the startup program and at the same time have my files let it read the microcontroller for my application's configuration data.

For the RT1020, RT1024 and RT1064 I suppose that when using internal flash they do not need to encrypt the code.

[mark]

Hi

1. The uTasker project includes all tools for encrypting code and supports loading encrypted code from SD card to QSPI-Flash.
Presently NXP has not announced an i.MX RT 1070 - the latest is the i.MX RT 1170, which will be supported by the uTasker project towards the end of February 2021.

2. The i.MX RT devices have a mode that allows them to boot directly from SD card but this has nothing to do with the uTasker project/loader. The uTasker solution concentrates on operation from internal RAM or QSPI (plain-code or encrypted) which will always be faster and more efficient - due to the size of QSPI, allowing code of MByte size to operate in XiP mode, I expect it to be rare for code to need to boot from SD card.

It is true that i.MX RT 1024 and i.MX RT 1064 have internal QSPI flash, meaning that the FlexSPI bus signals are not visible. This means that flash content protection is less relevant, however, new code should always be loaded in encrypted form and only decrypted for storage once inside the chip. Since on-the-fly decryption does have a performance hit (I haven't seen the official figure and it will depend on caching efficiency but I have hear of 1/3 somewhere) the devices with internal QSPI running XiP should be somewhat more efficient that external on-the-fly decrypted XiP which would be necessary in external QSPI flash.

Regards

Mark