This guide provides detailed instructions for two system flashing methods for the M4N development board series:

1. booting and flashing eMMC via TFCard
2. flashing using the AXDL tool

Please choose the appropriate method based on your needs.

Image File

Due to the large size of the image packages used in the flashing methods described on this page and limited bandwidth on the download site, they are stored exclusively on Mega Drive in the same directory. The entry link can be found in the top side of the download site。

f the downloaded image file has an .xz extension, decompress it first. Linux users can use the xz tool, while Windows users can use tools like 7-zip.

Booting and Flashing eMMC via TFCard

Booting into the Live System (Manual Intervention Required)

Step 1: Prepare TFCard and Flash the Image

Prepare a TFCard with at least 8GB capacity and use any card reader tool or the computer's built-in card slot for reading/writing.

Note: The following operations will erase all data on the TFCard. Back up important data beforehand.

Example for Linux:

# Assuming the TFCard is mounted as /dev/sdb  
% sudo dd if=sdcard.img of=/dev/sdb bs=4G conv=sparse,fsync status=progress 
0+3 records in
0+3 records out
5754429440 bytes (5.8 GB, 5.4 GiB) copied, 89.2665 s, 64.5 MB/s

Step 2: Booting into the Live System Using the Flashed TFCard

TFCard Boot Method

1. Mount the TFCard and modify the dtb_img_name=dtbs/m4nbox.dtb line in the FAT32 partition's config.txt file to match your board.

2. Insert the TFCard into the TF card slot.

3. Hold the BOOT button and reset the board:

   • Option 1: Power cycle (unplug and replug power).
   • Option 2: Press and release the RST button while powered on.

   Note for M4N-Dock: If the front panel is obstructed, remove it by unscrewing the 3 screws and rotating it open.

After completing these steps, the Live system should boot. You can observe the boot logs via UART0.

This Live system is fully functional and ready for immediate use. If you want the system to boot automatically without manual button operations, proceed to flash the image to eMMC as described below.

Flashing eMMC from the Live System (Automatic Boot on Power-Up)

The onboard eMMC is always recognized as /dev/mmcblk0, while the TFCard is /dev/mmcblk1. Be careful to distinguish between them.

There are two methods are provided below for flashing the image to eMMC:

Method 1: Directly Recovery from the Live System

1. Boot into the Live system as described earlier and open a terminal for the following steps.

2. Use dd to recovery the Live system from the TFCard to eMMC:

   dd if=/dev/mmcblk1 of=/dev/mmcblk0 bs=3M count=1 conv=fsync
   sync # 确保分区表生效
   dd if=/dev/mmcblk1p1 of=/dev/mmcblk0p1 bs=64M conv=fsync
   dd if=/dev/mmcblk1p2 of=/dev/mmcblk0p2 bs=1G conv=sparse,fsync status=progress
   

3. After completion, remove the TFCard. Just press the RST button and the system will now directly boot from eMMC.

Method 2: Flash the Image within the Live System

Prerequisite: The second partition (ext4) of the TFCard must be accessible and writable. If unsure, use Method 1.

1. Copy the sdcard.img file to any location in the second partition (Live system root directory).

2. Flash the image to eMMC:

   dd if=/path/to/sdcard.img of=/dev/mmcblk0 bs=1G conv=sparse,fsync status=progress
   

3. After completion, remove the TFCard. Just press the RST button and the system will now directly boot from eMMC.

Flashing via AXDL Software

The flashing file format has changed to be like xxx.axp.

For detailed steps, refer to the AXDL 工具使用指南.pdf in the official SDK documentation package.

Tip: The Download button on the official EVB corresponds to the BOOT button on other boards.

The AXDL software (Windows only) is located in the PC_Software directory on the download site.

Important Notes for M4N-Dock:

• The USB flashing port is the bottom USB-A port near the HDMI connector (Ethernet side). Use an A-to-A cable or A-to-C cable if your PC has a Type-C port.

• Do not connect the 12V power supply during flashing. Use only the USB cable to avoid damaging the PC's USB port.