Cortex‐A55 in aarch32 - MarekBykowski/readme GitHub Wiki

• fvp-base platform model FVP_Base_RevC-2xAEMvA is ARM FastModels https://github.com/MarekBykowski/readme/wiki/ARM-Fast-Models
• It is free of charge and can be downloaded form https://developer.arm.com/Tools%20and%20Software/Fixed%20Virtual%20Platforms/Arm%20Architecture%20FVPs
• Yocto (meta-arm layers) supports out-of-the-box for building and running for the fvp-base platform model for armv8.4-a in aarch64

FVP_Base_RevC-2xAEMvA
...
--parameter bp.secureflashloader.fname=bl1-fvp.bin
--parameter bp.flashloader0.fname=fip-fvp.bin
--parameter bp.virtioblockdevice.image_path=core-image-minimal-fvp-base-arm32-20250630100348.rootfs.wic
--parameter cluster0.has_arm_v8-4=1

• If fvp-base in aarch32 is in request then we build for armv7a and run it on the fvp-base with CPUs coming out of reset in aarch32. See parameter cluster0.cpu2.CONFIG64=0 passed to the model. You can also note from here an execution state is configured perCPU.

FVP_Base_RevC-2xAEMvA
...
--parameter bp.secureflashloader.fname=bl1-fvp.bin
--parameter bp.flashloader0.fname=fip-fvp.bin
--parameter bp.virtioblockdevice.image_path=core-image-minimal-fvp-base-arm32-20250630100348.rootfs.wic
--parameter cluster0.has_arm_v8-4=1
--parameter cluster0.cpu2.CONFIG64=0

• Cortex-A55 is armv8.2-a. We have a variant, managing on the git branches, in which Yocto supports for armv8.2-a

The take-away from here is we have a model ready-for-use that supports development for Cortex-A55 in aarch32.

Stating that any proof-of-concept/request-for-change to the system behavior, eg. exception vectors, mmu, etc. can be implemented and test-run on the model.

Clone meta-arm and poky

cd <your_path>
git clone -b arm-aem-scarthgap https://github.com/MarekBykowski/meta-arm.git
git clone -b arm-aem-scarthgap https://github.com/MarekBykowski/poky.git

Build

cd <your_path>/poky
source oe-init-build-env arm-aem-build
bitbake core-image-minimal

Run

cd <your_path>/poky
source oe-init-build-env arm-aem-build
./run.sh

(armds is not free and requests licensing)

To enable the fully fledged development for armv8a in either aarch64 or aarch32 we can connect the armds to to the fvp-model model. See an excerpt from it below