Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

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Source | Renesas Embedded Encyclopedia

To enhance the security of MCU projects, it is crucial to set safety boundaries. This article discusses the method of setting IDAU safety boundaries using the Renesas RA6M5 (Qiming 6M5 Development Board) and Renesas Flash Programmer programming tool as examples.

When the MCU chip is shipped, its DLM state is set to “CM” by default, and the IDAU safety boundary is not configured. In this state, users can normally use most peripherals of the chip, except for a few peripherals, such as Ethernet (ETHERC and EDMAC). Therefore, it is necessary to change the chip’s DLM state to “SSD”.

The specific steps for dividing IDAU boundaries related to the Trustzone security feature are as follows:

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

Step 1: First, compile the project

First, compile the project. After a successful compilation, a file with the .rpd extension will be generated in the compilation output folder. This file is actually the Renesas Partition Data File. As shown in the figure below.

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming SoftwareSetting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

Step 2: Switch the chip’s DLM state

According to the content of section 3.5 above, use the Renesas Flash Programmer software to change the chip’s DLM state.

Alternatively, you can also set the DLM state to “SSD” in the Flash Options tab as shown in the figure below:

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming SoftwareSetting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

Step 3: Select the project .rpd file and set the boundary

Switch to the Flash Options tab as shown in the figure below:

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

Set the boundary (Boundary) as shown in the figure below:

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

In the above figure, you need to select the .rpd file generated after compiling the project in the “Renesas Partition Data File” box. As shown in the figure below.

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

Then, as shown in the figure below, uncheck “Erase”, “Program”, and “Verify” under the Operation Settings tab, and check “Program Flash Options”.

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

Switch back to the Operation tab and click the large Start button to execute the selected operations:

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

Next, you can use “Read Flash Options” to read the chip’s Flash Options. Follow the operation shown in the figure below.

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

The result of the “Read Flash Options” operation will pop up a window. This window displays the current DLM state of the chip, as well as the security/non-security boundary division of Code/DataFlash and SRAM. As shown in the figure below.

Setting Safety Boundaries for MCUs Using Programming Software

Finally, you can download the program of the Ethernet example to the development board and use the Ethernet function normally.

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