summaryrefslogtreecommitdiffstats
path: root/docs/getting_started/image-terminology.rst
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to '')
-rw-r--r--docs/getting_started/image-terminology.rst192
1 files changed, 192 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/docs/getting_started/image-terminology.rst b/docs/getting_started/image-terminology.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66f47e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/getting_started/image-terminology.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,192 @@
+Image Terminology
+=================
+
+This page contains the current name, abbreviated name and purpose of the various
+images referred to in the Trusted Firmware project.
+
+Common Image Features
+---------------------
+
+- Some of the names and abbreviated names have changed to accommodate new
+ requirements. The changed names are as backward compatible as possible to
+ minimize confusion. Where applicable, the previous names are indicated. Some
+ code, documentation and build artefacts may still refer to the previous names;
+ these will inevitably take time to catch up.
+
+- The main name change is to prefix each image with the processor it corresponds
+ to (for example ``AP_``, ``SCP_``, ...). In situations where there is no
+ ambiguity (for example, within AP specific code/documentation), it is
+ permitted to omit the processor prefix (for example, just BL1 instead of
+ ``AP_BL1``).
+
+- Previously, the format for 3rd level images had 2 forms; ``BL3`` was either
+ suffixed with a dash ("-") followed by a number (for example, ``BL3-1``) or a
+ subscript number, depending on whether rich text formatting was available.
+ This was confusing and often the dash gets omitted in practice. Therefore the
+ new form is to just omit the dash and not use subscript formatting.
+
+- The names no longer contain dash ("-") characters at all. In some places (for
+ example, function names) it's not possible to use this character. All dashes
+ are either removed or replaced by underscores ("_").
+
+- The abbreviation BL stands for BootLoader. This is a historical anomaly.
+ Clearly, many of these images are not BootLoaders, they are simply firmware
+ images. However, the BL abbreviation is now widely used and is retained for
+ backwards compatibility.
+
+- The image names are not case sensitive. For example, ``bl1`` is
+ interchangeable with ``BL1``, although mixed case should be avoided.
+
+Trusted Firmware Images
+-----------------------
+
+Firmware Image Package: ``FIP``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+This is a packaging format used by TF-A to package firmware images in a single
+binary. The number and type of images that should be packed in a FIP is
+platform-specific and may include TF-A images and other firmware images
+required by the platform. For example, most platforms require a BL33 image
+which corresponds to the normal world bootloader (e.g. UEFI or U-Boot).
+
+AP Boot ROM: ``AP_BL1``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Typically, this is the first code to execute on the AP and cannot be modified.
+Its primary purpose is to perform the minimum initialization necessary to load
+and authenticate an updateable AP firmware image into an executable RAM
+location, then hand-off control to that image.
+
+AP RAM Firmware: ``AP_BL2``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+This is the 2nd stage AP firmware. It is currently also known as the "Trusted
+Boot Firmware". Its primary purpose is to perform any additional initialization
+required to load and authenticate all 3rd level firmware images into their
+executable RAM locations, then hand-off control to the EL3 Runtime Firmware.
+
+EL3 Runtime Firmware: ``AP_BL31``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Also known as "SoC AP firmware" or "EL3 monitor firmware". Its primary purpose
+is to handle transitions between the normal and secure world.
+
+Secure-EL1 Payload (SP): ``AP_BL32``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Typically this is a TEE or Trusted OS, providing runtime secure services to the
+normal world. However, it may refer to a more abstract Secure-EL1 Payload (SP).
+Note that this abbreviation should only be used in systems where there is a
+single or primary image executing at Secure-EL1. In systems where there are
+potentially multiple SPs and there is no concept of a primary SP, this
+abbreviation should be avoided; use the recommended **Other AP 3rd level
+images** abbreviation instead.
+
+AP Normal World Firmware: ``AP_BL33``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+For example, UEFI or uboot. Its primary purpose is to boot a normal world OS.
+
+Other AP 3rd level images: ``AP_BL3_XXX``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The abbreviated names of the existing 3rd level images imply a load/execution
+ordering (for example, ``AP_BL31 -> AP_BL32 -> AP_BL33``). Some systems may
+have additional images and/or a different load/execution ordering. The
+abbreviated names of the existing images are retained for backward compatibility
+but new 3rd level images should be suffixed with an underscore followed by text
+identifier, not a number.
+
+In systems where 3rd level images are provided by different vendors, the
+abbreviated name should identify the vendor as well as the image
+function. For example, ``AP_BL3_ARM_RAS``.
+
+Realm Monitor Management Firmware: ``RMM``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+This is the Realm-EL2 firmware. It is required if
+:ref:`Realm Management Extension (RME)` feature is enabled. If a path to RMM
+image is not provided, TF-A builds Test Realm Payload (TRP) image by default
+and uses it as the RMM image.
+
+SCP Boot ROM: ``SCP_BL1`` (previously ``BL0``)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Typically, this is the first code to execute on the SCP and cannot be modified.
+Its primary purpose is to perform the minimum initialization necessary to load
+and authenticate an updateable SCP firmware image into an executable RAM
+location, then hand-off control to that image. This may be performed in
+conjunction with other processor firmware (for example, ``AP_BL1`` and
+``AP_BL2``).
+
+This image was previously abbreviated as ``BL0`` but in some systems, the SCP
+may directly load/authenticate its own firmware. In these systems, it doesn't
+make sense to interleave the image terminology for AP and SCP; both AP and SCP
+Boot ROMs are ``BL1`` from their own point of view.
+
+SCP RAM Firmware: ``SCP_BL2`` (previously ``BL3-0``)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+This is the 2nd stage SCP firmware. It is currently also known as the "SCP
+runtime firmware" but it could potentially be an intermediate firmware if the
+SCP needs to load/authenticate multiple 3rd level images in future.
+
+This image was previously abbreviated as BL3-0 but from the SCP's point of view,
+this has always been the 2nd stage firmware. The previous name is too
+AP-centric.
+
+Firmware Update (FWU) Images
+----------------------------
+
+The terminology for these images has not been widely adopted yet but they have
+to be considered in a production Trusted Board Boot solution.
+
+AP Firmware Update Boot ROM: ``AP_NS_BL1U``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Typically, this is the first normal world code to execute on the AP during a
+firmware update operation, and cannot be modified. Its primary purpose is to
+load subsequent firmware update images from an external interface and communicate
+with ``AP_BL1`` to authenticate those images.
+
+During firmware update, there are (potentially) multiple transitions between the
+secure and normal world. The "level" of the BL image is relative to the world
+it's in so it makes sense to encode "NS" in the normal world images. The absence
+of "NS" implies a secure world image.
+
+AP Firmware Update Config: ``AP_BL2U``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+This image does the minimum necessary AP secure world configuration required to
+complete the firmware update operation. It is potentially a subset of ``AP_BL2``
+functionality.
+
+SCP Firmware Update Config: ``SCP_BL2U`` (previously ``BL2-U0``)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+This image does the minimum necessary SCP secure world configuration required to
+complete the firmware update operation. It is potentially a subset of
+``SCP_BL2`` functionality.
+
+AP Firmware Updater: ``AP_NS_BL2U`` (previously ``BL3-U``)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+This is the 2nd stage AP normal world firmware updater. Its primary purpose is
+to load a new set of firmware images from an external interface and write them
+into non-volatile storage.
+
+Other Processor Firmware Images
+-------------------------------
+
+Some systems may have additional processors to the AP and SCP. For example, a
+Management Control Processor (MCP). Images for these processors should follow
+the same terminology, with the processor abbreviation prefix, followed by
+underscore and the level of the firmware image.
+
+For example,
+
+MCP Boot ROM: ``MCP_BL1``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+MCP RAM Firmware: ``MCP_BL2``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~