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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`` +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |