When booted from ROM Atmel's SAM-series systems-on-chip run a simple ROM monitor named ‘SAM-BA’ (“SAM Boot Assistant”). This monitor can read and alter memory, transfer data, and run a program.
Those functions can be used to transfer a file across RS-232 or USB and, to write that file into flash, and to change the boot options to start from flash.
Atmel distribute a graphical client program for the SAM-BA ROM monitor, confusingly also named ‘SAM-BA’. That client program makes flashing the SoC a matter of pressing buttons rather than typing hex codes into a ROM monitor. The SAM-BA client is available as a binary download for Windows and Linux running on the x86 and AMD64 CPU architectures.
Bossa also implements a client program for the SAM-BA ROM monitor. This program is licensed to you under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later. Bossa is available for a wider range of operating systems: Windows, Linux, MacOS and FreeBSD running on any of their supported CPUs where you care to compile the C++ source code.
This is a derivative of ShumaTech's BOSSA software (web, GitHub). Maintenance of that project appears to have been abandoned. As a result this software was taken from Debian Science Maintainers' repository.
The aim is to add support for the Zodiac FX OpenFlow switch. This is a SAM4-based board designed and sold by Northbound Networks.
This software is not yet complete. The remaining work programme can be found in the open issues with the ‘enhancement’ tag.
Please report bugs by searching GitHub's issue tracker and adding a comment. Even simple ‘me too’ comments are valuable. If there is no good match then create a new bug report.
It is impossible for the developers to own a wide enough range of Atmel systems to cover all of the systems which Bossa claims to support. Therefore we need your reports of success as well as reports of failure. Look up the exact model of your system-on-chip, such as ‘SAM4E8C’ (which might also be known as ‘ATSAM4E8C-AU’ or ‘at91sam4e8-ek’). Search for a matching success report and append a comment (don't re-open the ticket, all success reports are closed). If there is no match for your model then create a new success report. Use the model, in capitals as above, as the name of the ‘issue’.
The version numbering of Bossa is problematic. The README of the distribution by ShumaTech claims to be version 1.2. However the highest tag in the ShumaTech repository claims version 1.6.1-arduino.
Debian claims version 1.3, although perhaps that was simply an increment of 1.2 to avoid an era bump, rather than evidence of a 1.3 release by ShumaTech.
I am inclined to claim version 2.0, not for any huge rise in functionality, but to avoid the further confusion which would result from claiming version 1.7.
Contributors are welcome.
The exposition describes the technology the code works with.
The simplest way to have your code incorporated is to use GitHub: fork the NorthboundNetworks/Bossa repository, commit your changes, and make a Pull request. For the moment, development is done in the ‘master’ branch. We'll base the Release notes on the text in your pull request.
If using GitHub is not desirable then raise an issue tagged as an ‘enhancement’ and make a comment containing the patch or the details of how to access the code. If you are including a patch then please attach it as a file to prevent GitHub from mangling it.
If this is the first time you have made a pull request or an sent a patch then we'll also need a statement in the pull request or issue that “The code I submit meets the requirements of the Developer's Certififcate of Origin”. This is the same Certificate as used by the Linux kernel.
Developer's Certificate of Origin 1.1
By making a contribution to this project, I certify that:
(a) The contribution was created in whole or in part by me and I have the right to submit it under the open source license indicated in the file; or
(b) The contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best of my knowledge, is covered under an appropriate open source license and I have the right under that license to submit that work with modifications, whether created in whole or in part by me, under the same open source license (unless I am permitted to submit under a different license), as indicated in the file; or
(c) The contribution was provided directly to me by some other person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and I have not modified it.
(d) I understand and agree that this project and the contribution are public and that a record of the contribution (including all personal information I submit with it, including my sign-off) is maintained indefinitely and may be redistributed consistent with this project or the open source license(s) involved.
In progress.
bossa (1.3~20120408-5) unstable; urgency=low
[ Olly Betts ]
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Update to use wxWidgets 3.0 (new patch: wx3.0-compat.patch) Closes: #751554
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debian/control: Fix typo in bossa package description.
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Scott Howard Sun, 15 Jun 2014 20:53:24 -0400
bossa (1.3~20120408-4) unstable; urgency=low
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Updated bossac manpage, thanks to Karl Lenz (Closes: #737280)
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Scott Howard Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:18:01 -0500
bossa (1.3~20120408-3) unstable; urgency=low
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Added
add-kfreebsd-platform-support.patch- addsnkfreebsd support, thanks to Karl Lenz. (Closes: #737278)
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added
no_X11_link.patch- removed unused link with lX11, thanks lintian.
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Scott Howard Sat, 01 Feb 2014 12:38:43 -0500
bossa (1.3~20120408-2) unstable; urgency=low
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Added a series of patches from arduino so bossa works with those devices. Many thanks to Karl Lenz for compiling Cristian Maglie's patches.
debian/patches/add-reset-command.patchdebian/patches/allow-autoreset.patchdebian/patches/flush-after-upload.patchdebian/patches/override-usb-autodetection.patchdebian/patches/uart-set-speed.patch
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Scott Howard Wed, 29 Jan 2014 21:58:43 -0500
New features
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New BOSSA shell command line application to do basic memory, flash, and PIO diagnostics
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Workaround for SAM3U firmware bug
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Fixed a bug with setting boot to flash bit on SAM3 devices
Notes
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The OS X USB driver detects an Atmel device as a USB modem. When prompted about a new network interface, click Cancel to continue.
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Some stability issues have been seen with the OS X USB driver using BOSSA. When running BOSSA a second time to the same Atmel device, the USB driver can lock up causing BOSSA to freeze. As a workaround, always disconnect and reconnect the Atmel device before running BOSSA again.
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The firmware inside of SAM3U devices has a bug where non-word flash reads return zero instead of the real data. BOSSA implements a transparent workaround for flash operations that copies flash to SRAM before reading. Direct reads using the BOSSA shell will see the bug.
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There are reports that the USB controller in some AMD-based systems has difficulty communicating with SAM devices. The only known workaround is to use a different, preferrably Intel-based, system.