Linux port to STB hardware reference design

Metanate's client was producing a new hardware reference design for a set-top box based on the TI OMAP processor (MIPS core), and asked us to port and integrate an existing TI boot monitor which could then boot an embedded Linux distribution from flash memory.

The hardware was supplied with a minimal boot ROM capable of loading and running a second stage boot process stored as raw data in the onboard flash memory.

Metanate ported the standard TI boot monitor to run as the second stage boot process and enhanced it to support a flash file system (YAFFS) to enable Linux to be booted from the YAFFS file system.

Metanate then ported an embedded Linux distribution to run on the hardware direct from the flash file system, and finally integrated custom device drivers and software to support the custom audio/video hardware.