BeMicro FPGA-based MCU Evaluation Board

You are seemingly right I would need a development board as well.

If only I could charge Altera for my time. I would have this paid for already.

Now for serious time. Does anyone know of a Suite that actually works with the BeMicro-SDK development board on Windows7 64 bit? By that I mean I want to compile a bitstream and flash the flash chip with it. Or instructions that acutally work to get this working because the Lab PDF file does not seem to actually work. The only questions that actualy sounded like my problem never had a solution on this site. You follow instructiosn on pages 3-7 and find out on page 53 if it is going to work.

Here are the labs instructions:

In the next dialogue box point the wizard to the drivers which can be found in your Quartus installation directory under "<install directory>\11.0\quartus\drivers\usb-blaster".

I notice looking through the INI file that the Cyclone IV is not listed.

[Strings]

Altera="Altera"

DESC="Altera USB-Blaster Device Driver Package"

DriversDisk="Altera USB-Blaster Device Driver Disk"

USB\VID_09FB&PID_6001.DeviceDesc="Altera USB-Blaster"

USB\VID_09FB&PID_6002.DeviceDesc="Altera Cubic Cyclonium"

USB\VID_09FB&PID_6003.DeviceDesc="Altera Nios II Evaluation Board"

USB\VID_09FB&PID_6004.DeviceDesc="Altera Cyclone III EP3C25 Starter Kit"

USB\VID_09FB&PID_6005.DeviceDesc="Altera Cyclone III EP3C120 Development Kit"

USB\VID_09FB&PID_6006.DeviceDesc="Altera Stratix III EP3SL150 Development Kit"

USB\VID_09FB&PID_6007.DeviceDesc="Altera Stratix III EP3SL340 Development Kit"

USB\VID_09FB&PID_6008.DeviceDesc="Altera Nios Embedded Evaluation Kit"

USB\VID_09FB&PID_6009.DeviceDesc="Altera Nios Development Kit, Cyclone III Edition"

WINUN="Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall"

SvcDesc="Altera USB-Blaster Device Driver"

MAYBE this is the problem? Any idea where the Proper driver may be because it would seem that this driver isn't it?

Actually if someone knew the string for the BeMicro-SDK I could edit the INI and get it working.

As a side note It appears I was not correct about 64 bit support for Quartis II, as my version is the web edition it is not per se 64 bit supported. The paid version would be though. If I fogot to mention it is the web edition that the instructions informed me I was to install that is not 64 bit supported I am sorry. Like I said I followed the directions.

I did not have any issues with installing the BeMicro-SDK under Windows 7.

I did however have version 10.1sp1 installed and then 11.0sp1 and then 11.1sp1 (these were the full subscription edition, but both 32-bit and 64-bit versions get installed and they work ok). I think there was an issue with the 11.0 drivers, which is why I said look at the threads for USB-Blaster install issues. Like this:

www.alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33097

The BeMicro-SDK USB device IDs (under device manager) are VID 09FB, PID 6001, i.e., they have the ID of a standard USB-Blaster.

I'd recommend installing at least the 11.0 service pack, if not just upgrading to 11.1sp1.

Cheers,

Dave

Currently ennumerated as 6001. I was afraid of that. Likely this means it is a 64 bit edition issue with the Web Edition. You are not using the Web Edition so yours likely will work fine. I have version 11.1 sp2 Build_259 I am going to guess that this is high enough. After reviewing my initial post I do see that I mistakenly typed 11.0 so for that it would be an upgrade. I really should have copied it rather then typing it by hand.

Link you recommend starts wrong service is running and does not stop for me. am trying the seperate programmer now. I can hope this will work.

Thanks for your help

EDIT:

Stand Alone Programmer failed. Some old drivers I found that are supposed to fix it need a reboot and disable diver signature check. Is that the problem with the 11.1 drivers?

Edit EDIT:

Driver signature check disabled. Programmer still sees no hardware. It is strange.

Does jtagconfig work at all? (Probably not, since its likely a driver issue)

Here's what the factory default outputs:

$ jtagconfig -n
1) USB-Blaster 
  020F30DD   EP3C25/EP4CE22
    Node 0C006E01  JTAG UART# 1
    Node 19104600  Nios II# 0
    Node 0C006E00  JTAG UART# 0

Do you see the USB-Blaster under the device manager? What version of the drivers are installed? I can have a look at my Win7 machine tomorrow and see what it says.

The other issue with Win7 is that it does not allow VirtualBox to capture the USB-Blaster to a virtual machine, so you can't just try installing WinXP or Linux, since you then cannot access the USB-Blaster.

If you know how to dual-boot your development machine, you could install Centos 6.2 or Ubuntu 11.10. Both work fine with the USB-Blaster.

Cheers,

Dave

JTAG information. I have had the 11.1SP2 driver on version 03/18/2011,2.08.14. I also installed version 2.4.16.0. Can try the newer one again but it didn't seem to help. I have "Altera USB-Blaster" under device manager as I have had since thursday at noon. What driver problem is there? I guess I do not understand how it can be listed under USB, ennumerated with a proper hardware ID, no problem code, and all and somehow its a diver issue. I guess since my choices are bad Altera driver or bad Altera software it could be the two "working" drivers I installed and both ennumerated the device. I do suppose that jtagconfig should actually return something if it finds a working driver. I guess I just don't get it. Well if you get me a working version number maybe I can get this working.

So far I feel cheated. I was told this item worked. That it worked with Windows 7 and to follow the instructions. This has eaten days of my life with no progress. If this is as good as Altera can do maybe I should have purchased a XilinX board as at least their free version is supported. I know in the realm of FPGA's this thing is cheap but if all I was recieving was a couple of flashing LEDS on a USB port I would bet I could have sourced it cheaper. AS IS this thing does not work as instructed. Will not work with the drivers that CAME WITH IT. Does not sign the drivers at least the old ones making them not work without disabling signature checking. If I have to buy the lisenced version to actually use it with my OS that is another expense making it worth less and less to me. I am usualy quite patient. I am usually more understanding of bad drivers but when I spend 90$ on a board I expect it to actually work. I don't expect days of its probably the driver but no one seems to have one that works for me. I don't expect the instructions to waste hours of my time going through a Lab to find that it won't work and I should have been working on a solution to why it won't detect my hardware. I find it horrifying that the newest versions drivers would not work. That somehow a buisness can not even make a proper driver for a development board that they make the chips and software for. This seems like a really bad company if this is as good as they get. I didn't expect plug and play. Not even a little. I expected locating the drivers by hand, installing them by hand and then having it work. Not locating them, installing them, finding different ones, hoping, try again, repeat till ready to explode with no location to actually source the drivers. I have to search the forum for a driver and hope it is one that works. Why not list older drivers at least then I can start at the top and work my way down till something works. As is I have no idea what versions there are and it seems unless I install all the old quartus software suites I will not have the drivers. This is poorly planned. I would argue Genius except the drivers refuse to work apparently. So trying different ones is a test of determination. DL install files, install, get driver, test, repeat. It is a waste of time. This takes an Inordinate amount of time for nothing that could not be done with a simple driver repository. Why would this be even partialy required is beyond me. Its almost like Altera's plan is to upset the customer until they would rather shelf an item then actually get it usable. I really hope that isn't the plan. Windows 7 is not new. 64 bit is even older. I really wish I had not paid for this. So far I pad for a unit, shipping and now I am paying with my time just for owning it. What is the point. No one seems to have a driver that works on mine. The helpful forum posts I do find say essentially Win7 does not work. Really wish that was on the manufacturers page and the retailers page. Something like Anyone with Windows 7 be advised drivers likely will not work, we do not allow driver downloads individually so it may be days if you are lucky to actually use this. We will not tell you what version of the software may work for your product. This is about the worst planned system I have come across yet. All I can do is see the occasional person saying it works, try it and find out that apparently that wasn't my problem. It is frustrating to hear that the drivers and software work with win7 64. The forum seems to disagree. I find nearlly 0 vista 32 and XP issues. Just Vista and 7 64 bit Blaster issues. This seems like a sign. It seems to me that Altera decided to stop upgrading after 64 bit OSes showed up.

I know you didn't make this aweful situation. You have been helpful or at least have pointed me to more things to try. I am not unhappy with the forum just ALTERA as they apparently can not make working drivers I guess. It is either that or I am forced to pay for the full version of the software. Possibly that is the evil plan. Make the free software not work so people "upgrade" just to get the usability that should have come with the free version.

Lets say for arguments sake that I set up everything on my windows XP box. Its 32 bit, current SP and all that noise. Now I have to get another IP lisence for my other computer. Once the FPGA is flashed its still worthless to me as it is still unusable on this computer where I intended to use it. The computer that is seutp for everything else.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]

Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Altera\Quartus2_11.1sp2_Build_259\quartus\bin>jtagconfig.exe -n

No JTAG hardware available

C:\Altera\Quartus2_11.1sp2_Build_259\quartus\bin>

Yeah, I can understand your frustration.

However, you can't blame the BeMicro-SDK board. Its an Arrow product not an Altera product. Since it has a standard USB-Blaster interface, it is not the problem.

The problem is most likely the Altera software under Windows 7. However, I'm not sure why the web edition would not work. I've used earlier versions without issue.

I do have one idea ... since you're seeing the device under the device manager, its almost certainly an issue related to the jtagserver.

If I type "netstat -a | grep -i listen" and then kill jtagserver.exe then list the ports again, I see that port 1309 disappears. If I try jtagconfig again, the server is restarted.

If you don't see jtagserver.exe in your list of processes, and you don't see port 1309 in the list of listening ports, then you may have a permissions problem. Did you install Quartus as administrator (run as administrator during install)?

Cheers,

Dave

Am trying to test to a server on the computer with win7 from computer with winXP tcl file isn't connecting as it should. Is likely not the TCL or the probe just need to figure out why it won't connect.

The good news is XP 32 bit works flawlessly with my lisences. So no trouble there. I can't use it with WIndows 7 really really messes up my plan.

Server is running port 1309 is listening. Server down it isn't there. Start it back up 1309 is back running.

I really do not see anything wrong. Without driver No LEDs light up on development board. With a driver they do. Same on XP and win7. The only difference is I get a USB blaster or no hardware.