Forum Discussion

Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
11 years ago

JTAG chain not seen unless factory_load switch is set

Can't figure out how to recover ... I tried adding the Flash Controller and programming the FPGA Flash and User Application Flash vie the update portal on the

Arria V start Kit card.

It seemed to go to completion without error but now I can't access JTAG unless the factory_load switch ( SW4.3 ) is set to the factory application.

If the factory_load swithc is off, ie normal mode , the green LED, D6, JTAG_RX is stuck on when trying to program the FPGA and the JTAG debug took indicates no chain.

I believe I had invalid FLASH addresses for the User Software and tried the factory default restore procedure , which went through but I still can't see any JTAG

with the factory_load switch in the normal position .

Any ideas on how to recover ?

Thanks, Bob.

15 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    11 years ago

    Correction, the LED D8 , SCRX or SCTX comes on and stay on for JTAG operations , normally LED D7 , JTAG_TX comes on for FPGA configuration.

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    11 years ago

    If the device is configuring at power-on and somehow disabling JTAG, you could try holding the nCONFIG pin low, and that will keep the device in reset ... but I think still let you access it via JTAG.

    Cheers,

    Dave
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    11 years ago

    I went in to a previous design, altered the alive LED rate , re-compiled, converted sof -> flash and used the update portal to commit to FLASH the hardware FLASh file and all that works with the new FPGA design committed to FLASG with he new LED fpash rate evident. So teh card basically workd but JTAG seems to not work unless the factory_load switch is set.

    In that case the FPGA and the System Controller show up in the chain.

    I plan to go into the Board Test program and try to examine the FLASH contents.

    I am not sure where the the Altera Byteblaster ( MAXII ) or the Altera System Controller ( MAX V ) get their configuration from ... Assume from the FLASH image for System controller.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    11 years ago

    Don't know how ... but somehow it has come back to "normal" .

    Had some issues running to board test programs but will get back to committing SW for NIOS to FLASH.

    Thanks for the help.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    11 years ago

    Still not working correctly.

    Is there a way to dump the FLASH image so I can compare it with the other Arria V Starter Kit card I have ?
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    11 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    Is there a way to dump the FLASH image so I can compare it with the other Arria V Starter Kit card I have ?

    --- Quote End ---

    Just erase it? At that point the board will not configure, and you should be able to use JTAG.

    Cheers,

    Dave
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    11 years ago

    How to erase it .. I want to restore the braoken card back to how the other cards are ...

    The problem is the JTAG chain says it is broken even with inly the FPGA chain enabled. The JATG debug GUI says it

    sees nothing if the "factory_load" switch is in the normal position. If I switch to the factory load position, everything work fine.

    The JTAG chain is vidible to the GTAG debugger and the Portal Update FPGA code runs as well as the application.

    Someone mentioned the FLASH part that configures the System Controller may have been altered or some control bits to that to

    put the thing into secure mode and the JTAG chain is disabled.

    Via the Portal Update I can commit user configurations to the FLASH but I can't load anything new via JTAG and can't run NIOS load or debug via JATG.

    So ... I can try the procedureto restore the facrotey settings

    OR

    ... I can try to dump the entire FLASH and compare the contents with a good reference FLASH dump.

    I am pretty sure this was my error but would expect the restore factory settings to fix it.

    Thanks, Bob.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    11 years ago

    What is the flash package on the board? If its an SOIC (many of the EPCS devices are in this type of package), just remove it, then you know for-sure its blank :)

    If there is a "System Controller" on the board, its likely a MAX II or MAX V, which has its own internal flash, so anything you have done to the other flash should not matter.

    If you're totally stuck, post the link to the kit on the Altera site, and I'll look at the schematic and give you suggestions.

    Cheers.

    Dave
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    11 years ago

    Thanks Dave,

    I will work on it as a second priority. Here is the URL http://www.altera.com/products/devkits/altera/kit-arria-v-starter.html which

    will point you to a picture as well. As you say, the System Controller MAX® V 5M2210ZF256C4N device and I was not aware that it had internal FLASH.

    The FLASH consista of 2 x 1Gb Intel FLASH components which share USER, Factory FPGA configurations, NIOS executable code and some other items.