Have spent several days now searching and reading and think I am nearly there... but not quite. I am using the NIOS II core with SOPC builder. I use Quartus II for the FPGA image. This is a project I have inherited which kept the FPGA image in a ECPS64 and the software image in CFI. I have combined the two and keep them in the EPCS64. Works OK. I have been trying to get the remote update controller to work. I have put it into the core via SOPC and can read and write its registers via NIOS. I can also make it do a reconfig but it always seems to use the factory image. Has any one got a working example using the Cyclone III and NIOS II? I use the following to read 2 of the registers... ParamValue = IORD( REMOTE_UPDATE_CYCLONEIII_0_BASE, 0x4); ParamValue = IORD( REMOTE_UPDATE_CYCLONEIII_0_BASE, 0x0); After power on both registers read 0. After reconfig command, register 0 = 1 and register 4 = 8 Any ideas please? Brain is starting to hurt!

Do you have one or two firmware (sof) images in the EPCS? Do you have one or two software images in the EPCS? When you reconfigure using the remote update core, you need to tell the core where the firmware image is located that you want to use next instead of the one at the beginning of the EPCS. If you have 3 or more firmware images that you need to go between, you will need to have provisions in the firmware image at 0 to decide which one to use. Assume you have 3 firmware images at addresses 0, X and Y. The firmware at 0 boots, decides to reconfigure to X. When the firmware at X is loaded, if it attempts to reconfigure it will always load the firmware at 0.

Hi yes. I have 2 sof and 2 elf files (hopefully). I use sof2flash and elf2flash, convert to bin, join together (cat) and then convert to hex. I then use Quartus Programmer to convert hex to pof and program. I do the same for the second image but set to relative address and put in an offset and reprogram, hopefully leaving the first pof in the bottom of the EPCS64. Does this make sense?

That does indeed seem to be the case! The 2nd FGPA image is loaded but it still runs the 1st software image. How do I overcome this?

What is happening is the bootloader in your second sof is pointing to the firmware at 0. The bootloader will look for the size of the firmware (sof) and search for the start of the elf just after it. I have dealt with this problem before, but I don't have a great solution for you. I normally place my second firmware/software at a fixed address location well beyond my first firmware/software pair. After this, I modify a copy of the bootloader code to search for this new offset instead of starting at 0. When compiled, it will generate a new .hex file. This file needs to replace the one that your second firmware image is using to boot the software. The stock bootloader software is located in your quartus install directory. Search for boot_loader.S and you should find it. (there is a makefile you can use with the NIOS II command console app if I remember right. I wish I knew how do make this process easier. If anyone else knows of an easier way, I'd be interested too.

Kosh is right, you need to change the bootloader, because the default one assumes Nios firmware is located just after fpga configuration data starting at address 0; then you load new fpga configuration, but the old nios firmware. You need to replace the epcs_controller_boot_rom.hex file in Quartus directory with the customized bootloader image and then rebuild the fpga project. Pay attention that sopc builder overwrites this file with the default bootloader whenever you regenerate the sopc system! Then you must backup your custom hex image and replace it every time you rebuild sopc. What kosh suggested is indeed the standard solution for generating a remote update firmware image. AFAIK there's no way to automate the procedure and make it easier. Anyway it is not that difficult. Consider that the primary fimware (usually referred to as factory firmware image) is seldom changed, so the fixed address location for the updated firmware is not a great problem: normally you only need to generate the special bootloader once.

NIOS II and Cyclone III Remote Update

69 Replies

Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
12 years ago
Ok, get it cris72 :D
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
12 years ago
When I erase my software_app.hex of my app code (second fpga image) I should boot on the software_factory.hex of my factory code (first fpga) by default,
but instead of it I stay in my second fpga image and nothing runs because I erased voluntarily software_app.hex, do you know how to solve this problem ?
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
12 years ago
You must enable the watchdog feature in the factory software before triggering the reconfiguration; then you clear it in the application software. This way if fpga is configured but software doesn't start, the watchdog would reset back to the factory image.
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
12 years ago
Did it, enable the watchdog in the factory sof but now I can't boot on the application image I always stay in the factory image.
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
12 years ago
I modified 0x5 by ((0x1FFFFFFF) >>17) to obtain upper 12 bits of 29-bit watchdog timeout value, ok now it boots on
my application software, but after awhile I go back to the factory software while I disabled the in the app code like in the
code above.
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
12 years ago
Thanks for sharing.
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
12 years ago
factory code :
IOWR_RU_Watchdog_Timeout_Value(0x1FFF0000 >> 17);
IOWR_RU_Force_Osc_Int(0x1); // Force the internal oscillator as startup state machine
IOWR_RU_Early_Conf_Done(0x1); // Force Early CONF_DONE

what do I have to write in my app code to prevent my app code to go back to the fac mode while watchdog was disabled ?
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
12 years ago
It's like if the IOWR from my app code didn't act...
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
7 years ago
I found this doc maybe this explains why with the app code writing in a register is impossible, when for example I try
to disable this watchdog timer from my app code ?

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NIOS II and Cyclone III Remote Update

69 Replies

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