Programming and booting a non-NIOS embedded apllicatio

Well let me first describe how things normally work.

1 - You can use the Quartus programmer to put any information you want into the EPCS device using the JTAG Indirect Programming method. This method uses the JTAG to program a firmware image into the FPGA which provides access to the EPCS controller. Then data is transferred via JTAG and programmed into the device.

2 - In the case of NIOS. NIOS processor can gain access to the EPCS flash by adding an EPCS controller to the processor bus. Then the NIOS can read/write the serial flash inside the EPCS device no problem. This also allows you to use software tools like "nios2-flash-programmer" to put the desired data in the flash

In the case of the NIOS processor. The processor requires a boot loader that will copy the code out of the boot flash (EPCS or otherwise) and into memory before the program can begin to execute. If you don't already have something like this, then of course you'll have to create it.

Your biggest problem is that you currently don't have any way for your processor to access the EPCS flash. I'm attaching a copy of the EPCS controller that gets generated by SoPC builder. This is the component that the NIOS processor uses to interface to the EPCS flash. With this code and the accompanying document:

http://www.altera.com/literature/hb/nios2/n2cpu_nii51012.pdf

You should be able to get something going on your system.

Jake