Remote update controller issue

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Cannot find anything wrong in your changes. You should be able to change image address to 0x00600000.

I have tested the bootloader code with Quartus/SOPC Builder 12.1 and that worked.

I have also been using older versions of the compiled bootloader code on newer Quartus versions without problems.

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Have you tested it on a cyclone IV GX or a cyclone IV?

Cannot find anything wrong in your changes. You should be able to change image address to 0x00600000.

I have tested the bootloader code with Quartus/SOPC Builder 12.1 and that worked.

I have also been using older versions of the compiled bootloader code on newer Quartus versions without problems.

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If the bootloader does not work for Cyclone IV GX it may be the valdation test fail on the Device ID in the epcs configuration data (in boot_loader_epcs_bits_sii_siii_ciii.S) . You may include the ID for Cyclone IV GX or you may skip the test as it is not nescessary. It is a simple code to understand.

I do not know were to obtain the Device ID, but you may get it from the flash file. This bootloader does however work for Cyclone IV (device ID 0xf7).

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Thanks for your reply!

I tried to skip ID test, but it changes nothing.

Attached is my file.

Can I write my Image at address 0x00600000?

I'm using now Quartus v12.sp1, but use boot loader sources file from v11.1.

Can this create problem?

Boot loader sources file from v12.sp1 are different. How must I to modify it?

If the bootloader does not work for Cyclone IV GX it may be the valdation test fail on the Device ID in the epcs configuration data (in boot_loader_epcs_bits_sii_siii_ciii.S) . You may include the ID for Cyclone IV GX or you may skip the test as it is not nescessary. It is a simple code to understand.

I do not know were to obtain the Device ID, but you may get it from the flash file. This bootloader does however work for Cyclone IV (device ID 0xf7).

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Hi,

The source code for the default bootloader is included in the Quartus distribution (C:\altera\11.1\ip\altera\nios2_ip\altera_nios2\boot_loader_sources) and must be modified for the application image.

First you change the assembly file boot_loader_epcs_bits_sii_siii_ciii.S so that the bootloader for the application image jumps to the Nios code for the application image (which is just after the FPGA configuration for EPCS).

Here is one way to change to this code:

1) Add a define to the offset to the application image:# define IMAGE_START 0x00440000

2) Replace all occurencs of the following code : (several places in the code)

movi r_flash_ptr, xx

with:

movhi r_flash_ptr, %hi(IMAGE_START)

ori r_flash_ptr, r_flash_ptr, xx

3) Add the following statement before fp_short_circuit:

orhi r_flash_ptr, r_flash_ptr, %hi(IMAGE_START)

This should work if the 16 lower bits of IMAGE_START are 0.

Then run make (Last time I tried it I only got it working with the gcc3 quartus 10.0, not with gcc4).

Then go to the obj directory and run:

elf2hex --input="boot_loader_epcs_sii_siii_ciii.elf" --output="epcs_controller_boot_rom.hex" --base=0 --width=32 --end=1023 --record=4 --lower

You must then replace the boot rom file in your design with this file. In Quartus 11.1 the file name may be changed to epcs_flash_controller_boot_rom_synth.hex.

Note that you do not have to recompile the whole design, you just select 'Update Memory Iniialization File' in Quartus and run the asssembler after changing the bootloader.

I have tested this for Stratix II,III,IV and Cyclone IV.

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Hi st_f,

Do you have an idea how to change the bootloader on Quartus 12.1sp1 for a Cyclone IV GX?

Thanks

Regards

Thank you hallodu, your solution for creating the bootloader for a User Image works fine for me in a Cyclone IV device with Quartus 12.0.

Cheers

:o

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Hi,

Attached is my solution. In the .zip, you have all the files needed for the .bat.

1) Enter your application address (IMAGE_START) in boot_loader_epcs_bits_sii_siii_ciii.S file

2) running this .bat

3) copy SOPC_2Dcam_epcs_flash_controller_0_boot_rom_synth.hex in your <project>/SOPC_folder/synthesis/submodules/

4) In Quartus, Processing -> Update Memory Initialization File

5) In Quartus, Processing -> Start -> Start Assembler

Be careful, the .bat is for Quartus v11.1, if you are using another version. Open the .bat file with a text editor and change all 11.1 with your version number.

for example:

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I figure out the difference. When executing "make" command&#65292; I should do it like this:

make CODE_BASE=0

Then the generated code in boot_loader_epcs_sii_siii_ciii.elf will start at address 0x0. Now by virtue of this command

elf2hex --input=obj/boot_loader_epcs_sii_siii_ciii.elf --output=kernel_epcs_boot_rom_synth.hex --width=32 --base=0 --end=0x3ff --record=4 --lower

the required boot loader code file(i.e. the .hex file) will be generated.

-wei

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Hi,

Attached is my solution. In the .zip, you have all the files needed for the .bat.

1) Enter your application address (IMAGE_START) in boot_loader_epcs_bits_sii_siii_ciii.S file

2) running this .bat

3) copy SOPC_2Dcam_epcs_flash_controller_0_boot_rom_synth.hex in your <project>/SOPC_folder/synthesis/submodules/

4) In Quartus, Processing -> Update Memory Initialization File

5) In Quartus, Processing -> Start -> Start Assembler

Be careful, the .bat is for Quartus v11.1, if you are using another version. Open the .bat file with a text editor and change all 11.1 with your version number.

for example:

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Thank you for your reply!

I just tried your code and got the correct .hex file. But now I am falling in another confusing issue.

This afternoon I found another solution which is more complicate than yours. I just modified the "boot_loader_epcs_bits_sii_siii_ciii.S" file as st_f introduced in# 4 of this thread.

After executing "make" command in Shell, I then used this command

nios2-elf-objdump -D boot_loader_epcs_sii_siii_ciii.elf > info.txt

to get the address information of the boot loader code. By checking the info.txt file, I found the boot loader codes start at address 0x1054, not 0x0. I have attached the info.txt file.

I think that's why the command

elf2hex --input=obj\boot_loader_epcs_sii_siii_ciii.elf --output=kernel_epcs_boot_rom_synth.hex --width=32 --base=0 --end=0x3FF --record=4

will generate a .hex file with all 0. So I changed the command parameters to "--base=0x1054 --end=1453" and I got the correct boot loader code file(.hex file).

I also opened your .bat file and found you use the elf2hex command with "--base=0". But your .bat file can generate the correct .hex file. I want know why this happen and what's the difference?

-wei

Hi,

Attached is my solution. In the .zip, you have all the files needed for the .bat.

1) Enter your application address (IMAGE_START) in boot_loader_epcs_bits_sii_siii_ciii.S file

2) running this .bat

3) copy SOPC_2Dcam_epcs_flash_controller_0_boot_rom_synth.hex in your <project>/SOPC_folder/synthesis/submodules/

4) In Quartus, Processing -> Update Memory Initialization File

5) In Quartus, Processing -> Start -> Start Assembler

Be careful, the .bat is for Quartus v11.1, if you are using another version. Open the .bat file with a text editor and change all 11.1 with your version number.

for example:

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set PATH=%PATH%;C:\altera\11.1\quartus\bin;

-> set PATH=%PATH%;C:\altera\12.0\quartus\bin;

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hallodu

I am also facing the same problem. When I use the following command

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elf2hex --input="boot_loader_epcs_sii_siii_ciii.elf" --output="kernel_epcs_boot_rom_synth.hex" --base=0 --width=32 --end=1023 --record=4 --lower

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The .hex file is filled by 0. If I add --no-zero-fill option, the .hex file has only one line. Do you fix it?

Thank you