SOPC Builder tool without NIOS processor

Hope someone can help me with a similar query:

I have written a custom master interface which takes signals from an external processor and ports them to avalon.

I then pass data between different FPGA modules. In one instance, I am trying to pass a 64 bit data word (coded as an avalon writedata signal) from the master to a slave module using a 32 bit address. I only require 8 bytes of address space but instead, SOPC builder seems to try to allocate an address for every possible value that I could possibly assign to my 64 bit word, thereby exceeding the address space.

I've tried using byteenable to write to the full 64 bits but this doesn't make any difference.

The error message I get is that my slave module is outside the master's address range.

Can anyone help?

John

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It is definitely possible to use SOPC builder without a NIOS processor. However, SOPC builder will force you to connect all Avalon slaves to a master. For example, the SPI, I2C, etc components have a slave port which must be connected to something.

It is possible to create a custom component which is an Avalon master which simply exports all the Avalon signals. Through these signals, you can then control your SOPC system directly from your VHDL code.

In many cases just using a NIOS processor can be easier. In the past licensing costs could be an issue, but in later versions of Quartus (starting with version 9?), the NIOS II/e core is free, even in the web edition.

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