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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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11 years ago

.hex file generate for Nios-II C code

Hi,

I am using Quartus-II Version 9.1sp2 and i am also using Nios-II IDE Version 9.1. I have a Custom board with Cyclone-I FPGA EP1C12Q240C8N. I made Nios-II Base project using SOPC Builder and write a program for blinking LED in Nios-II IDE.

I am not using Flash programmer for loading Nios-II Program. I made .hex file of my C program from adding "mem_init_generate" in make target>>Build of Nios-II Project and add in Quartus-II. Problem is, after adding .hex file in Quartus-II, i update Memory Initialization file and reassemble the Quartus project, but then also my program not run. So please suggest solution for this problem.

Below is message of Nios-II IDE after Build project.

Post-processing to create mem_init/Program_Memory.hex...

elf2hex STQFP.elf 0x00004000 0x00007fff --width=32

--create-lanes=0 mem_init/Program_Memory.hex

Post-processing to create mem_init/hdl_sim/Program_Memory.dat...

elf2dat --infile=STQFP.elf --outfile=mem_init/hdl_sim/Program_Memory.dat

--base=0x00004000 --end=0x00007fff --width=32

--create-lanes=0

Post-processing to create mem_init/hdl_sim/Program_Memory.sym...

nios2-elf-nm -n STQFP.elf > mem_init/hdl_sim/Program_Memory.sym

Thanks

Nandish Jasani.

5 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    Hi,

    try to append "--record=4" after "elf2hex STQFP.elf 0x00004000 0x00007fff --width=32" before the backslash (in your projects mem_init.mk file).

    I have to do this for years, now. I don't know how other people get a working hex file out of the automatic Nios II build process. Once i regenerate my BSP, I have to add this line, again, because it overwrites the mem_init.mk file.

    I'm not a "build process"- / make- /toolchain- /whatever-guru, so I was not able to find an automatic solution for this issue. I just take it as a little drawback of the tools which I found my own workaround for.

    Please report, if it also solved you problem.

    Regards,

    Maik
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    Thanks Maik,

    I successfully appended “--record=4” in my make file, still I am facing the same issue.

    What file should I add to Quartus-II Projects after make target (I have added .mk and .hex in Quartus-II Project according one of the altera forum threads)?

    We have another custom board with Cyclone-IV and we are using Quartus-II Version 13.0 for different project. In Nios-II, make target generates .qip file which we added to Quartus project and the project works as required. So we tried similarly for Quartus-II Version 9.1sp2.

    Below is the build message.

    Post-processing to create mem_init/Program_Memory.hex...

    elf2hex STQFP.elf 0x00000000 0x00003fff --width=32 --record=4

    --create-lanes=0 mem_init/Program_Memory.hex

    Post-processing to create mem_init/hdl_sim/Program_Memory.dat...

    elf2dat --infile=STQFP.elf --outfile=mem_init/hdl_sim/Program_Memory.dat

    --base=0x00000000 --end=0x00003fff --width=32

    --create-lanes=0

    Post-processing to create mem_init/hdl_sim/Program_Memory.sym...

    nios2-elf-nm -n STQFP.elf > mem_init/hdl_sim/Program_Memory.sym

    Regards,

    Nandish Jasani
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    Hi,

    starting with Quartus 9.1 SP2, I got these hex file generation generation issues. Though I do not exactly understand what exactly your problem is.

    What I have to do with this very version of the build tools is the following:

    I generate a BSP project from my sopcinfo file. After that I generate a firmware project which refers to the just created BSP. All this I perform with the "Nios II Software Build Tools for Eclipse" Project Wizzard.

    After that I do have to make two changes in the automatically generated make files.

    The one is the change I posted above. The other is in the Makefile of the BSP in the line "CREATE_ELF_DERIVED_FILES := 1" which I have to set to one as shown here. This is responsible for creating the hex file at all.

    The --record=4 flag is responsible for the layout or alignment of the hex file.

    If I follow these steps with the exact tools version you mentioned, then I can work with it succesfully for years, now.

    Still, I'm intereseted in suggestions leading to a more convinient way to handle this hex file creation because as I said, once you run the BSP editor, you have to reset those settings in order to get your hex file.

    I hope this helps.

    Regards,

    Maik
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    As additional info, here is one of my hex creation build message that sucessfully creates a usabel hex file (one for onchip ram and one for onchip rom which contains the program data).

    Post-processing to create mem_init/onchip_ram.hex...

    bash -c 'elf2hex e_fpga_0100_firmware.elf 0x00424000 0x00427fff --width=32 --record=4

    --little-endian-mem --create-lanes=0 mem_init/onchip_ram.hex'

    `mem_init/onchip_ram.hex' -> `../../onchip_ram.hex'

    Post-processing to create mem_init/onchip_rom.hex...

    bash -c 'elf2hex e_fpga_0100_firmware.elf 0x00410000 0x0041c7ff --width=32 --record=4

    --little-endian-mem --create-lanes=0 mem_init/onchip_rom.hex'

    `mem_init/onchip_rom.hex' -> `../../onchip_rom.hex'

    Regards,

    Maik
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    11 years ago

    没有看懂是怎么弄的，有相应的使用文档吗？