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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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21 years ago

a problem about flash programmer

hi, all

I am testing my board!

my sram work well, I am testing my flash, I am using sst39vf1601-70!

But when I use flash programmer to writing my flash ,nios console display:

make: Entering directory `/cygdrive/c/altera/quartus41/project/sram/software/hello_led_3/Debug'

nios2-flash-programmer --input=cfi_flash_0.flash --sof=`C:/altera/quartus41/sopc_builder/bin/find_sopc_component_dir my_target_board`/system/my_target_board.sof --device=1 "--cable='ByteBlasterII [LPT1]'" --base=0x00200000

Jul 12, 2005 6:09:21 PM - (??) nios2-flash-programmer: Launching Quartus Programmer to download:

c:/altera/quartus41/project/my_target_board/system/my_target_board.sof

Jul 12, 2005 6:09:29 PM - (??) nios2-flash-programmer: Error opening target hardware

Jul 12, 2005 6:09:29 PM - (??) nios2-flash-programmer: Unable to open flash-device after successfully communicating

with target.

It is likely that you are using a flash-programming FPGA design which

was not created for your target board.

In order to program flash, you must first create a purpose-built

flash-programming design (i.e. FPGA configuration) and associate it with

your particular board. The Nios development kit is delivered with purpose-built

flash-programming designs pre-built for several development boards. If you wish

to program flash on your own board, you must first create a flash-programming

design.

The process of creating a flash-programming design for your board is mostly

automated. From a bash-shell, execute this script:

mk_target_board --help

The help-message includes references to other documentation on programming

flash and targeting Nios systems to custom board designs.

- exiting.

WARNING: Default charset GBK not supported, using ISO-8859-1 instead

make: *** [cfi_flash_0_programflash] Error 6

make: Leaving directory `/cygdrive/c/altera/quartus41/project/sram/software/hello_led_3/Debug'

but I have make target_board named my_target_board!

why the flash cannot be open??

7 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    1. HW

    Maybe your Flash is not solder correctly.

    2. SW

    Your "custom board" project was made not correctly. Such the CSn pins of others devices not pulled high , etc. The byten pin of Flash is floats or connect wrong level.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    hw:

    I use vhdl to write and read flash successfully!

    sw:

    when I use SST39vf160, it has not byte pin, when I use am29lv160db, I connect the byte to high level!

    cs pins of other devices are connected to high level by a pull_up resistor!

    I make target_board according to altera manual!

    but I didnot burn my flash by using flash programmer!

    I will be crazy!!!!!!

    who can help me?

    mountain8848, can u tell me your e-mail? or msn? or icq?

    my e-mail is niosii@163.com
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    I had these problems too and i could nearly always solve them with these steps :

    open the quartus project and then open the sopc

    go to the spoc builder setup ( Menue -> file -> sopc builder setup )

    make sure that you have entered the path to the sopc target board you have created with mk_target_board. it is okay to enter the path where your created path by mk_target_board is located.

    again ... you have to check this on *ALL* computers where you wish to deal with the ide with thios board. these settings are not stored within the qpf, but they are stored inside the windows registry ... (altera please change this !)

    my hint nearly all problems with jtag, flash, ide ... were solved by doing exactly what altera describes in the application note you mentioned.

    i am not shure if you have done the same mistake i did the first time i created a nios2 target. the project you create by mk_target_board is not the target for your application, it is only for programming with the ide.

    verify that your flash is a CFI compliant type.

    regards

    Michael Schmitt
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    thank u!

    I did that, and the console display "c:/altera/quartus41/project/my_target_board/system/

    my_target_board.sof"

    but I donot know why "nios2-flash-programmer: Error opening target hardware

    Jul 12, 2005 6:09:29 PM - (??) nios2-flash-programmer: Unable to open flash-device after successfully communicating with target."?

    my flash is CFI, I had read the datasheet!

    but the flash didn't work!

    it took me four days to deel with this problem! I am crazy!
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    I've seen all sorts of error messages with flash programmer. The message you mention pops up when we have fried flash chips or other HW failures, although you mention you can read/write ok with VHDL.

    I've seen FlashProgrammer fail for all sorts of things:

    - Payload buffer too large - smaller payload buffers work better. Change in SOPC or with arguments to mk_target_board

    - CPU Clock speed. Altera recommends 50, I've seen it work with 36-64

    - USB port - this is our biggest problem. Some ports work, some don't. Our laptops with hubs are worst. Our desktops with direct USB are best. I work for HP so that's all I get to try, maybe other PC vendors have different USB problems.

    - The hidden firmware in the FlashProgrammer makes assumptions about the exact chip. We use an AMD top booting chip and the flash programmer treats it as a bottom booting chip. Luckily it still works but it may not work at all for your chip. Not all CFI chips report their configuration in the same way.

    Altera, please, please publish the FlashProgrammer design!!

    Andrew
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    Hi sybase2008,

    What is the base address of your flash device? Is it actually located

    at 0020_0000?

    When you try to just erase the flash using the command line, do

    you see similar error? E.g.:

    $ nios2-flash-programmer --erase --base=0x00200000 --sof=my_target_board.sof

    Regards,

    --Scott
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    thank u very much!

    I use the target_board of up3 to burn amd flash!

    It work very well! I think the problem is because of flash or my pcb!