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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
20 years ago

Another USB blaster problem

Hello,

Just arrived here, a USB blaster. Install driver, upload FPGA configuration data no problem.

Then tried nios2-download to get the software into the system, but strange erro occurs.

Then tried with byteblaster to get software into the system (like I did already for years). No problem.

Here is the difference between the two :

USB blaster : 

$ nios2-download safe.elf --cable 2 -g
Using cable "USB-Blaster ", device 1, instance 0x00
Pausing target processor: OK
Downloading 00100000 ( 2%)assertion "m_state == STATE_DEBUG" failed: file "nios2
debug.cpp", line 1695
Signal 6

and with byteblaster : 

$ nios2-download safe.elf --cable 1 -g
Using cable "ByteBlasterII ", device 1, instance 0x00
Pausing target processor: not responding.
Resetting and trying again: OK
Downloaded 181KB in 4.4s (41.1KB/s)
Verified OK
Starting processor at address 0x00100000

Any idea what to check?

Stefaan

4 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    20 years ago

    Odds are that you have signal integrity issues, especially, if this is a custom board...

    The fact that it works with a ByteBlaster II and not with the USB Blaster probably has to do with the speed at which data is traveling across the interface. The USB Blaster is quite a bit faster.

    It's my opinion that a board's JTAG chain is not clean until I can debug CPUs and run Signaltap II sessions, simultaneously, from within each of the FPGAs in my chain.

    There's help/advice available from the Altera website and this forum.

    Good luck!

    - slacker

    --- Quote Start ---

    originally posted by svhb@Oct 21 2005, 01:36 AM

    hello,

    just arrived here, a usb blaster. install driver, upload fpga configuration data no problem.

    then tried nios2-download to get the software into the system, but strange erro occurs.

    then tried with byteblaster to get software into the system (like i did already for years). no problem.

    here is the difference between the two :

    usb blaster : 

    $ nios2-download safe.elf --cable 2 -g
using cable "usb-blaster ", device 1, instance 0x00
pausing target processor: ok
downloading 00100000 ( 2%)assertion "m_state == state_debug" failed: file "nios2
debug.cpp", line 1695
signal 6

    and with byteblaster : 

    $ nios2-download safe.elf --cable 1 -g
using cable "byteblasterii ", device 1, instance 0x00
pausing target processor: not responding.
resetting and trying again: ok
downloaded 181kb in 4.4s (41.1kb/s)
verified ok
starting processor at address 0x00100000

    any idea what to check?

    stefaan

    <div align='right'><{post_snapback}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=10499)</div>

    --- Quote End ---

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    20 years ago

    Indeed, I looked for some inforamtaion about that, but why is configuring the device ok, and downloading sw not??

    --- Quote Start ---

    originally posted by slacker+oct 22 2005, 02:04 am--><div class='quotetop'>quote (slacker @ oct 22 2005, 02:04 am)</div>

    --- quote start ---

    odds are that you have signal integrity issues, especially, if this is a custom board...

    the fact that it works with a byteblaster ii and not with the usb blaster probably has to do with the speed at which data is traveling across the interface. the usb blaster is quite a bit faster.

    it&#39;s my opinion that a board&#39;s jtag chain is not clean until i can debug cpus and run signaltap ii sessions, simultaneously, from within each of the fpgas in my chain.

    there&#39;s help/advice available from the altera website and this forum.

    good luck!

    - slacker

    <!--quotebegin-svhb@Oct 21 2005, 01:36 AM

    hello,

    just arrived here, a usb blaster. install driver, upload fpga configuration data no problem.

    then tried nios2-download to get the software into the system, but strange erro occurs.

    then tried with byteblaster to get software into the system (like i did already for years). no problem.

    here is the difference between the two :

    usb blaster : 

    $ nios2-download safe.elf --cable 2 -g
using cable "usb-blaster ", device 1, instance 0x00
pausing target processor: ok
downloading 00100000 ( 2%)assertion "m_state == state_debug" failed: file "nios2
debug.cpp", line 1695
signal 6

    and with byteblaster : 

    $ nios2-download safe.elf --cable 1 -g
using cable "byteblasterii ", device 1, instance 0x00
pausing target processor: not responding.
resetting and trying again: ok
downloaded 181kb in 4.4s (41.1kb/s)
verified ok
starting processor at address 0x00100000

    any idea what to check?

    stefaan

    <div align='right'><{post_snapback}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=10499)</div>

    --- Quote End ---

    <div align='right'><{post_snapback}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=10518)</div>

    [/b]

    --- Quote End ---

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    20 years ago

    Configuring the device is, for the most part, unidirectional, and likely slower than what download/debug/jtag_uart use. Successful configuration does not exonerate the JTAG chain...

    - slacker
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    20 years ago

    I&#39;ve had similar problems in the past. My problem has been the jtag clock line. I had to cut the traces on both ends of the clock trace and add a jumper. Good luck.

    George