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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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13 years ago

boot NIOS from EPCS flash and use SDRAM to store instructions and data

Hi! In the qsys I have:

1. Clock Source

2. On-Chip Memory

3. Nios II Processor

4. System ID

5. JTAG UART

6. EPCS Serial Flash Controller

7. PIO

8. SDRAM Controller

I want to use SDRAM (MT48LC4M32B2) to store instructions and data for NIOS application. In the NIOS II Processor properties reset vector is set to base address of EPCS controller. Exceptions vector is set to base address to SDRAM. In the NIOS EDS for Eclipce I can debug my application, it works. But in the NIOS flash programmer error occur:

"Error: Error code: 4 for command: $SOPC_KIT_NIOS2/bin/nios2-flash-programmer "D:/Work/QuartusProjects/tests/test2/flash/test2_epcs_flash.flash" --base=0x2003800 --epcs --sidp=0x2004010 --id=0x0 --timestamp=1359654107 --device=1 --instance=0 '--cable=USB-Blaster on localhost [USB-0]' --program"

What I did wrong? Thank you

29 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    Flash Programmer works. But Processor not starts after power on. Anybody can help me? Thank you

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    Hi,

    you have to store the fpga configuration data and the nios firmware in the EPCS.

    I'm using following script:

    sof2flash --input="fpga_design.sof" --output="fpga_design.flash" --epcs --verbose

    elf2flash --input="nios_firmware.elf" --output="pr4_top_fw.flash" --epcs --after="fpga_design.flash" --verbose

    nios2-flash-programmer --cable='USB-Blaster [USB-0]' --epcs --base=<EPCS Addr> fpga_design.flash

    nios2-flash-programmer --cable='USB-Blaster [USB-0]' --epcs --base=<EPCS Addr> nios_firmware.flash

    In my QSYS the reset vector is pointed to EPCS, the exception to onchip RAM because of faster ISRs.

    Verify in BSP Builder that all other sections are mapped to sdram. Then it should work.

    Jens
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    Thank you for your reply! I have two EPCS devices, I use first to configure FPGA, and second to store NIOS program. Maybe it not start because SDRAM pins not enabled with the Fast Input Register and Fast Output Register logic options or PLL is tuned incorrectly? ("Symptoms of an Untuned PLL" p.2-11 in Embedded Peripherals IP User Guide)

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    If you can debug the firmware whitin the sdram it should work correct. Before debugging the debugger performs a verify of your code stored in the sdram.

    The EPCS Controller executes after startup a small piece of code the boot loader. (file your_sopc_epcs_controller_boot_rom_synth.hex in the sopc subdirectories)

    How does the boot loader know from which EPCS the code should be loaded?

    Jens
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    Since the FGPA hardware doesn't access your second EPCS16 chip, you could actually write the nios code image to it in any format you like!

    You can then write some boot code to copy it to SDRAM and put that into an internal memory block that is initialised when the fpga image is loaded (and is pointed to by the nios's reset vector).

    Since you can link the boot code to the correct address it should be easy to write!
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    *.hex file exist in "synthesis" folder. The first EPCS connected to a FPGA configuration pins. The second EPCS device connected to the regular I/O pins, EPCS flash Controller in Qsys assigned to this pins. Reset vector is set to this EPCS Controller. Is this configuration correct?

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    Thank you, dsl! But I don't know, how to write a boot code...Where I can read about this?

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    It should be an option to use the quartus generated boot code if you use just the second EPCS with the controller. Does the configuration of fpga from the other EPCS work fine?

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    another idea for starting: try at first to put all *.flash (as i described above) in the first EPCS and assign the EPCS controller in qsys to that EPCS. Ignore for bring up your hardware the second EPCS. After you know that this part of your hardware works correct you can start bring up the rest.

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    13 years ago

    Thank you! I'll try to do this. My computer is very slow, it will take a lot of time to compile the project....I'll answer late