configuration controller in custom board

OK, what exactly do you mean by configuration controller? EPCS?

IzI

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originally posted by iztok.jeras@Jan 26 2007, 09:14 PM

ok, what exactly do you mean by configuration controller? epcs?

izi

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Yeb, EPCS!

But I wondered that controller is necessary when I use CFI.

Using CFI, controller is unnecessary.

thanks! http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

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originally posted by slacker@Jan 27 2007, 01:37 AM

if you want the board/system to boot into a functional state then, yes, some sort of config controller (epcs, epc, etc.) is necessary.

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Oh my &#39;nios&#39; GOD. http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

Thanks!

very helpful!

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originally posted by jaeper+jan 28 2007, 05:27 pm--><div class='quotetop'>quote (jaeper @ jan 28 2007, 05:27 pm)</div>

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<!--quotebegin-slacker@Jan 27 2007, 01:37 AM

if you want the board/system to boot into a functional state then, yes, some sort of config controller (epcs, epc, etc.) is necessary.

<div align='right'><{post_snapback}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=20905)

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Oh my &#39;nios&#39; GOD. http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

Thanks!

very helpful!

<div align='right'><{post_snapback}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=20972)</div>

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Please keep in mind that you still need to load a hardware image from that CFI flash into your FPGA on power up. For that, you&#39;ll likely need a PLD. A lot of the Nios II Altera development kits use a "Max + Flash" combination and the config controller design is shipped with the Nios II EDS. I recommend this solution highly...

Cheers,

- slacker

If you are going for a simple and cheap solution than using only an serial SPI flash (EPCS) is better.

The epcs can hold both the hardware configuration image and the software. A parallel flash would be needed, if you need a very high read speed, or very large amounts of flash.

EPCS and other SPI flash chips

- sizes from 1Mbit to 64Mbit (usualy op to 512kB are used for the hardware image, the rest can be used for software and flash file systems)

- read speed of 1MB/s is easily achievable

IzI