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ZhiqiangLiang's avatar
ZhiqiangLiang
Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
7 months ago

Configure NIOS firmware burning interface

Hi, I would like to run NIOS II in FPGA. I am now use Cyclone 10 LP 10CL120. I have a few questions: 1) how to enable/configure UART burning interface in Quartus Platform Designer? 2) If I don't...
Embedded Applications Layer
JitLoonL_Altera's avatar
JitLoonL_Altera
Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
7 months ago

1. Programming/Burning NIOS Firmware via UART

To program or burn NIOS firmware (not the FPGA bitstream) via UART, you need to ensure that the UART is properly configured and that the NIOS II SDK is set up to use the UART for communication. Here are the general steps:

  1. Add UART to NIOS II System:

    • In the Qsys (Platform Designer), add a UART component to your NIOS II system.
    • Connect the UART to the NIOS II processor and configure the UART settings (baud rate, data bits, parity, etc.).

  2. Configure UART in NIOS II SDK:

    • In the NIOS II Software Build Tools for Eclipse, create a new NIOS II application project.
    • In the BSP (Board Support Package) settings, configure the UART as the standard input/output device.
    • Ensure that the UART driver is included in the BSP.

  3. Programming via UART:

    • Use a terminal program (e.g., PuTTY, Tera Term) to connect to the UART.
    • Use the NIOS II command-line tools (e.g., nios2-terminal, nios2-download) to download and run the firmware via UART.

2. Programming/Burning NIOS Firmware and FPGA Bitstream via JTAG or UART

JTAG Programming:

  1. Configure JTAG:

    • Connect the JTAG cable to the FPGA board.
    • In Quartus, open the Programmer tool.
    • Add the FPGA bitstream file (.sof) and the NIOS II firmware file (.elf).

  2. Program FPGA and NIOS II:

    • Program the FPGA with the bitstream file.
    • Use the NIOS II command-line tools (e.g., nios2-configure-sof, nios2-download) to download the firmware to the NIOS II processor.

UART Programming:

  1. Configure UART:

    • Follow the steps mentioned in the first section to add and configure UART.

  2. Program via UART:

    • Use a terminal program to connect to the UART.
    • Use the NIOS II command-line tools to download and run the firmware via UART.

3. Checking Resource Utilization

To check resource utilization in Quartus:

  1. Compile the Design:

    • Compile your design in Quartus.

  2. View Resource Utilization:

    • After compilation, open the Compilation Report.
    • Navigate to the "Resource Utilization by Entity" section to see the usage of logic elements, memory, DSP blocks, etc.

  3. Calculate Remaining Resources:

    • Subtract the used resources from the total available resources to determine the remaining resources.
    • For RAM size, check the "Memory Usage" section in the Compilation Report.

5. Checking EDS Installation

To check if the Embedded Design Suite (EDS) is installed:

  1. Check Installed Programs:

    • Go to the Control Panel and check the list of installed programs for "Altera Embedded Design Suite" or "Intel FPGA Embedded Design Suite".

  2. Open Eclipse:

    • If you can open Eclipse via Tools -> NIOS II Software Build Tools for Eclipse, it indicates that the EDS is installed.

  3. Check Environment Variables:

    • Check if the environment variables (e.g., NIOS2EDS_ROOTDIR) are set correctly.