cyclone III: after update dead

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After a power off and on the system does not start anymore. To get the system running again I have to flash via JTAG.

Any idea?

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Did you test if the fpga completes configuration? Maybe fpga configures correctly but then it can't bootload the Nios processor.

This would be a common problem and is usually related to a wrong bootloader file or misplacement of Nios code in epcs image.

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Is there a way to read the epcs flash in the case, when the system does not start anymore.

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Configure with jtag (without flashing it) any design capable of reading epcs.

Then you can download data and compare with your remote update image.

Thank you for the fast response.

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Did you test if the fpga completes configuration? Maybe fpga configures correctly but then it can't bootload the Nios processor.

This would be a common problem and is usually related to a wrong bootloader file or misplacement of Nios code in epcs image.

Configure with jtag (without flashing it) any design capable of reading epcs.

Then you can download data and compare with your remote update image.

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I have measured CONF_DONE Pin and nSTATUS. In real it seems that the fpga completes configuration but after that can't bootload the nios. I now will check if my remote update images matches with the loaded onw.

Thank you

brunjak

I suggest you implement in the fpga configuration a simple monitor signal (e.g. a blinking led or a switching signal connected to a counter) on a spare fpga output.

If the signal starts just after CONF_DONE is active, then you are sure the fpga correctly configures with the updated image, thus the problem is only with Nios boot.

In the latter case, I don't think you have a mismatch in the image. From my experience is more probable your build the updated image with a bad bootloader.

Do you overwrite the factory programmed image or do you save the image at different epcs addresses? In the first case you can use the standard bootloader while if Nios code is not just after fpga configuration data, you need a special bootloader.

I could find the error :-).

The bad news. I was the error. I was not able to crate a correct batch-file which generates my .srec file. My batch-file took a wrong .flash file.

Thank you for your help

brunjak