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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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20 years ago

flashing different chips

Hi guys, I'm attemping to be an Altera Systems User, I have some questions regarding to an application I need to do.

(My english level +- 2 % http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif )

Somebody knows if is possible to load hex,s-record, binary,etc. files using a

Nios II Flash Programmer? Just to add some complexity to the system, this must be able to program most of the ISP and Jtag chips, ATMEL, ALTERA, RENESAS,(MCUS, FPGAS, etc) (8bit-16bit,etc) (ISP, JTAG,I2c, etc). The main idea is to develop a kind of universal flash programmer, sound difficult for me.

I was reading that the Nios II Flash Programmer can program CFI devices, when a new question appeared, Is there a list of the CFI devices, or just Intel and AMD uses the CFI standard.

As you can see I need a lot of help. I have some experience on ISP flash programming, but only using manufacturer programmer, the bad thing of this is

that every time I have to program device that I never used before, is neccesary to start from zero. I will be happy if I can develop a system with an ISP and JTAG plataform, and jus changing the device driver, library or code. It will take several monts to make it jiji http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif .

I would apreciate your help friends!

Have a nice day

4 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    20 years ago

    You can look at Openwince, there is a jtag project in it.

    It support many flash types.

    For Altera chips, you should look at the Jam player via jtag.

    For other MCU, they are vendor specific.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    20 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    originally posted by hippo@Nov 27 2005, 03:42 AM

    you can look at openwince, there is a jtag project in it.

    it support many flash types.

    for altera chips, you should look at the jam player via jtag.

    for other mcu, they are vendor specific.

    <div align='right'><{post_snapback}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=11180)

    --- quote end ---

    --- Quote End ---

    Hi, I have used several vendor specific programmers, maybe I missunderstood or I didn&#39;t read enough about the ISP features of the NIOS II board, I&#39;m trying to make a ISP universal programmer, I f it&#39;s possible add a Jtag interface for those mcus that supports this JTAG. As last alternative I will try to create the protocol signals with an embedded system like NIOS II, as I&#39;ve told before, just to load the data to the flash memory of the devices, not debugging or emulating. Back to the do you have any suggestion?

    Back to the CFI devices, how can I know if a IC is CFI compilant, is there any list?

    Have a nice day
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    20 years ago

    Maybe I was confused?

    1. the openwince jtag project has support for more flash type. It works on general jtag devices,

    eg, xscale,arm,cpld,fpga. It support programming to a lot of CFI flash memory.

    If you want to build a universal flash programmer through jtag, this should be what you want.

    But programming flash via jtag is very very slow!

    flash file --> Linux PC printer port --> jtag --> fpga...etc ---> CFI flash

    You have to add NIOS board bus data to use it.

    2. If you want to program MCU, CPLD , other than CFI flash.

    You have to check each vendors&#39;s support. There is nothing to do with NIOS.

    But you can develop a NIOS board as a JTAG controller to program other jtag devices.

    3. the SOPC builder&#39;s flash tools support intel and amd devices. Its purpose is to download

    design to flash on development boards. There are many other posts on the forum, just search them.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    20 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    originally posted by hippo@Nov 28 2005, 05:49 PM

    maybe i was confused?

    1. the openwince jtag project has support for more flash type. it works on general jtag devices,

    eg, xscale,arm,cpld,fpga. it support programming to a lot of cfi flash memory.

    if you want to build a universal flash programmer through jtag, this should be what you want.

    but programming flash via jtag is very very slow!

    flash file --> linux pc printer port --> jtag --> fpga...etc ---> cfi flash

    you have to add nios board bus data to use it.

    2. if you want to program mcu, cpld , other than cfi flash.

    you have to check each vendors&#39;s support. there is nothing to do with nios.

    but you can develop a nios board as a jtag controller to program other jtag devices.

    3. the sopc builder&#39;s flash tools support intel and amd devices. its purpose is to download

    design to flash on development boards. there are many other posts on the forum, just search them.

    <div align='right'><{post_snapback}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=11222)

    --- quote end ---

    --- Quote End ---

    I&#39;ve heard about JTAG programming speed. It will be harder, because there are many MCU CPLD etc vendors. I really apreciate your help, I&#39;m not confussed anymore.

    Have a nice day.