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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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16 years ago

Missing "Run configurations" in Nios II EDS 9.1

After upgrading to the newest version of Quartus, ModelSim and Nios II EDS (9.1) I have encountered a problem.

I have created new Nios II Application along with BSP based on CycloneII SoPC using nios ii 9.1 software build tools for eclipse (is this supposed to be replacement for nios ii ide?). Project builds without problem, but in "Run configurations" menu for this project there is only one configuration type: "Local C/C++ Application". It seems, as if IDE treats that project as normal C/C++ project, not Nios II one (similarly to regular C/C++ Eclipse IDE).

Based on my experience with previous versions of Nios II IDE I expected to see ISS, ModelSim and hardware run configurations, but they're not there. I scoped through newest versions of Altera docs, but didn't find any solution for this problem. The problem doesn't exist with Nios II IDE, but I don't know if I should use it, because it is included in EDS as a "legacy tool".

I hope some of you can help me. If you want me to provide more info, please ask.

I'm running 9.1 versions of Quartus, ModelSim and Nios II EDS on Windows 7 64bit.

20 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    I think the "Run as -> Nios2 Hardware" and the "Run as -> Modelsim" short cut links will only appear if you are in the Nios II Perspective. Try switching into the the Nios II Perspective to see if that resolves your issue.

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    Hi,

    I have the same problem and I'm also using Windows 7 64-bit.

    I reported several issues with NIOS 9.1 EDS to Altera, including this missing "Run as" configurations. They couldn't find out the problem (their support guys are still running Windows XP!), so I tried testing NIOS 9.1 EDS in a Vista 64-bit system and those Run as NIOS II Hardware configuration items are there.

    So this is a problem with Windows 7, which is unsupported by Altera. :mad:

    But even in Vista 64-bit there are problems in NIOS 9.1 EDS: when you try to access project's "NIOS II Application Properties" page (right-click project / Properties / NIOS II Application Properties), the Vista's User Account Control (UAC) detects nios2-app-update-makefile.exe as a program from unknown published and wants user's acceptance to run it. But even if you answer Yes, the NIOS 9.1 EDS fails to show that "NIOS II Application Properties" page (there are some Java errors shown).

    The workaround to that is to run NIOS 9.1 EDS with "Run As Administrator" option. Then you can access the "NIOS II Application Properties" page correctly.

    When I reported this problem to Altera, the reply was:

    "

    Unfortunately, Vista x64 is not supported either on Nios II. Please see the Nios II download page for supported OS'es.

    https://www.altera.com/support/software/download/nios2/dnl-nios2.jsp (https://www.altera.com/support/software/download/nios2/dnl-nios2.jsp)

    "

    So Altera's point of view, you should stick to Vista 32-bit. Or maybe you should go back to XP 32-bit, because that's what Altera's support guys are using ... :rolleyes:

    The Legacy NIOS 9.1 IDE seems to work better in Windows 7 64-bit, but the Quartus 9.1 programmer has a major bug: it can not produce a bootable EPCS flash file.

    So my solution is to continue using 9.0 tools, which work quite nicely in Windows 7 64-bit.

    The only part from 9.1 I'm currently using is the USB Blaster 64-bit driver, which in 9.1 is finally signed correctly. However, since I started using 9.1 USB Blaser driver, my system crashes (BSOD) within 15 minutes after the system is started from standby mode. I'm not exactly sure if it's the 9.1 USB Blaster driver, but before I installed 9.1 I had used standby mode daily for several months. Then I just had to remember to turn off the Windows 7 driver signature requirement during initial bootup (using F8 key during boot) in order to get the 9.0 USB Blaster driver to work in Windows 7 64-bit ...

    Hope this helps.

    Jari
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    Thank you very much for your reply, Jari.

    I suspected this problem might be connected to Windows 7, but I neither really believed it nor wanted to believe :). Right now I'm building my Nios II software using Nios II IDE 9.1 - well, it's a "legacy tool", but works fine for me.

    I don't think I need to produce a bootable EPCS flash file (to be honest, I don't know what it is yet :)) in the design I currently work on, so I think I will stay with version 9.1.

    Thank you once again, now I can focus on real design problems.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    I had the same problem with Window 7 64bit. I was able to fix it by turning on Windows XP compatibility mode for the executable and giving it administrative privileges. I did both as the same time, so I am not sure which one helped.

    Hopefully this works for others with the same issue.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    Thanks mclausma,

    I am running Windows 7 with the Altera 9.1 Suite (currently using the DE2-70 Kit) and I was also missing the NiosII Hardware Run Configuration .

    Turning on the Windows XP for Nios Build Tools for Eclipse and the administration rights made the configuration appear.

    I still think Altera support should publish important information like this.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    I have still had other problems. SOPC builder starting throwing Java Run-Time erorrs about arrays out of bounds when I was trying to configure the DDR Controller. Unfortunately my end solution is to run Windows XP Virtual Mode. This is free from Microsoft if you have Windows 7 Professional or better. You also need a processor that supports virtualization. However, it is rather annoying because Microsoft's virtual machine seems slow (at least for typing). I would probably be better off with a different virtual machine. Hopefully this helps some people, and hopefully Altera will make their tools Windows 7 compatible in the near future.

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    I am having the same problem and am running 32-bit Windows XP.

    How do I turn on administrative rights or does this only apply to Windows 7?
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    I use Quartus 9.1 and NIOSII 9.1 at Windows 7 (32 Bit)

    1. I installed Quartus 9.1 as admin with the vista compatibility mode

    2 the same with NIOS 9.1

    --> the "NIOS run configurations" exists

    BUT: there is another problem, that i can't open a BSP-File, starting from the BSP editor http://www.alteraforum.com/forum//images/icons/icon4.gif

    -- by starting the bsp-editor --> the window opens

    --> some register are greyed

    --> file --> open --> there is no possibility to select a bsp file

    Steve
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    I'm running Windows7 64-bit, and setting XP compatibility and Run as administrator doesn't work for me (doesn't restore NiosII perspective) in NiosII IDE 9.1 :mad:

    I installed using Run as administrator as well.

    Any other ideas?
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    16 years ago

    Hi,

    I had the "missing configuration and NIOS II perspective" problem on a Win XP platform. It seems (not sure) to appear after a crash or a hang of IDE which definitly degrades Eclipse environment.

    For me the solution was to :

    - uninstall NIOS IDE faulty version

    - manually delete all remaining folders on hard disk ( => NIOS IDE installation path)

    - reinstall NIOS IDE

    ++