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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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21 years ago

Newbe in NIOS - so much questions

I'm starting now, I'm fresh new in this area, and I don't really know much ...

I've tried to read what I have to do, but as I was reading, I have to go to other document, and then to other,

and so on, and I'm having a headache, and I need to know if what I want to do is 'doable'. In a couple of

months I will start a new project in school and if this don't work I'll have to look for something else ...

The board I'm using is a Cyclone EP1C20 - www.microtronix.com/product_cyclone.htm.

I want to work with linux in it, with usb and vpn.

I've tried to do all this stuff last week, but it didn't work, so if you can answer this, or get me the

basisc I'll be thankful.

So, my questions are :

1 - where to upload what I've done ?

I configured thw kernel, builted the project, now is time to upload it. But in the data sheet I saw that are 2 ports

to make the upload: ByteBlasterII and ByteBlasterMV. The MV one is to upload the .sof, and the II is to upload the

.pof - wich isnt't in the \linux directory ...

So, wich port do I use ? For both kernel and filesystem ?

2 - are there a correct order to upload it ? first the kernel, then the filesystem, and then the .sof ?

Or can I upload it in any order ?

3 - the .sof file will be lost after a power down.

What do I need to do to don't lose it ? How I change it for a .pof file, maybe ?

4 - I've read that the .sof is time limited. Wich Altera's software need a license, so it won't ask for the time

anymore ? How much time it work, or how is it counted, when will it expire ??

5 - why aren't there all the files for linux, just the .ptf and the .sof ? If I want to change anything, can I open

up these files or I have to start a new project ?

6 - how about the usb and the uClinux ? is it working or not ? or there are an older version where it does work

correctly ? The board came with a CD that have some stuff about USB, maybe it can help if I put it in the Quartus

program, but I don't know much of how it work

That is what I remember asking, for now http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

I probably will need to ask so much more, but with this I&#39;ll get a good picture of it !

Best regards.

Arthur

8 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    1. Unfortunately, the labelling on the various download ports is unclear. The port labelled ByteBlasterMV is the JTAG port. This port is used for downloading sof files, programming to flash with the Nios II flash programmer utility and communicating with the Nios II over JTAG. The port labelled ByteBlasterII is the programming port for the active serial configuration device. It is used for downloading pof files to the config device so that your design with be programmed into the FPGA when the board powers up.

    2. If you&#39;re using the sof file for your design, it must be uploaded last as the Nios II flash programmer will overwrite your sof with a special flash programmer sof. Kernel and filesystem can be programmed in any order.

    3. To make a design "persistant" you must have a pof file of your design (requires proper Nios II license). You can then program it into the active serial configuration device using the port labelled "ByteBlasterII". Steps for doing this should be in the documentation.

    4. I think the way it works is that as long as the board has a JTAG connection back to Quartus II (a pop-up window about time limited will appear after you download the sof), the system will continue to work. You will need a full license for Nios II to create sof and pof files that won&#39;t timeout.

    5. The sof/ptf pair is how we distribute the examples in the free download. Since you&#39;ve purchased our board we can provide you with the full project. Send an email to support@microtronix.com asking for the full linux Quartus II project.

    6. In the current release of our uClinux distribution (1.3), USB can work with some effort. There are a few posts in the forum describing the procedure. In the upcoming release (soon), USB will work "out of the box".

    Dennis Scott

    Microtronix Datacom
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    Thanks Dennis.

    Acctually, the board was bought by the University, but I&#39;ll get the right licenses to make it work.

    I&#39;ll remake all the steps again, now downloading to the right ports !

    I hope it work ...

    I&#39;ve tryied to build the DHCP example, but I couldn&#39;t get the shell, it didn&#39;t found the board, I think.

    But now I&#39;m confused, the DHCP get the IP address after bootup, but if I shut down the board so the DHCP work, I&#39;ll lose the programming http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

    Yes, I have so much to learn yet ...
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    I have a new one :

    Wich port I have to use to get the shell to comunicate with uClinux ? ByteBlaster II or MV ?
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    originally posted by arthur@Jun 3 2005, 04:39 PM

    but now i&#39;m confused, the dhcp get the ip address after bootup, but if i shut down the board so the dhcp work, i&#39;ll lose the programming http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#emo_dir#>/wink.gif

    --- Quote End ---

    That depends. Either you use DHCP just to get an IP address from a DHCP server on your network, much like a desktop machine. In that case, the DHCP client is indeed started after bootup.

    Another option can be to use the DHCP requests to get a root filesystem. In that case, the kernel starts booting, sends out BOOTP packets and the DHCP server replies with the network settings and the NFS location of a root FS.

    The kernel then mounts the root FS and continues booting. In this case, the DHCP requests are sent during (relatively early) booting.

    This process is especially handy to develop a system: each and every tweak on the code does not require a omplete restart of the system and time consuming upload.

    We develop like this, and only in a final phase, we replace the NFS kernel with a romfs/cramfs kernel.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    originally posted by arthur@Jun 3 2005, 07:24 PM

    wich port i have to use to get the shell to comunicate with uclinux ? byteblaster ii or mv ?

    --- Quote End ---

    Just use the RS232 port if available, it&#39;s used by most embedded Linux systems during early development.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    originally posted by arthur@Jun 3 2005, 04:39 PM

    but now i&#39;m confused, the dhcp get the ip address after bootup, but if i shut down the board so the dhcp work, i&#39;ll lose the programming http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#emo_dir#>/wink.gif

    --- Quote End ---

    If your root FS is over NFS, you can simply restart the network. It depends, but it&#39;ll be some script in

    /etc/init.d

    e.g. on a buildroot based system: 

    $ /etc/init.d/S40network restart

    it is pretty much the same as any GNU/Linux system. If you&#39;re not developing under Linux, install a Linux machine ASAP, you&#39;ll avoid a lot of obvious problems by just familiarising yourself with such a system. I&#39;ve seen this mistake in several places.

    I would not recommend doing this if your root FS is mounted over thet network though http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif , though you might get lucky, depending on your configuration.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

    --- Quote Start ---

    Wich port I have to use to get the shell to comunicate with uClinux ? ByteBlaster II or MV ?[/b]

    --- Quote End ---

    By default the console appears on the JTAG UART. On our Cyclone board, this is the MV port. You can use nios2-terminal to access it. Alternatively you can configure the kernel to communicate on the serial port as suggested by marc.

    Dennis Scott

    Microtronix Datacom
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    All right !!

    Thak you all for the help !

    I just got everything installed in this machine, and I&#39;m starting all over again.

    Now I&#39;m getting new erros, but those I&#39;ll put in another post ...

    Odd thing, I managed to build this once, at home, but here I couldn&#39;t do it yet, I&#39;m not sure why ...

    But I&#39;ll search a little bit more before come here http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

    Thanks again.