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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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21 years ago

Newbe question about Redboot bootloader

Hi,

I am interested in using the redboot for updating flash contents

using standard (microsoft windows) hyperterminal application

over the serial RS232 link.

I tryed to commnicate with the redboot on cyclone evaluation board,

using rs232 connection. I failed to communicate.

What am I doing wrong? Feel free to point me to rtfm resources.

For now I browesed through the following :

- ecos userguide

- redboot userguide

- reboot FAQ (redboot site)

Following is a detailed description:

--------------------------------------------------

- Alteras NiosII 1.0.1

- "standard" reference design

- Cyclone evaluation board

- Compiled and downloded the redboot.elf to the flash (Following the ecos documentation)

- downloaded the standard.sof to the cyclone evaluation board.

- Open SDK shell

- Verified communication with the redboot using the the nios2-terminal application via the usb-blaster/jtag connection

(Got "Redboot>" prompt and other message+ clicked some commands and got response)

- Discconect the USB-Blaster.

- Connect the serial cable from "main" d9 on-board connector to the com1 port of the laptop

- Opened hyperterminal of the window2000proffesional environment.

- Configured it to connect to the com1 with the following setting: 115200, non parity, 1 stop bit, Hardware flow control

- Clicked some character in the terminal and got "connected" prompt

- Reset the cpu on the evaluation board

- After some time, the redboot prompts started to appear on the terminal but the print is cut in the middle

(the final "Redboot>" prompt is not appearing)

Please advice,

Elhanan.

5 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    21 years ago

    By default, the UART is being used for the GDB rather than console connection. This means that you will still see some console output on the UART, but it will have been through the GDB mangler.

    If you want to use the UART for the console instead of the JTAG UART then in configtool go to the "Nios2 architecture" package under "eCos HAL" and set the "Diagnostic console device" to be your UART, and the "Debug device" to be "none".
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    21 years ago

    Hi,

    I followed the procedure described, and still

    the prompt to the serial terminal is stuck after few

    10s of characters.

    I am sure I am missing here something.

    Any ideas were or what I can look for?

    Best regards,

    Elhanan.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    21 years ago

    The fact that you get stuck after a few characters suggests that you still have a JTAG UART selected as the console, but no terminal connected. Try leaving your USB blaster connected and a terminal running. If you see output, then you've failed to update your configuration in configtool...

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    21 years ago

    Hi Again,

    You were right - got it running and communicating via serial,

    using the win2000's hyperterminal application.

    Now, I have moved to the ecos distribution for the niosII-version1.1,

    installed and repeated the procedure as for niosII1.0.1.

    And again, it is not communicating.

    What I am missing now?

    You are welcome to point me to any RTFM resources,

    if needed.

    Best regards,

    Elhanan.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    21 years ago

    When you made your first posting, I checked that what you were asking works in the 1.1 version of eCos, since that's what I was working on. It did. All I can suggest is that you may have run into the same problem with a lost change to the configuration.

    It's easy to lose changes in configtool because of the way the TCL interface it uses works. When you make a change, it will not actually take effect while it is still highlighted in blue. You need to click away from the option to make it stick. You also need to remember to explicitly save your changes before rebuilding.

    It's an annoyance which I'm sure trips up everyone when they first start using the tool...