ContributorI really need my NIOS2 to autostart and run from off chip RAM using the bootloader copy method. The trouble is that despite many readings of the handbook and multiple rebuilds of the design the code only runs if I start it from Eclipse. How do I debug what I've done wrong?
The hardware is the Trenz CYC1000 board which has an EP10CE25 fitted.
Regular ContributorHi Oliver
The GSFI is an IP by Intel.
In your case we could use that to test the read and write access to the Flash Storage to be working or not.
Regards
Jingyang, Teh
ContributorWell the programmer demonstrably writes to flash and the NIOS2 doesn't ever write to flash, so the only use might be to read from flash. This gets me back to my original question, what is in the flash that is wrong?
The only progress we have made in nearly 2 months is to discover that the boot loader isn't copying the application code to external RAM.
I have been promised that an extra engineer would look at this. Can you ask whether that is happening?
Regular ContributorHi Oliver
I will try my best to help out with the case.
The script for testing the flash includes write and read to the flash too.
Have you tested the flash yet? Just to rule out the possible cause of the problem.
Regards
Jingyang, Teh
Regular ContributorHi
Any update on this case?
Have you considered running the nios application in place in the flash instead of being copied over to RAM using bootloader?
ContributorI'm pretty stuck, as I'm in the critical stage of a big project and I dare not touch anything in case I have another setback like last time. If I could get hold of anothe Trenz CYC1000 I could try it on that but until Intel improve chip supply I don't have that as an option.
Regular ContributorHi Oliver
Do you have other SOC dev kits that you could try out the flow before trying it out on the actual development board that you are using?
Regards
Jingyang, Teh
Regular ContributorHi Oliver
If it is ok with you, could we close this case?
Regards
Jingyang, Teh
ContributorNo, it's really, really not OK to close the case. I've sent you the project and I'm not getting the sense that anyone has looked at it. I'm just being asked to 'check stuff' without the guidance I've been asking for as to what is correct and what is wrong.
Regular ContributorHi
We have took a look at your project and determined that the linker files are alright.
Next step is for us to check if your flash is able to be accessed.
Are you able to run your nios2 application executed in place?
Regards
Jingyang, Teh
ContributorWhat do you mean by 'executed in place'? How do I do this test?
Regular ContributorHi
Execute in place boot method is where the NiosII will be executed on the flash device.
Only certain portion of the code will be copied over to the memory.
In your case it will be the external memory instead of the on chip memory.
Regards
Jingyang, Teh
Regular ContributorHi
Did you managed to try out the execute-in-place boot method for the Nios?
Regards
Jingyang, Teh
ContributorI'm going through the documentation and I'm finding all the offsets too confusing. Clearly the authors never asked users for feedback as a few diagrams and examples would really, really help.
Anyway, it doesn't run from Flash, no surprises there.
