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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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14 years ago

nios2 eval license

Hi - I'm trying to use the Quartus web edition tool to download the Nios2

and Triple speed ethernet eval cores. When I visit the link that

I'm directed to for Opencores:

<link deleted - per forum rules>

There is no obvious Opencores "hook". Then, going into the online

IP selector, then following the NIOS II link, it takes me here:

<link deleted - per forum rules>

Which again offers no "eval" license downloads. So I'm to the point

that I figure I'm wasting my time (time == money), so after some

searching, I see I can just buy the licenses (triple speed enet, sdram,

nios2) for $995 IPS-EMBEDDED. Visiting Digikey, they don't know the part

number as described. Then, Newark/Arrow both show "out of stock", with

10 day or more lead time. Maybe I'm spoiled by Amazon, but is it truly

the case that Altera is making this so hard intentionally?

Note, I did start this journey via the Megacore Wizard, which offers "download core"

in NIOS2, but just takes me to the first link above..

I could buy the cores separately off Digikey, but again, no stock, 3-10 day lead time.

I feel like I accidentally stepped into a time portal which took me clear back to

the 1980s, before online commerce!

Suggestions?

3 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    14 years ago

    you should be able to evaluate the Nios and TSE core without purchasing a license at all. can simulate, run the FPGA tethered indefinitely, or run untethered for an hour

    once it comes down to actually buying the IP Suite, a vendor should be able to process it in a day or two and send you a code so you can generate a license
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    14 years ago

    Thanks. What makes the problem a bit odd is that the other megafunctions in the

    library seem to instance properly. It's just some of the cores that are "core" (pun

    intended) to implementing a NIOS2 design on a BeMicro or DE0-Nano design

    seem to be a harder to re-download.

    I believe the problem I'm running into - which is adding an accelator to the BeMicroSDK

    design - is probably due to an "old" NIOS2 license hiding somewhere in my design

    folders. Had hoped to just re-download a fresh time-limited license to clear

    things out :)
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    14 years ago

    in Tools > License Setup you can take a look at what licenses Quartus can see