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MKlee2's avatar
MKlee2
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6 years ago
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Quartus Prime Pro 19.4 error during Fitter->Place on Ubuntu 18.04 and 19.10 - "qspc_nldm_max_step_size=10.0 as a floating point value" - continues after second start

Whenever I try to compile a design I get the mentioned error right after Plan at the start of "Place"ing (Early Place = off). This happens on Ubuntu 18.04 and 19.10. The error in the attached log doesn't point to anything in my design, maybe a software issue?

After the crash I can just hit Assembler, so that Quartus continues compiling, now it starts Place and finishs it without a problem.

Final design (sof) also seems to work just fine.

Is this error something I should worry about or is it fine as long as it compiles?

Log taken on:

OS: Ubuntu 19.10

Ram: 54.7GiB

Swap: 2GiB (small, but usage at 0% anyway)

Processor(s): 2x Xeon 5222 HT=off => 8 phy cores; with Quartus set to use all cores

SSD: ~800GB free

FPGA: Stratix 10 (Terasic DE10PRO; 1SG165HU2F50E2VG)

Error header:

Internal Error: Sub-system: CFG_INI, File: /quartus/ccl/cfg_ini/cfg_ini_reader.cpp, Line: 1530

Couldn't parse ini setting qspc_nldm_max_step_size=10.0 as a floating point value

  • TJoha6's avatar
    TJoha6
    5 years ago

    I had this problem too with some versions of QuartusPro, at least 19.3, both on Linux Mint and CentOS, but could not find any answers in Jan-Feb.

    Today I found your posting and also this link: https://wikis.uni-paderborn.de/pc2doc/Noctua_FPGA_Usage,_Integration_and_Development

    which provide a possible explanation and fix.

    It is related to the linux LOCALE setting, if you use another format than US (in Europe, we use decimal comma, not point).

    By setting LC_NUMERIC= ="en_US.UTF-8", at least for the QuartusPro session, the problem disappears.

    /Ted

12 Replies

  • KhaiChein_Y_Intel's avatar
    KhaiChein_Y_Intel
    Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
    6 years ago

    Hi,

    I have sent an email to you, please let me know if you do not receive.

    Thanks.

    Best regards,

    KhaiY

    • MKlee2's avatar
      MKlee2
      Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
      6 years ago

      Thank you, sadly the solution resultet in yet another error.

      I also tried to sent you an email but because it's not related to a special case it just came back. (can't be deliverd)

      Because this solution is still under test is it ok to post the new error (log) here? Or do you prefer to receive it in a different way?

      Hint (this souldn't say much): it (error) points to sin_simulation_interface.cpp, Line: 1768

      info:

      Error occures in place of the old one and behaves the same, after crash I can continue compiling using "Assembler" button and the resulting sof seems to work just fine.

      Mail:

      ...Thank you for contacting Intel Corporation. We were unable to deliver your email because the email does not appear to be related to an existing case.....

      Thanks and have a nice weekend,

      MKlee

  • TJoha6's avatar
    TJoha6
    Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
    5 years ago

    I had this problem too with some versions of QuartusPro, at least 19.3, both on Linux Mint and CentOS, but could not find any answers in Jan-Feb.

    Today I found your posting and also this link: https://wikis.uni-paderborn.de/pc2doc/Noctua_FPGA_Usage,_Integration_and_Development

    which provide a possible explanation and fix.

    It is related to the linux LOCALE setting, if you use another format than US (in Europe, we use decimal comma, not point).

    By setting LC_NUMERIC= ="en_US.UTF-8", at least for the QuartusPro session, the problem disappears.

    /Ted

    • MKlee2's avatar
      MKlee2
      Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
      5 years ago

      Big thanks!

      It's been a few month now, I somehow didn't see your answer till now. But this was what I was looking for.

      Now Quartus works as expected.

  • KhaiChein_Y_Intel's avatar
    KhaiChein_Y_Intel
    Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
    6 years ago

    Hi,

    Could you help to provide the design.qar for investigation?

    Thanks.

    Best regards,

    KhaiY

    • MKlee2's avatar
      MKlee2
      Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
      6 years ago

      It happens on all designs and only on Linux-Systems on Winows it works just fine. But I added a design anyway, thought it doesn't matter, as said happens to all designs. Also error msg seems to be Quartus internal.

  • KhaiChein_Y_Intel's avatar
    KhaiChein_Y_Intel
    Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
    6 years ago

    Hi MKlee,

    I have sent an email to you. Please let me know if you do not receive.

    Thanks.

    Best regards,

    KhaiY

    • MKlee2's avatar
      MKlee2
      Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
      6 years ago

      I finally got time for a few more tests:

      • My error example file from above compiles just fine now
      • My main design still crashes with the new error, when starting "Place" (but continues in a second run)

      So I started to remove ip after ip in my design and finally after removing all external memory ip's from my design the error was gone and it compiles in one go.

      So I guess the patch broke somthing in combination with this ip?

      I can also reproduce the said new error by using a (new) minimal design only containing some avalone-pipline bridges, a custom avalon-mm-master and the external memory ip.

      • IP: External Memory Interfaces Intel Stratix 10 FPGA IP
      • Connects a DDR4 RAM
      • Version 19.1.0
      • Simulation generation turned off (mentioning this cause the new error points to some stuff containing _sim in its name)

      If I find the time I will install the patch on window and compile the design there, to see if the error persists.

  • KhaiChein_Y_Intel's avatar
    KhaiChein_Y_Intel
    Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
    6 years ago

    Hi,

    Sure. Please let me know the result once you run the compilation on the PC with patch installed.

    Thanks.

    Best regards,

    KhaiY

    • MKlee2's avatar
      MKlee2
      Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
      5 years ago

      Sorry for the delayed answer, I was an vacation for last 2 weeks.

      Well I tried compiling my test design using your patch on windows and it worked just fine.

      But during multiple tests (on linux) I noticed that even under linux the error won't always show up (and somtimes even result in multipe messages instead of just 1) so it might have been coincidence on windows.

      Anyway I noticed that Quartus 20.1 got released in the meantime, I haven't check the changlog yet, but I will give this version a try maybe it helps.

  • KhaiChein_Y_Intel's avatar
    KhaiChein_Y_Intel
    Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
    5 years ago

    Hi Ted,

    Your question is related to OpenCL, which is not the same as this case. Kindly create a new forum post.

    Thanks.

    Best regards,

    KhaiY