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ToddW's avatar
ToddW
Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
4 years ago

Uniphy Platform Designer Error: "Cannot find sequencer/sequencer.elf"

Prior to Quartus Prime Std v19, Intel used Cygwin for the Nios II Command Shell. Version 19.1 and beyond, they switched to using Ubunto 18.04 TLS and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to operate the Nios Command Shell. Here's a quote from the following support article.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/programmable/articles/000074066.html

"Starting with the Nios® II EDS in the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software version 19.2 and Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard Edition software version 19.1, the Cygwin component in the Windows* version of Nios II EDS has been removed and replaced with WSL."

I've been unable to compile Platform Designer projects that use a UniPhy memory controller starting with Quartus Prime Std version 19.1 due to the errors mentioned below. Consequently, I've had to keep the revision locked at version 18. It is time to resolve the problem with later versions as my IP is becoming outdated.

This same issue is already mentioned (but not resolved) several times, starting with version 19 and subsequent releases. I am currently running Quartus Prime Std 21.1.0.842.

Here’s a few of the times it is mentioned:

https://community.intel.com/t5/Nios-II-Embedded-Design-Suite/Error-s0-Error-during-execution-of-quot-C-intelfpga-20-1-quartus/m-p/1191914#M49912

https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-Quartus-Prime-Software/Error-s0-Cannot-find-sequencer-sequencer-elf/m-p/1233588#M67281

https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-Quartus-Prime-Software/Error-Cannot-find-sequences-sequencer-elf/m-p/95998#M19220

https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-Quartus-Prime-Software/Qsys-fails-with-strange-error-messages-never-seen-before/m-p/1310027?lightbox-message-images-1310027=19018i388F0912252A31FC#M70597

Here is how the error/issue shows up in Platform Designer:

I’ve deleted all prior versions of Quartus in hopes that would clear up the issue…it didn’t.

  • I’m able to successfully run Nios II Command Shell, which validates that I’ve successfully installed Ubunto 18.04 TLS and WLS.
  • I’ve set WLS version to ‘1’
  • I’ve installed the following packages:
    • sudo apt update
    • sudo apt upgrade
    • sudo apt install wsl
    • sudo apt install dos2unix
    • sudo apt install make
  • I’ve confirmed the appropriate system environment variables:
    • QUARTUS_ROOTDIR E:\intelFPGA\21.1\quartus
    • QSYS_ROOTDIR E:\intelFPGA\21.1\quartus\sopc_builder\bin
    • SOPC_KIT_NIOS2 E:\intelFPGA\21.1\nios2eds

From what I read, it has never been successfully resolved. I am VERY surprised that Intel has not taken the time to come up with a clear resolution to it. I certainly can’t be the only one out there that is attempting to compile a Platform Designer project with a UniPhy DDR3 memory controller.

I am absolutely stuck at this point. Any guidance would be most appreciated.

17 Replies

  • ToddW's avatar
    ToddW
    Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
    4 years ago

    Here are some helpful links I've uncovered from others on the issue. However, even after carefully following the instructions contained in these links, I am still having the same problem.

    https://www.terasic.com.tw/wiki/Getting_Start_Install_WSL

    https://wiki.trenz-electronic.de/display/PD/Install+Intel+Development+Tools

    https://medium.com/@jpablo.pinilla/intel-quartus-19-1-university-program-extensions-and-nios-ii-command-shell-for-windows-10-8a37182fc07b

  • ToddW's avatar
    ToddW
    Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
    4 years ago

    Thank you for your response.

    However, I have installed/removed/reinstalled Ubunto 18.04 and WSL while carefully following the instructions in the support article you mentioned as well as the more thorough Terasic article I mention above.

    I am able to run Nios II Command Shell by itself from the Start menu. It recognizes typed commands as expected.

    I have verified that the WSL is set to version 1.

    I have verified the Environment variables are pointing to the correct locations:

    • QUARTUS_ROOTDIR C:\intelFPGA\21.1\quartus
    • QSYS_ROOTDIR C:\intelFPGA\21.1\quartus\sopc_builder\bin
    • SOPC_KIT_NIOS2 C:\intelFPGA\21.1\nios2eds

    I am still receiving the same errors as mentioned earlier.

    Is there a means to interrupt the flow to just prior to the error occurring to see what the state of the machine is at that point?

  • ToddW's avatar
    ToddW
    Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
    4 years ago

    Correct. I had already done the steps shown in the link you posted. The Terasic article is actually more detailed than the one you posted. Even after carefully going through all of the steps described in the articles, I am still getting the same error as originally mentioned.

    I am able to successfully run Nios II Command Shell from the Start Menu (even not as an Administrator). See below. However, I am still getting the "Cannot find sequencer/sequencer.elf" error when attempting to compile my DDR3 Platform Designer project.

  • MoZdk's avatar
    MoZdk
    Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
    4 years ago

    Thanks for posting this thorough problem report.

    I am also running Quartus Prime Std 21.1.0.842, tries to generate a design with a DDR3 controller, and thereby get the exact same error.

    I have also tried the suggestions given in this topic, which unfortunately have not fixed the problem.

    A solution i greatly appreciated, since it blocks use of Quartus Prime Std 21.1 for the design.

  • MoZdk's avatar
    MoZdk
    Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
    4 years ago

    Installation of WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) breaks the Quartus lite 18.1 Platform Designer so it is not possible to generate code with the DDR3 controller, even through WSL is not expected to be used for Quartus 18.1.

    The error messages are similar to those given in Quartus 21.1 shown above.

    When I disable WSL and restarts Windows, then the Quartus lite 18.1 Platform Designer can again generate code with the DDR3 controller.

  • ToddW's avatar
    ToddW
    Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
    4 years ago

    Yes. In my opening paragraph of this forum post I said,

    Prior to Quartus Prime Std v19, Intel used Cygwin for the Nios II Command Shell. Version 19.1 and beyond, they switched to using Ubunto 18.04 TLS and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to operate the Nios Command Shell. Here's a quote from the following support article.

    https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/programmable/articles/000074066.html

    "Starting with the Nios® II EDS in the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software version 19.2 and Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard Edition software version 19.1, the Cygwin component in the Windows* version of Nios II EDS has been removed and replaced with WSL."

    So, prior to Quartus v19, the Platform Designer used Cygwin instead of WSL to run the Nios Shell used to generate the projects.

  • ToddW's avatar
    ToddW
    Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
    4 years ago

    I had an online meeting with a couple support engineers at Intel regarding this topic. It appears they concur this is potentially a bug and they have generated a HSD (whatever that is) and submitted to Intel Engineering for review/follow-up. Time to watch some paint dry.

    For now, I am reverting to Quartus Prime Std v18.1 so I can continue to work my project.