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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
12 years ago

Which .stp file should be used for SignalTap in Quartus 13.0?

Quartus 13.0 generates 2 .stp files, e.g.: aaa.stp and aaa_auto_stripped.stp.

When I tried to use aaa.stp with SignalTap, I got "instance not found" error.

When I tried to use aaa_auto_stripped.stp, SignalTap crashed:

Internal Error: Sub-system: SEDQ, File: /quartus/sld/sedq/sedq_layout_widget.cpp, Line: 856

instance_index != -1

Stack Trace:

0x3baf0: SEDQ_LAYOUT_WIDGET::get_hierarchy_widget + 0x30

0x45125: SEDQ_VIEW::paintEvent + 0x55

0x64046: QWidget::event + 0x4b6

0x1b9e5c: QFont::QFont + 0x6c

0x18009a: QPaintDevice::depth + 0x211a

0x1276cc: QPainter::begin + 0x6ac

0x12770a: QPainter::begin + 0x6ea

0x21c75: _mbsnbicoll + 0x14

0x4e01: msg_main_thread + 0x11

0x3eadf: QUI_FRAME_MGR::unload_dll_signal + 0x2f

0x51df: _Dinkum_std::vector<enum DEV_FAMILY_TRAIT_ENUM,MEM_STL_ALLOCATOR<enum DEV_FAMILY_TRAIT_ENUM> >::_Insert_n + 0x26f

0x9af37: AFCQ_DIALOG::get_help_topic_string + 0x5

0x9b5f7: QWidget::qt_metacall + 0x5

0x9b5fd: QObject::eventFilter + 0x5

0x9b603: QObject::timerEvent + 0x5

0x9b609: QObject::childEvent + 0x5

0x9b60f: QObject::customEvent + 0x5

0x9b615: QObject::connectNotify + 0x5

0x9af3d: QApplication::event + 0x5

0x9b61b: QObject::disconnectNotify + 0x5

0x9af43: QApplication::notify + 0x5

0x9af49: QApplication::compressEvent + 0x5

0x9af4f: QApplication::commitData + 0x5

0x71df: QUI_APP::execute_tcl + 0x2ef

0x4eff: QUI_APP::~QUI_APP + 0x4f

0x341f: QUI_PROCESSING_MENU::trUtf8 + 0x5f

0x40bf: QUI_APP::QUI_APP + 0xbf

End-trace

Quartus II 32-bit Version 13.0.0 Build 156 04/24/2013 SJ Full Version

3 Replies

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

    Hi,

    I assume you have activated the signal tap instance either in Assignment settings or by invoking via tools => signalTapII logic analyzer?

    By starting the singaltap logic analyzer (opening the analyzer window) and defining the signals, you are requested to recompile which will also automatically either activate (or ask if it should activate) the signaltap instance. Before you can use the signaltap, you have to programm the device with an *.sof containing the instance - otherwise you'll get the "instance not found" error. This error will also occurr, if you change signals in signaltap and do not recompile / reprogram as the "PC" signaltap and "device" signaltap configurations must match.

    I assume there is a difference giving the "aaa.stp" => "instance not found" condition ...
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    12 years ago

    I know all of this and I did compile the same design with Quartus 12.1 SP1 and SignalTaps works as expected in version 12.1 SP1.

    I would like to use 13.0 because timing models in 12.1 SP1 are "preliminary" and timing results seem better in 13.0, plus there are issues with PCIe hard macro in 12.1 SP1. But it look like as usual the new version of Quartus is so buggy that it is unusable.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    12 years ago

    Hi,

    I also switched to QII 13.0 and have no issues. Thus the SignalTap itself is working, but that does not solve your Problem. At least the aaa.stp is the correct file. A Long time ago I had - never discovered why - some issues, that the *.sof download from within the SignalTap window failed and I had to download via the normal programmer...

    Finally - QII 13.0 creates an "output files" directory where the *.sof is located by standard configuration, QII 12 did store these files in the normal project directory. Maybe - if you just Switch to QII 13.0 you are still using the *.sof in the normal Project Directory which is outdated? Maybe it's worth to check for *.sof in the Project Directory (including subdirs) to locate the newest one.