NIOS V: Systick based timeouts not available when using internal timer
Hello, We are using Quartus 25.1 Standard. I came across something, which I would consider a but in the BSP generated HAL files, or at least a major limitation in the usage of NIOS V. System Setup: NIOS V + JTAG UART NIOS V in internal Timer as Sys_clk_timer BSP Setting: Problems: The JTAG UART drivers have a timeout functionality based on the systick interrupt to avoid getting stuck, in case there is not JTAG UART connected, so the internal buffer fills up. --> see altera_avalon_jtag_uart_timeout() This used to work fine with: NIOS II Setup (using external Timer) NIOS V Setup with external Timer block as sys_clk_timer But when using the NIOS V internal as sys_clk_timer the JTAG UART timeout does not trigger and when calling alt_printf it gets stuck in altera_avalon_jtag_uart_write /* * No OS present: Always wait for data to be removed from buffer. Once * the interrupt routine has removed some data then we will be able to * insert some more. */ while (out == sp->tx_out && sp->host_inactive < sp->timeout) Analysis When I check the initialization routine of the JTAG UART altera_avalon_jtag_uart_init by stepping through with the debugger, I realize, the alarm is not setup: /* * No OS present: Always wait for data to be removed from buffer. Once * the interrupt routine has removed some data then we will be able to * insert some more. */ while (out == sp->tx_out && sp->host_inactive < sp->timeout) This is because the alt_ticks_per_second() returns 0 During the main() function alt_ticks_per_second() is correctly set to 10 (which is my setting from the BSP) The root cause, is the initialization order in alt_sys_init() within the generated alt_sys_init.c file: void alt_sys_init( void ) { ALTERA_AVALON_TIMER_INIT ( NIOS_SUBSYSTEM_TIMER_0, nios_subsystem_timer_0); ALTERA_AVALON_JTAG_UART_INIT ( NIOS_SUBSYSTEM_JTAG_UART_0, nios_subsystem_jtag_uart_0); ALTERA_AVALON_SPI_INIT ( NSC3_SUBSYSTEM_0_ADC_SPI, nsc3_subsystem_0_adc_spi); ALTERA_AVALON_SYSID_QSYS_INIT ( NIOS_SUBSYSTEM_SYSID_NIOS, nios_subsystem_sysid_nios); ALTERA_AVALON_UART_INIT ( NIOS_SUBSYSTEM_UART_IP, nios_subsystem_uart_ip); INTEL_NIOSV_M_INIT ( NIOS_SUBSYSTEM_INTEL_NIOSV_M_0, nios_subsystem_intel_niosv_m_0); } _alt_tick_rate is initalized to 0 per default and gets set duing alt_sysclk_init(), called from the INTEL_NIOSV_M_INIT Macro As seen above. The INTEL_NIOSV_M_INIT Macro is called last within alt_sys_init. Hence all other modules do see _alt_tick_rate = 0. Hence assume there is no sys tick timer present. Hence all sys tick based alarms are disabled. NOTE: The ALTERA_AVALON_TIMER_INIT Macro is called first. Which appears to be correct IMHO, so the Timer module works as sys tick timer @ Altera: Please advise on this issue. Is there any possibility to change the alt_sys_init initialization order? best regards Fabian
Ashling RISC Free IDE fails to download ELF file
Hello ALTERA NIOSV Experts, I have been trying to execute an application using a NIOSV CPU with the Ashling RISC Free IDE. The problem is that when trying to download the elf file to a MAX10 ALTERA Development board i see an error message saying that the AShling IDE cannot determine the JTAG clock speed. I have added a Screen shot showing this event. Can anyone please suggest a solution to try ? I am currently using an ALTERA USB Blaster to connect but i have just ordered a USB Blaster II as i believe that can connect at faster clock speeds and is also more reliable. Thanks for any help,
LPDDR4 not available in NIOSV/g linker script - Agilex-5, Quartus 26.1 Pro
Hello, I have a simple design for Agilex 5, using NIOS V/g and EMIF IP with LPDDR4 memory. I have the NIOS V instruction and data manager ports connected to the EMIF IP. Design compiles Ok. But when I create a BSP, in the linker section, there is not a memory device for the LPDDR4. In this thread, a similar problem seems to be mentioned - issue-with-bsp-creation-for-nios-vm-using-lpddr4-on-agilex-5-quartus-24-1--24-3 Does it mean that Address Span Extender IP must be used in order to have the LPDDR4 show in the linker script section, as an available memory device?
Ahsling RiscFree IDE 25.1.1: Unresolved inclusion
Hello, I'm making Nios V test project for Agilex 5 (Arrow AXE5000 Devkit), following instructions in AN 985 Nios V Processor Tutorial. It works basically, I can download and run Nios application on the target. Source window is marking all include files as "unresolved" although the project compiles fine. I can manually add links to all missing includes (most from /bsp/inc folders, some from riscfree/toolchain/riscv32-unknown-elf) to the app tree to resolve the issue. But apparently there's something wrong with the import Cmake project flow. Am I missing a step in the instructions? Regards FrankUnable to transmit out of 16550 Compatible UART
Hi I am following the example of the 16550 Compatible UART in the Embedded peripherals IP User Guide and using the provided code I am not seeing any data in the loopback configuration. Software is Quartus Prime Lite 18.1 Any idea or suggestions is greatly appreciated. I'm not sure if I need to configure any registers?NIOS does not start after SW download (timing issue?)
Hi, Recently I got an old Arria V design to update. It is in Quartus II 15.0 containing the following main components (in Qsys design): NIOS II soft processor 2x UniPHY DDR3 RAM controller (soft version, not hard), 72 bit wide data running at 400MHz clock (800Mb/s) 2x Triple Speed Ethernet with 4x SGDMA The design uses only 40k ALMs out of 190k so it fits well but I have timing issues (slack) on pll_afi_clk for one or both DDR3 controllers. I can reduce it by a lot of fine tuning on synthesizer and fitter settings but when I change a bit in the design timing results go wrong and tuning has to be started again. Both FW and SW are downloaded to SRAM by ByteBlaster. I found when the slacks are big (>0.1ns) NIOS never starts after downloading the SW. When it is small or completely eliminated, NIOS starts in most of the cases (but not always). Is this normal for such a design, or am I doing something wrong? I have never seen such behaviour before. Can this timing issue affect the NIOS processor on such a way or should I search in another direction to solve the problem?
Nios V license
Hi, I need to apply Nios V free license, but in FPGA Self Service Licensing Center, I got error all the time, I signed in successfully, but it says "You do not currently have access to this site" always, as shown in the attached figure. Please help fix this issue, or is there other way to get the license? Thanks.NiosV and juart-terminal
I had a project which works fine under niosII. I upgrade all the project with niosv and all seems fine except printing values in juart-terminal. Here is the main code : #include <stdio.h> #include "system.h" #include "altera_avalon_pio_regs.h" #include <altera_avalon_i2c.h> #include <unistd.h> #include <string.h> int main() { //* ALT_AVALON_I2C_DEV_t *i2c_dev; //pointer to instance structure alt_u8 txbuffer[20]; alt_u8 rxbuffer[20]; float co2Concentration = 0; float temperature = 0; float humidity = 0; alt_u32 co2U32 = 0; alt_u32 tempU32 = 0; alt_u32 humU32 = 0; ALT_AVALON_I2C_STATUS_CODE status; i2c_dev = alt_avalon_i2c_open("/dev/i2c"); //Ouverture du périphérique i2c et récupération d'un pointeur if (NULL==i2c_dev) { printf("Error: Cannot find /dev/i2c\n"); return 1; } //set the address of the device using alt_avalon_i2c_master_target_set(i2c_dev,0x61); //Définition de l'adresse du composant adressé 0x61 pour le SCD30 txbuffer[0]=0x00; txbuffer[1]=0x10; txbuffer[2]=0x00; txbuffer[3]=0x00; txbuffer[4]=0x81; //Remplissage du buffer pour configurer le SDC30 en Continous measurement status=alt_avalon_i2c_master_tx(i2c_dev,txbuffer, 5,ALT_AVALON_I2C_NO_INTERRUPTS); //Envoi du buffer au composant if (status!=ALT_AVALON_I2C_SUCCESS) return 1; //FAIL while(1) { txbuffer[0]=0x02; txbuffer[1]=0x02; //Remplissage du buffer pour déterminer si les données sont prêtes alt_avalon_i2c_master_tx(i2c_dev,txbuffer, 2,ALT_AVALON_I2C_NO_INTERRUPTS); //Envoi du buffer au composant rxbuffer[1]=0x00; usleep(3000); // Il faut attendre au moins 3ms avant de demander la réponse alt_avalon_i2c_master_rx(i2c_dev,rxbuffer, 3,ALT_AVALON_I2C_NO_INTERRUPTS); //Récupération de la réponse du composant si rxbuffer[1]==0x01 alors les données sont prêtes if(rxbuffer[1]==0x01) { txbuffer[0]=0x03; txbuffer[1]=0x00; //Remplissage du buffer pour la lecture des données alt_avalon_i2c_master_tx(i2c_dev,txbuffer, 2, ALT_AVALON_I2C_NO_INTERRUPTS); //Envoi du buffer de lecture et récupération des données usleep(3000); //Wait 3ms before data available alt_avalon_i2c_master_rx(i2c_dev,rxbuffer, 18,ALT_AVALON_I2C_NO_INTERRUPTS); //Read datas co2U32 = (alt_u32)((((alt_u32)rxbuffer[0]) << 24) | (((alt_u32)rxbuffer[1]) << 16) | (((alt_u32)rxbuffer[3]) << 8) | ((alt_u32)rxbuffer[4])); tempU32 = (alt_u32)((((alt_u32)rxbuffer[6]) << 24) | (((alt_u32)rxbuffer[7]) << 16) | (((alt_u32)rxbuffer[9]) << 8) | ((alt_u32)rxbuffer[10])); humU32 = (alt_u32)((((alt_u32)rxbuffer[12]) << 24) | (((alt_u32)rxbuffer[13]) << 16) | (((alt_u32)rxbuffer[15]) << 8) | ((alt_u32)rxbuffer[16])); memcpy(&co2Concentration, &co2U32, sizeof(co2Concentration)); memcpy(&temperature, &tempU32, sizeof(temperature)); memcpy(&humidity, &humU32, sizeof(humidity)); } printf("---------------------------------------------------------\n"); printf("SCD30\n"); printf("Concentration de CO2 : %f ppm\n",co2Concentration); printf("Température : %.1f °C\n",temperature); printf("Humidité relative : %.1f %% \n",humidity); usleep(500000); } } I put a breakpoint just before the printf and the values are good : but when i print the values in the juart-terminal : I can't figure out why the printf does not work as i expect. Someone could help me to understand this problem ? Thanks EricJTAG_UART stuck in printf
I'm trying to setup a NiosV and have printf appear over the JTAG_UART. I've used only the default settings when generating the bsp (just the generate command, no set_settings). I notice when I debug, anytime I step over a printf statement, it never returns (also, no print statements appear in the juart-terminal). However, if I just do a direct pointer access to the JTAG_UART base address, I successfully see characters printed in the juart-terminal. Looking in the bsp's summary.html, it appears that it has linked the jtag_uart. Ex: hal.stdout Value = jtag_uart_0. I also have a fair chunk of CPU block ram memory (262 KB total, only using about 16 KB right now for hello world). Any ideas what the issue here is?
