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My projects don't run.

Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Hello to everybody. 

I have DE1 (with EP2C20F484C7 FPGA device and EPCS4 serial configuration device). I run Quartus II v.9.1 web in a Vista computer. I have set up USB Blaster driver software in my computer. 

My projects run OK in JTAG programming (sof files) 

The same projects don't run when in SA programming mode (pof files). However I can download and run OK the sample projects (DE1_Default.pof, DE1_USB_API.pof ...) 

Can enyone help me?
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Hi, 

this sounds perhaps to be related to the problem with compressed programming files generated with v9.1. You should check for the "Generate compressed bitstreams" option in Settings -> Device -> Device and Pin Options -> Configuration to be deselected. 

 

Hope that helps 

Carlhermann
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Quartus 9.1 seems to have a bug with generating EPCS related files. 

If you take the fpga image generated by quartus 9.1 and your application elf and generate epcs files with quartus 9.0 then everything is alright, same files used with quartus 9.1 won't run. 

 

see this thread epcs booting problem (http://www.alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19496)
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Thanks a lot. The information you provided was really helpfull.

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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Although failure of compressed EPCS configuration in Quartus 9.1 files is treated as a fact in Altera Forum, it's not listed with Quartus known issues. I wonder, if any forum member who oberved the problem ever filed a support request?

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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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--- Quote Start ---  

Although failure of compressed EPCS configuration in Quartus 9.1 files is treated as a fact in Altera Forum, it's not listed with Quartus known issues. I wonder, if any forum member who oberved the problem ever filed a support request? 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

Hi, 

yes - I did (I had a service request with "mySupport" on Altera website. I got notice, that Altera has recognized this, and that this problem is on their list of things to be fixed in either next SP or next version of QuartusII (whatever comes first...). 

 

Sincerely, 

Carlhermann
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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That's good. But it should be listed in knowledge base, I think. Or did I miss the entry? 

 

It's a severe bug in my opinion, because you won't think of a software error but suspect your hardware, possibly replace parts, damage your prototype during desolder and things like this.
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Well, don't ask me... 

I really searched around (and around and ...) until I found this problem not being related to my hardware...  

 

I don't know why it's not listed anywhere - at least here in the forum the problem of no longer working designs with v9.1 has been reported many times now... 

 

Sincerely, Carlhermann
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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@ FvM 

 

i have an open service request since november 11 and still hoping to give : 

"Quartus II 9.1 Patch 0.63 Patch SPR#: 330296" a try. 

But still haven't get any update so far. 

 

I agree with you, this is a bug that should be official mentioned and or stated to prevent users from damaging their targets due to impossible "bug" removements that are not more than a suicide mission for the target and mostly lead to no solution.
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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just received the patch from MySuport and it works now as expected. 

that patch seems to solve this issue.  

(and hopefully does not introduce other issues)
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Where can i find this Patch?

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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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english: 

I´m VHDL Learner and I have a Problem with SP (.pof)!  

Under JTAG programming it works with default settings before.  

Start SP loading is Ok, after that nothing works. 

After loading SP , JTAG programming doesn´t work too. 

Is this the same Problem or I´m stupid? ;) I Use the DE2 Board, Quartus II 9.1 und will produce a VHDL file, what is befor a Verilog File. You can find the Verilog File under www.johnloomis.org/digitallab/audio/audio3/audio3.html 

Thanks for helping me.  

 

in Deutsch: 

Hallo,ich bin ein VHDL-Neuling und habe ein Problem mit der SP Programmierung. Wenn ich unter den Default Einstellung die JTAG Programmierung durchführe funktioniert alles. Die Beschreibung mit SP wird geladen, aber dann macht mein Board gar nix mehr. Wenn ich die pof-File in den EPCS16 geladen hab und danach wieder die sof-File lade, funktioniert auch diese nicht mehr. Is dies das slebe Problem mit dem Patch,oder bin ich einfach unfähig? Ich nutze das DE2 Board, Quartus II 9.1. 

Zur Funktion:Ich möchte ein Verilog Programm in VHDL übersetzen, das Verilog-File ist unter: www.johnloomis.org/digitallab/audio/audio3/audio3.html zu finden. Die Dateien können auch bei mir geordert werden.;) 

Vielen Dank für die Hilfe
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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The patch is available via MySupport or contact your FAE or wait for the next service pack / version  

 

What do you mean with "SP" ?
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Active Serial Programming, for using .pof Files

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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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ahh okay 

 

Active Serial Programming is shortend to AS inside Altera documentation. 

As you use Quartus 9.1 and try to setup AS you will need that patch. 

the sof files generated by quartus 9.1 are okay but the stuff that generates epcs related files does not. or if you have access to a quartus version prior 9.1 (for example 9.0) then use a script to generated those files from sof and elf
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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I don't use V9.1 (for the said reasons, among others), but I understood, that only compressed AS files are affected. 

 

To assure, that JTAG programming always takes precendence, you may want to disable the on-chip configuration controller, it's an otption of the Quartus Programmer tool.
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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@ FvM 

 

The bug is not related on compression. 

- perfrom a complete compile with 9.0 tools ... everything is fine 

- perfrom the same complete compile with 9.1 ... does not start 

- use files from 9.1 (sof & elf) and generate epcs related files on 9.0 tools... works 

- use sof & elf from 9.0 and generate epcs files on 9.1 ... does not start 

 

checkbox w/wo of compressed bitstream has no effect. 

comandline option --compress w/wo has no effect 

 

to sumarize ... 9.1 does not produce startable epcs related files out of sof & elf regardless where they were generated, but 9.0 does. workaround compile with 9.1 and generate epcs files with 9.0 via a comandline script (bash) 

 

MySupport gave couple of ideas what to try but none worked. 

only patch 063 helps.
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Thank you for clarifying.

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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Hi, 

 

I think I am also facing a similar problem, and this discussion may be useful to me, but I have not understood the solution from this thread, can someone please explain it again. 

 

I am using Altera Max II dev kit (MAXII-1270N), with Quartus 9.1 Build 222, Byteblaster II JTAG programmer. Even though all my projects compile succesfully, I am not able to program the device, the programmer inexplicably fails to load the .pof file. The problem is not with the JTAG programmer. When I try to program, I get JTAG ID, Silicon ID, then "Error: Operation Failed". No more information! Even the Functional tests supplied by Altera (to check all functions of the dev kit) fail to program the device. The "generate compressed bitstream" option is greyed out, ie unavailable for this device.  

 

 

--- 

Thanks
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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The "bug" (it is not officialy a bug as far as i know) is not related to Max-II devices.  

A couple of projects here with the epm570 were compiled and programmed without any issue.  

for cyclone devices, quartus 9.1 seems to produce a correct sof file but is unable to generate those files needed for epcs programming out of sof and elf files. 

 

about your problem : 

your are using a dev kit ? which one ? 

if your target is powered up, open a command line window and run jtagconfig 

now you should a info what jtag connection you have and what devices are reachable. 

one board here displays these informations 

1) USB-Blaster [USB-0] 

020B60DD EP2C70 

020A20DD EPM570 

 

MaxII devices have no compressed bitstream, that is for fpga that were initiated via external components (like epcs) to reduce the bitstream and tehrefore the amount of data within the memory device that holds the image.
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Many thanks to MSchmitt for the reply.  

 

On the Quartus II Tcl console, I get 

ByteBlasterII 020A30DD EPM1270  

 

which means the JTAG chain is working, since I have just one device connected and byteblaster can recognize it. I am using the Max II dev kit from Altera http://www.altera.com/products/devkits/altera/kit-maxii-1270.html and I am currently clueless about how to resolve the problem. I get a "Error: Operation failed" message whenever I try to program it. Interestingly, out of the four functional tests for the kit supplied by Altera (Functional_Test.pof, LowPowerDemo.pof, PowerUpDemo.pof, VendingMachineDemo.pof) ONLY LowPowerDemo.pof works and I am able to program the device with that file!  

 

Since my situation is different from this thread, maybe I should start another one. 

 

--- 

Thanks again for the quick reply
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