Problems with Cyclone III - NIOS II Embedded Evaluation kit

[Altera_Forum]

Hi everyone, 

 I just received my Cyclone III devkit last week, and this weekend I spent some time trying to get it to work. I still haven't had any luck. Hopefully, someone here can point me in the right direction, because I've gone through the user manual and it isn't helping.  1. I powered up the board after inserting the included SD card, and nothing appears on the screen. The user manual says that I might have to press the reconfigure button twice, but that doesn't help. I have confirmed that the SD card does have the sample apps installed.  2. I then used the nios2-flash-programmer to reload the factory image .flash file. After doing that, I received the following status:  Using cable "USB-Blaster [USB-0]", device 1, instance 0x00  Resetting and pausing target processor: OK  Checksummed/read 1069kB in 1301.0s  Erase not required  Programmed 1101KB in 0.0s  No change to device contents  Leaving target processor paused  I'm not sure why the target processor is paused, but I would bet that's why the application selector isn't running. :) Can anyone tell me how to fix this?  3. I cannot get any sample apps to run in Quartus II v7.2. Every time I try to compile a sample app, it gives me errors related to my license file not having support for SD_MMC_..., or other options. I have a free 150 day (?) license, and already pointed Quartus II at this license file. If I can't compile and run any sample applications, what good was it to even buy this devkit?  4. When I run the NIOS 2 IDE and try the hello_world sample application, it won't run because I don't have a JTAG connected. Do I really have to buy more hardware just to print "hello world"?  Thanks in advance for any ideas / suggestions!

[Altera_Forum]

Hi dmatsumoto, 

 I've also bought the eval Kit. Maybe I can help you a bit, but I'm also a newbie.  1. I've inserted my SD-card and powered up the board. So the application selector started without doing something else.  2. I've never used the flash programmer.  3. When you load the standard processor design in Quartus2, the compilation fails, because of the license for the the el_camino_sd_card_controller, this component is from el_camino and needs a separate license. So I think you have to remove this component from the design for a new processor design.  4.You should install the driver for the usb-blaster to get a JTAG connection. After that, you can use the NIOS standard design in the NIOS IDE for the sample applications. Use the Quartus Programmer to download the standard design to the FPGA.   Sorry, I think my english isn't the best:rolleyes:    Mfg Ponte

[Altera_Forum]

Hi, thanks for the reply. Sounds like your luck was better than mine. I did realize that the sample apps are worthless, so I'll end up starting from a new project and just try to blink lights and use the buttons. After that, it looks like I'll have to make a custom board for that special connector if I want to do anything useful. 

 I ended up getting everything to work, but the weird thing is that I somehow "jump started" the board by power cycling it a bunch of times, with one of the buttons pressed. After I did that, it always booted fine...  Unfortunately, now I have less time available to work on the devkit, so we'll see when I ever get something together. Have you gotten a simple app with lights and the buttons working? If so, would you mind posting your quartus project? :)  Thanks!

[Altera_Forum]

I'm working for my own design and application. 

 I've made my own small design, which works. This design includes:  -NIOS CPU / fast -on-chip memory -jtag/uart -sys_clk_timer -sysid -led_pio -button_pio  The hello_world and counter sample works fine.  My next step is to include the 4 buttons to my program. But in the moment the buttons make no interrupt so I'm standing still in this point.  I've some problems when I try to use the standard design, included in the evalkit. The pin for LED2 in the standard design isn't correct, so only LED1 works. Unfortunately I can't find any design files for the cyclone3 3c25F324.  Compile my project in Quartus. Use the Design in the NIOS IDE with a sample application. I prefer the counting example. Before you build your project. In System Library Properties activate Program never exits and Small C Library. Anything else deactivate, because of the small memory size:rolleyes:   Mfg Ponte

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  I'm working for my own design and application.  I've made my own small design, which works. This design includes:  -NIOS CPU / fast -on-chip memory -jtag/uart -sys_clk_timer -sysid -led_pio -button_pio  The hello_world and counter sample works fine.  My next step is to include the 4 buttons to my program. But in the moment the buttons make no interrupt so I'm standing still in this point.  I've some problems when I try to use the standard design, included in the evalkit. The pin for LED2 in the standard design isn't correct, so only LED1 works. Unfortunately I can't find any design files for the cyclone3 3c25F324.  Compile my project in Quartus. Use the Design in the NIOS IDE with a sample application. I prefer the counting example. Before you build your project. In System Library Properties activate Program never exits and Small C Library. Anything else deactivate, because of the small memory size:rolleyes:   Mfg Ponte  --- Quote End ---     FANTASTIC! Thanks for posting this. Finally, hopefully a little momentum for those of us that are just starting to learn about FPGAs. :)

[Altera_Forum]

I also new to FPGA programming. 

 Please give me feedback, if the design works correctly on your board.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  I also new to FPGA programming.  Please give me feedback, if the design works correctly on your board.  --- Quote End ---    Will do... I'll try to load it up on my dev board by tomorrow night!

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  ... After that, it looks like I'll have to make a custom board for that special connector if I want to do anything useful.  --- Quote End ---    I would check out Terasic. They make an HSMC (the special connector) to GPIO Daughter Board for the kit that is useful and probably a lot easier than making your own for $50.  http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?language=english&categoryno=39&no=218 (http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?language=english&categoryno=39&no=218)

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  I would check out Terasic. They make an HSMC (the special connector) to GPIO Daughter Board for the kit that is useful and probably a lot easier than making your own for $50.  http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?language=english&categoryno=39&no=218 (http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?language=english&categoryno=39&no=218)  --- Quote End ---    Thanks for the info! I actually just purchased one because of your recommendation, as it looks like it'll save me time overall. I purchased two because of the minimal shipping price increase. If anyone needs one, I can ship one to you for $70, which saves you a little over $10!

[Altera_Forum]

I can't believe this, my dev kit stopped working again. It's been left unused for a couple of weeks now, and I just powered it up and all I have is a blank screen. This is really annoying.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  I'm working for my own design and application. Compile my project in Quartus. Use the Design in the NIOS IDE with a sample application. I prefer the counting example. Before you build your project. In System Library Properties activate Program never exits and Small C Library. Anything else deactivate, because of the small memory size:rolleyes:    --- Quote End ---    Hi Ponte82, despite my problems booting the demo application again, I'm trying to get your project compiled anyway. Please bear with me, as I am a total newbie with these FPGA devices. :)  First of all, I got hundreds of warnings in Quartus 2 when compiling Design2.qpf. Is this okay?  Secondly, I'm going to follow your NIOS instructions. So if I understand correctly, you want me to open up a sample program, which is /altera/72/nios2eds/examples/software/count_binary, correct? My current problem is that I thought I'd need to open some sort of project, but I only see the cpp and h files. I also don't know where the System Library Properties dialog is at, after poking through all of the menus in the IDE. Can you please help me out?  EDIT -- ok, I think I'm catching on here.... I'm supposed to create a new project from scratch, but select Count Binary as the base project. I found System Library Properties, and we'll see how much farther I get. :)

[Altera_Forum]

Ok, so I did follow your instructions and things started to look up. However, when I built the project in the NIOS II IDE, I got the following error: 

 **** Build of configuration Debug for project count_binary_0 ****  make -s all includes  /cygdrive/c/altera/72/nios2eds/components/altera_hal/build/gtf_rules.mk:81: *** multiple target patterns. Stop. Build completed in 2.89 seconds  Do you understand this error message?

[Altera_Forum]

The warnings in Quartus are no problem. 

 Have you installed the usb-driver?  Have you created a new project? Or only oppened the .c File? Here is the Link to the Altera driver information http://www.altera.com/support/software/drivers/dri-index.html  Can you download the design into the FPGA with Quartus Programmer?  In the NIOS IDE start a new Project C/C++ Application. In the next dialog you can choose the sample applications (count_binary template) and you have to choose your Quartus hardware design, which should be used for this software. Click finish and the project will be created.  Now right-click on count_binary and choose in the opened menu System Library Properties and only activate Programm never exits and Small C Library. That's all. Now you can build your project. Download the hardware design into the FPGA and than Choose Run<Run Hardware.  http://www.altera.com/literature/tt/tt_nios2_hardware_tutorial.pdf I think this tutorial can help you to run the sample application.

[Altera_Forum]

Yes, everything looks correct. The only problem is that I get a build error when building in the NIOS IDE. Please see the post before yours... hopefully you know what it means. :) 

 EDIT -- ok, I happened to find something interesting with Google. Basically, it sounds like you can't have spaces anywhere in the project paths. I'm going to start over again using files in a path that doesn't have spaces, and we'll see what happens.

[Altera_Forum]

It looks like that weird error was indeed due to the spaces in my path. Here's what happened once I fixed that problem: 

 - I created a new project in the Nios II IDE again, based on the binary counter template. This time, it built successfully - I then went to run as hardware, and got the following message in the IDE log:  Using cable "USB-Blaster [USB-0]", device 1, instance 0x00 Pausing target processor: OK Reading System ID at address 0x00021048:   ID value does not match: read 0x00FFFFFF; expected 0x064BB6F8  Timestamp value does not match: image on board is older than expected  Read timestamp 21:20:15 1970/07/13; expected 9:28:00 2008/03/25 The software you are downloading may not run on the system which is currently configured into the device. Please download the correct SOF or recompile. Restarting target processor  I went ahead and added the .SOF file anyway at the programming screen, and when I clicked Start, it downloaded the program. The only thing that happened was my screen slowly turned all white, and all of the LEDs were on. For a binary counter project, I was expecting to see the LED states count up in binary, but they didn't.

[Altera_Forum]

Ok this correct. 

When all the LED's turned on. Now you have downloaded my design file.  After that you have to run the project. Than the LED's starts to count.

[Altera_Forum]

Very exciting stuff! I don't know why it worked this time, but I went through the same process, and now the LEDs are counting as I would expect! :) Thanks a bunch for giving me your sample app -- now I just have to go back and actually look at your design, and also need to read the hardware tutorial, since I know relatively little about this kit.

[Altera_Forum]

OK, nice. 

In my hardware design is alittle mistake, the buttons are not connected to the nios. So, if you wish to use the buttons, you have to connect the buttons to the nios processor in Quartus and then compile the project again.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  OK, nice. In my hardware design is alittle mistake, the buttons are not connected to the nios. So, if you wish to use the buttons, you have to connect the buttons to the nios processor in Quartus and then compile the project again.  --- Quote End ---    I looked at your hardware design in Quartus II, but it looks like the buttons are actually connected. Did I miss something?

[Altera_Forum]

click at the buttons and pull them a bit to the left side. Than you can see that the buttons are not connected. I need 2 days to find this mistake, because it seems that everything is correct.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  click at the buttons and pull them a bit to the left side. Than you can see that the buttons are not connected. I need 2 days to find this mistake, because it seems that everything is correct.  --- Quote End ---    That's what I had done. I attached a screenshot to my previous post so you could see that I had dragged the buttons, and wires did connect the buttons to the inputs on the NIOS. Of course, I don't know what I'm really doing yet, so perhaps I've missed something. If you want, I can try to figure it out as well if you'd like another pair of eyes looking at it.