Binary files ofr burning P33 Flash

[Altera_Forum]

Hi, 

 I want to remotely send a new configuration file to a verilog-written controller inside my FPGA. The sender is an external controller card. This file should be burned inside the P33 parallel Flash, in AP mode. The file has to be a binary one. I want to burn it inside the Flash so that when I trigger the RSU to re-configure from the Flash, the RSU will take the new file from the NEW address (where the factory configuration file has been burned by the JTAG, starting from address 0x020000), upload it to the FPGA and re-initialiaze. The NEW address will be burned to the RSU before I assert the re-configure signal in the RSU to start booting from the NEW address. It has to be "ones" and "zeroes". What file type should I burn in the Flash to fullfil this task? Is it a SOF or POF file? The new file is only the new configuration file. Maybe it is another file type of the one, that I program directly to the FPGA? What binary file type should I burn to the Flash? Can I produce it directly form the Quartus PC s/w/ If I need a conversion tool, how do I get it? Please advice and how should I produce it in the Quartus 8.1 s/w.       Best Regards, Eldad Fargon

[Altera_Forum]

The file type you want is RBF (raw binary file). You can configure Quartus to generate it automatically: 

 Assignments->Device->"Device and Pin Options"(button)->"Programming Files"(tab)  Then select the checkbox for rbf.  Jake

[Altera_Forum]

Hi jake, 

   Thank you for the answer. I saw in the Quartus help that RBF does not support Cyclone III, which is the device I'm using to connect to the p33 Flash, in AP mode. Will it match the Cyclone III device? Will the RBF file contains all the necessary information, including my design data, so that the FPGA RSU logic re-configures the FPGA from the RBF file?     Thanks, Eldad

[Altera_Forum]

Where did you see that Cyclone III could not use RBF? The RBF files is the raw programming data that can be used to program the FPGA in any configuration scheme (besides JTAG). 

 Jake

[Altera_Forum]

Hi Jake, 

   Thanks for your letter. The help from Quartus, on RBF file, mentions that is deos not support AP mode, and in Cyclone III (I don't know how to attach the help picture from Quartus s/w).  It does not mention the AP mode at all, and Cyclone III specificaly. Can you direct me to where it explained that is supports AP mode, and in Cyclone III?         Regards, Eldad 

[Altera_Forum]

Hi, 

   I appreciate if you could help me on the following: following my previous letter- How do I transmit the RBF to the user-logic inside my FPGA? I wrote the contoller in verilog, located inside the FPGA. My problem is how to take the data and trasmit, byte by byte, to the controller inside the FPGA. Does the RBF is made of bytes as a regular hex file/ binary file? How do I take the bytes out from the RBF file? Is there an exmaple of such an application that does this remote update to the Cyclone III , in AP mode, to P33 flash? Please send it to me.       Thanks, Eldad Fargon