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Cyclone IV : boot nios from epcs

Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Dear all, 

 

I'm trying to run the nios directly from the flash (epcs16) on startup, but even if I apply step by step instructions on different files given by Altera, I never succeeded (the fpga works).  

- Generic Nios II Booting Methods User Guide 

- Enabling Nios® II Boot from Quad Serial Configuration(EPCQ) and Serial Configuration (EPCS) devices inQuartus® II 13.0 

- Nios II Processor Booting From Altera Serial Flash (AN736) 

 

Could you help me please? 

 

Here is what I do 

 

hardware configuration: https://alteraforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13898&stc=1  

 

A: Nios II (e) and Reset vector on epcq_controller memory 

B: on chip ram 

C: active serial flash controller (epcs 16) https://alteraforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13899&stc=1  

(there are different flash controller: legacy...) 

 

D: Clock bridge to get a 25MHz because of epcs clock constraint  

https://alteraforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13900&stc=1  

 

software configuration: 

 

1. Build Project 

2. Open Nios II command shell: 

 

sof2flash --input=hw.sof --output=hw.flash –epcs –verbose 

elf2flash --input=sw.elf --output=sw.flash --epcs --after=hw.flash –verbose 

nios2-elf-objcopy --input-target srec --output-target ihex sw.flash sw.hex 

 

output generation: 

https://alteraforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13901&stc=1  

 

SOF file with SOF Data (no compression) 

And Hex data 

 

  • Big endian 

  • Relative address 

 

 

 

Thank you, 

Guillaume
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
640 Views

I tried again but it doesn't work. 

Any idea? 

 

Thank you!
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
640 Views

For the software configuration, can you try the mem_init_generate tool instead of sof2flash or elf2flash tool? 

Any more description when you say it never works? 

If you programmed a JIC file containing only SOF, does the FPGA configuration works?
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
640 Views

Hi, 

 

Thanks for you answer. 

When I programmed the FPGA with a .pof or .jic file containing only the SOF, the FPGA configuration worked. Then, I added the nios code to the POF and the FPGA also worked. 

 

I'm going to try with the mem_ini_generate, and I'll set the generated hex file to the absolute address + 1 after the FPGA bitstream. 

 

Thank you
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Take note on the reset vector offset as well, make sure it does not overlap the configuration bitstream.

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