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DE2-115 Linux

Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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First, thank you to whomever posted the wonderful DE2-115 Linux demo to the ALTERA WIKI. Very neat. I am getting ready to start some development with the DE2 board and I am looking for head start data. I see the quartus project posted and I've DL'd it. It looks like a ver 9.1 SOPC builder based project. If the person who created this frequents this site, I have 2 questions: 

 

1. Do you have the same design in a Qsys flow? 

 

2. Have you upgraded your Linux kernel into the 3.10 area? 

 

Thanks, 

-Stan
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
645 Views

Hi, 

 

I also have two questions. 

 

 

--- Quote Start ---  

 

1. Do you have the same design in a Qsys flow? 

 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

Why do you need the Qsys flow? Qsys consumes more resources and makes less fmax than sopc builder. I think there is no merit for pure Nios systems. 

 

 

--- Quote Start ---  

 

2. Have you upgraded your Linux kernel into the 3.10 area? 

 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

Why do you need new kernels? Do you need new features which are not included in the old versions? 

 

Kazu
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
645 Views

 

--- Quote Start ---  

Hi, 

 

I also have two questions. 

 

 

 

Why do you need the Qsys flow? Qsys consumes more resources and makes less fmax than sopc builder. I think there is no merit for pure Nios systems. 

 

 

Why do you need new kernels? Do you need new features which are not included in the old versions? 

 

Kazu 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

I have access to a Quartus ver 15 license and Qsys is the flow. I'm guessing I may be able to go backwards if you are really saying the tool has gotten worse? 

 

I have a little experience with building a ver 3.10 kernel. It looks like a few things were done differently (at least for the Nios II builds) in 2.26. I have no requirement only a desire not to be on the bleeding edge and also not to be far out of date. 

 

-Stan
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
645 Views

Hi, 

 

 

--- Quote Start ---  

I'm guessing I may be able to go backwards if you are really saying the tool has gotten worse? 

 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

Please refer to the attached files. Qsys flow requires about 40,000 Logic Cells. On the other hand, Sopc Builder requires only about 24,000 Logic Cells for the same design. And the Qsys_Mem_Access.jpg file shows that the Qsys interconnet requires 8 clocks to transfer the fetched code, and the Sopc_Mem_Access.jpg file shows that Avalon interconect requires only 2 clocks.  

 

 

--- Quote Start ---  

 

I have no requirement only a desire not to be on the bleeding edge and also not to be far out of date. 

 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

Maybe, I will update my example to Linux 4.x, if I have enough time in my summer vacation :-). 

 

Kazu
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
645 Views

Kazu, 

 

Really crazy. I know ALTERA's focus has went away from NIOS but why would they allow this to occur? 

 

Obviously you are using 13.1 with sopc builder - is this version your recommendation? 

 

And thanks for the education... 

 

-Stan
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
645 Views

Hi, 

 

 

--- Quote Start ---  

 

Really crazy. I know ALTERA's focus has went away from NIOS but why would they allow this to occur? 

 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

Maybe, Altera wants to unify the buses, 'Avalon', 'ARM', 'AMBA', and 'AXI'. But I think that they are making their Qsys without flexibility, however the most remarkable feature of FPGA is flexibility. And I also think that Altera does not have good vision, wise strategy, and enough staffs for their CPU business.  

 

 

--- Quote Start ---  

 

Obviously you are using 13.1 with sopc builder - is this version your recommendation? 

 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

No, this version is installed to my PC by chance. 

 

 

--- Quote Start ---  

 

And thanks for the education... 

 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

You are welcome. 

 

Kazu
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
645 Views

Kazu, 

 

Relative to your v2.6 Kernel, is there any chance you would be willing to upload it somewhere with the drivers? I for one would like the opportunity to build and modify your example. 

 

Thanks, 

-Stan
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