How to convert from .pof to binary?

Altera_Forum · ‎02-24-2005

Hi all,

I've manged to combine the .sof and my boot-loader into .pof file (via the convert file option in quartus) - and everything is good.

However, for remote updates I'd like to be able to write directly to the EPCS4, which I can do - but I'd need to be able to get the .pof file that I usally program from quartus into a format I understand (binary?) to be able to write some code for the NIOS to write it into the EPCS4.

A means to convert the .pof file to a binary (.rbf?) file would probably do - but I don't know if this is possible?

Is this possible?

Thanks,

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Altera_Forum · ‎02-24-2005

Not shure that I got you right, but

You can create a .rbf file with the "convert programming file" option in the file menu.

Altera_Forum · ‎02-24-2005

Or use quartus_cpf to do it from the command line.

See `quartus_cpf --help` for more details.

Altera_Forum · ‎02-24-2005

the convert programming file can only generate a .rbf from a .sof.

i must convert my design to a .pof, because I add in my loader.hex code using that convert-programming file....

so, I can generate a .pof with my .sof and the .hex file located at the end of the device - good.

and I can generate a .rbf of the .sof (only).

however, there is no combination of the tools/file-types I have come up with to get the .pof into a .rbf (or even intel hex which I could then convert with a wee program).

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Altera_Forum · ‎02-24-2005

What about `quartus_cpf -c <project>.sof <project>.hexout`?

You can then use nios2-elf-objcopy to convert the hexout to srec if that's what you'd rather have.

It works for .pof files too, although I haven't verified that it creates the correct output.

Altera_Forum · ‎02-24-2005

Thanks for the suggestion. Getting data around sometimes seems like a big riddle - I will try and see what new combinations of file translators/etc gets the end result......

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Altera_Forum · ‎02-25-2005

I got a reply from a separate mySupport posting... However the chap says that unfortunatly this cannot be done. http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

What I can maybe do is write a nios program to read its serial memory and fire it back at me through the serial port to capture it?

I wonder though - if there is documentation to explain the header formats for a .pof? I don't care at all for the file format other than to get the bytes to write to the serial memory? In my simple mind all I need to the rules for skipping through the .pof file and extract the binary lumps accordingly?

Any ideas folks?

The riddle of file-formats continues.....

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Altera_Forum · ‎02-26-2005

Hi all,

I have converted the .sof to a .rbf and written it to the EPCS device. But the FPGA will not boot?

Now, I have verified that the data is written down correctly - and also that the bits are reversed for each byte for example - but no boot.

Is a .rbf file of a .sof okay to write straight to address 0 onwards in the EPCS4?

Thanks

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Altera_Forum · ‎02-26-2005

> I have converted the .sof to a .rbf and written it to the EPCS device.

> But the FPGA will not boot?

This won't work ... the contents of an rbf and what goes into the

epcs device are not the same ... almost the same ... but they're not

identical :-(

As I recall, the data packet contents in the pof has what you want ...

the magic "register" bits et. al. I have some old code laying around

somewhere that parses pof/sof and can extract the necessary

bits ... if I can find it, I'll post it.

Regards,

--Scott

Altera_Forum · ‎02-26-2005

nice one scott. http://forum.niosforum.com/work2/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

Altera_Forum · ‎02-28-2005

Hi Joe,

I have some good news and some better news ... the good

news is I found the code and can send it to you if you like. The

better news is you don't need it ;-)

1. Use sof2flash

2. Use objcopy as wombat suggested

E.g.:

$ sof2flash --epcs --input=proj.sof --offset=0x0 --output=proj.flash

$ nios2-elf-objcopy -I srec -O binary proj.flash proj.bin

As an aside, the logical address/data packet in the pof is _NOT_

compressed. Using the steps above however will produce a

compressed bitstream (as appropriate).

Regards,

--Scott