flash programmer

Altera_Forum · ‎06-03-2005

Does the Quartus flash programmer support to program raw binary images not created within eclipse IDE?

Altera_Forum · ‎06-03-2005

Okay...starting the FS2 console is the best way...

Altera_Forum · ‎06-03-2005

Hi klingler,

You can use bin2flash with nios2-flash-programmer as well.

Works great.

Regards,

--Scott

Altera_Forum · ‎10-21-2005

Hi Scott,

It sounds like you've got some experience with bin2flash. What are the pros & cons of using bin2flash vs. the zipfile system?

And assuming you're using bin2flash, how does the Nios code know where to address the data? Is there some way to generate a header file with the base address, or something like that?

thanks,

Carol

Altera_Forum · ‎10-21-2005

Hi Carol,

> What are the pros & cons of using bin2flash vs. the zipfile system?

bin2flash is just a utility to convert a binary file into a flash file. The flash file

is basically an S-Record file you can use with the flash programmer. The Read-Only

Zip Filing System on the other hand, is a file system supported by the HAL. It lets

you access files stored in an image in flash memory.

bin2flash and nios2-flash-programmer is handy when you're using a file system like

cramfs or jffs2 ... or when you just want to program raw data into flash somewhere.

> how does the Nios code know where to address the data?

How your program knows where to find the data is up to you (or the underlying

drivers ... like mtd in the linux kernel for example).

> Is there some way to generate a header file with the base address, or something

> like that?

Sure ... you can do it however you like. Even a hardcoded base address will do.

It all depends on what you're trying to accomplish and your run-time environment.

WRT the zipfile stuff, I've never used it ... but for cramfs/jffs2 they're all basically

just hardcoded addresses in the mtd mapping drivers.

Regards,

--Scott