How do I find out what the SBT for NIOS error "Downloading ELF Process Failed"?

WShep1 · ‎05-02-2019

I am working on a NIOS project that currently has a very simple NIOS program running on a Platform Designer Qsys system. I made a change to the Qsys system, generated the HDL for the Qsys system, regenerated the NIOS BSP, cleaned the BSP project, rebuilt the BSP project, Cleaned the application project, rebuilt the application project, made new targets (hex files) for the application project, and then recompiled the FPGA and made a new *.sof file. I then programmed the FPGA and tried to debug the simple NIOS software. Whereupon, I received the error message above. I am assuming that somehow the Qsys system change cause some problem with the ELF file, but I have no idea what it is. How do I find out what the problem is? or have I missed some step in building the new *.sof file?

Jens · ‎05-06-2019

Hi,

what you have changed in QSYS?

Check the connections for Nios2 data- and instruction master ports.
Check the connections of JTAG UART.
Does Reset and Clock is working well?
Check the BSP path in SBT
try the "Run->Debug Configuratuions" tool in SBT
use the "Hello World" example program in onchip RAM as simple test

Jens

Fawaz_Al-Jubori · ‎05-07-2019

Hello, This is a generic elf download failure message. Probably there should be a console message that clarifies where is the source of failure. It might be: 1- Nios II FAILED to response (In this case, there would be an issue with Nios II clock or reset). 2- Failure in address between xxxx to yyyy, (This means there is an IP (mostly external memory), that fails to respond) Thanks

WShep1 · ‎05-07-2019

Thank you for your response. To be more specific, what happens is that I have completely generated the bsp, compiled the software, made the target and recompiled the FPGA. I then program the FPGA and the NIOS2 program runs as witnessed by the USER LEDs flashing. This implies to me that all is well with the Qsys system and the NIOS2. Then for some reason the first time that I try to debug the firmware in the SBT, I get an error that says that the BSP needs to be regenerated which I do. Then the second time that I try to debug the firmware I get the error message in the "Console" that says "Resetting and pausing target processor: FAILED, Leaving target processor paused". I also get a pop-up Error message box that says "Exception occurred during launch Reason: Downloading ELF Process failed". I have checked the "Ignore Timestamp and System ID" boxes in the Run Configuration. I have no idea why I can't debug this firmware that is obviously running upon initial download from the *.sof file. Can you help me figure out what the problem is?

Jens · ‎05-08-2019

It seems to me that on the board another system is running than you want to debug. (Are the LEDs connected to Nios2? So clock and reset work)

Check in the Nios2 IDE the BSP project location in the Nios2 application project properties.

How do you create the bin files for FPGA configuration and Nios2 program and where are they stored on the board? Is it possible that you have programmed a different version?

Jens

WShep1 · ‎05-08-2019

Thank you all for your responses. I have tracked down the problem to the fact that I was using a copy of a Qsys system that was derived from a "Time Limited IP" Qsys system. I had removed the IP and renamed the Qsys, but there must have still been something in the Qsys that was causing the problem. I started from scratch and build a Qsys with the same features as Qsys that I had created by removing the "Time Limited IP" and it works like it should. However, it would have been nice to have a little more information about the problem than just the generic message "Downloading ELF process Failed".