NIOSII flash downloader probelm

[Altera_Forum]

I use the software 8.0,quartus 8.0 and sopc 8.0,niosII 8.0. 

my spoc file:3c_40.sof download in quartusII then I use the NIOSII hardware run,the result ok but when I want to flash the whole porject to the epcs,I meet probelm I add an epcs cotroller in my design in the sopc builder. the address 0x00003800-0x00003fff and set the Rest Vector 0x00003800 offset0x0 then I use the flash programmer in command-line,make the .flash file successfully. I first download the sopc.sof into the fpga,then I wnat to download the flash file into the epcs,but failed. My command:nios2-flash-programmer --epcs --base=0x00003800 hello_world_small.flash the cmd console show: Using cable "USB-Blaster [USB-0]",device 1,instance 0 Resetting and pausing target processor:OK Checksummed/read 61kB in 1.7s Erase failed at offset 50000 Leaving target processor paused I tried in the IDE Flash Programmer ,but also failed. why?  I use EP3C40F324I7N and EPCS4,use JTAG and I can use the Quartus II Programmer to download other hardware porjects i

[Altera_Forum]

Are you sure you have enough space for both the configuration and a software in the EPCS4? It seems rather small, as an uncompressed configuration for an EP3C40 is already 9.6Mbits, more than the double of your flash size.

[Altera_Forum]

I think Daixiwen has right. For example:  

The hello_world_small project for a NIOS2 processor needs approximatly 8 kByte space in flash ram. The epsc4 device has a memory space of 4'194'304 Bits. 4'194'304 / 1024 = 4096 Byte = 4 kByte. You see, you can't store your config file and the program file.

[Altera_Forum]

The EPCS4 is a 4Mbits device, which is 512kBytes, not 4kBytes. It is more than enough for small software projects, but together with a Cyclone 3 configuration it can be challenging.

[Altera_Forum]

:eek: Ok, it was my fault, 4'194'304 Bits / 8 = 524288 / 1024 = 512 kByte. Sorry

[Altera_Forum]

I see my project 

myProject.sof size = 1.144KB hello_world_smal.flash size = 8kB and myProject.flash size = 906KB can EPCS4 support these size I am a new NIOSII designer. how can I do to solve these problem?can you give me serval ways?thanks

[Altera_Forum]

I am also trying to build a own FPGA + NIOS2 project. In my case, I have a 2MB flash memory on board, where I can either store the NIOS2 programm or 

the NIOS2 programm and the FPGA config. I think, it's the easiest way.

[Altera_Forum]

#!/bin/sh# # This file was automatically generated by the Nios II IDE Flash Programmer.# # It will be overwritten when the flash programmer options change.#  

cd I:/ruanjianceshi/forNIOSII/software/hello_world_small_0/Release# Creating .flash file for the FPGA configuration "$SOPC_KIT_NIOS2/bin/sof2flash" --epcs --input="I:/ruanjianceshi/forNIOSII/myNIO SII.sof" --output="myNIOSII.flash"  Info: ******************************************************************* Info: Running Quartus II Convert_programming_file Info: Command: quartus_cpf --no_banner --convert --device=EPCS128 --option=myNIO SII.opt I:/ruanjianceshi/forNIOSII/myNIOSII.sof myNIOSII.pof Info: Quartus II Convert_programming_file was successful. 0 errors, 0 warnings  Info: Peak virtual memory: 70 megabytes  Info: Processing ended: Fri Jul 17 14:41:05 2009  Info: Elapsed time: 00:00:04  Info: Total CPU time (on all processors): 00:00:02 Info: ******************************************************************* Info: Running Quartus II Convert_programming_file Info: Command: quartus_cpf --no_banner --convert myNIOSII.pof myNIOSII.rpd Info: Quartus II Convert_programming_file was successful. 0 errors, 0 warnings  Info: Peak virtual memory: 66 megabytes  Info: Processing ended: Fri Jul 17 14:41:08 2009  Info: Elapsed time: 00:00:03  Info: Total CPU time (on all processors): 00:00:02# Programming flash with the FPGA configuration "$SOPC_KIT_NIOS2/bin/nios2-flash-programmer" --epcs --base=0x00003800 --accept-b ad-sysid --instance=0 "myNIOSII.flash" Using cable "USB-Blaster [USB-0]", device 1, instance 0x00 Resetting and pausing target processor: OK  : Checksumming existing contents  00000000 : Verifying existing contents  00010000 : Verifying existing contents  00020000 : Verifying existing contents  00030000 : Verifying existing contents  00040000 : Verifying existing contents  00050000 : Verifying existing contents  00000000 : Reading existing contents  00010000 : Reading existing contents  00020000 : Reading existing contents  00030000 : Reading existing contents  00040000 : Reading existing contents  00050000 : Reading existing contents  Checksummed/read 22kB in 0.6s  00000000 ( 0%): Erasing  Erase failed at offset 0  Leaving target processor paused# Creating .flash file for the project "$SOPC_KIT_NIOS2/bin/elf2flash" --epcs --after="myNIOSII.flash" --input="hello_w orld_small_0.elf" --output="epcs_controller.flash"# Programming flash with the project "$SOPC_KIT_NIOS2/bin/nios2-flash-programmer" --epcs --base=0x00003800 --accept-b ad-sysid --instance=0 "epcs_controller.flash" Using cable "USB-Blaster [USB-0]", device 1, instance 0x00 Resetting and pausing target processor: OK  : Checksumming existing contents  00050000 : Verifying existing contents  00050000 : Reading existing contents  Checksummed/read 61kB in 1.8s  00050000 ( 0%): Erasing  Erase failed at offset 50000  Leaving target processor paused -------------------------------------------------------------------- above is my NIOSII console whole message during the flash programmer I want to know why  00000000  00010000  00020000  00030000  00040000  00050000  what is the meaning, Flash address?or Sectors? why I erase  00000000 ( 0%): Erasing  Erase failed at offset 0

[Altera_Forum]

I seems that your project is defined with an EPCS128. Change that setting in Quartus first and recompile your design. 

But I still can't see how you are going to fit all this in an EPCS4... You can replace it with a EPCS16, they are pin-to-pin compatible.

[Altera_Forum]

I have use assignment setting -->deivce-->device and pin options -->configuations-->configutions devices[EPCS4],and recomile,in quartusII 

open niosII ,build all,then use flash programmer,it's strange than EPCS128 also in the console. Info: Running Quartus II Convert_programming_file Info: Command: quartus_cpf --no_banner --convert --device=EPCS128 --option=myNIO SII.opt I:/ruanjianceshi/forNIOSII/myNIOSII.sof myNIOSII.pof   where I loss to config?   another, I shall make the footprint to fit the epcs16,I see they are different package, thank you for helping me:)

[Altera_Forum]

That's strange... I don't know where sof2flash gets the information about the size of the EPCS device. 

If you open the srec file in an editor you should also be able to find how big is the image to see if it fits in your flash. But from what I see you don't use compression, so it is most probably bigger than what the EPCS can get. Add the --compress flag to the sof2flash command to activate compression.  You shouldn't need to do a different footprint, the EPCS16 can be found in an 8-pin package, just like the EPCS4.

[Altera_Forum]

www.farnell.com 

Order number 1453463 for a EPCS16 device SO8 package.