megafunctions problems

[Altera_Forum]

:confused: Hi there, 

 i starting my first project with the SOPC Builder using an NIOSII.   After starting the Quartus Programmer I got these message: "example.sof contains on or more time-limited magafunctions that support the opencore plus feature that will not work after the hardware evaluation time expires. refer to the messages window for evaluation time details."   In the message window stands: ...contains time-limited megafunction that supports opencore plus feature -- vendor: 0x6af7, product: 0xbcec ...contains time-limited megafunction that supports opencore plus feature -- vendor: 0x6af7, product: 0x00a2 ...contains time-limited megafunction that supports opencore plus feature -- vendor: 0x6af7, product: 0xbce1   Can somebody help me?   I use the web version of quartus. Do i need a license for using NIOSII ?   Thanks  John

[Altera_Forum]

If you are using SOPC Builder then a license is required for the Nios II, however, when you're using QSYS the Nios II/e is free but you need a license for Nios II/s and Nios II/f. 

 Are there any other IP cores in your project that might be causing this besides the Nios? The error messages seem to indicate three different products that you need licenses for. I believe vendor "6AF7" is Altera so it it sounds like an Altera IP Core.

[Altera_Forum]

Thank you for your reply! :) 

 I´m an absolutely beginner in SOPC Design.    I bought an DE0 Board and use the Free Quartus Software Web Edition and the NIOSII IDE. I found in the web some easy tutorials for first experiments with NIOSII. Now I take the NIOSIIe, an on chip RAM and the JTAG UART. I make the design with Quartus and SOPC Builder. By the combilation I got these messages.   Later I want to use NIOSII IDE for a C-Code.   Best Regards

[Altera_Forum]

The short answer is, yes you probably need a license for the NIOSII processor if you are using SOPC Builder. There may be other IP cores besides the processor in your design, I dont' know. You can still use the time-limited version (usually called projectname-time-limited.sof but Quartus will only generate a "temporary" .sof file for your FPGA that will run for a limited time before quitting (sometimes the IP cores will run in tethered mode where they will run as long as you want if you keep the programming hardware connected between the board and your PC), but you won't be able to permanently program the board.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Thank you for your reply! :)   I´m an absolutely beginner in SOPC Design.    I bought an DE0 Board and use the Free Quartus Software Web Edition and the NIOSII IDE. I found in the web some easy tutorials for first experiments with NIOSII. Now I take the NIOSIIe, an on chip RAM and the JTAG UART. I make the design with Quartus and SOPC Builder. By the combilation I got these messages.   Later I want to use NIOSII IDE for a C-Code.   Best Regards  --- Quote End ---    Did you ever find the solution to this? I have the same problem - DE0, etc ... just the same as you. It doesn't matter whether I have a license file (Academic) installed or not. i can't even open the programmer window if I use ANY NIOS-II IP what-so-ever. (See attached screenshot.) Yet all of the documentation I have read suggests that it should work, at least while tethered, which it is. I just don't get it. Very frustrating.  There was some mention somewhere of having to be in, "OpenCore Plus mode", as opposed to "Free mode". But I cannot find any reference these, "modes" anywhere. I vaguely remeber being asked maybe something about that the very first time I ran Quartus-II (v13 btw). But nothing since and I cannot find anything in the program settings, either. (Like I said -- "vague" and probably mistaken.)  Regards,   Gruvin.

[Altera_Forum]

[hissy-fit]Well I've spent over three solid hours just trying to solve this one stupid problem now. So I give up. Hope someone out there can solve it for us, 'cause i sure as heck cannot. :'( [/hissy-fit]

[Altera_Forum]

Out of curiosity, did you install the Quartus II Web Edition Software or the Quartus II Subscription Edition Software?

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Out of curiosity, did you install the Quartus II Web Edition Software or the Quartus II Subscription Edition Software?  --- Quote End ---    Thanks for the reply.  The only version that is downloadable and usable for free, so far as I know, is the Web Edition. That's the version I installed.  Should I have installed the subscription edition and used an Academic license with it, instead? The tutorial I'm following -- tt_nios2_hardware_tutorial.pdf -- just says, "Altera Quartus II software version 11.0 or later".  An email response from Altera University Program stated; "For use with Altera's Cyclone-series low-cost families, we provide the Quartus II Web Edition software which does not require a license."  That's what I have. It doesn't allow me to use any IP. *shrug* This is making no sense.   

[Altera_Forum]

Hmmm. Here's something I hadn't seen in the build log before ... 

 Warning (115003): Can't generate programming files for your current project because you do not have a valid license for the following IP core or cores. Warning (115005): Unlicensed IP: "Nios II Processor(6AF7 00A2) Warning (115004): Unlicensed encrypted design file: "C:/.../synthesis/submodules/first_nios2_system_cpu.v"  Doesn't change anything. But it is a bit more specific -- though inaccurate. Actually, the .sof file *is* created. I'm just not allowed to use the programmer to configure the device with it.  It's all a bit much, frankly. :'(

[Altera_Forum]

This is what the help says, regarding the related log messages ... 

   --- Quote Start ---  CAUSE: You added the specified SRAM Object File (.sof) to a JTAG or Passive Serial Chain, or directed the Quartus II software to create programming files by converting the specified SOF. The SOF contains one or more megafunctions that support the OpenCore Plus feature. Megafunctions that support the OpenCore Plus feature are used for hardware evaluation only.  ACTION: you can program an altera device only with a download cable through the quartus ii programmer. The design will stop working after the hardware evaluation time expires. See the messages window for evaluation time details. See megafunction documentation for the behavior of the megafunction when the evaluation time expires. You may also refer to the OpenCore Plus Hardware Evaluation of MegaCore Functions application note, which is available at the Altera web site, for general information.   --- Quote End ---    For the record, I am using a DE0, with its built-in USB-Blaster. Surely that qualifies the statement above, "you can program an altera device only with a download cable through the quartus ii programmer."?  But the programmer function/window itself is not even allowed to get as far as looking for a USB-Blaster, let alone something on the other side of same. It gets rudely shut down before it even gets a chance. (See the screen shot in a previous post by myself, in this thread.)  *sigh*

[Altera_Forum]

Here are ALL the warnings (yellow triangle with ! in it) messages from the build log (Message tab). Nothing looks wrong here to me ... 

 Warning (20028): Parallel compilation is not licensed and has been disabled Warning (12020): Port "jdo" on the entity instantiation of "the_first_nios2_system_cpu_nios2_oci_itrace" is connected to a signal of width 38. The formal width of the signal in the module is 16. The extra bits will be ignored. Warning (12188): OpenCore Plus Hardware Evaluation feature is turned on for the following cores ---Warning (12190): "Nios II Processor (6AF7_00A2)" will use the OpenCore Plus Hardware Evaluation feature Warning (265072): Messages from megafunction that supports OpenCore Plus feature ---Warning (265073): Messages from megafunction that supports OpenCore Plus feature Nios II Processor ------Warning (265074): The reset input will be asserted when the evaluation time expires Warning (265069): Megafunction that supports OpenCore Plus feature will stop functioning in 1 hour after device is programmed Warning (12241): 2 hierarchies have connectivity warnings - see the Connectivity Checks report folder Warning (13024): Output pins are stuck at VCC or GND ---Warning (13410): Pin "sld_hub:auto_hub|receive[0][0]" is stuck at GND

[Altera_Forum]

OMG ... I found the problem. 

 Would you believe, the programmer window is not actually being closed (shut down) at all -- but merely sent to the back, behind the main window, when I click OK the close the warning message!!! Further more, each time one clicks the button to bring up the programmer window, a NEW window is opened, with the same warning message. That new window also appears to close completely, as soon as the warning message is clicked away, but is in fact also merely sent behind the main window. GOOD GRIEF!! :-/  So this whole time -- this whole four plus freakin hours !!! -- has been all due to nothing more than a user interface design flaw!!  Clicking Window on the main Quartus menu (running maximized, fwiw) and selecting the existing Programmer window from there, gets us going just fine, with no other issues at all.  U N B E L I E V A B L E