Intel Altera Cyclone IV - not startup - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: jenkins.j
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 25, 2023, 04:14:32 pm
content: Hi guys,I am building an HF DDC/DUC transceiver "ERMAK", so far I have successfully assembled and get working the "DSPMCU" board. (photo and schematic in attachment).The second board - "FEND16", contains LVDS drivers, ADC and DAC, as well as an FPGA arrayIntel Altera IV EP4CE22E22C8Nand serialNOR memory MT25QL128ABA.(photo and schematic in attachment)PROBLEM:FPGA array not working - not startup. I checked the clock signals on pins 52,53 (122.88MHz), pin 126 (10MHz), also all power rails (1V2, 1V8, 2V5, 3V3) and the voltage on the pull up/down resistors on the FPGA configuration pins. I have already tried replacing the FPGA and the memory chips itself.I have a file from the author for the FPGA in .BIN format, which I programmed via the TL866-II programmer into the MT25QL128 NOR memory. It should contain both the bootloader and the main program.However, the author recommended me to try to write a simple program for the FPGA - for example, a simple blinking LED and flash it into NOR memory using USB BYTEblaster and active serial programming mode. I have tested this programming mode and it works - I can read, delete, write, verify.QUESTION:Since I do not know how to write program for FPGA array in Intel Quartus in VHDL or Verilog and I would like to be 100% sure that the program is written correctly, I would like to ask if someone would be able towrite a very simple program for this particular board and FPGA, which would be flashed into NOR memory (.POF output file) via Active serial programming mode and blink one or two LEDs - nothing more.(of course I am ready to pay the fee) - something like thishttps://www.intel.cn/content/www/cn/zh/developer/articles/training/how-to-program-your-first-fpga-device.htmlIn short, I need to verify if the problem is software or hardware, and if the FPGA is communicating with the NOR memory.https://sdr-ermak.com/Thanks for helpBest regards73...Jim

author: Wiljan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2023, 07:12:48 pm
content: Nice projectOne thing which I find strange there is no JTAG connecter connected to the JTAG pins on the FPGA, sure it might work to program the EEPROM with the bin file you have.Very often you will have a 10pin connector on those pins TCK, TDI, TDO, TMS and GND which then connect to a JTAG adaptor and then to the PC where you will for this FPGA run the Intel QUARTUS software and have a Programmer which can scan the JTAG chain on the board and recognize the FPGA ID and then you can download your own code and also program the EEPROM.The PIN CONF_DONE should also go high when the FPGA have loaded the EEPROM code, but I'm not sure what it will do if the bin content is not correct.If you had the JTAG connection and a JTAG adaptor you could with some help from people here make a test file to set some pins on the FPGA and see if it works for a test.I guess there might be a forum for the ERMAK somewhere but I'm not into Russianwhere other people might have see the same problems as you

author: Wiljan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2023, 07:53:04 am
content: I think I see the JTAG connector on your PCB, you will need to make an adaptor to connect to an ALTERA JTAG USB blaster.You need the USB blaster for the Quartus to talk with the JTAG (Can be found on Ebay)As far I see the Quartus 13.1 free version should support Cyclone iVhttps://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/collections/products/fpga/software/downloads.html?f:guidetmD240C377263B4C70A4EA0E452D0182CA=%5BQuartus%C2%AE%20II%20Software%3BQuartus%C2%AE%20II%20Web%20Edition%5D&f:guidetm83741EA404664A899395C861EDA3D38B=%5BIntel%C2%AE%20Cyclone%C2%AE%3BCyclone%C2%AE%20IV%20FPGAs%5Dhttps://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/software-kit/666221/intel-quartus-ii-web-edition-design-software-version-13-1-for-windows.htmlWhen you have the Quartus + Devices(Cyclone4) installed and a USB blaster you should be able to connect to the board and see the Cyclone found in the programmer softwareWhile you wait for the USB blaster you can start learning how to blink a LED in a Altera FPGA, there will be many examples on youtubeCreate a LED blink project

author: Wiljan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2023, 12:14:19 pm
content: Hi AgainJust realized you said you could download POF file via USBBTW the 10 pin connector on you PCB seems to be X6 on page3 in the schematic and for programming the 25QI have taken the code from the Youtube linkCode:library IEEE;use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_1164.ALL;entity Led_blink isPort (clk : in STD_LOGIC;led : out STD_LOGIC);end Led_blink;architecture Behavioral of Led_blink issignal pulse : std_LOGIC := '0';signal count : integer range 0 to 50000000 := 0;begincounter : process(clk)beginif clk'event and clk = '1' thenif count = 49999999 thencount <= 0;pulse <= not pulse;elsecount <= count + 1;end if;end if;end process;led <= pulse;end Behavioral;Added the 10Mhz clk on pin 126 as clk source and the LED0 on pin 10.I have not change anything to the youtube code which was made for 50Mhz so the LED should flash 5 times slower, but it should flashThis compile fine in Quartus 15.0.0 and create a SOF output file which could be used with JTAGI have then converted the SOF to POF with the "convert programming file" in the "file" menu of Quartus, but I not sure it the right selection to your MT25QL128Attached is both you can try to see what happens when you try to download it

author: Alex-lab
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2023, 11:51:06 pm
content: Not sure if it's the case, but in my experience Cyclone IV did not start because of the central pad was not properly soldered. Regular GND pins are not enough.

author: jenkins.j
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 30, 2023, 09:12:48 pm
content: Hi guys,sorry for the late reply to everyone, unfortunately I had to go on an unexpected business trip at the beginning of last week until today, so I didn't have time to continue the project. I will look into your advices tomorrow and let you know about further progress on the project.Anyway, thanks for the advice.73.. Jim