[hpsdr] one Metis down...

[Phil Harman]

How the various files are combined to update the flash memory on Metis is
explained in detail in Appendix A of  'Metis - How it works'

At the moment I've only posted the Hermes.rbf file that is used by
HPSDRProgrammer since I need to GPL all the source code. I'll do that
ASAP.

In the mean time if you need access to other Metis files please email me
directly.

With Metis we have tried to move away from the Altera Quartus programming
software since it changes frequently and is not as user friendly as John's
HPSDRProgrammer software. We feel that being able to update the code, both
in Metis and other HPSDR boards, via Ethernet is a step forward.

Having a Bootloader and Main code in the flash memory is a new feature for
an HPSDR project - if the explanation in the documentation is not clear
please let me know and I'll try and improve it.

Understanding how this all works is only really needed by folks who want
to write new code or modify existing. The majority will only need to use
HPSDRProgrammer when new versions of Metis or other HPSDR code is
released.


73 Phil...VK6APH






> ***** High Performance Software Defined Radio Discussion List *****
>
> Hi Jeremy,
>
> Thanks for that bit too!   I think you must mean JP1, not J2?  JP2
> holds the speed to 100T, I believe.
>
> Puzzling.  I don't know if I'm experiencing what you are cautioning or
> not.
>
> I do notice that the Bootloader section of the HPSDRProgrammer program
> does not function (actually, I've never had that part of
> HPSDRProgrammer work for me anyway).  What is a bit confusing to me is
> that if I use the Quartus II Programmer with a blaster cable attached
> to the SCONFIG header in order to load code into the EEPROM the Metis
> image file that it wants is Metis.pof.
>
> However, if you use the HPSDRProgrammer and try to update the EEPROM
> the file that the program seems to want Metis.rbf, not a .pof file.
> The file it seem to want is the same Metis.rbf file that I used
> earlier and successfully to load the RAM (but, of course, that results
> in volatile code that disappears upon power cycling).  In my
> incomplete understanding, I would've thought that the HPSDRProgrammer
> in Bootloader mode should be looking for a .pof file, not a .rbf file.
>
> Loading the EEPROM via Quartus II Programmer into the EEPROM using
> Metis.pof works successfully in the sense that PSDR runs fine and
> reports Ozy v1.8 when running with the Metis board after I've loaded
> the EEPROM with Metis.pof.
>
> If others find a different behavior for HPSDRProgrammer in Bootloader
> mode than what I describe above I'd like to know that; in particular,
> does the Bootloader actually use the Metis.rbf file successfully or
> not?  Mine does not, nor does HPSDRProgrammer in Bootloader mode work
> with the Metis.pof file that does work on the Metis board when the
> EEPROM is loaded using the Quartus II Programmer.  At least I have a
> way to load the EEPROM that does work (i.e., Quartus II Programmer w/
> blaster cable into SCONFIG header).
>
> Joe K5SO
>
>
> On Feb 20, 2011, at 12:23 PM, Jeremy McDermond wrote:
>> If you only program the Metis code, your board will work fine under
>> normal operations but if you try to use anything that requires you
>> put J2 on the Metis board, it will no longer function (J2
>> essentially tells the FPGA which firmware to load off of the flash
>> chip).
>>
>> The last time I recall, there was no sof for the merged file, only a
>> pof.  It was called output_file.pof.  You'll know it in the Altera
>> programmer because when you open up the file you'll see two segments
>> in the list that appears in the center of the window.
>
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