Procedures

Commands

See Also

You can generate a flash programming file, which programs the flash memory from which an ARM^®-based Excalibur^™ device loads configuration and memory initialization data, using one of the following methods:

• Performing a software build with the Software Builder, which uses the makeprogfile utility, a software toolset linker, and a software toolset code converter.

• Using the makeprogfile utility, a linker, and a code converter outside of the Software Builder.

To generate a flash programming file, you or the Software Builder can first use the makeprogfile utility to generate a boot data file, with the name <project name>_bootdata.o, from the following files:

• A Hexadecimal (Intel-Format) File that contains Excalibur embedded processor stripe memory initialization data for the ARM-based Excalibur device you are targeting. The makeprogfile utility requires this file when generating a boot data file. You or the Software Builder can use an assembler, C/C++ compiler, linker, and code converter to generate this file from software source files.

• A System Build Descriptor File (.sbd) that contains stripe configuration information for the ARM-based Excalibur device. The makeprogfile utility requires this file when generating a boot data file. You generate an SBD File using the ARM-based Excalibur MegaWizard^® Plug-In, which is available from the MegaWizard Plug-In Manager (Tools menu).

• A Slave Binary Image File (.sbi) that contains the configuration data for the programmable logic device (PLD) portion of the ARM-based Excalibur device. The makeprogfile utility requires this file only if you want the flash programming file you are generating to contain configuration data for the PLD portion of the device. You generate an SBI File using the Compiler.

  If you are using the Software Builder to generate the flash programming file, you used the Compiler settings for the current design to generate the SBI File for the software build, and you made changes to the design since the last compilation that would cause changes in the SBI File, the Quartus^® II software automatically recompiles the design to update the SBI File prior to using the SBI File in the software build.

After the makeprogfile utility generates the boot data file, you or the Software Builder can use a linker to link the boot data file generated by the makeprogfile utility with the bootloader library file (libboot_xa_ads.a), which is located in the \<Quartus^®  II installation directory>\quartus\software\libraries\boot directory, to generate an Executable and Linkable Format File (.elf).

After the linker generates the ELF File, you or the Software Builder can use a code converter to convert the ELF File into a flash programming file with the name <project name>_flash.hex. You can use the exc_flash_programmer utility to program the information in the flash programming file into the flash memory for the ARM-based Excalibur device via Expansion Bus Interface zero (EBI0).

When you use the Software Builder to generate a flash programming file for an ARM-based Excalibur device, the Software Builder automatically generates Simulator initialization files for the device using the makeprogfile utility. You can also manually generate Simulator initialization files using the makeprogfile utility.

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