Procedures

Commands

See Also

You can use the Software Builder to check syntax, semantic, and other errors in the files that the Software Builder uses and generates during a software build.

Checking Software Source Files

You can check an Assembly File (.s, .asm), a C Source File (.c), or a C++ Source File (.cpp) for a design by directing the Software Builder to use a software toolset assembler to compile the Assembly File, or a software toolset C/C++ compiler to compile the C Source File or C++ Source File. You can specify which file you want to compile by opening and selecting the file. You can specify which software toolset assembler or C/C++ compiler you want the Software Builder to use by specifying a software toolset in the software build settings.

Checking Output Files

You can check the output Binary File (.bin), Hexadecimal (Intel-Format) File (.hex), or Motorola S-Record File (.srec) the Software Builder generates during a software build by directing the Quartus^® II software to use a software toolset debugger to debug the output files.

To debug an output file, you must first generate information for the software toolset debugger. You use the software build settings to specify that the Software Builder generate the information during a software build, and then you generate the information by performing the software build.

You can specify that the Software Builder use a software toolset assembler to generate debug information for the Assembly Files that are used to generate the output file. You can also specify that the Software Builder use a software toolset C/C++ compiler to generate debug information for the C Source Files and C++ Source Files that are used to generate the output file. For the best results when debugging, Altera^® recommends that you generate debug information for all three file types. The Software Builder saves the debug information in the intermediate Executable and Linkable Format File (.elf) it generates when generating an output file.

You can also specify that the Software Builder save local symbols generated by the assembler during a software build. A software toolset debugger uses the local symbols to locate blocks of code during debugging. The Software Builder saves the local symbols in an intermediate object file it generates during a software build.

You can specify which software toolset assembler and C/C++ compiler you want the Software Builder to use, and which software toolset debugger you want the Quartus II software to use, by specifying a software toolset in the software build settings.

	More information is available on Excalibur™ embedded processor solutions on the Altera web site.

Back to Top