GSI Timing Gateware and Tools

• Build Instructions
  • Checkout
  • First Steps
  • Kernel Drivers
  • Etherbone
  • Tools (Monitoring and EB-Tools)
  • Saftlib
  • Build Gateware(s)
  • Additional Targets
    • Check Timing Constraints
    • Sort QSF Files
    • LM32 Cluster Testbench
• FAQ and Common Problems
  • Synthesis
    • Quartus Setup
    • Quartus Version
    • Library libpng12
      • Ubuntu
      • Mint
      • Backup Plan
    • Tool qmegawiz
    • Tool qsys-generate
    • Permission denied
  • Build Flow
    • Required Packages
    • Library libmpfr
    • Tool hdlmake
      • Tool hdlmake not Found (Python 2.7)
    • Python not found
    • No module named pkg_resources
    • Setuptools not found
    • Python Six
    • Compiling Saftlib
    • CC not found
    • Rocky-9
    • Yocto
    • Package Requirements Etherbone
  • Git
    • CAfile
  • JTAG and Programming
    • JTAG Overview
    • USB-Blaster Issues
    • Altera/Intel USB Blaster
    • Xilinx Platform Cable II
    • Arrow USB Programmer
    • Altera/Intel Ethernet Blaster
  • Timing Receiver
    • Commissioning
    • Flashing
      • Arria2 Devices
      • ArriaV Devices
      • Arria10 Devices

Just clone our project.

git clone https://github.com/GSI-CS-CO/bel_projects.git

Make will take care of all submodules and additional toolchains.

make

Important: Please don't mess around using the "git submodule --fancy option" command!

This will build VME and PCI(e) drivers.

make driver
make driver-install # optional
make driver/driver-install WISHBONE_SERIAL=y # optional - build wishbone-serial.ko

Builds basic Etherbone tools and library.

make etherbone
make etherbone-install # optional

Additional tools like eb-console and eb-flash.

make tools
make tools-install # optional

Builds basic Saftlib tools and library.

make saftlib
make saftlib-install # optional

For detailed information check ip_cores/saftlib/CompileAndConfigureSaftlib.md.

Currently we support a few different form factors.

make scu2               # Arria II
make scu3               # Arria II
make vetar2a            # Arria II
make vetar2a-ee-butis   # Arria II
make ftm                # Arria V
make pexarria5          # Arria V
make exploder5          # Arria V
make pmc                # Arria V
make microtca           # Arria V
make pexp               # Arria V
make scu4slim           # Arria 10
make pexarria10         # Arria 10
make ftm10              # Arria 10
make scu5               # Arria 10
make ftm5               # Arria 10
make ftm5dp             # Arria 10

make $device-check
make exploder5-check # example

make $device-sort
make exploder5-sort # example

make lm32-cluster-testbench-run

Click here for additional information.

export QSYS_ROOTDIR=$CFG_QUARTUS_VERSION/quartus/sopc_builder/bin
export QUARTUS_ROOTDIR=$CFG_QUARTUS_VERSION/quartus
export QUARTUS=$QUARTUS_ROOTDIR
export QUARTUS_64BIT=1
export PATH=$PATH:$QUARTUS
export PATH=$PATH:$QSYS_ROOTDIR

Please adjust your $CFG_QUARTUS_VERSION variable.

Question: Which Version of Quartus Do I Need?

Answer:

• Arria II/Arria V: Quartus 18.1.0 (Build 625 09/12/2018 SJ) Standard Edition
• Arria 10: Quartus 23.1.1 (Build 993 05/14/2024 SC) Standard Edition

Error: Quartus error while loading shared libraries: libpng12-0.0: ... [Ubuntu/Mint/...]

Solution: Install the missing package

Get the package from here: https://packages.ubuntu.com/xenial/amd64/libpng12-0/download

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linuxuprising/libpng12
sudo apt update
sudo apt install libpng12-0

If this PPA can't be added, you need to compile the library:

cd res/ubuntu-22-and-later
tar xf libpng_1.2.54.orig.tar
cd libpng-1.2.54
./autogen
./configure
make
sudo make install

You can use a copy from here:

• Ubuntu: res/ubuntu
• Rocky-9: res/rocky-9

Error: Executing qmegawiz: child process exited abnormally + Time value XXX,YYYMbps and time unit are illegal

Solution: Change your LC_NUMERIC setting:

export LC_NUMERIC="en_US.UTF-8"

Error: (23035) Tcl error: couldn't execute "qsys-generate": no such file or directory

Solution: Adjust your PATH variable like this:

export QUARTUS=/opt/quartus/
export QSYS_ROOTDIR=$QUARTUS/sopc_builder/bin
export PATH=$PATH:$QUARTUS_ROOTDIR:$QSYS_ROOTDIR

Error: (293007): Current module quartus_sh ended unexpectedly. Verify that you have sufficient memory available to compile your design.

Solution: Use the right Quartus version for your project.

Error: /bin/sh: 1: cannot create /ramsize_pkg.vhd: Permission denied

Solution: Check all your (changed) Manifest.py files.

Question: Which packages are required?

Answer: You need to have installed the following packages before you can configure and build Etherbone and Saftlib:

• docbook-utils
• libglib2.0-dev
• autotools-dev
• autoconf
• libtool (glibtoolize)
• build-essential
• automake
• libreadline-dev
• libsigc++ (saftlib) ‡
• libboost-dev (saftlib)
• pkgconfig (saftlib) †
• xsltproc (saftlib)
• libz-dev (saftlib)

† Ubuntu 22.04 and later: pkg-config

‡ Ubuntu 22.04 and later: libsigc++-2.0-dev

For apt that means

apt install docbook-utils libglib2.0-dev autotools-dev autoconf libtool build-essential automake libreadline-dev libsigc++-2.0-dev libboost-dev pkg-config xsltproc libz-dev python-is-python3

For pacman that would be

pacman -S docbook-utils autoconf automake libtool readline libsigc++ pkgconf libxslt glibmm boost

Error: error while loading shared libraries: libmpfr.so.4: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory [Ubuntu/Mint/...]

Error: lm32-* permission denied /dev/stdout

Solution: Create a new symlink:

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libmpfr.so.6 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libmpfr.so.4

Error: hdlmake AttributeError: module object has no attribute vendor or hdlmake not found

Solution: In case a simple "make" does not fix this:

make hdlmake_install

Error: /bin/sh: 1: hdlmake: not found

Solution: You should run "make" to install hdlmake locally and adjust your PATH variable:

export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin

Error: cd ip_cores/hdlmake/ && python setup.py install --user /bin/sh: 1: python: not found

Solution: In case you are running Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install python-is-python3

Optional (python-is-python3 not found):

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /etc/python
sudo apt-get install python-setuptools
sudo apt-get install python3-setuptools

In case you have no sudo rights:

ln -s /usr/bin/python3 python
export PATH=$PATH:$(pwd)

We recommend to use at least Python3.7.

Error: ImportError: No module named pkg_resources

Solution:

sudo apt-get install python-pkg-resources
sudo apt-get install --reinstall python-pkg-resources # if already installed

Error: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'setuptools'

Solution: Just install the right setuptools:

sudo apt-get install python3-setuptools # Python 3.X
sudo apt-get install python-setuptools # Python 2.X

Error: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'six'

Solution:

sudo apt-get install python-six
sudo apt-get install python3-six

Error: Compilation: "Error message: ./configure: line 16708: syntax error near unexpected token 0.23' ./configure: line 16708: PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG(0.23)'"

Solution:

sudo apt-get install pkg-config
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig

Error: Compillation: "saftbus/process.cpp:14:10: fatal error: linux/ioprio.h: No such file or directory"

Solution:

1. In Makefile.am

• line 405: delete 'saft-roundtrip-latency saft-standalone-roundtrip-latency'
• delete lines 486-490

saft_roundtrip_latency_LDADD = $(EB_LIBS)  $(SIGCPP_LIBS) libsaftbus.la libsaft-proxy.la -ldl #-lltdl
saft_roundtrip_latency_SOURCES = src/saft-roundtrip-latency.cpp

saft_standalone_roundtrip_latency_LDADD = $(EB_LIBS)  $(SIGCPP_LIBS) libsaftbus.la libsaft-service.la  -ldl #-lltdl
saft_standalone_roundtrip_latency_SOURCES = src/saft-standalone-roundtrip-latency.cpp

2. In saftbus/process.cpp, replace the entire code by

#include "process.hpp"

#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
#include <cstring>

bool set_realtime_scheduling(std::string argvi, char *prio) {
  return true;
}

bool set_cpu_affinity(std::string argvi, char *affinity) {
  return true;
}

bool set_ioprio(char *ioprio) {
  return true;
}

Error: make[1]: cc: No such file or directory

Solution:

which cc # cc: Command not found.
update-alternatives --list cc
which cc # /usr/bin/cc

Click here for additional information.

unset LD_LIBRARY_PATH
source /common/usr/embedded/yocto/sdk/environment-setup-core2-64-ffos-linux
make etherbone YOCTO_BUILD=yes
make saftlib YOCTO_BUILD=yes

Check the Rocky-9 subsection, if you get lsb_release related errors.

See tools/yocto-build.sh

Error: configure: error: Package requirements (etherbone >= x.y.z) were not met:

Solution:

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig

Error: Cloning into 'dir'... - fatal: unable to access 'https://ohwr.org/project/generic_project.git/': server certificate verification failed. CAfile: none CRLfile: none

Solution: Systems with outdated trust databases (root CA certificate Let's Encrypt) will be unable to validate the certificate of the site. Update ca-certificates to fix this:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade ca-certificates

† If attached: FPGA USB-Programmer2 JTAG (Arrow)

Error: quartus: USB-Blaster can't find FPGA [Ubuntu/Mint/...]

Solution: Create a new symlink:

sudo ln -sf /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libudev.so.1 /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libudev.so.0

See doc/usbblaster/readme.md

See doc/platform_cable/readme.md

See doc/arrow_usb_programmer/readme.md

Default user: admin
Default password: password
Default server port (programmer GUI): 1309

Configure the SPI flash chip:

eb-config-nv $device 10 4

Format the 1-wire EEPROM:

cd bel_projects/ip_cores/wrpc-sw/tools
eb-w1-write $device 0 320 < sdb-wrpc.bin

Program FPGA from command line:

quartus_pgm -c 1 -m jtag -o 'p;device.sof'

Problem: Flashing might fail sometimes on certain devices and host combinations.

Solution: If you have such a device please use eb-flash (with additional arguments) to flash the timing receiver:

Optional (BEFORE using eb-flash):

eb-reset $device wddisable # disable watchdog timer
eb-reset $device cpuhalt 0xff # stop all embedded CPUs

Optional (AFTER using eb-flash):

eb-reset $device fpgareset # reset FPGA

(problematic devices) eb-flash -s 0x40000 -w 3 $device $gateware.rpd # <VETAR2A/VETAR2A-EE-BUTIS/SCU2/SCU3>
(unproblematic devices) eb-flash $device $gateware.rpd # <VETAR2A/VETAR2A-EE-BUTIS/SCU2/SCU3>

(problematic devices) eb-flash -s 0x10000 -w 3 $device $gateware.rpd # <PEXP/PEXARRIA5/PMC/MICROTCA/EXPLODER5>
(unproblematic devices) eb-flash $device $gateware.rpd # <PEXP/PEXARRIA5/PMC/MICROTCA/EXPLODER5>

eb-asmi $device -w $gateware.rpd (write)
eb-asmi $device -v $gateware.rpd (verify)