Specifications

CHAPTER 16: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
GENERATING SOFTWARE OUTPUT FILES
242 ■ INTRODUCTION TO QUARTUS II ALTERA CORPORATION
3. A linker links the boot data file with a binary bootloader file to create
an Executable and Linkable Format File (.elf).
4. A code converter converts the Executable and Linkable Format File into
a flash programming file with the name <project name>_flash.hex.
You can then use the exc_flash_programmer utility to program the
information in the flash programming file into the flash memory for the
Excalibur device via Expansion Bus Interface zero (EBI0).
Generating Passive Programming
Files
Passive programming files are used to configure Excalibur devices using the
Passive Parallel Asynchronous (PPA), Passive Parallel Synchronous (PPS),
or Passive Serial (PS) configuration schemes. You can use the Software
Builder, the makeprogfile utility, or the Compiler to generate the following
passive programming files:
■ Hexadecimal (Intel-Format) Output Files (.hexout)
■ Programmer Object Files (.pof)
■ Raw Binary Files (.rbf)
■ SRAM Object Files (.sof)
■ Tabular Text Files (.ttf)
The following steps describe the basic flow for using the Software Builder to
create a passive programming file:
1. Create the software source files and add them to the project.
2. Run the ARM-based Excalibur MegaWizard Plug-In to generate a
System Build Descriptor File.
3. Compile the design to generate a programmable logic Partial SRAM
Object File (.psof).