Cannot flash FPGA bitstream after LimeTool --update

[theal]

Hi, I have a LimeSDR v1.4s, I tried to run LimeTool --update and it screwed up everything.
At the moment I’m able to flash anything I want on the FX3 chip (using LimeSuiteGUI) but nothing on the FPGA.

LimeSuiteGUI shows right after connecting to the SDR:

[17:59:19] WARNING: Gateware version mismatch!
  Expected gateware version 2, revision 14
  But found version 0, revision 0
  Follow the FW and FPGA upgrade instructions:
  http://wiki.myriadrf.org/Lime_Suite#Flashing_images
  Or run update on the command line: LimeUtil --update

[17:59:19] ERROR: Command not supported
[17:59:19] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:0.0 Ref Clk: -0.00 MHz

If I try to use the programming tool (FPGA Flash / FPGA Reset) I just get ‘Programming Failed: Error’.

This is what happens if I try to do the same using LimeUtil:

$ LimeUtil --fpga=/home/al/Downloads/LimeSDR-USB_HW_1.4_r2.14.rbf 
Connected to [LimeSDR-USB [USB 2.0] 9060B00490F2B]
Gateware version mismatch!
  Expected gateware version 2, revision 14
  But found version 0, revision 0
  Follow the FW and FPGA upgrade instructions:
  http://wiki.myriadrf.org/Lime_Suite#Flashing_images
  Or run update on the command line: LimeUtil --update

Programming failed! Error
[  0%]    32/574703 Bytes Programming failed! Error
Programming failed! : Programming failed! Error

Also, I tried to use any possible combination of:

• Different FX3 firmwares: {Latest from downloads.myriadrf.org, Latest from git, Random ones}
• LimeSuite version: {(Random) Old stable, Latest stable version, Latest version on git}
• USB Data Cable: {USB2,USB3}
• Power supply {USB3 internal, USB external, external 7.5/9 adapter, external 9v battery}
  always with the exact same result.

Now I’m thinking about flashing it using an external JTAG interface, do you have any tutorial or suggestion about that?

Thank you!

[martywittrock]

@theal,

Use the programming steps in this link to resolve the FPGA issues:

Firmware update problem

Ok, So after step 7 using USB2, it detects correct FX3 FW, bad FPGA GW, FX3 programming to Flash doesn't give any errors but then it fails to boot from Flash. The one more thing that you could try is programming FPGA GW first (maybe bad GW is preventing FX3 from booting somehow). To do that after step 7: a) In programming window select 'Altera FPGA' and 'Bitstream to flash' and click 'Program'. use GW from: https://github.com/myriadrf/LimeSDR-USB_GW/blob/master/output_files/LimeSDR-USB_lms7_trx_…

Keep us advised of your progress - thanks,

73 de Marty, KN0CK

[theal]

Hi, thanks for the reply!
I have the latest version of LimeSuiteGUI installed, so I don’t have the Bitstream to FPGA but FPGA FLASH.
Here are some screenshots:

1. Options -> ConnectionSettings
   

2. Result (Log):
   

   

3. Before flashing
   

4. A few milliseconds after pressing ‘Program’
   

   

The board is connected in this way:

(the external usb charger outputs 5v/2A)

[vk5bd]

Hello @theal, I see that you are using the supplied USB break out lead, I found mine was problematic, suspect even though it has the “Dual” supply the cable is not up to scratch, can you carefully plug your LimeSDR directly into the USB3 Port of your PC and try the upgrade again?

Regards,
Bevan

[theal]

Same result

[andrewback]

If you could try uploading firmware using the Cypress tools. You will need to force the FX3 into bootloader mode by removing J17. For details see:

https://wiki.myriadrf.org/LimeSDR-USB_Board_Programming#Updating_USB3_Microcontroller_Firmware_in_Bootloader_Mode

Then when this is done upload the FPGA image using either the LimeSuiteGUI or LimeUtil.

[theal]

Hi, thank you for the reply. Which firmware should I write into the FX3?

[andrewback]

Pick the directory that corresponds to the build of Lime Suite:

http://downloads.myriadrf.org/project/limesuite/

The FX3 firmware has a *.img extension and select the file which corresponds to your hardware version, which should almost certainly be v1.4 (it’s printed on the board).

[srikar]

Hello @theal. I am having the same issue. Cannot reflash the FPGA firmaware. Tried everything. I think that there might be some memory corruption or something that’s stopping me from reading or writing anything into the chip. Did you get this issue resolved?

@andrewback I have tried installing the FX3 firmware numerous times. It installs properly but FPGA update fails. Having Gateware version mismatch issues. Any suggestions please?

Thanks
S

[theal]

Hey! Still broken for me, but I got a few ideas I will try them soon.

After I had struggled with all the tools/firmware&co and nothing was working, I unsoldered the flash chip, connected to a raspberry pi and…guess what: flashrom (linux tool) writes stuff into the flash chip and then it reads them back wrong.
After few tries (…and after I had bought 5 flash chips, all of them with the same problem), I spotted a pattern:
it writes few sectors correctly and then it writes a sector with wrong values (every time it’s a different sector).
So, I tried changing the write speed (10MHz, 5MHz, 1MHz, 100KHz) and I got always the same problem.
What happens is that, at some point, it starts ignoring/losing (and then shifting) bits, e.g. writing “20 20 20 20 20” might give “20 40 40 80 80”.

I asked to a friend of mine(electronic engineer) and he told me that this happened once to him and he solved it by adding a resistor in the CLK line: the “overdamping” of the CLK (0 -> 1) sometimes is read as multiple clock ticks.

[en1gma]

im also having similar problems with my limesdr-mini
[01:07:47] ERROR: Read(64 bytes) failed
[01:07:47] INFO: Connected Control port: UNKNOWN FW:0 HW:0 Protocol:0 GW:0.0 Ref Clk: -0.00 MHz

no led light on board at all.
usb is recognized a bit with LimeUtil --find but cant do any --update and same for limesuitegui.
cant program fpga flash

any help would be much appreciated.
cant get into bootloader mode because i cant find the FX3 jumper.
is that for the limesdr-mini?

[herlesupreeth]

I recently installed spectogram which installs a modified GW, but upon restoring the fpga back to default one (i.e. using --fpga_restore). I am facing the same issue of not able to update the fpga firmware to latest.

Give me following output

LimeUtil --fpga=/home/sherle/.local/share/LimeSuite/images/LimeSDR-Mini_HW_1.2_r1.30.rpd
Connected to [LimeSDR Mini [USB 3.0] 1D587F76793E53]
TransferPacket: Read failed (ret=0)
TransferPacket: Read failed (ret=0)
TransferPacket: Read failed (ret=0)
TransferPacket: Write failed (ret=0)
TransferPacket: Write failed (ret=0)
Programming failed! Write operation faileded! Write operation failed
Programming failed! Write operation failed

Programming failed!

Its a LimeSDR-Mini V1,

LimeUtil --find
  * [LimeSDR Mini, media=USB 3.0, module=FT601, addr=24607:1027, serial=1D587F76793E53]

@andrewback any help would be appreciated.

[andrewback]

Will need @Zack to advise on this one. It may be that you will now need to program via JTAG, but hopefully not. Could you also post the output of LimeQuickTest please.

[herlesupreeth]

Nevermind. I resolved it.

For other in same state. Here is how I solved it.

1. First run spectrogram --fpga_restore
2. Plug out the LimeSDR-Mini and plug it back in
3. docker run -v /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb -v /usr/share/LimeSuite/images/22.09:/root --privileged -ti gasparka/spectrogram bash
   NOTE: I am assuming that the host machine has fpga images at the location /usr/share/LimeSuite/images/22.09
4. Inside the docker container run the below
   LimeUtil --fpga=/root/LimeSDR-Mini_HW_1.2_r1.30.rpd

Thank you @andrewback for the swift reply.

[andrewback]

Glad to hear you are back up and running and thanks for sharing the fix details!