Overview: Using the Software Builder

You can use the Software Builder to perform a software build, which processes a design for an ARM^®-based Excalibur^™ device or the Nios^® embedded processor. You can perform the following actions during a software build:

Generate a Binary File (.bin), Hexadecimal (Intel-Format) File (.hex), Library File (.a) , or Motorola S-Record File (.srec) that contains memory initialization data for either the Excalibur embedded processor stripe of an ARM-based Excalibur device or the Nios embedded processor.
Generate passive programming files to configure ARM-based Excalibur devices using the Passive Parallel Asynchronous (PPA), Passive Parallel Synchronous (PPS), or Passive Serial (PS) configuration schemes.
Generate a flash programming file to program the flash memory from which an ARM-based Excalibur device loads configuration data.
Generate Simulator initialization files that the Simulator uses as input files for memory initialization when simulating designs for ARM-based Excalibur devices.
Run a command-line during a software build.
Run a command line after a software build.

When you generate a BIN File, HEX File, or SREC File, you can also generate information that the Software Builder uses to debug the files. For more information about debugging the files, go to Overview: Checking Software Source Files and Output Files.

Generating BIN Files, HEX Files, Library Files, SREC Files, flash programming files, and passive programming files.

You can perform a software build to generate a BIN File, HEX File, Library File, or SREC File from software source files in a design. During the software build, the Software Builder first uses a software toolset assembler and C/C++ compiler to generate intermediate object files from the design's Assembly Files (.s, .asm), C Source Files (.c), and C++ Source Files (.cpp). To generate a BIN File, HEX File, or SREC File, the Software Builder uses a software toolset linker to link the object files and generate an intermediate Executable and Linkable Format File (.elf), which the Software Builder converts into the BIN File, HEX File, or SREC File using a software toolset code converter. To generate a Library File, the Software Builder uses the Software Builder Archiver to process the object files into a Library File.

The Software Builder uses the software toolset that you specify for the design's software build settings. In order for the Software Builder to use the software toolset, you must specify the directory that contains the software toolset.

If you use the Software Builder to generate a HEX File, you can then use the Software Builder to generate a flash programming file or passive programming files for an ARM-based Excalibur device using the HEX File. When generating a flash programming file or passive programming files, the Software Builder also generates Simulator initialization files for the device. For more information about generating a flash programming file, go to Overview: Generating Flash Programming Files. For more information about generating passive programming files, go to Overview: Generating Passive Programming Files.

Running Command-line Commands

You can run a program or process for an ARM-based Excalibur device or the Nios embedded processor from within the Quartus^® II software by using the Software Builder to run a command-line command during or after a software build. If you use the Software Builder to run a command-line command during a software build, you cannot use the Software Builder to perform any other action; for example you cannot run the command-line command and generate a HEX File. If you use the Software Builder to run a command-line command after a software build, you use the command-line command in conjunction with the action that the Software Builder performs; for example you can use the command-line command to make changes to the flash programming file the Software Builder generates.

Saving Open Files Before Performing Software Builds

You can specify that the Software Builder automatically save changes to all open files before performing a software build. You can also specify that the Software Builder ask whether you want to save each changed file.

Purging Intermediate Files

If you performed a software build on a design, and you want to perform a new software build on the design without using the intermediate files that the Software Builder generated in the previous software build, you can purge the intermediate files before performing the new software build. If you purge intermediate files prior to a software build, the Software Builder generates new intermediate files during the software build; therefore, purging intermediate files ensures that a new software build reflects any changes you made to the software build settings since the previous software build. Purging intermediate files may also help resolve any errors that occurred in a previous software build.

Intermediate ELF Files contain all the debug information generated by a software toolset assembler and C/C++ compiler during a software build; therefore, when you delete intermediate files for the current software build settings, you also delete any debug information for the software build settings.

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