Can't install MiSTer black screen

[rcboosted]

Hi, I'm completely new to FPGA and MiSTer. Picked up an used De10-nano for MiSTer from ebay, no other accessories such as IO board, USB hub etc. The seller said it's "De10-nano fpga university program kit". Hopefully this isn't a special hardware that is different than normal retail version.

It came with an 8GB uSD card that booted up fine, connect to my LCD via HDMI. Using an OTG USB hub and wireless keyboard/mouse combo, I was able to navigate the menu etc, so I think the hardware is good. Then I created a 64GB uSD with Mr. Fusion image v2.2. After the initial installing MiSTer for 2 min screen, it reboots and goes to blank screen. Monitor says there's no HDMI signal. I tried 4 different SD cards of various brands, size and speed and 2 different monitors, they all did the same thing. The jumpers and switches seem to be in order, jumper: on off on off on on, switches are all in down position.

The LEDs light up in this sequence:
Initial power up, blue led, row of led near RJ45 all lit, then blue led, amber led during Mr. Fusion installation. Then reboot, dark screen, blue led, amber led, 1 green led for row of led near RJ45.

Is there something I need to do if this is an used board? Reset to factory default so to speak. Or maybe this board is defective in someway that doesn't like the MiSTer install? Thanks for any help in advance.

[rcboosted]

Forgot to mention, based on pictures online, the "DE10-Nano" printing on my board is near the HDMI connector with "for Intel FPGA University Program". While retail boards have "DE10-Nano" printed near the RJ45.

[Flandango]

Check the dip switches and make sure they are setup correctly.
There is a bank of 6 dip switches and should be setup in this order (from 1 to 6),
On, Off, On, Off, On, On

[rcboosted]

Thanks for the reply, but I did check them as mentioned in my post. I even flipped them back and forth a few times. Since then, I've tried 4 more different uSD cards because I read in other posts that it might be picky, but no luck still. I also tried using different PC to format then write the image using both balenaEtcher and Win32 writer, same results, black screen after the initial install. Checked the uSD card before and after, I see that the partition does indeed get resized after the initial install.

[Flandango]

Sorry, I missed that part about the switches.
I have the same board (with the "for Intel FPGA University Program") and it works fine. You also don't need to do anything to reset it to a factory setting.
Out of curiosity, have you tried disconnecting the USB hub after the install was completed? I.e. have you tried booting up with nothing attached other than the SD Card and the power cable?

[rcboosted]

No worries, I wrote a novel. I have tried booting up without the hub after install or just straight from a fresh image with just SD and power. I can try it a few more times with hub during install, then remove on boot, or just sd from beginning to see.

[rcboosted]

No luck. Without hub starting from a fresh install. Did the same thing, installs for 2 min, restarts to black screen.

[Flandango]

I just did a fresh install on a 64GB uSD card on a bare-boned DE10-nano (except for HDMI to TV of course) and it worked so that ruled out maybe a bad fusion-2.2 build.
At a minimum, you should of had two green leds by the RJ45 connector slowly blinking in an alternating pattern.
As for the 8GB card you got with the DE10-nano, I could be wrong, but I believe it's a linux distribution so it's not running from the FPGA side of the board.
Unless somebody else has any ideas what could be wrong, I suspect you have a bad board.

[akeley]

That original 8GB SD card has MiSTer install or the standard DE10 card?

Did you try the normal install method, not Mr.Fusion?

[rcboosted]

Thank you both for your replies.

I just did a fresh install on a 64GB uSD card on a bare-boned DE10-nano (except for HDMI to TV of course) and it worked so that ruled out maybe a bad fusion-2.2 build.
At a minimum, you should of had two green leds by the RJ45 connector slowly blinking in an alternating pattern.
As for the 8GB card you got with the DE10-nano, I could be wrong, but I believe it's a linux distribution so it's not running from the FPGA side of the board.
Unless somebody else has any ideas what could be wrong, I suspect you have a bad board.

I did not have 2 leds by RJ45, so seems like it's stuck at FGPA access? Do you know how to use the linux distro on the 8GB card to do some test?

That original 8GB SD card has MiSTer install or the standard DE10 card?

Did you try the normal install method, not Mr.Fusion?

The original 8GB SD card has standard DE10 install I assume. It looks like a normal linux distro desktop on boot. Is there any test I can run under this environment to see if FGPA ok? Something like a test burn or a wipe, or maybe simply access the FPGA?

I don't know the other method to install, I will look into this and try it.

[akeley]

I don't know the other method to install, I will look into this and try it.

I mean the old method, described as Manual Instal here: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Main_Mi ... etup-Guide
In your case it won't hurt to try it, just to make sure.

Another thing to check could be the power unit. Make sure the one you've got has the required parameters, or better yet check with another one, if possible.

[rcboosted]

Ok, I tried the manual install several times on 2 different uSD cards. Used the utility to create the initial uSD, copied the latest release, menu and a NES core without any games. On first boot, with or without USB hub attached, it would do the exact same thing Mr. Fusion method does on first reboot. 1 led near RJ45. Monitor never even attempts to wake up.

I'm using a Meanwell 5V 4A power supply from Mouser, and another Meanwell 5V 3A power supply from an OMVS build.

I need to figure out how to test the FGPA to initiate a return on ebay if this is a bad board.

[jca]

You can always contact Terasic and they will help you. Once my MISTer stopped booting and I contacted them, they provided me with some instructions which I did not even use: for no reason I flicked the micro switches a few times and my MISTer booted again. After 2 years of use there was a bad contact. But I must say they were very friendly and the instructions provided would have allow me to narrow the problem.
Here is their reply:
Thank you for using the DE10-Nano board.
Which Linux image was your SD card written? Did you use the image that we provided on the Terasic web? Or did you use the image that you created by yourself?
What did you mean by "it did not boot from the SD card and seems to have died"? Was there no printed information on the UART terminal? Can you provide more details to us?
Please set the MSEL[4:0] to 10010, and try to download the DE10_Nano_Default.sof into the FPGA to see if the board can run properly or not.

[rcboosted]

Please set the MSEL[4:0] to 10010, and try to download the DE10_Nano_Default.sof into the FPGA to see if the board can run properly or not.

This is interesting, I see they are suggesting 10010 for testing on the dip swtich. I just went over the Getting Started Guide, this is the setting for AS Mode. But for Linux Xfce, they suggest 01010, and MiSTer suggests the same. What's the last (6th) position supposed to be?

[Flandango]

6th position is not used and should be left as is.

[rcboosted]

Ok, I left it as 0, "on" for 6th position. Now trying to figure out how to "try to download the DE10_Nano_Default.sof into the FPGA to see if the board can run properly or not".

[rcboosted]

so downloaded the Intel Quartus suite of software and drivers etc and installed everything. Once I plugged in the USB-Blaster II (looks like regular 'ol mini USB to me) the row of LEDs below RJ45 all started to blink together in seemingly random interval. I then managed to find a .sof file from someone's project online, used the Quartus software to download the .sof to the FPGA. According to the application, it downloaded successfully. So I guess the board can talk to the FPGA?

I then tried the Mr Fusion install again, it still does the same thing, but now the 1 led below RJ45 that used to just light up solid, it does the random blinking now. Still goes to a black screen after install though. After more tries of different uSD card, the last LED stopped lighting up after the Mr. Fusion install reboot. So all in all, still no MiSTer for me.

[Flandango]

Try this sof file that came with DE10-Nano CD (you'll have to download it from their website)...
Send it over to the DE10-Nano with no SD card plugged in.
If it works, you should see a simple 4 color pattern on the screen.

[rcboosted]

Try this sof file that came with DE10-Nano CD (you'll have to download it from their website)...
Send it over to the DE10-Nano with no SD card plugged in.
If it works, you should see a simple 4 color pattern on the screen.

Thank you for the sof file! I had a hard time even finding one. This should prove whether the board is bad or not I hope.
Hopefully I'm doing this right. I started the Quartus Prime Programmer Lite Edition, plugged in the board without uSD and turned it on (HDMI is hooked up to monitor). Clicked on Auto Detect and selected 5CSEBA6. Selected the 5CSEBA6 chip next to the SOCVHPS in the lower panel. Then clicked on "Change File" and selected the "DE10_Nano_HDMI_TX.sof" then ticked the "Program / Configure" check box, and hit "start". I clicked on "Change File" thinking that the other sof programming is still on the FPGA and this will overwrite it? I don't know enough about FPGA, so I don't know how the previous "burn" gets erased.

Immediately following the programming, I see nothing on screen. So I disconnected the USB, powered off the FPGA then powered it back on. The board shows only the blue LED, then the row of led below the RJ45 all started to blink randomly, but nothing on monitor. DIP is still set to 01010.

[rcboosted]

If I select add file, it adds the "U23" variant chip in the middle, and I have to delete the original 5CSEBA6 to allow programming to be successful. But still nothing on monitor after power cycling.

[Flandango]

Yeah you send it over the U23 variants (that's the FPGA side). Unfortunately, it sounds like you have a bad board.
Since you get a display over HDMI when using the HPS/Linux side, but not when you load a core, it sounds like bad pins on the FPGA to HDMI.
Out of curiosity, when you start up with the Mister SD card that gives you a blank screen...have you tried Pressing F9 and see if the console comes up? It's more of a curiosity than anything, but it will confirm that the core loads but no HDMI signal from core.

[rcboosted]

While it is blank screening, the keyboard showed it isn't connected to the wireless dongle. So I wasn't able to see if I could get a console. Well this sucks, now I gotta return it. Probably through a "not as described" route since seller isn't taking returns. It's advertised as working. This is what I get trying to save a few bucks.