# Error "Unable to find metadata for bitstream" When Loading Custom Overlay

**URL:** <https://discuss.pynq.io/t/error-unable-to-find-metadata-for-bitstream-when-loading-custom-overlay/3774>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [March 3, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://discuss.pynq.io/t/error-unable-to-find-metadata-for-bitstream-when-loading-custom-overlay/3774 "2022-03-03T16:17:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![savannah](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.pynq.io/savannah/32/3182_2.png) [@savannah](https://discuss.pynq.io/u/savannah)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://discuss.pynq.io/t/error-unable-to-find-metadata-for-bitstream-when-loading-custom-overlay/3774/1 "2022-03-03T16:17:00Z")

</div>

Hello, I am new to the PYNQ community. I am attempting to load my first custom overlay. It is a simple vector add function. I am using the SD card image v2.7. Here is the error that I get when I try to load the overlay:

```auto
from pynq import Overlay
overlay = Overlay('/home/xilinx/pynq/overlays/vector_add/vecAdder.bit')

```

* * *

RuntimeError Traceback (most recent call last)  
 in   
1 from pynq import Overlay  
2  
----\> 3 overlay = Overlay(‘/home/xilinx/pynq/overlays/vector\_add/vecAdder.bit’)

/usr/local/share/pynq-venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/pynq/overlay.py in **init** (self, bitfile\_name, dtbo, download, ignore\_version, device)  
338 self.\_register\_drivers()  
339  
 → 340 self.parser = self.device.get\_bitfile\_metadata(self.bitfile\_name)  
341  
342 self.ip\_dict = self.gpio\_dict = self.interrupt\_controllers = \

/usr/local/share/pynq-venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/pynq/pl\_server/embedded\_device.py in get\_bitfile\_metadata(self, bitfile\_name)  
604 parser = \_get\_bitstream\_handler(bitfile\_name).get\_parser()  
605 if parser is None:  
 → 606 raise RuntimeError(“Unable to find metadata for bitstream”)  
607 return parser

## RuntimeError: Unable to find metadata for bitstream

Below is an image of the Vivado block design:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/pynq1/original/2X/b/ba908349ed377f8acad41c46d95c259fb557b061.png)

I am just in the very initial learning stage of how this all works, so please let me know if I need to provide more information. Thanks in advance for any help with this error!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marioruiz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.pynq.io/marioruiz/32/2177_2.png) [@marioruiz](https://discuss.pynq.io/u/marioruiz)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 7:36pm UTC](https://discuss.pynq.io/t/error-unable-to-find-metadata-for-bitstream-when-loading-custom-overlay/3774/2 "2022-03-03T19:36:54Z")

</div>

Hi @savannah,

You need to include the hardware handoff (hwh) file along the bitstream file. You can find more information here

[https://pynq.readthedocs.io/en/latest/overlay\_design\_methodology/overlay\_design.html#overlay-design](https://pynq.readthedocs.io/en/latest/overlay_design_methodology/overlay_design.html#overlay-design)

Mario

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cathalmccabe](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.pynq.io/cathalmccabe/32/3348_2.png) [@cathalmccabe](https://discuss.pynq.io/u/cathalmccabe)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 9:09am UTC](https://discuss.pynq.io/t/error-unable-to-find-metadata-for-bitstream-when-loading-custom-overlay/3774/3 "2022-03-08T09:09:22Z")

</div>

2 posts were split to a new topic: [How to use the DMA](https://discuss.pynq.io/t/how-to-use-the-dma/3797)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marioruiz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.pynq.io/marioruiz/32/2177_2.png) [@marioruiz](https://discuss.pynq.io/u/marioruiz)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://discuss.pynq.io/t/error-unable-to-find-metadata-for-bitstream-when-loading-custom-overlay/3774/4 "2022-06-03T15:56:15Z")

</div>