USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide Subscribe Send Feedback UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 101 Innovation Drive San Jose, CA 95134 www.altera.com TOC-2 Contents Introduction to USB-Blaster Download Cable...................................................1-1 USB-Blaster Revision...................................................................................................................................1-1 Supported Devices and Host Systems....................................................................................................... 1-1 Specifications for USB-Blaster Download Cable................................................2-1 Block Diagram and Dimension..................................................................................................................2-1 Cable-to-Board Connection....................................................................................................................... 2-2 Pin Description.............................................................................................................................................2-2 Operating Conditions..................................................................................................................................2-3 Power Requirements....................................................................................................................................2-5 RoHS Compliance........................................................................................................................................2-6 Using the USB-Blaster Download Cable.............................................................3-1 Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Windows.......................................................................................3-1 Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Linux............................................................................................. 3-1 Installing on Red Hat Enterprise 4 or Earlier Versions.............................................................. 3-2 Installing on Red Hat Enterprise 5................................................................................................ 3-2 Setting up the USB-Blaster Hardware in the Quartus II Software........................................................3-2 Connecting the USB-Blaster Download Cable to the Board................................................................. 3-3 Revision History for USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide....................... 4-1 Altera Corporation 1 Introduction to USB-Blaster Download Cable 2015.08.20 UG-USB81204 Subscribe Send Feedback The USB-BlasterTM download cable interfaces a USB port on a host computer to an Altera(R) FPGA mounted on a printed circuit board. The cable sends configuration data from the host computer to a standard 10-pin header connected to the FPGA. You can use the USB-Blaster download cable to iteratively download configuration data to a system during prototyping or to program data into the system during production. USB-Blaster Revision Table 1-1: USB-Blaster Revision Revision Indicator Description RoHS Compliant Rev. A Ribbon cable. No revision marking on the casing. 10-pin female connector that is connected to the USB-Blaster through a ribbon cable. No Rev. B "Rev. B" on the casing. 10-pin female connector that is connected to the USB-Blaster through a flexible PCB cable. No Rev. C "Rev. C" on the casing. 10-pin female connector that is connected to the USB-Blaster through a flexible PCB cable. Yes Supported Devices and Host Systems You can use the USB-Blaster download cable with supported Altera FPGAs, serial configuration devices, and host systems. (c) 2015 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. ALTERA, ARRIA, CYCLONE, ENPIRION, MAX, MEGACORE, NIOS, QUARTUS and STRATIX words and logos are trademarks of Altera Corporation and registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other words and logos identified as trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective holders as described at www.altera.com/common/legal.html. Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products to current specifications in accordance with Altera's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Altera. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published information and before placing orders for products or services. www.altera.com 101 Innovation Drive, San Jose, CA 95134 ISO 9001:2008 Registered 1-2 UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 Supported Devices and Host Systems Table 1-2: Supported Devices and Host Systems FPGA Serial Configuration Device Host System Stratix(R) series EPCS devices Windows Arria(R) series EPCQ devices Linux Cyclone(R) series EPCQ-L devices MAX(R) series Altera Corporation Introduction to USB-Blaster Download Cable Send Feedback Specifications for USB-Blaster Download Cable 2 2015.08.20 UG-USB81204 Send Feedback Subscribe The USB-Blaster download cable has a universal USB connector that plugs into the PC USB port, and a female connector that plugs into a male header on the device board. This section shows the hardware components, their dimensions, and lists the pins, operating conditions and power requirements. Block Diagram and Dimension Figure 2-1: Block Diagram of the USB-Blaster Download Cable USBVCC VCC USB Receptacle USB Interface Chip EPM7064AETC44 Voltage Translator Circuitry Pin 1 10-Pin Female Plug VCC (TRGT) I/O I/Os I/O I/O I/Os I/O I/O I/O I/O I/O Figure 2-2: Dimension of the USB-Blaster Download Cable 0.5 (1) 7.5 (1) 2.5 1.0 (1) Applies to Rev. B and Rev. C. 2.0 All Dimensions are in inches. (c) 2015 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. ALTERA, ARRIA, CYCLONE, ENPIRION, MAX, MEGACORE, NIOS, QUARTUS and STRATIX words and logos are trademarks of Altera Corporation and registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other words and logos identified as trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective holders as described at www.altera.com/common/legal.html. Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products to current specifications in accordance with Altera's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Altera. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published information and before placing orders for products or services. www.altera.com 101 Innovation Drive, San Jose, CA 95134 ISO 9001:2008 Registered 2-2 UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 Cable-to-Board Connection Cable-to-Board Connection The USB-Blaster has a 10-pin female connector, which plugs into a 10-pin male header on the device board. The male header consists of two rows of five pins, which are connected to the programming or configuration pins of the device. A 10-pin surface mount header can be used for the JTAG, AS, or PS download cable. However, Altera recommends using a through-hole connector because of the repeated insertion and removal force needed. Figure 2-3: Connectors and Dimensions 10-pin Male Header (Device Board) 10-pin Female Connector (USB-Blaster Download Cable) 0.425 Typ. Top View Side View 0.100 10 8 6 4 2 9 7 5 3 1 0.100 0.023 Sq . 0.235 0.250 Typ. 0.100 Sq. 0.025 Sq. 0.700 Typ. Spacing between pin centers is 0.1 inches. Dimensions are in inches Pin Description The following table lists the pins of the USB-Blaster female plug and describes their functions in the JTAG, active serial and passive serial modes. Table 2-1: Signal Names of the USB-Blaster Female Plug Pin AS Mode PS Mode JTAG Mode Signal Name Description Signal Name Description Signal Name Description 1 DCLK Clock signal. DCLK Clock signal. TCK Clock signal. 2 GND Signal ground. GND Signal ground. GND Signal ground. 3 CONF_DONE TDO Data from device. 4 VCC(TRGT) VCC(TRGT) Target power supplied by the device board. 5 nCONFIG 6 nCE Altera Corporation Configuration done. Target power supplied by the device board. Configuration control. Cyclone chip enable. CONF_DONE VCC(TRGT) nCONFIG -- Configuration done. Target power supplied by the device board. Configuration control. -- TMS -- JTAG state machine control. -- Specifications for USB-Blaster Download Cable Send Feedback UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 AS Mode Pin 2-3 Operating Conditions Signal Name 7 DATAOUT 8 nCS 9 ASDI 10 GND PS Mode Description Signal Name Active serial data out. Description Signal Name Description Configuration status. -- -- -- -- -- -- DATA0 Data to device. TDI Data to device. GND Signal ground. GND Signal ground. nSTATUS Serial configuration device chip select. Active serial data in. Signal ground. JTAG Mode Operating Conditions Use the provided maximum ratings, recommended operating conditions and DC operating conditions to ensure the correct usage of the USB-Blaster download cable. Table 2-2: Absolute Maximum Ratings Symbol Parameter Conditions Min Max Unit VCC(TRGT) Target supply voltage With respect to ground -0.3 5.5 V VCC(USB) USB supply voltage With respect to ground -0.5 6.0 V Input current TDO or dataout -10.0 10.0 mA -20.0 20.0 mA -50.0 50.0 mA Conditions Min Max Unit Target supply voltage, 5.0-V operation -- 4.75 5.25 V Target supply voltage, 3.3-V operation -- 3.0 3.6 V Target supply voltage, 2.5-V operation -- 2.375 2.625 mA Target supply voltage, 1.8-V operation -- 1.71 1.89 mA Target supply voltage, 1.5-V operation -- 1.43 1.57 mA II Io Output current for Rev. A or Rev. B cable Output current for Rev. C cable TCK, TMS, TDI, nCS, nCE Table 2-3: Recommended Operating Conditions Symbol VCC(TRGT) Parameter Specifications for USB-Blaster Download Cable Send Feedback Altera Corporation 2-4 UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 Operating Conditions Table 2-4: DC Operating Conditions for USB-Blaster Rev. A and B Symbol Parameter Conditions Min Max Unit VIH High-level input voltage -- VCC(TRGT) - 0.2 -- V VIL Low-level input voltage -- -- 0.15 V 5.0-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 4.5 V, IOH = 1 mA 4.4 -- V 3.3-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 3.0 V, IOH = 1 mA 2.9 -- V 2.5-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 2.375 V, IOH = 1 mA 2.275 -- V 1.8-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 1.71 V, IOH = 1 mA 1.61 -- V 1.5-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 1.43 V, IOH = 1 mA 1.33 -- V 5.0-V low-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 5.5 V, IOL = 1 mA -- 0.125 V 3.3-V low-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 3.6 V, IOL = 1 mA -- 0.125 V 2.5-V low-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 2.625 V, IOL = 1 mA -- 0.125 V 1.8-V low-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 1.89 V, IOL = 1 mA -- 0.125 V 1.5-V low-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 1.57 V, IOL = 1 mA -- 0.125 V Typical ICC(TRGT) = 16 uA -- 100 uA Min Max Unit 2.0 -- V VCC(TRGT) -- V VCC(TRGT) >= 2.0 V -- 0.8 V VCC(TRGT) < 2.0 V -- 0 V VOH VOL ICC(TRGT) Operating current (No Load) Table 2-5: DC Operating Conditions for USB-Blaster Rev. C Symbol Parameter Conditions VIH High-level input VCC(TRGT) >= 2.0 V voltage VCC(TRGT) < 2.0 V VIL Low-level input voltage Altera Corporation Specifications for USB-Blaster Download Cable Send Feedback UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 Power Requirements Symbol VOH VOL Parameter Conditions 2-5 Min Max Unit 5.0-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 4.5 V, IOH = -10 mA 3.8 -- V 3.3-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 3.0 V, IOH = -8 mA 2.3 -- V 2.5-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 2.375 V, IOH = -6 mA 1.8 -- V 1.8-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 1.71 V, IOH = -4 mA 1.2 -- V 5.0-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 5.5 V, IOL = 10 mA -- 0.8 3.3-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 3.6 V, IOL = 8 mA -- 0.7 2.5-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 2.625 V, IOL = 6 mA -- 0.6 1.8-V high-level output voltage VCC(TRGT) = 1.89 V, IOL = 4 mA -- 0.5 Typical ICC(TRGT) = 16 uA -- 100 ICC(TRGT) Operating current (No Load) uA Power Requirements The USB-Blaster VCC(TRGT) pin must be connected to a specific voltage for the device being programmed. Connect pull-up resistors to the same power supply as the USB-Blaster VCC(TRGT). Table 2-6: VCC(TRGT) Power Requirements Device Family Voltage Required Stratix V, Stratix IV, and Stratix III As specified by VCCPGM or VCCPD. Stratix II, Stratix II GX, and Stratix GX As specified by VCCSEL. Arria 10 As specified by VCCPGM or VCCIO. Arria V As specified by VCCPD. Arria II GX As specified by VCCPD or VCCIO of Bank 8C Arria GX As specified by VCCSEL. Cyclone V As specified by VCCPGM or VCCPD. Cyclone IV As specified by VCCA or VCCIO. Cyclone III As specified by VCCA or VCCIO. Max 10 As specified by VCCIO. FPGAs Specifications for USB-Blaster Download Cable Send Feedback Altera Corporation 2-6 UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 RoHS Compliance Device Family Voltage Required Configuration Devices EPCS 3.3 V EPCQ 3.3 V EPCQ-L 1.8 V RoHS Compliance Table 2-7: Hazardous Substances and Concentration A value of 0 indicates that the concentration of the hazardous substance in all homogeneous materials in the parts is below the relevant threshold as specified by the SJ/T11363-2006 standard. Part Name Lead (Pb) Cadmium (Cd) Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+) Mercury (Hg) Polybromi nated Biphenyls (PBB) Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBB) Electronic components 0 0 0 0 0 0 Populated circuit board 0 0 0 0 0 0 Manufacturing process 0 0 0 0 0 0 Packing 0 0 0 0 0 0 Altera Corporation Specifications for USB-Blaster Download Cable Send Feedback Using the USB-Blaster Download Cable 3 2015.08.20 UG-USB81204 Subscribe Send Feedback To start using the USB-Blaster download cable, you must install the drivers on your system and set up the hardware in the Quartus II software. Altera recommends that you use the latest version of the Quartus II software. To program or configure the device, connect the host system to the device board using the USB-Blaster download cable and initiate the programming or configuration using the Quartus II Programmer. You can also use the cable with the Quartus II SignalTap(R) II Logic Analyzer for logic analysis. Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Windows 1. Locate the USB-Blaster driver in \<Quartus II system directory>\drivers\usb-blaster. If the driver is not in your directory, download the driver from www.altera.com/support/software/drivers. 2. Connect the USB-Blaster download cable to your PC. 3. Open Device Manager. In the Other devices tab, select and right click USB-Blaster. Then, click Update Driver Software. 4. Click Browse. Browse to \<Quartus II system directory>\drivers\usb-blaster and click Next. The Windows security warning is displayed. 5. Click Install to begin installing the driver. 6. Click Finish when the driver is installed. 7. Restart your system. Related Information https://www.altera.com/support/support-resources/download/drivers/dri-index.html Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Linux The Quartus II software uses the USB drivers (usbfs) provided by Red Hat Linux to access the USBBlaster download cable. You need system administration (root) privileges to configure the drivers. You must also change the permission on the ports before using the USB-Blaster download cable to program devices. Related Information https://www.altera.com/support/support-resources/download/drivers/dri-index.html (c) 2015 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. ALTERA, ARRIA, CYCLONE, ENPIRION, MAX, MEGACORE, NIOS, QUARTUS and STRATIX words and logos are trademarks of Altera Corporation and registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other words and logos identified as trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective holders as described at www.altera.com/common/legal.html. Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products to current specifications in accordance with Altera's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Altera. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published information and before placing orders for products or services. www.altera.com 101 Innovation Drive, San Jose, CA 95134 ISO 9001:2008 Registered 3-2 UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 Installing on Red Hat Enterprise 4 or Earlier Versions Installing on Red Hat Enterprise 4 or Earlier Versions 1. Add the following lines to the /etc/hotplug/usb.usermap file. # # Altera USB-Blaster # usbblaster 0x03 0x09fb 0x6001 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 usbblaster 0x03 0x09fb 0x6002 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 usbblaster 0x03 0x09fb 0x6003 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 2. Create a file named /etc/hotplug/usb/usbblaster and add the following lines to it. #!/bin/sh # USB-Blaster hotplug script # Allow any user to access the cable chmod 666 $DEVICE 3. Make the file executable. 4. Complete your installation by setting up the programming hardware in the Quartus II software as described in the following section. Installing on Red Hat Enterprise 5 1. Create a file named /etc/udev/rules.d/51-usbblaster.rules and add the following lines to it. Ensure that all code after #USB-Blaster must be in one line. # USB-Blaster BUS=="usb", SYSFS{idVendor}=="09fb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="6001", MODE="0666", PROGRAM="/bin/sh -c 'K=%k; K=$${K#usbdev}; printf /proc/bus/usb/%%03i/%%03i $${K%%% %.*} $${K#*.}'", RUN+="/bin/chmod 0666 %c" 2. Complete your installation by setting up the programming hardware in the Quartus II software. Setting up the USB-Blaster Hardware in the Quartus II Software 1. Launch the Quartus II software. 2. Click Tools > Programmer. 3. Click Hardware Setup. Altera Corporation Using the USB-Blaster Download Cable Send Feedback UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 Connecting the USB-Blaster Download Cable to the Board 3-3 Figure 3-1: Hardware Setup Dialog Box The Hardware Settings tab of the Hardware Setup dialog box is displayed. 4. From the Currently selected hardware drop-down list, select USB-Blaster [USB-0]. 5. Click Close to close the Hardware Setup dialog box. 6. In the Programmer window, select the desired programming mode from the Mode drop-down list. Table 3-1: Programming Modes Mode Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) In-Socket Programming Passive Serial Active Serial Programming Description Programs or configures all supported Altera devices except EPCS, EPCQ, and EPCQ-L devices. USB-Blaster does not support this programming mode. Configures all supported Altera devices except EPCS, EPCQ, and EPCQ-L devices. Programs a single EPCS, EPCQ, or EPCQ-L device. Connecting the USB-Blaster Download Cable to the Board 1. Disconnect the power cable from the device board. 2. Connect the USB-Blaster download cable to your PC. 3. Plug the USB-Blaster download cable into the 10-pin header on the device board. Using the USB-Blaster Download Cable Send Feedback Altera Corporation 3-4 Connecting the USB-Blaster Download Cable to the Board UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 Figure 3-2: Connection to the Device Board BLA ST SID ER E PIN1 TAR GET SIDE 10-pin Female Connector (connects to target printed circuit board 10-pin male header) 4. Connect the power cable to the device board. The Found New Hardware wizard may open and prompt you to install a new hardware driver. Close the wizard and follow the steps provided in subsequent sections to install the hardware driver. 5. To disconnect the USB Blaster download cable from the device board, follow these steps to ensure that the cable is not damaged. a. Remove power from the device board. b. Unplug the USB-Blaster download cable from the board. c. Unplug the USB-Blaster download cable from your PC. Altera Corporation Using the USB-Blaster Download Cable Send Feedback 4 Revision History for USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide 2015.08.20 UG-USB81204 Send Feedback Subscribe Date Version Changes August 2015 2015.08.20 * Removed PROC_RST signal which is not supported in USB-Blaster. May 2015 2015.05.04 * Updated the document organization. * Added new devices in the following sections: Supported Devices and Host Systems and Power Requirements. * Updated the procedure on driver installation for Windows. * Revised the pin width of the female plug. April 2009 2.5 * Updated "Supported Devices" section. * Updated "Software Requirements". * Deleted handnote in "Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Windows Vista Systems". * Updated Table 2-1. * Added a handnote in "Circuit Board Header Connection". * Updated Table 2-5. April 2008 2.4 * Added "Statement of China-RoHS Compliance". * Added Table 2-8. * Added "Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Windows Vista Systems". (c) 2015 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. ALTERA, ARRIA, CYCLONE, ENPIRION, MAX, MEGACORE, NIOS, QUARTUS and STRATIX words and logos are trademarks of Altera Corporation and registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other words and logos identified as trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective holders as described at www.altera.com/common/legal.html. Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products to current specifications in accordance with Altera's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Altera. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published information and before placing orders for products or services. www.altera.com 101 Innovation Drive, San Jose, CA 95134 ISO 9001:2008 Registered 4-2 UG-USB81204 2015.08.20 Revision History for USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide Date Version Changes May 2007 2.3 * Updated "Introduction". * Added warning note about USB-Blaster cable in "Hardware Setup" section. * Added information on Linux setup in "Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Linux" section. * Added feetpara note on driver information just before the "Setting Up the USB-Blaster Hardware in the Quartus II Software" section. * Updated USB-Blaster installation procedure for QII 6.1 (32-bit or 64-bit) in "Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Windows 2000 and Windows XP Systems" section. March 2007 2.2 * Update to "Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Windows 2000 and Windows XP Systems" section. July 2006 2.1 Minor update to Chapter 2, USB-Blaster Specifica tions. June 2006 2.0 * Updated Figure 2-1, Table 2-1, and Table 2-7. * Added Table 2-6. December 2004 1.2 Update to conditions in Table 2-2. November 2004 1.1 Minor update. July 2004 1.0 Initial release. Altera Corporation Revision History for USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide Send Feedback