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Sruk's avatar
Sruk
Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
13 days ago
Solved

Brand new USB-BLASTER 3 issues

A day ago I received a brand new and very expensive USB Blaster III from DigiKey with the following Serial Number: UB3000432 I have an issue using this device. The device is visible both in Win11 De...
Board Debug
Fpga Devkit
  • Sruk's avatar
    Sruk
    18 hours ago


    Engineering sample means that the part is pre production and not suitable for industrial use. So one of the early production batches for engineers to play with and get used to the new board.
    Considering your troubleshoot, I will request a replacement shipment from Customer Resolution team.

    DigiKey

Sruk's avatar
Sruk
Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
8 days ago

Thanks Zvi,

my order was from DigiKey P/N: 544-PL-UB3-CABLE-ND

I would like to know if anyone from Altera team reads this?! :/

FakhrulA_altera's avatar
FakhrulA_altera
Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
23 hours ago

Hi Sruk,

Thank you for confirming that you are using the adapter and the legacy 2.54 mm pinout.

The known USB-Blaster III Product ID issue affects Active Serial programming only. It should not prevent normal JTAG device detection.

Related KDB: Why Can't I Program Using Active Serial Programming with my USB Blaster III?

For this JTAG error, please check the target voltage reference at the connector. USB-Blaster III uses the target board VREF to set its JTAG signal levels. Measure VREF at the adapter/header while the board is powered. It must be within the supported range and match the FPGA JTAG I/O voltage.

Try Lowering the JTAG Clock Speed. You can try reducing the JTAG clock speed using:

jtagconfig --setparam <cable_number> JtagClock 6M

Also, please confirm:

  • The target board is fully powered before scanning.
  • TDO is not held high by another device or circuit.
  • No other JTAG source is connected to the chain.
  • The cable LED state and the output from jtagconfig.


Since the same boards work with an older cable, if VREF and TDO are correct, this may indicate a cable issue. The "Engineering Sample" marking on the box is unusual for a production unit purchased through DigiKey. It would be worth confirming with DigiKey whether this is expected for your order.

Thanks,
Fakhrul