Forum Discussion

mmAMC7's avatar
mmAMC7
Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
5 years ago
Solved

EPM7128E read and programming

We need to read an EPM7128ELI8420 manufacture by Alter.
to Store this programm and prrogramming a new EPM7128ELI8420, for this we are using a PA84-48F adaptar and the TOPMAXII (S/N TM 23676, SOFT REV 6.1) but it has not work so far.
My question is: What is the correct hardwaer and software to read and programmng an EPM7128ELI8420??
Thank in advance for your help
  • ak6dn's avatar
    ak6dn
    5 years ago

    There is no way in any practical sense to bypass the security fuse to allow reading the device program.

    The whole point of the security fuse is to make reading the device program impossible.

    You need to either find the original source/program code, or try and reverse engineer the device.

    There are current production devices that can replace the EPM7128E (like the EPM7128S from Intel or the ATF1508ASV from Microchip/Atmel) but you need the source code (best) or program POF file to do it.

7 Replies

  • ak6dn's avatar
    ak6dn
    Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
    5 years ago

    Per the Max Loader software (I am using v6.1h on my system) adapter PA84-48F is not the correct one to use for the EPM7128E device. You need adapter PA7128/E-84LC instead. Contact EEtools directly.

    PA84-48F:
    Vcc pin:22,38,64,73, Gnd pin:8,16,27,42,49 for Xilinx XC9572 PLCC84

    PA7128/E-84LC:
    Vcc pin:3,13,26,38,43,53,66,78, Gnd pin:7,19,32,42,47,59,72,82 for Altera EPM7128E PLCC84

  • mmAMC7's avatar
    mmAMC7
    Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
    5 years ago

    Hi,

    Thanks for your prompt reply, please you support in the following:

    1. we heard that Altera marked incorrectly EPM7128S chip as EPM7128, it is correct?
    2. There are some function in the Chip EPM7128E or EPM7128S to avoid read the program?

    Thanks again

    • ak6dn's avatar
      ak6dn
      Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
      5 years ago

      re question (1) I have never heard of such a thing. I doubt very much this could have happened and mismarked devices made it thru QC to distributors. Not impossible, but highly unlikely.

      However, I would not put it past unscrupulous vendors to take old chips, remove the existing silkscreen, and reprint them with a more favorable part number to sell. This does happen, principally out of distributors based in the far east, and sold thru channels like eBay, Alibaba, etc. If you buy your parts thru certified Altera/Intel distributors you should not encounter this process.

      re question (2) not sure what you mean. Are you referring to the security fuse? If the security fuse is set it prevents the device image from being read. You can only erase/reprogram the device. Reading the existing image is not possible.

      • mmAMC7's avatar
        mmAMC7
        Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
        5 years ago

        Thanks for your quick response
        Are you referring to the security fuse? yes i am referring to it.
        Quetion:
        If the security fuse is set, We wouldn't can get read and store the pogramming from the chip when we use the number EPM7128S in steap of EPM7128E??