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Hi Stefania,

You should use USB Blaster, especially if you work with QuartusII (in obsolete software MAX+PLUS II the USB Blaster is not supported).

USB Blaster is newer hardware from Altera. MasterBlaster is older one.

Also you can use cheapest clone of USB Blaster from Terasic. :)

thank you...now I bore you again...

what are the differnce between Terasic ($50) and Altera ($300) USB BLASTER????

thanks..:)

The main difference in avidity :)

Altera's USB Blaster has shielded printed flexible flat cable. Terasic's one has cheap ribbon cable.

Altera's level translator based on AD3304 from AnalogDevices. Terasic's one based on PI3VT245 from Pericom.

Alaso Terasic use more slow and more cheap CPLD (-10 speed grade, instead -4 in Altera's blaster).

thanks...

:)

You must use a usb blaster if you plan to use a stratix 2 or newer device (byteblaster cannot program it).

I had an issue with the Terasic blaster,

when I leave it on the jtag socket,

my fpga does not start, issue that I don't have with the altera usb blaser.

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I had an issue with the Terasic blaster,

when I leave it on the jtag socket,

my fpga does not start, issue that I don't have with the altera usb blaser.

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That's interesting - we see the opposite behavior in active serial mode - with the Altera usb blaster, we have to disconnect it after programming; with the Terasic, we can leave it connected. Again, that's Active Serial mode. We use JTAG for Signaltap and nios2-gdb-server, but I never did try to get EPCS programming to work via JTAG. When we do use JTAG, I have never had a problem with the device not starting. We're using Stratix II.

\chuck

I use an USB-Blaster from Terasic.

When I program the EP2CS in active serial (Cyclone II on board) if I leave the connector, my FPGA doesn't leave the reset status. This is the only strange behavior.

I use also in JTAG mode or with Signal Tap without problem.

Never tried with an Altera USB-Blaster.

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You must use a usb blaster if you plan to use a stratix 2 or newer device (byteblaster cannot program it).

....

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It is strange. I'm use Byteblaster2 for working with StratixII without any problem.

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I had an issue with the Terasic blaster, then I leave it on the jtag socket, my fpga does not start.......

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May be this mean that PI3VT3245 does not swithch to high impedance state. You should check an Enable signal on the pin 19 of PI3VT3245.

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... - we see the opposite behavior in active serial mode - with the Altera usb blaster ...

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What is revision of your Altera USB Blaster? B or C?

I have developed my own USB Blaster clone :) based on EPM240.

It work properly in all modes :)

excused my inexperience..if I understand correctly, when I mean program in JTAg mode, throught the follow signals:

1) nCE, nCEO, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, nCONFIG, MSEL0, MSEL1, DATA0, DCLK,

(form cyclone II to board) and

2) TCK,TDO,TMS,TDI (from USBBLASTER to cyclone II)

I write my .sof file in "Serial flash loader" ??????????????????????

the result of my programmation is that when i leave Supply my fpga remain programmed because i have written in flash.

It is correct???????????

thank you:) :)

Stefania