configuring multiple fpga's with multiple bitstreams via JTAG connection.

Hi,

Using JTAG to configure devices is possible. However, Altera do not make it that easy. The only option you really have is to port the Jam Player software to your microcontroller and then use that for configuration of the devices via JTAG.

If you can tolerate using an x86 Linux board as the master in your system, you could consider running the JTAG server code on your x86 board, and then communicate with that board from Quartus on a server machine.

In my designs, I use Fast Passive Parallel or Fast Passive Serial to program FPGAs. I also have JTAG chain programming, since MAX II devices can only be programmed this way. The Jam Player runs on an x86 host and can program devices over the PCI bus.

For example documentation, see this board design;

http://www.ovro.caltech.edu/~dwh/carma_board/ (http://www.ovro.caltech.edu/%7edwh/carma_board/)

Schematic with a block diagram showing the JTAG chain:

http://www.ovro.caltech.edu/~dwh/carma_board/gda06rb004_carma_v0.87_dec03.pdf (http://www.ovro.caltech.edu/%7edwh/carma_board/gda06rb004_carma_v0.87_dec03.pdf)

Custom FPGA configuration controller:

http://www.ovro.caltech.edu/~dwh/carma_board/fpga_configuration.pdf (http://www.ovro.caltech.edu/%7edwh/carma_board/fpga_configuration.pdf)

Note that in this design the FPGAs can be powered off. This means that the JTAG chain can be broken. A power control CPLD in the design is used to create a short or long JTAG chain by including the FPGAs if they are powered, or excluding them if they are not.

Cheers,

Dave