I'm having a rather odd problem and I was wondering whether anyone else has experienced it. I'm using an M25P40 serial prom with an EP2C20. Standard setup, in fact we reused the schematics from a previous project and repinned the FPGA. The only difference is that it's a Cyclone II instead of a Cyclone part. We've only built 4 boards and they are all flakey. The problem is that the proms are mysteriously unprogramming themselves during normal operation. That is, the Cyclone II won't configure until the prom is reprogrammed. Sometimes the serial prom can't be reprogrammed and must be replaced. Any ideas? Thanks for your help. Leslie

Maybe because Altera only officially supports its own low cost serial configuration devices... why don't you use an EPCS device from Altera instead. You haven't provided a lot of details about your configuration scheme so it's hard to make any suggestions to you about things to try. Are you using passive or active? Sounds like active. Then you are clearly using a serial PROM that isn't supported. Try these documents http://www.altera.com/literature/hb/cfg/cfg_cf51001.pdf http://www.altera.com/literature/hb/cyc2/cyc2_cii51013.pdf

Thanks for the quick reply. What, you don't read minds? ;) The serial config device is set up for AS programming. Both MSEL tied low on the Cyclone II and a separate JTAG connector. Wiring, pull-up and pull-down resistors are all correct. Switching to the Altera part was my first guess, too. Not sure why we are using the other in the first place. I fired off an email suggesting the EPCS4 at about the same time as I wrote the first post about my problem. I had read the documents you listed - and read them carefully hoping I'd overlooked some tiny detail. Nada. It's odd only because we've used the M25P40 in the exact same circuit on several designs without a problem. I'll post a follow-up after the boards come back from the field and I can actually look at one.

Hi, I also use an ST M25P40 SPI flash with an EP2C8 in AS scheme, this without any problem. Did you check M25P40 SPI lines during normal operation (I mean after configuration) ? Maybe the M25P40 is chip selected in an unexpected way. Also ensure that M25P40 CS pin is pullup'ed. See M25P40 ST specs about power-on/power-down behaviour. Hope this will help :) .

Hi, Is it possible to see any schematic of EP2c8 with ST M25P40? As I can see from datasheets CPLD is necessary to use this combination or am I wrong? Thanks Primoz

We use here the M25P40 Devices with the EP2C8 without any problems on some hundreds of boards. So I think there is something wrong with the wiring of the Pins on your boards. Do you have access to the JTAG pins of the Cyclone II? So you can try to program the M25P40 using a *.jic Files via JTAG(Quartus II -> File -> Convert Programming Files) Christian

Cyclone II Serial Config | Altera Community

41 Replies

Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
Ok, at least I'm not alone :D
You don't have a M25P16 or M25P64 by the hand? So you could test if they are working...
Would be interesting. If you have the time ;)

Regards
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
I was also suprised :))
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
Thanks for the Info. I'm wondering that using EPCS16 in programer allows to program a 32Bit device. Becuse the silicon ID for the EPCS16 is 14h. :confused:

But I'm glad that it works for you...

Regards
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
config with CYCIII and ST M25p32 works :)

silicon ID is 0x15

I used EPCS16 in programer and user Design.

Maybe it also works with EPCS64....
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
Ok try this... btw I meant the so called RES instruction. THats a one byte wide identifiaction number wich shows the size of the device.
Regards
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
I use quartus 6.1 to convert the file.and the FPGA is EP2C5,The ST ID is 25PE16V6.I Will buy some M25P40 to try it .
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
I don't think so, because there are two ordering codes for the EPCS16. one for the 16 pin and another for the 8 Pins. Perhaps you have to carefully compare the two datsheets. I'm not sure, why this happens. What me really makes wonder is that they have the same UID and quartus don't likes it. Perhaps Altera changed some things in configuration devices??? Perhaps they wanted to block alternative devices... But I can't believe this.
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
Yes if u use *.jic there is only EPCS16 not EPC16.and I found my M25P16 is 8 pins ,but the EPCS16 IS 16pins. maybe this is the problem?
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
Ok i cheked the Device IDs via Datasheet. They are the same in EPCS16 as in the M25P16 (14h). So I don't have an idea. what it could be...
Have you really selected the EPCS16 and not the EPC16?

Regards
Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor
19 years ago
Yes I have tried to programm the pof Fiel directly .and the error message is the same.
I used M25P16 is 8 pins,and the EPCS16 is 16 pins,althought many of the pins is not collect,but maybe the package also be collect in the silicon ID.

Thanks

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Cyclone II Serial Config

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