help, quartus wont read cpld!!

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1.I dont know maybe, all i did was download quartus from the altera website and got the license.I am able to select it as a device(maxII) when i start a new project.

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Fine. That means MAXII files are installed.

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2.yes i have a maxII CPLD and am connecting it to my computer using the usb cable that came with it.

3.When i open the programmer it says "unable to scan chain. hardware is not connected."The device and cable are working cuz i use and program it at the school lab.

*when i connect the cpld to my computer it tells me to insert a cd that the hardware came with but my professor told us to just download quartus instead of using the cd cuz its updated.I thought the hardware would detect quartas automatically.Also the programmer doesnt have the usbblaster hardware option, only the byteblaster and masterblaster.I use the usbblaster option in the school computers.

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So you are using USB-Blaster cable but it doesn't show up in the options. This means you haven't installed USB-Blaster drivers and not added in the Hardware list in the programmer. So install USB-Blaster driver (you can download it from Altera website. Here is the link for both driver and setup instructions: http://www.altera.com/support/software/drivers/dri-index.html) (http://www.altera.com/support/software/drivers/dri-index.html%29). After that add it to the cables options in the Programmer. Only after this, will the Quartus II be able to use USB-Blaster and communicate with MAXII device.

I guess you missed installing the driver probably because you chose to download the Quartus from the web (which is good precisely because of the the same reason your professor told you:) ); otherwise cd installation would have given you the option of installing the USB-Blaster driver.