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Altera_Forum
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17 years ago

Jrunner + Serial Flash Loader (SFL) + EPCS4 [How to programm EPCS without Quartus II]

Hello,

I'd like to adapt Jrunner to work with Serial Flash Loader. I've integrated SFL megafunction into my design and it works great. When I click auto detect in quartus II programmer it detects Cyclone II and EPCS4 which is good. How does it detect EPCS4? I'd like to modify Jrunner so I can read sillicon ID of EPCS4, erase or programm it. Reading sillicon ID is the simplest operation so I will implement it first.

I've read AN39 (JTAG in Altera Devices) but there is nothing about "talking" with secondary device (EPCS) by SFL. I don't know which JTAG instruction mode I should use. I just only know that read sillicon ID operation code is "1010 1011" for EPCS devices and that the answer should be 0x12 for EPCS4.

Do you have any suggestions?

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  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    17 years ago

    Controlling SFL through a native JTAG tool requires understanding of the Altera virtual JTAG protocol and the SFL specific protocol as well. Basically, SFL does a low level access to serial SPI memory, so you finally have also to understand this point, but I think, it's the most easy part.

    There have been some previous discussions regarding VJTAG, also pointing to the (small) availible documentation. Anyway I'm convinced, that it's feasible, generally, but if the mentioned topics are new to you, it's possibly gonna be a long run.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    17 years ago

    Hello

    No many answers for you unfortunately!

    I'm interested by your topic, because I use the remote update megafunction, but it is only possible to read program to EPCS, and not possible to write into EPCS... so I try to find a solution.

    I have read that there is a solution with the NIOS, but I don't use it. I have an other microcontroller.

    I have found the Serial Flash Loader, this megafunction is a solution to have access to EPCS pins I think?

    But how should I design to write a program into EPCS? Do I have to use commands described in the EPCS datasheet?

    Did you find a solution? Or is there someone who know?

    (I use a stratix3 and EPCS64)

    See this link anyway, may help : epcs docs and datasheets (http://www.altera.com/support/devices/programming/configuration/prg-configuration.html?gsa_pos=8&wt.oss_r=1&wt.oss=serial%20configuration%20device%20epcs64)