Forum Discussion

Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
11 years ago

MAX10 Flash Memory specifications

There is some inconsistency between the various MAX10 documents and what Quartus states for the amount of User Flash Memory (UFM) that's available.

As an example, I've been looking at the 10M08DAF484C8GES, which is used in Arrow's BeMicroMAX10.

According to the MAX10 overview, the 10M08 has 1376Kb of UFM (though a footnote states that this is the combined User and Configuration Flash Memory). This is also what the MAX10 Flash Memory User Guide states.

However, both Arrow and Mouser state that the UFM is only 256Kb.

Further, when you select the device in Quartus, it states that the UFM is 2496Kb (actually, 2555904 bits). As it happens, this somewhat lines up with the Flash Memory User Guide, which states that the Configuration Flash Memory is 2240Kb. If you add the 256Kb that Arrow and Mouser state, you end up with the 2496Kb that Quartus states.

So, which is correct and which isn't?

13 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor

    That's O.K. so far but obviously didn't answer my question. I was referring to your previously point that using the dual compressed image scheme might fail one day if the design grows incrementally. I'm not talking about junk code but well considered logic that can't be easily reduced. In Cyclone III compression metrics, I'm quite sure that 72% will be hardly reached, MAX 10 is effectively Cyclone III/IV logic core, but may be the expectable compression factor size of a "full" design is different though.

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor

    why is that O.K? you do not have even slightest pity to me :) .why can't altera be filled? my boss has a project that fills 115 000lcell cyclone IV. he has 24 separate high speed streams of wide buses that smashes into the fpga simultaneously; and all of them have their own separate processing tracts, each takes tens and tens of modules. and all of them are interconnected.pipeline registers only, exceed 5000. plus our devices have multiple motherboards positioned on top of each other (with separation of course) with single central processor fpga on each and lots of other IC s in surrounding areas.so quite a logic is dedicated to inter-IC and inter-motherboard communication. control section, and automatic recovery system(in case if remote update or something else goes wrong). he uses an fpga as if it was a set of multiple ICs under a single package. and MAX10 is a tiny puppy that can be filled easily. you see, some companies can not plan ahead how much logic will be enough. many companies take on building version 2.0 right after 1.0 touches the market. and that 2.0 drags all the circuits that were already implemented in the previous version. years of work add up, module after module, creating a huuuge monster that compiles for many hours. and in the end, ...there is no end. then it will be 3.0, 4.0 and so on. in such environment no logic resource is ever enough. and companies do not want to retrace their motherboards and hook onto higher capacity fpgas, it is too time consuming and expensive for them. that is why they are forced to try and stick as much logic as possible into the already soldered fpgas; and adding Doughterboards,additional motherboards and similar crapness. there in no such thing as well planned project in their work.

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor

    The 10M08 device’s onchip flash can be partitioned into the following:

    CFM0: 143360 Bytes

    CFM1 + CFM2 : 143360 Bytes = 1120Kb

    UFM0 + UFM1 : 32768 Bytes = 256Kb

    And depending on your configuration mode (Quartus Menu Assignment/Device/Device and Pin Options/Configuration/Configuration mode), the CFM1 + CFM2 could be used as either configuration memory or user flash memory. That’s why you have the number of 256 Kb or (256Kb + 1146880 Kb = 1376Kb)

    --- Quote Start ---

    There is some inconsistency between the various MAX10 documents and what Quartus states for the amount of User Flash Memory (UFM) that's available.

    As an example, I've been looking at the 10M08DAF484C8GES, which is used in Arrow's BeMicroMAX10.

    According to the MAX10 overview, the 10M08 has 1376Kb of UFM (though a footnote states that this is the combined User and Configuration Flash Memory). This is also what the MAX10 Flash Memory User Guide states.

    However, both Arrow and Mouser state that the UFM is only 256Kb.

    Further, when you select the device in Quartus, it states that the UFM is 2496Kb (actually, 2555904 bits). As it happens, this somewhat lines up with the Flash Memory User Guide, which states that the Configuration Flash Memory is 2240Kb. If you add the 256Kb that Arrow and Mouser state, you end up with the 2496Kb that Quartus states.

    So, which is correct and which isn't?

    --- Quote End ---