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xrodney's avatar
xrodney
Icon for New Contributor rankNew Contributor
3 years ago

Reading and programming an EPM7064LC68-15

HI all I am new to this and exploring the possibility to read an Altera EPM7064LC68-15 from an arcade PCB so I would be able to program a new Altera or equivalent CPLD in order to repair some faul...
Farabi's avatar
Farabi
Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
3 years ago

Hello,


The CPLD is not locked, it is encrypted. If you want to extract the configuration image of the CPLD, you need programming cable and Quartus Programmer and run "Examine". You can use this file to program another CPLD with same part number of the original CPLD. But still, you wont be able to figure out the design inside the CPLD even you have the encrypted image.


regards,

Farabi


  • ak6dn's avatar
    ak6dn
    Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
    3 years ago

    Not accurate.

    MAX series parts have a security bit which can be set when the device is programmed that prevents it from being read back.
    So the device is effectively locked from being read; it can only be erased and reprogrammed.

    Even then, the online available versions of Quartus that support the MAX series do not support reading back the device .POF file.
    You have to go to an earlier version of Quartus than 13.0sp1 to be able to read back the .POF image file.

    A third party programmer (EEtools, Xeltek) could read the device and save the .POF file, but it would have to be done out of circuit.
    And still requires that the security bit NOT be set.