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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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8 years ago

USB Blaster shows up in device manager under Ports (COM & LPT) as a USB serial port

Hi all!

I have a Dell Inspiron laptop running Windows 10, and I have a DE2-70 kit.

When I plug in the USB blaster, nothing happens, and I go to the device manager, and it shows up in device manager under Ports (COM & LPT) as a USB serial port, as a opposed to USB Blaster. I tried "updating" the driver and then select the driver in the Quartus folder, but then it says that Windows already has the best driver. I also tried to restart with driver signature enforcement disabled, and that also didn't work. So I am at the edge over here.

Please help.

Thanks

8 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    8 years ago

    Try deleting the driver in Device Manager and starting over. Don't do a driver update. Just use the have disk option and point to the driver folder in the Quartus installation.

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    8 years ago

    As far as I'm aware of, this happens if the USB Blaster 9346 EEPROM has lost is content. The usual solution is to rewrite the expected USB Blaster EEPROM content with the FTDI FT-Prog tool.

    See:

    http://www.alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6579

    http://www.alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2445

    http://www.alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4606

    The previous posts are referring to the old FTDI Mprog tool which has been superseded by FT-Prog.
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    8 years ago

    Hi FvM

    My problem does sound similar to what is being described in those threads. I'll give it a shot. I googled the tool, and found the program, and I am a little intimidated by what it says right under the download link: "PLEASE NOTE - The use of some of these utilities by an end user may result in a device being rendered useless." I don't want to do that. My project advisor will be very angry. Can you give me step by step instructions of what to do?

    Thanks
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    8 years ago

    Hi again

    Calling FvM and dwh@ovro.caltech.edu for help please!

    I got a template from these two threads

    https://www.alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35426

    https://www.alteraforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43986

    and I thank dwh@ovro.caltech.edu for supplying them

    The solution does not seem to be working for me

    I plugged my board in, scanned and parsed in FT-Prog, and found the device. I applied the template and then I programmed it. However, when I unplug and plug in again I get the original state- all ones (FFFF)

    Why is it doing this?

    Thanks
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    8 years ago

    Never had problems to program FTDI EEPROM up to now, neither external of the old FT245 or internal of the newer FT232 types. DE2-70 kit has external 9346 EEPROM, may be the chip is defective, missing, has insufficient power supply or RN47 jumper has been removed?

    It's not clear yet why the FT245 programming got lost at all. Could it be that the USB input was previously supplied with a high voltage above 5V?
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    8 years ago

    Hi,

    The FTDI guys sometimes change the format of their EEPROM images, so perhaps the images I previously posted just aren't working.

    Can you try the following, to confirm the programming works. Erase the EEPROM, and re-scan, then write your name in one of the strings. Unplug and plug the device back in. If that works, then you're using FTProg correctly.

    Then capture the newly programmed EEPROM as a template. Compare the template to the ones I posted. If there's anything that looks weird/changed, try and fix it. Use the updated USB-Blaster image to program your EEPROM.

    Failing that, tell me which version of FTProg you're using, I'll install it (I probably have it already), dig out my DE2-70, grab an EEPROM image, and post it.

    Cheers,

    Dave
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    8 years ago

    Hi FvM

    I see all the chips that you mentioned on the board (the FT245, the 9346, and the RN47), so they are not missing

    How would I check if they are defective or have insufficient power supply?

    My advisor gave me the board, saying it’s old but in perfect working order- it does look new.

    But I don’t know it’s history or what the previous students did to it