USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide

Introduction to USB-Blaster Download Cable

The USB-Blaster™ download cable interfaces a USB port on a host computer to an Altera® FPGA mounted on a printed circuit board. The cable sends configuration data from the host computer to a standard 10-pin header connected to the FPGA. You can use the USB-Blaster download cable to iteratively download configuration data to a system during prototyping or to program data into the system during production.
USB-Blaster Revision
Table 1-1: USB-Blaster Revision

Supported Devices and Host Systems
You can use the USB-Blaster download cable with supported Altera FPGAs, serial configuration devices, and host systems.
© 2015 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. ALTERA, ARRIA, CYCLONE, ENPIRION, MAX, MEGACORE, NIOS, QUARTUS and STRATIX words and logos are trademarks of Altera Corporation and registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other words and logos identified as trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective holders as described at www.altera.com/common/legal.html. Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products to current specifications in accordance with Altera’s standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Altera. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published information and before placing orders for products or services.
1-2Supported Devices and Host Systems
Table 1-2: Supported Devices and Host Systems

®Stratix series
Arria® series
Cyclone® series
MAX® series| EPCS devices
EPCQ devices
EPCQ-L devices| Windows
Linux

Specifications for USB-Blaster Download Cable

The USB-Blaster download cable has a universal USB connector that plugs into the PC USB port, and a female connector that plugs into a male header on the device board. This section shows the hardware components, their dimensions, and lists the pins, operating conditions and power requirements.
Block Diagram and Dimension
Figure 2-1: Block Diagram of the USB-Blaster Download Cable

2-2 Cable-to-Board Connection

Cable-to-Board Connection
The USB-Blaster has a 10-pin female connector, which plugs into a 10-pin male header on the device board. The male header consists of two rows of five pins, which are connected to the programming or configuration pins of the device.
A 10-pin surface mount header can be used for the JTAG, AS, or PS download cable. However, Altera recommends using a through-hole connector because of the repeated insertion and removal force needed.
Figure 2-3: Connectors and Dimensions

Pin Description
The following table lists the pins of the USB-Blaster female plug and describes their functions in the JTAG, active serial and passive serial modes.
Table 2-1: Signal Names of the USB-Blaster Female Plug

from device.
4| VCC(TRGT)| Target power supplied by the device board.| VCC(TRGT)| Target power supplied by the device board.| VCC(TRGT)| Target power supplied by the device board.
5| nCONFIG| Configuration control.| nCONFIG| Configuration control.| TMS| JTAG state machine control.
6| nCE| Cyclone chip enable.| —| —| —| —
Pin| AS Mode| PS Mode| JTAG Mode
---|---|---|---
Signal Name| Description| Signal Name| Description| Signal Name| Description
7| DATAOUT| Active serial data out.| nSTATUS| Configuration status.| —| —
8| nCS| Serial configuration device chip select.| —| —| —| —
9| ASDI| Active serial data in.| DATA0| Data to device.| TDI| Data to device.
10| GND| Signal ground.| GND| Signal ground.| GND| Signal ground.

Operating Conditions
Use the provided maximum ratings, recommended operating conditions and DC operating conditions to ensure the correct usage of the USB-Blaster download cable.
Table 2-2: Absolute Maximum Ratings

Io

| Output current for Rev. A or Rev. B cable| ****

TCK, TMS, TDI, nCS, nCE

| –20.0| 20.0| mA
Output current for Rev. C cable| –50.0| 50.0| mA

Table 2-3: Recommended Operating Conditions

VCC(TRGT)

| Target supply voltage, 5.0-V operation| —| 4.75| 5.25| V
Target supply voltage, 3.3-V operation| —| 3.0| 3.6| V
Target supply voltage, 2.5-V operation| —| 2.375| 2.625| mA
Target supply voltage, 1.8-V operation| —| 1.71| 1.89| mA
Target supply voltage, 1.5-V operation| —| 1.43| 1.57| mA

Table 2-4: DC Operating Conditions for USB-Blaster Rev. A and B

VOH

| 5.0-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 4.5 V, IOH = 1 mA| 4.4| —| V
3.3-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 3.0 V, IOH = 1 mA| 2.9| —| V
2.5-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 2.375 V, IOH = 1

mA

| 2.275| —| V
1.8-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 1.71 V, IOH = 1 mA| 1.61| —| V
1.5-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 1.43 V, IOH = 1 mA| 1.33| —| V

VOL

| 5.0-V low-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 5.5 V, IOL = 1 mA| —| 0.125| V
3.3-V low-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 3.6 V, IOL = 1 mA| —| 0.125| V
2.5-V low-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 2.625 V, IOL = 1

mA

| —| 0.125| V
1.8-V low-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 1.89 V, IOL = 1 mA| —| 0.125| V
1.5-V low-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 1.57 V, IOL = 1 mA| —| 0.125| V
ICC(TRGT)| Operating current (No Load)| Typical ICC(TRGT) = 16 uA| —| 100| uA

Table 2-5: DC Operating Conditions for USB-Blaster Rev. C

V
3.3-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 3.0 V, Ioti = -8 mA| 2.| —| V
2.5-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 2.375 V, Ica{ = -6 mA| 2.| —| V
1.8-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 1.71 V, ‘OH = -4 mA| 1.| —| V
VOL| 5.0-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 5.5 V, IoL = 10 mA| —| 0.8|
3.3-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 3.6 V, 10L = 8 mA| —| 0.7|
2.5-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 2.625 V, la = 6 mA| —| 0.6|
1.8-V high-level output voltage| VCC(TRGT) = 1.89 V, 10L = 4 mA| —| 0.5|
ICC(TRGT)| Operating current (No Load)| Typical Icc(TRGT) = 16 uA| —| 100| uA

Power Requirements
The USB-Blaster VCC(TRGT) pin must be connected to a specific voltage for the device being programmed.
Connect pull-up resistors to the same power supply as the USB-Blaster VCC(TRGT).
Table 2-6: VCC(TRGT) Power Requirements

Stratix II, Stratix II GX, and Stratix
GX| As specified by VccsEL•
Arria 10| As specified by Vccpai or yaw.
Arria V| As specified by \Imp•
Arria II GX| As specified by vccpc, or vcc/0 of Bank 8C
Arria GX| As specified by VccsEL•
Cyclone V| As specified by vccpo4 or Vecpp•
Cyclone IV| As specified by VccA or %Imo•
Cyclone III| As specified by vccA or vcao•
Max 10| As specified by \i•
Device Family| Voltage Required
---|---
Configuration Devices
EPCS| 3.3 V
EPCQ| 3.3 V
EPCQ-L| 1.8 V

RoHS Compliance
Table 2-7: Hazardous Substances and Concentration
A value of 0 indicates that the concentration of the hazardous substance in all homogeneous materials in the parts is below the relevant threshold as specified by the SJ/T11363-2006 standard.

Part Name| Lead (Pb)| Cadmium (Cd)| Hexavalent Chromium
(Cr6+)| Mercury (Hg)| Polybromi- nated Biphenyls
(PBB)| Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers
(PBB)
---|---|---|---|---|---|---
Electronic components| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0
Populated circuit board| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0
Manufacturing process| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0
Packing| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0

Using the USB-Blaster Download Cable

To start using the USB-Blaster download cable, you must install the drivers on your system and set up the hardware in the Quartus II software. Altera recommends that you use the latest version of the Quartus II software.
To program or configure the device, connect the host system to the device board using the USB-Blaster download cable and initiate the programming or configuration using the Quartus II Programmer. You can also use the cable with the Quartus II SignalTap®
II Logic Analyzer for logic analysis.
Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Windows

1. Locate the USB-Blaster driver in \\drivers\usb-blaster.
   If the driver is not in your directory, download the driver from www.altera.com/support/software/drivers.

2. Connect the USB-Blaster download cable to your PC.

3. Open Device Manager. In the Other devices tab, select and right click USB-Blaster. Then, click Update Driver Software.

4. Click Browse. Browse to \\drivers\usb-blaster and click Next. The Windows security warning is displayed.

5. Click Install to begin installing the driver.

6. Click Finish when the driver is installed.

7. Restart your system.

Related Information
https://www.altera.com/support/support-resources/download/drivers/dri- index.html

Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Linux
The Quartus II software uses the USB drivers (usbfs) provided by Red Hat Linux to access the USBBlaster download cable. You need system administration (root) privileges to configure the drivers.
You must also change the permission on the ports before using the USB-Blaster download cable to program devices.
Related Information
https://www.altera.com/support/support-resources/download/drivers/dri- index.html

Installing on Red Hat Enterprise 4 or Earlier Versions

1.  Add the following lines to the /etc/hotplug/usb.usermap file.

   Altera USB-Blaster

   usbblaster 0x03 0x09fb 0x6001 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0
   usbblaster 0x03 0x09fb 0x6002 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0

2.  Create a file named /etc/hotplug/usb/usbblaster and add the following lines to it.

   !/bin/sh

   USB-Blaster hotplug script

   Allow any user to access the cable

   chmod 666 $DEVICE

3. Make the file executable.

4. Complete your installation by setting up the programming hardware in the Quartus II software as described in the following section.

Installing on Red Hat Enterprise 5

1. Create a file named /etc/udev/rules.d/51-usbblaster.rules and add the following lines to it. Ensure that all code after #USB-Blaster must be in one line.

   USB-Blaster

   BUS==”usb”, SYSFS{idVendor}==”09fb”, SYSFS{idProduct}==”6001″, MODE=”0666″,
   PROGRAM=”/bin/sh -c ‘K=%k; K=$${K#usbdev}; printf /proc/bus/usb/%%03i/%%03i $${K%%% %.} $${K#.}'”, RUN+=”/bin/chmod 0666 %c”

2. Complete your installation by setting up the programming hardware in the Quartus II software.

Setting up the USB-Blaster Hardware in the Quartus II Software

1. Launch the Quartus II software.
2. Click Tools > Programmer.
3. Click Hardware Setup.
   **Figure 3-1: Hardware Setup Dialog Box![ALTERA UG-USB81204 USB Blaster Cable

• Dialog Box](https://manuals.plus/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ALTERA-UG- USB81204-USB-Blaster-Cable-Dialog-Box.jpg)** The Hardware Settings tab of the Hardware Setup dialog box is displayed.

  4.  From the Currently selected hardware drop-down list, select USB-Blaster [USB-0].
  5. Click Close to close the Hardware Setup dialog box.
  6. In the Programmer window, select the desired programming mode from the Mode drop-down list.

Table 3-1: Programming Modes

devices except EPCS, EPCQ, and EPCQ-L devices.
In-Socket Programming| USB-Blaster does not support this programming mode.
Passive Serial| Configures all supported Altera devices except EPCS, EPCQ, and EPCQ-L devices.
Active Serial Programming| Programs a single EPCS, EPCQ, or EPCQ-L device.

Connecting the USB-Blaster Download Cable to the Board

1. Disconnect the power cable from the device board.

2. Connect the USB-Blaster download cable to your PC.

3. Plug the USB-Blaster download cable into the 10-pin header on the device board.
   3-4Connecting the USB-Blaster Download Cable to the Board
   Figure 3-2: Connection to the Device Board

4. Connect the power cable to the device board.
   The Found New Hardware wizard may open and prompt you to install a new hardware driver. Close the wizard and follow the steps provided in subsequent sections to install the hardware driver.

5. To disconnect the USB Blaster download cable from the device board, follow these steps to ensure that the cable is not damaged.
   a. Remove power from the device board.
   b. Unplug the USB-Blaster download cable from the board.
   c. Unplug the USB-Blaster download cable from your PC.

Revision History for USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide

USB-Blaster.
May-15| 2015.05.04| • Updated the document organization.
• Added new devices in the following sections: Supported Devices and Host Systems and Power Requirements.
• Updated the procedure on driver installation for Windows.
• Revised the pin width of the female plug.
April-09| 3.| • Updated “Supported Devices” section.
• Updated “Software Requirements”.
• Deleted handnote in “Installing the USB-Blaster
• Driver on Windows Vista Systems”.
• Updated Table 2-1.
• Added a handnote in “Circuit Board Header Connection”.
• Updated Table 2-5.
April-08| 2.| • Added “Statement of China-RoHS Compliance”. Added Table 2-8.
• Added “Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Windows Vista Systems”.

4-2Revision History for USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide

• Added warning note about USB-Blaster cable in “Hardware Setup” section.
• Added information on Linux setup in “Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Linux” section.
• Added feetpara note on driver information just before the “Setting Up the USB-Blaster Hardware in the Quartus II
• Software” section.
• Updated USB-Blaster installation procedure for QII 6.1 (32-bit or 64-bit) in “Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on
• Windows 2000 and Windows XP Systems” section.
March-07| 2.2| • Update to “Installing the USB-Blaster Driver on Windows 2000 and Windows XP Systems” section.
July-06| 2. 1| • Minor update to Chapter 2, USB-Blaster Specifications.
June-06| 2.0| • Updated Figure 2-1, Table 2-1, and Table 2-7. Added Table 2-6.
December-04| 1.2| • Update to conditions in Table 2-2.
November-04| 1.1| • Minor update.
July-04| 1.0| • Initial release.

Altera Corporation
Revision History for USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide
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References

• Intel® FPGAs and Programmable Devices-Intel® FPGA
• Intel® FPGAs and Programmable Devices-Intel® FPGA

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