EP2AGX95EF29C6N Datasheet, PDF (310/380 Pages) Altera Corporation – Device Interfaces and Integration

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Chapter 9: Configuration, Design Security, and Remote System Upgrades in Arria II Devices
AS and Fast AS Configuration (Serial Configuration Devices)
Programming Serial Configuration Devices
Serial configuration devices are non-volatile, flash-memory-based devices. You can
program these devices in-system using an USB-Blaster™, EthernetBlaster,
EthernetBlaster II, or ByteBlaster™ II download cables. Alternatively, you can
program them using a microprocessor with the SRunner software driver.
1 To gain control of the serial configuration device pins, hold the nCONFIG pin low and
pull the nCE pin high. This causes the device to reset and tri-state the AS configuration
pins.
You can perform in-system programming of serial configuration devices using the
conventional AS programming interface or JTAG interface solution.
Because serial configuration devices do not support the JTAG interface, the
conventional method to program them is using the AS programming interface. The
configuration data used to program serial configuration devices is downloaded using
programming hardware.
During in-system programming, the download cable disables device access to the AS
interface by driving the nCE pin high. Arria II devices are also held in reset mode by a
low level on nCONFIG. After programming is complete, the download cable releases
nCE and nCONFIG, allowing the pull-down and pull-up resistors to drive GND and
logic high.
Altera has developed the serial flash loader (SFL); an in-system programming
solution for serial configuration devices using the JTAG interface. This solution
requires the Arria II device to be a bridge between the JTAG interface and the serial
configuration device.
f For more information about SFL, refer to AN 370: Using the Serial FlashLoader with
Quartus II Software.
f For more information, refer to the following:
■ ByteBlaster II Download Cable User Guide
■ EthernetBlaster Communications Cable User Guide
■ EthernetBlaster II Communications Cable User Guide
■ USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide
Arria II Device Handbook Volume 1: Device Interfaces and Integration
July 2012 Altera Corporation