Altera MasterBlaster Serial/USB - Manual (Page 13)

© July 2008 Altera Corporation MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide
2. MasterBlaster Serial/USB
Communications Cable Data Sheet
Features
■ Supports SignalTap ® II logic analysis in the Altera ® Quartus ® II software
■ Allows PC, Linux, and UNIX users to perform the following functions:
■ Configure Stratix ® IV, Stratix III, Stratix II, Stratix II GX, Stratix, Stratix GX,
Cyclone TM III, Cyclone II, Cyclone, MercuryTM, APEXTM II, APEX 20K, FLEX ®
10K, FLEX 3000A, FLEX 6000, FLEX 8000 devices, and ExcaliburTM embedded
processor solutions
■ Program MAX ® II, MAX 9000, MAX 7000S, MAX 7000B, MAX 7000A, EPC2,
EPC4, EPC8, and EPC16 devices in-system
■ Supports operation with VCC at 5.0 V, 3.3 V, or 2.5 V
■ Provides a fast, low-cost method for in-system programming
■ Downloads data from the Quartus II development software and the MAX+PLUS ®
II software versions 9.3 and higher
■ Interfaces with an RS-232 serial or universal serial bus (USB) port
■ Uses a 10-pin circuit board connector
Functional Description
The MasterBlasterTM serial/USB communications cable (ordering code:
PL-MASTERBLASTER) is a standard PC serial or USB port hardware interface (see
Figure 2–1 ). This cable downloads configuration data to Stratix IV, Stratix III, Stratix
II, Stratix II GX, Stratix, Stratix GX, Cyclone III, Cyclone II, Cyclone, Mercury,
APEX II, APEX 20K (including APEX 20K, APEX 20KE, and APEX 20KC), FLEX 10K
(including FLEX 10KA and FLEX 10KE), FLEX 8000, and FLEX 6000 devices, as well
as programming data to MAX II, MAX 9000, MAX 7000S, and MAX 7000A (including
MAX 7000AE) devices. Because design changes are downloaded directly to the
device, prototyping is easy and multiple design iterations can be accomplished in
quick succession. The MasterBlaster cable also supports in-circuit debugging with the
SignalTap II embedded logic analyzer in Stratix, APEX II, and APEX 20K devices.