See Also

The Programmer allows you to use files generated by the Compiler to program or configure all Altera^® devices and configuration devices supported by the Quartus^® II software. You can also use the Convert Programming Files command (File menu) to convert Compiler-generated SRAM Object Files (.sof) and Programmer Object Files (.pof) into other programming file formats suitable for different configuration schemes.

During compilation, the Compiler automatically generates a SOF or a POF for the device you specified for the project. You can also optionally generate other programming files using the Device & Pin Options dialog box. For example, you can direct the Compiler to generate POFs by specifying configuration scheme options; or to generate Tabular Text Files (.ttf), Raw Binary Files (.rbf), and Hexadecimal (Intel-Format) Output Files (.hexout) by selecting specific programming file formats. If you do not want to create these optional programming files before compilation, you can use the Convert Programming Files command (File menu) to convert a SOF into a POF, TTF, RBF, or HEXOUT File, or to convert a POF into a Hexadecimal (Intel-Format) Output File for SRAM (.hexout) after compilation.

You can use SOFs to configure all SRAM-based Altera devices supported by the Quartus II software. You can use POFs to program all EEPROM-based Altera devices and configuration devices supported by the Quartus II software. Because some SRAM-based Altera devices supported by the Quartus II software can contain more information than a single configuration device, several configuration devices may be needed to configure an Altera device. In such cases, the Quartus II software can generate more than one POF from a single SOF, where each POF is used to program a single configuration device. You can also use a single EPCS1 or EPCS4 serial configuration device to configure multiple Cyclone^™ devices by using the Convert Programming Files command to combine multiple Cyclone POFs into a single POF that you then use to program the EPCS1 or EPCS4 serial configuration device.

The POF for Remote Update and POF for Local Update programming file formats are used for updating configuration data used by a Stratix^™ or Stratix^™ GX device in either Remote Update mode or Local Update mode by allowing you to add remote update enabled or local update enabled SOFs to the remote update enabled or local update enabled POF stored in the configuration device used by the Stratix or Stratix GX device. When using Remote Update mode, a Stratix or Stratix GX device can load configuration data stored in one page from one of up to eight pages in the configuration device. In Local Update mode, a Stratix or Stratix GX device can load configuration data from either page 0 or page 1 of a configuration device.

The TTF, RBF, and HEXOUT File programming file formats are used in external configuration schemes.

A Chain Description File (.cdf) contains the name, options, and top-to-bottom order of the SOFs, POFs, Jam^™ Files (.jam), Jam Byte-Code Files (.jbc), and devices and configuration devices used for a design. The order of the devices and configuration devices in the programming list in the Programmer window reflects the order in which they are programmed and configured. Each open Programmer window is a CDF; you can have multiple CDFs open, but you can program using only one CDF at a time. You can open a CDF either by creating a CDF or by opening an existing CDF.

The Create/Update > Create JAM, SVF, or ISC File command (File menu) allows you to create Jam Files, JBC Files, Serial Vector Format Files (.svf), or In System Configuration Files (.isc) that you can then use in conjunction with a MasterBlaster^™ cable, ByteBlasterMV^™ cable, ByteBlaster^™ II cable, or an intelligent host to configure any SRAM-based Altera device supported by the Quartus II software. You can also add Jam Files and JBC Files to CDFs.

The Programmer has four programming modes: Passive Serial mode, JTAG mode, Active Serial Programming mode, and In-Socket Programming mode. In Passive Serial mode, you can select which SOFs to include in the device chain. In JTAG mode, you can add specific devices to the device chain; add SOFs, POFs, Jam Files, and JBC Files to the File list; and select between several programming options for each device and programming file in the chain. In JTAG mode, you can also define or edit user-defined devices and add them to the device chain. In Active Serial Programming mode, you can program a single EPCS1 or EPCS4 serial configuration device with a POF for a Cyclone device. All the programming options available for devices in JTAG mode, except Security Bit, are also available when using Active Serial Programming mode. When using In-Socket Programming mode, you can program a single configuration device, MAX^® 3000 device, or MAX 7000 device with a POF, Jam File, or JBC File. The programming options available for devices in JTAG mode are also available when using In-Socket Programming mode. Additionally, you can choose to display the checksum without usercode in JTAG mode and In-Socket Programming mode.

The Passive Serial and JTAG programming modes allow you to program single or multiple devices using a CDF and the MasterBlaster, ByteBlasterMV, or ByteBlaster II download cable. You can change the download cable options by changing the hardware setup for each CDF that you open in Passive Serial or JTAG mode in the the Programmer. You can program a single EPCS1 or EPCS4 serial configuration device using Active Serial Programming mode and the ByteBlaster II download cable. You can program a single device using In-Socket Programming mode with a CDF and the Altera Programming Unit (APU). You can also add remote JTAG servers which you can connect to, for example, to use programming hardware that is not available on your computer, and configure local JTAG server settings so remote users can connect to your local JTAG server.

More information is available on programming on the Altera web site.

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