Terasic USB Blaster III Manual
From Terasic Wiki
Contents |
Introduction
The main function of the Terasic USB Blaster III Download Cable (UBT3) is to allow users to download configuration data to the system during prototype development, or to program data into the system during production. The UBT3 connects the Host and the FPGA on the user's board through the USB Port and 10-Pin cable. At the same time, it can support several target board voltage standards, allowing UBT3 to be widely used in various FPGA boards.
Supported Devices, Host System and Software
The Intel FPGA , Serial configuration device and host systems that UBT3 supported are list in Table 1-1, Table 1-2 and Table 1-3
| FPGA Series | Deivce |
|---|---|
| Agilex Series | Agilex 3, Agilex 5, Agilex 7, Agilex 9 |
| Stratix Series | Stratix 10, Stratix V, Stratix IV, Stratix III |
| Arria Series | Arria 10, Arria V |
| Cyclone Series | Cyclone 10 GX, Cyclone 10 LP, Cyclone 10,Cyclone V, Cyclone IV, Cyclone III, Cyclone II |
| MAX series | MAX 10, MAX V, MAX II |
| Serial Flash Series |
|---|
| EPCQA devices |
| Micron MT25QL devices |
| Micron MT25QU devices |
| Macronix MX25L devices |
| Macronix MX25U devices |
| Macronix MX66U devices |
| Infineon S25FL devices |
| Host System |
|---|
| Window 10/11 (64-bit) |
| Linux |
| Quartus software |
|---|
| Quartus® Prime version 25.1 or later |
Operating Conditions
UBT3 can support several voltage standard of the target board. Table 1-5 shows the supported voltage. Users need to pay attention to whether the JTAG voltage standard of the target board is within the range of Table 1-5.
| Support Target board supply voltage |
|---|
| 1.2V |
| 1.5V |
| 1.8V |
| 2.5V |
| 3.3V |
Pin define
The following picture and Table 1-6 list the pins of the Terasic UBT3 Download Cable female plug and describes their functions in the JTAG and Active Serial modes.
| Pin Number | Pin Define | JTAG Mode Descriptions | AS Mode Descriptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TCK | Clock signal | Clock signal |
| 2 | GND | Signal ground | Signal ground |
| 3 | TDO | Test data output | Configuration done |
| 4 | TRGVCC | Target power supply | Target power supply |
| 5 | TMS | Test mode select input | Configuration control |
| 6 | PROC_RST | Processor reset | Target chip enable |
| 7 | - | - | - |
| 8 | TRST | Test reset | Serial configuration device chip select |
| 9 | TDI | Test data input | Active serial data in |
| 10 | GND | Signal ground. | Signal ground |
LED Description
The LED on the Terasic USB Blaster III download cable indicates different conditions as listed in Table 1-7.
| LED Color | State | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TCK | Clock signal | |
| 2 | GND | Signal ground | |
| 3 | TDO | Test data output | |
| 4 | TRGVCC | Target power supply | |
| 5 | TMS | Test mode select input | |
| 6 | PROC_RST | Processor reset | Target chip enable |
| 7 | - | - | - |
| 8 | TRST | Test reset | Serial configuration device chip select |
| 9 | TDI | Test data input | Active serial data in |
| 10 | GND | Signal ground. | Signal ground |
Dimension of the Terasic USB Blaster III Download Cable
Using the Terasic USB Blaster III Download Cable
To start using the USB Blaster III Download Cable, user need to install the drivers on your system and set up the hardware in the Altera Quartus® Prime software.
To program or configure the device, connect the host system to the device board using the Terasic USB Blaster III Download Cable and initiate the programming or configuration using the Altera Quartus Prime Programmer. You can also use the cable with the Quartus Prime Signal Tap Logic Analyzer for logic analysis. It also can be used with JTAG and debug tools supported by the JTAG server such as System Console, Nios® V debugger.
- Install the Driver for windows
When installing Quartus Prime software,ensure the following options are selected:
- Install USB Blaster III driver
- Install USB Blaster III driver (Requires UART FTDI driver)
- Install JTAG server as a Windows service and run automatically when windows starts
- Install the driver for Linux
Altera_USB_Blaster_III_Driver_Installation_Instructions
USB Blaster Self Test
This section describes users how to test whether the on-board USB blaster or USB blaster cable is properly installed and operated
- Power on the FPGA board and connect USB blaster port or USB blaster cable to PC.
Check if the Universal Serial Bus controllers in the Windows Device Manager has an Altera USB Blaster.
If yes, users can use Quartus programmer and download FPGA code.
- If Altera USB Blaster isn’t showed in Universal Serial Bus controllers, please check whether the Other devices has Unknown device.
If yes, please install the USB blaster driver refer to this link:Altera USB Blaster Driver Installation Instructions
.
- If no Unknown device:
- i.Make sure the board power is on and the port on board which connected to PC is USB blaster port.
- ii.If step i is OK:
- a.Test with another PC to see if the OS can detect unknown device.
- b.Test with another usb blaster cable.
- c.If still with the same problem, please contact our technical support team via support@terasic.com and provide below information:
- PC OS version: Win10-32bit or Win7-64bit or Linux-64bit.
- Whether you tested follow the above processes.
- The Quartus version you installed: Q16.1 or others.
FAQ
1. Q：What is the difference between UBT and AUB2?
A: The main difference is the JTAG circuit, the UBT(USB Blaster Download Cable) supports USB Blaster I circuit and JTAG Voltage: 2.5V ~ 3.3V. The AUB2 (USB-Blaster II Download Cable) supports USB Blaster II circuit and JTAG Voltage: 5.0-V TTL, 3.3-V LVTTL/LVCMOS ,Single-ended I/O standards from 1.5 V to 3.3 V.
Customers can refer to Intel Cyclone 10 LP device handbook: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/programmable/documentation/sxm1481253171919.html?wapkw=cyclone+10+lp+handbook and check your board JTAG voltage to see which cable is compatible with their board.
2. Q: What is the TCK Clock Frequency for UBT and AUB2 respectively?
A: The USB Blaster Cable works with the Jtag clock 6M, while the USB Blaster II Cable works at 24M.
3. Q: What is the difference between the UBT and Altera USB Blaster Download Cable (UBA)?
A: The main difference is the JTAG circuit, Terasic UBT supports JTAG voltage 2.5v~3.3V, the Altera USB Blaster supports 1.8V~3.3V, they are compatible with other features.
Please note that UBT can't detect the JTAG chain on the Intel Arria 10 GX FPGA Development Kit.
4. Q: What is the operating temperature specification of the UBT?
A:The UBT is designed to operate in the commercial temperature range (0 to 85C).
