Reference Solutions

Altera provides the following reference solutions to configure and program Altera^® devices:

Serial Flash Loader

• In-system programming solution for Altera serial configuration devices via a JTAG interface
• AN 370: Using the Serial FlashLoader With the Quartus II Software (PDF)

Parallel Flash Loader

• Used in MAX^® II devices or Altera FPGAs to program CFI flash memory devices through the JTAG interface and provides the logic to control configuration from the flash memory device to the Altera FPGA
• AN 386: Using the MAX II Parallel Flash Loader with the Quartus II Software (PDF)
• AN 478: Using FPGA-Based Parallel Flash Loader with the Quartus II Software (PDF)

MAX Series Configuration Controller Using Flash Memory

• Using a MAX or MAX II device as a flash memory configuration controller to configure Altera FPGAs
• MAX Series Configuration Controller Using Flash Memory white paper (PDF)
• Reference Design (ZIP)

MicroBlaster: Passive Serial or Fast Passive Parallel Configuration

• Portable software driver used to configure an FPGA via a passive serial (PS) or fast passive parallel (FPP) interface
• Works on a PC using a ByteBlaster^TM II or ByteBlasterMV^TM download cable
• Configuring the MicroBlaster Fast Passive Parallel Software Driver white paper (PDF)
• AN 423: Configuring the MicroBlaster Passive Serial Software Driver (PDF)
• Source code (ZIP) available for porting to an embedded or other platform

Jam STAPL: JTAG Configuration

• In-system programming solution to configure an FPGA via a JTAG interface
• AN 425: Using Command-Line Jam STAPL Solution for Device Programming (PDF)

JRunner: JTAG Configuration

• Portable software driver used to configure an FPGA via a JTAG interface
• Works on a PC using a ByteBlaster II or ByteBlasterMV download cable
• AN 414: The JRunner Software Driver: An Embedded Solution for PLD JTAG Configuration (PDF)
• Source code (ZIP) available for porting to an embedded or other platform

SRunner: EPCS Programming

• Portable software driver used to program EPCS devices via an active serial (AS) interface
• Works on a PC using a ByteBlaster II download cable
• AN 418: SRunner: An Embedded Solution for Serial Configuration Device Programming (PDF)
• Source code (ZIP) available for porting to an embedded or other platform

MorphIO: I/O Reconfiguration

• Configuration solution for any FPGA that supports an I/O reconfiguration feature
• MorphIO: An I/O Reconfiguration Solution for Altera Devices white paper (PDF) 
• Tool command language (Tcl) file
• Readme file (TXT)