Altera Software Licensing Options
You need a valid Altera® license file to run the following design software, tools, or intellectual property (IP):
- Quartus® II design software (Includes SOPC Builder)
- Quartus II Web Edition design software (Includes SOPC Builder)
- MAX+PLUS® II design software
- ModelSim®-Altera tool
- DSP Builder tool
- IP MegaCore® functions
Table 1 lists Altera software licenses, information you will need to obtain licenses, and the software and tools each license supports. Please see more information below the table notes on the required IDs and methods to obtain them.
| Table 1. Altera Software Licenses (1) |
| License |
Description |
Required Information |
Software & Tools |
| FIXEDPC |
Stand-alone PC license tied to a software guard (T-guard or “dongle”) |
Altera ID and software guard ID |
- Quartus II
- SOPC Builder
- ModelSim-Altera (2)
- MAX+PLUS II
|
| FLOATALL |
Floating network license for users running on Windows, Solaris, or Linux (3) |
Altera ID and NIC ID for Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Linux 8.0 license servers (4)
Altera ID and host ID for UNIX license server (4)
|
| Quartus II 1-year license |
1-year Quartus II license available in some development kits |
Development kit users are given instructions on how to obtain a license for the software when applicable |
|
| Quartus II Web Edition |
No-cost, entry-level version of Quartus II software that can be downloaded from the Altera website; supports selected devices |
NIC ID |
- Quartus II Web Edition
- SOPC Builder
- ModelSim-Altera Web Edition
|
| DSP Builder |
A digital signal processing (DSP) development tool that interfaces between the Quartus II software and MATLAB/Simulink tools
|
Software Guard ID, Network Card ID, or Host ID |
|
|
IP Megacore Functions
|
Off-the-shelf megafunctions optimized for Altera devices |
Software Guard ID, Network Card ID, or Host ID |
|
| MAX+PLUS II BASELINE |
No-cost, entry-level version of MAX+Plus II that can be downloaded from the Altera website; supports selected low-density devices |
NIC ID or hard-disk serial number (5) |
|
| MAX+PLUS II Student Edition |
Available for legacy class materials |
Hard-disk serial number (5) |
- MAX+PLUS II Student Edition
|
Notes:
- Altera can no longer generate licenses for the LeonardoSpectrum™-Altera software. Contact Mentor Graphics® for information on obtaining additional licenses and support for the LeonardoSpectrum-Altera software. The Quartus II and Quartus II Web Edition software now includes integrated VHDL and Verilog HDL synthesis capabilities. MAX+PLUS II users can now download the MAX+PLUS II Advanced Synthesis software from the Altera website.
- The ModelSim-Altera tool is available for either VHDL or Verilog HDL simulation. Floating licenses may have their licenses split between VHDL and Verilog HDL in any ratio.
- FLOATPC, FLOATNET, and FLOATLNX legacy network licenses also require Altera ID and NIC ID or host ID.
- The FLEXlm License Manager allows up to three redundant license servers to serve a network license. The first server specified is the master; use the master’s NIC ID or Host ID when obtaining a license.
- If the PC has more than one hard disk, select the hard disk where the Windows operating system is installed.
Altera ID
Your Altera ID number is assigned by Altera. This 6-digit number allows Altera to identify customers when they purchase an Altera product or request technical support. For new Quartus II or MAX+PLUS II software users, the Altera ID number is printed on the software’s shipping label or packing slip. The number is also on some correspondence received from Altera.
- If you are not the original purchaser of the license, register as a secondary user of the software by contacting Altera Customer Service
- If the Altera ID used for the license is unknown, use six zeros (000000) to request a license file.
Software Guard ID
The software guard ID is a 10-character ID. Guards that connect to the parallel port or USB port have an ID that begins with a “T” followed by 9 numbers. Software guard IDs can also begin with an “S,” followed by 9 numbers, which are displayed when you install the software. USB software guards are only supported for the Quartus II software on Windows XP.
You can obtain the ID using one of the following methods:
- Read it from the printed label on the guard
- Make certain Quartus II software has been installed and the guard is attached. Choose License Setup (Tools menu)
- Make certain MAX+PLUS II software has been installed and the guard is attached. Choose License Setup (Options menu) and click System Info
Host ID
The server host ID is an 8-character hexadecimal string that identifies the UNIX workstation that serves Altera licenses. Contact the server system or network administrator to obtain this ID, or use one of the following methods to determine the server host ID:
- Sun Solaris: Type the following command at the command prompt:
hostid
- HP-UX: Type the following at the command prompt, convert the resulting decimal value into hexadecimal format, and use that value as the host ID.
uname -i
- If the FLEXlm software has been installed, type the following at the command prompt to determine the ID:
lmutil lmhostid
You can use the FLEXlm licensing scheme to configure up to three redundant license servers. The first server specified is the master; use the master server's NIC ID or host ID when obtaining a license.
NIC ID
The NIC ID is a 12-character hexadecimal string embedded in the network interface card that Altera uses to uniquely identify the PC on which the software is installed.
The NIC ID is required for network licenses when the license server machine is a PC. It is also required for PC software provided for evaluation. Find the NIC ID by one of the following methods:
- Microsoft Windows: Type
ipconfig /all at a command prompt.
The NIC ID is the physical address without the dashes. If your PC has more than one network card, you can use any of the cards' NIC IDs as long as the selected network card is always connected to the computer. On PCs, you can also obtain the NIC ID by typing ipconfig /all at a command prompt.
- Linux: Type
/sbin/ifconfig eth0 at a command prompt. The NIC ID is the ID to the right of HWaddr, without the colons, e.g. 00B0D0ABCCBA.
- If the Quartus II software has been installed, choose License Setup (Tools menu).
- If the MAX+PLUS II software has been installed, choose License Setup (Options menu) and click System Info.
- If the FLEXlm software has been installed, type the following at a command prompt to determine the ID for any machine:
lmutil lmhostid
You can use the FLEXlm licensing scheme to configure up to three redundant license servers. The first server specified is the master; use the master server's NIC ID or host ID when obtaining a license.
Hard-Disk Serial Number
The hard-disk serial number is an 8-character hexadecimal ID that identifies the PC with the Altera license. Find the hard-disk serial number for the PC by any of the following methods. Ensure that the ID is 8 characters long; include a leading zero if necessary.
- Microsoft Windows: Type
vol at a command prompt; the ID is the volume serial number. If the PC has more than one hard disk, use the drive where the Windows operating system is installed. The Windows operating system is typically installed in a folder called WINDOWS.
- If the Quartus II software has been installed, choose License Setup (Tools menu). This method ensures use of the correct hard-disk serial number if multiple hard drives are in use.
- If the MAX+PLUS II software has been installed, choose License Setup (Options menu) and click System Info. This method ensures use of the correct hard-disk serial number if multiple hard drives are in use.
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