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Licensing Help Guide
Access FPGA licensing support resources, troubleshoot license issues, and find guidance on software license activation, management, and configuration to keep your Altera development tools running smoothly.
Overview
Thank you for choosing Altera as your technology partner. We are here to guide you through the licensing process and help you make the most of your FPGA experience. Whether you are new or an existing user, this page will provide you with all the essential information to get started quickly.
License Key Required?
The following table details the license requirements for various FPGA software tools and IP cores.
| Software / IP | License Key Required? | License Fee Required? | License Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartus® Prime Pro and Standard Edition | Yes
| Yes Note: There is a single ordering code for Quartus® Prime Software, which includes licenses for both Pro and Standard Editions. | Support for fixed node and floating license. Note: You must choose Fixed or Float when purchasing. |
| Quartus® Prime Lite Edition | No | No | Support for fixed node and floating license |
| Questa* FPGA Edition | Yes | Free with purchase of Quartus® Prime. Also available for separate purchase. License fee includes 12 months of maintenance renewable annually. | Support for fixed node and floating license. The Questa* FPGA Edition Software does not support companion licenses. |
| Questa* FPGA Starter Edition | Yes | No | Support for fixed node and floating license. The Questa* FPGA Starter Edition Software does not support companion licenses. |
| Nios® II Embedded Design Suite | No | No license file is required, the tool is free, but you must have a seat license to the Nios® II IP core or a development kit to generate an FPGA programming file and flash programming files. There is no license fee for developing software using only the Nios II Software Build Tools for Eclipse. | |
| FPGA AI Suite | Yes | Download FPGA AI Suite and run limited number of inferences for free. Purchase FPGA AI Suite (unlimited number of inferences) to run unlimited inferences on hardware. Ordering code: SW-FPGAAISUITE. Contact your local sales Altera® authorized distributor for details. | |
| DSP Builder for FPGAs | Yes | Yes
| Support for fixed node and floating license. |
| FPGA SDK for OpenCL™ | No | No license is required | |
| SoC FPGA Embedded Development Suite (SoC EDS) | Yes | Arm* Development Studio SoC FPGA Edition License Yes 30-day evaluation of Arm* Development Studio SoC FPGA Edition License Free | Arm* Development Studio Community Edition License: Support for fixed node license. Arm* Development Studio SoC FPGA Edition License: Support for fixed node license. 30-day Evaluation of Arm* Development Studio SoC FPGA Edition License: Support for fixed node license. |
| MAX+PLUS® II (Legacy) | Yes for legacy licensees only | No longer available for purchase. | Support for fixed node and floating license. |
| IP | Varies, contact your local sales or distributor for information |
| IP supported in the Quartus® Prime Pro and Standard Edition software: Support for fixed node and floating license. IP supported in the Quartus® Prime Lite Edition software: Support for fixed node license. |
License Generation
How to Activate and Generate the License File?
| License | How to Activate and Generate the License File? |
|---|---|
| Quartus Prime Pro and Standard Edition | FPGA Self Service Licensing Center. |
| Inte®l Quartus Prime Lite Edition or Quartus II Web Edition Licensing | Get a license for previous versions (prior to version 8.1) of the Quartus II Web Edition software. Beginning with version 8.1, a license file is no longer required for this or future versions of the Quartus II Web Edition or Quartus Prime Lite Edition software. |
| Questa* FPGA Edition | FPGA Self Service Licensing Center. |
| DSP Builder for FPGAs | FPGA Self Service Licensing Center. Request a 30-day trial of MATLAB* and Simulink products for use with DSP Builder for FPGAs. |
| SoC FPGA Embedded Development Suite (SoC EDS) | FPGA Self Service Licensing Center. Arm* Development Studio 5 SoC FPGA Edition License: If you have purchased a SoC development kit or a stand-alone license for DS-5 AE, then you have already received an Arm license serial number. Use this serial number to activate your license in the Arm* Development Studio. |
| MAX+PLUS® II (Legacy) | FPGA University Program: MAX+PLUS® II Licensing for Students and University Program Members. MAX+PLUS® II Baseline Development (Limited Support): MAX+PLUS® II BASELINE Licensing. MAX+PLUS® II: FPGA Self Service Licensing Center. Note: After evaluating the MAX+PLUS® II development software, you may want to purchase a subscription for the software. With the Quartus Prime Pro Edition and Standard Edition software subscription, you will receive all MAX+PLUS® II and Quartus® Prime software releases and updates for 12 months. |
| IP | FPGA Self Service Licensing Center |
| FPGA University Program | The FPGA University Program offers licensed and unlicensed FPGA software to participating universities. Free academic licenses for software and IP. |
| Legacy License | The legacy software and IP license generator will generate only licenses with maintenance expiration prior to January 1, 2009. For software and IP licenses with a maintenance expiration date after January 1, 2009, please log on to the FPGA Self Service Licensing Center. |
License Setup
Access self-service portal to setup licenses.
Common Questions
After the license purchase order has been placed, the license will be processed and made available in the SSLC within 2-7 days. An email notification will be sent out to the user when the process is completed.
To get the license file with your new purchase, go to SSLC, navigate to Licenses > Find and Generate License by Activation Code, then enter the license activation code that you received in the email. Alternatively, you can go to SSLC, navigate to Licenses > All Licenses, select and generate the respective license file.
You can obtain a license for the Questa* FPGA Starter Edition software from the FPGA Self Service Licensing Center (SSLC). Before that, you need to complete the registration process for SSLC. In SSLC, navigate to the Sign up for Evaluation or Free License tab, select the Questa* FPGA Starter Edition (License: SW-QUESTA) product, specify the number of seats required, create a new computer or assign an existing computer, and then click on the Generate button.
SSLC is an online portal provided by Altera® to manage and administer FPGA software licenses. It offers a convenient and centralized platform for users to access and manage their FPGA licenses. The SSLC allows you to view, request, activate, and manage your software licenses. Note that you must have a MyAltera account to access the SSLC.
Visit the FPGA Software Installation and Licensing to learn more about the key features and capabilities of SSLC.
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