State of MAX7000S I/O pins before programming

Hi Andrew Holme,

There's some internal bit in the MAX7000A and later that says that the device contains a valid configuration. If this bit is not set, the device remains in tristate. In the MAX7000S, this bit is not present, but if the device is blank, it should still stay in slightly-pulled-up-tristate.

Only if the device is not blank (this does _not_ mean that it has a _valid_ configuration), it will go out of tristate and do something.

Blank that sample and see what happens ;-)

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Ben

should the

EPM7128S

fails the

the

device

the

_valid_

Thanks.

How do I do that? Is there an option in Quartus for this? I couldn't see anything ....

Hi Andrew,

Wups... I don't have an actual EPM7128S device lying around here, but from the command line try "quartus_pgm --operation=R". If you need more help, type "quartus_pgm --help=operation".

Best regards,

Ben

This is what I'm getting:

C:\>quartus_pgm -c "ByteBlasterMV [LPT1]" -m JTAG -- must be one of the following combinations: P, V, B, S, E, L, PVBL, PBL, PVB, PVL, PL, VL where P = Program V = Verify B = Blank-check L = Lock/Security Bit S = Skip/Bypass* E = Examine* (* Cannot be used in combination with other options)

There doesn't appear to be an R option.

I'm using Quartus II Programmer Version 4.1 Build 181 06/29/2004 SJ Web Edition

Does this version have an erase option?

Hi Andrew Holme,

Hmmm... I'm using a beta of version 5.0 (only available under NDA), which does have the option available.

Will try 4.2 tomorrow - that's the oldest workable version I have laying around (I also have a copy of 3.0 and the initial 1996 release, but I don't count those as current).

Best regards,

Ben

You can always search the answer at the

For MAX® 7000S devices, they are shipped blank but have specific bits set to tri-state all their I/O pins. If the part is erased, it is blank, but the factory default tri-state bit settings are also erased and therefore pins will no longer be tri-stated. To tri-state the blank part again, you need to have the blank POF (programming object file) from a factory shipped blank device that has never been programmed. You can get the blank POF by examining a factory shipped MAX 7000S device using the MAX+PLUS II software (Quartus II does not support examine for MAX 7000S); the examined POF will be blank but will have the tri-state bit settings. Programming a MAX 7000S device with this POF will tri-state the I/Os and blank the design.

MAX 7000AE, MAX 3000A, and MAX 7000B devices differ from MAX 7000S - if the part is blank or erased it will automatically tri-stated the all the I/O pins and does not need tri-state bit settings. If you erase these devices, they will tri-state all I/Os. This is because MAX

7000AE, MAX 3000A, and MAX 7000B remain tri-state until a specific bit is set during ISP called the ISP_DONE bit. It is the last bit to be programmed when programming the device - if that bit is not set, the device remains tri-stated.

All MAX3000A, 7000S, 7000A, 7000B, and MAX II devices are shipped blank from the factory. When a blank device is powered up, all of the I/O pins are tri-stated.

If you erase a MAX 3000A, 7000A, 7000B, or MAX II device it behaves the same as a blank new factory shipped device. The I/O pins of a blank device are tri-stated when powered. However, this is not true for MAX 7000S. A new factory shipped MAX 7000S device will tri-state when powered, but if this device is erased in some manner (Jam, JBC, SVF, etc), then the I/O pins will drive out undetermined values. This is because a new factory shipped MAX 7000S part is blank except for some OE control bits which are set to tri-state the I/O pins. When erased, those OE bits are cleared and the I/O pins drive out. The only way to get the I/O pins to tri-state again is if the customer examined and saved the .pof from a new factory shipped MAX 7000S device. Program a MAX 7000S with that .pof and it will behave the same as the new factory shipped part, that is it will be blank with tri-stated I/Os.

Here is the link

[snip: text of articles]

Thanks for the lead.

For the benefit of others, those expired links are:

Perhaps the most useful link for me, since I don't have the old MAX+PLUS II software, and can't use "Examine" to create a POF file from a fresh factory-shipped device, is this link which explains how to blank a MAX7000S device using the JAM player:

from

After re-eading the above, I'm not sure if the JAM player "erase" method is an "erase" or a "blank" as defined in the other articles i.e. does it tri-state the I/O pins?

i.e.

OK, having gone round the loop one last time (this blank/erased business is very confusing!) I believe that reading a blank POF is (quote) "The only way to get the I/O pins to tri-state again" - so I'm hosed.

I'm not sure whether you can get support from altera, if possible, they probably will give you the .pof file or the way to examine .pof file using Quartus II.

Btw, try to use jam player to exam> > Andrew Holme wrote: