( ESNUG 313 Item 11 ) --------------------------------------------- [3/10/99]
Subject: Programming FPGAs Via A JTAG Port & An On-board Microprocessor
> Does anyone know if there are any embedded tools or apps available to
> program FPGAs via the JTAG port? Instead of programming the FPGAs (Xilinx,
> ORCA, etc) from the normal registers, can't you program them via the
> JTAG port via an on-board microprocessor? Has anyone done this and is it
> faster to program via JTAG or the "normal" way ? Any other benefits?
>
> - Steven A. Zedeck
> Ascend Communications Westford, MA
From: edick@hotmail.com (Richard Erlacher)
I believe that ALTERA has been ramrodding the effort to standardize JTAG
FPGA programming processes. They have a tool called JAM (?) which handles
all their devices capable of this mode of programming.
I would be surprised if ALTERA is out there all alone. If you search out
current data on JAM, which is a method for JTAG programming, your questions
should be answered.
I regret that I haven't kept up with this mode, but it holds out much
promise for programming devices, particularly volatile types which must be
reloaded on power-up.
- Richard Erlacher
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From: daveb@iinet.net.au (David R Brooks)
There's an example on my website for Xilinx 4K parts.
http://www.iinet.net.au/~daveb/tricks/fpga-ldr/loader.html
- David R Brooks
iiNet Technologies
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From: "Steven K. Knapp" <sknapp@optimagic.com>
You can find the JAM Home Page at http://www.jamisp.com/. It, along with
countless other programmable logic links, is listed on The Programmable
Logic Jump Station at http://www.optimagic.com.
- Steven K. Knapp
OptiMagic
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From: steve@rsn-tech.demon.co.uk (Steve Rencontre)
JAM does have its problems in the real world. I recently did a program for
a client to configure Altera FLEX devices via JTAG without using JAM,
because Altera's JAM code can't handle >64k configuration data on a 16-bit
platform.
This isn't a fundamental limitation of JAM per se, but the client was
effectively told by Altera, "Don't hold your breath".
The spec for the JAM language is freely available, so it would be
perfectly possible to do another implementation without this problem, but
TTBOMK, Altera's version is the only one around ATM.
- Steve Rencontre
Design Consultant
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