[hpsdr] USBBlaster Saga

[Rick Hambly (W2GPS)]

All,

 

If you want to do FPGA and CPLD programming or debugging you will need an
Altera JTAG programmer. I don't have enough parallel ports to go around so I
had to have a USB device. My first instinct was to buy the Altera USBBlaster
for $350, which I did quite a while ago.

 

Later I found out from this group that there is a clone available for much
less. The Terasic Blaster USB can be had from Taiwan for $50 plus $36
shipping at www.terasic.com <http://www.terasic.com/> . This week I needed a
second one so I can work on two HPSDR boards at once (Ozy + Mercury or Ozy +
Penelope) so I placed my order and sure enough, it arrived in a couple of
days and is fine. 

 

BUT - then I looked around the Terasic site and found that this device is
now available from Digikey and they are in stock for $75 + shipping. I don't
know if that would actually have saved me money, but I have an account at
Digikey so if I had known this was available there I would have ordered from
them. See www.digikey.com <http://www.digikey.com/>  and search for Terasic
Blaster.

 

Rick

W2GPS

 

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