[hpsdr] Simple Procedure for Quickly Updating Firmware on Mercury, Pennylane and Other HPSDR Boards

[Phil Harman]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for sharing this. It's the process I use when developing code
except that I do a JTAG load as its faster and then load into the EEPROM
once the code is stable.

There are alternatives to the Terasic USB Blaster available on eBay.

I recently purchased one from Hong Kong for $12 including postage and it
works just fine.

73 Phil...VK6APH


> ***** High Performance Software Defined Radio Discussion List *****
>
> The procedure describes a simple, fast method of updating the
> firmware of cards installed in a
> High Performance Software Defined Programming Radio (HPSDR). It
> requires no removal or
> moving of cards or installation of jumpers. It uses a Terasic
> Technologies Blaster plugged into the
> USB Port of a laptop or other Windows PC. The Blaster is simply
> plugged into the programming
> header connector on the board to be updated and a programming program
> run on the PC.
>
> The Terasic USB Blaster Download Cable may be purchased from Terasic
> Technologies
> (http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?Language=English&CategoryNo=&No=46
> ) for
> $50 U.S. plus $30 shipping or from Digi-Key as their Part No. P0302
> for $75.00.
>
> The Windows PC must first be set up for programming the FPGAs  of the
> HPSDR cards as
> follows:
>
> Download a copy of the "USB-Blaster Download Cable User Guide (PDF)" from
> www.Altera.com/download/drivers/dri-index.html. After reading the
> manual, download and install
> the Blaster driver as described on Page 1-3 of the manual. Driver
> will be found in folder
> C:\altera\11.1sp1\qprogrammer\drivers\.
>
> The necessary programming software for the PC is obtained from
> Altera, the maker of the FPGAs
> on the HPSDR cards. The software for programming using the Blaster
> may be downloaded from
> https://www.altera.com/download/software/prog-software. You want the
> "Stand Alone Quartus II
> Programmer (Free)".
>
> To set up the programming software on the PC, simply double click on
> the downloaded program.
> Then go to C:\altera\11.1sp1\qprogrammer\bin\ and right click on
> "quartus_pgmw" to create a
> shortcut. Minimize the page and drag the shortcut to the desktop.
> Label it "Shortcut to quartus-pgmw".
>
> You are now ready to program FPGAs with the Blaster:
>
> To get started, we need to download the necessary .pof files from the
> SVN into a known directory.
> If a SVN download is used, the directory is C:\PennyMerge\
>
> Next, plug the Terasic Blaster cable into a USB port on the laptop.
> Laptop should be powered up
> showing the desktop.
>
> Double click on the Altera shortcut on the desktop set up above. A
> "Programmer Window" should appear.
>
> In the Programmer Window, select the "Mode" of "Active Serial
> Programming".
>
> Click the "Hardware Setup" button. "USB BLaster" should appear as a
> line in the Hardware Setup
> window that opens. Double click "USB-Blaster". This should put
> "USB-Blaster" in the "Currently
> Selected Hardware" window. Click "Close".
>
> In the main "Programmer Window" select "Add File" and navigate to the
> folder that has the
> Penelope.pof (or Mercury.pof) file in it. Single click on the desired
> file and click "Open" on the
> "Programmer Window". The Device column of the "Programmer Window"
> should now show
> "EPC84" for Pennylane or EPC16 for Mercury..
>
> Check the "Program/Configure" box on the "Programmer Window".
>
> Now, plug the Blaster cable into the programing header of the HPSDR
> card whose firmware
> you want to upgrade.
>         For a Pennylane card, the cable is plugged into P2, a 10-pin
> horizontal header at the upper left
> corner of the board with the red stripe on the cable to the left.
>         For a Mercury card, the cable is plugged into J4, a 10-pin
> vertical header near the top rear
> of the card with the red stripe on the cable turned up.
>
> Power up the Atlas bus.
>
> Click "Start" in the "Programmer Window".  Progress of the
> programming process will be shown in
> the "Progress Box" and completed steps will be listed in the bottom
> portion of the "Programmer Window".
>
> When the "Progress Box" shows "Completed", you may power down the
> Atlas bus and disconnect the
> Blaster cable from the HPSDR card. You are now ready to go.
>
> Although I used a separate laptop PC for programming the cards, I
> believe the HPSDR computer could
> be used if it runs Windows XP.
>
> Thanks to Dan, N4XWE,  and Joe, K5SO, for helping me figure all this out.
>
> 73,
> Bob, K4QQK
>
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