Pin Assignment and Programming the Altera Excalibur Development Board

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Pin Assignment and Programming the Altera
Excalibur Development Board

• University of Pittsburgh
• EE 1160/2160

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VHDL Files

• Blocks and symbols can be design using only VHDL
  code
• File -gt New -gt VHDL File -gt OK

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VHDL File Editor Window
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Completing VHDL File

• Save and Compile the file
• Create a new symbol by choosing
• File ? Create/Update ? Create Symbol Files for
  Current File

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Preliminary Steps
Create a New Project Complete a New Block
diagram Save and Compile the new design
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Assign the Pins of Your Design to the Actual Pins
of Excalibur Board

• Use the Tables included to locate your particular
  I/O with components on the Development Board.
• Enter the Assignments in Quartus.
• Or edit the .qsf file associated with your
  design.

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Entering Assignments in Quartus

• Assignments ? Assign pins
• Select I/O name Select Pin Location

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Entering Assignments in Quartus

• Save assignments after modification

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Editing the .qsf File

• Open the .qsf File from your directory using
  Notepad.
• Add the new pin assignments into the file using
  the following format
• under the Pin and Location Assignments
  header, use the format below to assign pins
• set_location_assignment PIN_A2 to A
• set_location_assignment PIN_A3 to B
• set_location_assignment PIN_A4 to Q
• If the header is not shown, you can insert it
  yourself. It is just a comment in the file.
• After you modify and save the .qsf file, just
  open the assignments editor and the new
  assignments should appear in your design.

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Verify the Device

• Go to Assignments -gt Device..
• Select Devices Pin Options

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Device and Pin Options

• Select Unused Pins
• Reserve all unused pins as inputs, tri-stated

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Recompile your Design

• (If your assignments are made correctly and your
  design has no errors in it, this should go
  smoothly, otherwise, fix all errors and compile
  again)

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Program the Excalibur Board with your Design

• Tools Menu? Programmer

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Program the Excalibur Board with your Design

• Tools Menu? Programmer
• Verify Hardware ByteBlasterMV LPT1
• Verify proper design file with an .sof extension

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Programming the Board cont.

• Select Program/Configure
• Click on Programming Icon on tool bar, or
• From pull-down menus select
• Processing ? Start Programming

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Your Excalibur Board Will Then Be Programmed With
Your Design and If the Pin Assignments You Made
Are Correct, the Design You Made Should be Fully
Functional

• (If it is not, go back and double check you
  assignments)

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See the Attached Sheets for the Following

• Pin Assignments Table with all Peripherals on the
  board, their name, and the Pin they are routed to
  on the APEX Chip.
• A Schematic of the Excalibur Development Board,
  from Altera, with all peripherals and what they
  are wired to.

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For Lab Today

• Design and Implement a Decoder
• Use VHDL code in lab assignment
• Add decoder and clock divider to your cascaded
  counter from Lab 1
• Compile the new design
• Do pin assignments as prescribed in this
  presentation
• Show the Lab TAs the functioning circuit on the
  Excalibur Board
• Do Your Write-up including the fact that it
  worked in the Physical World!