FAQ’s for Actel’s Antifuse FPGA Programming
Table of Contents General........................................................................................................................... 6 1. What programmers can I use to program Actel devices? ............................................................. 6 Programmers ................................................................................................................. 6 Silicon Sculptor II and III.....................................................................................
2. How do I verify the functionality of a programmed device with the APSW debugger? ...............14 33. What is the *.avi/*.txt file? When and where is it generated? .....................................................15 34. After loading the *.afm file successfully, why am I getting "Unable to open AFMBLANK file" when I click on Blankcheck in Activator? ....................................................................................15 35.
59. Generating a programming file in Designer, returns the following error message: "You are not licensed to program this device. Please contact Actel Customer Support for further information". Why? ........................................................................................................................................... 23 60. Can I program an RTSXSU (UMC) device with the *.afm file created for an RT54SXS (MEC) device or vice versa? ..........................................................
92. What is the orientation of the device while inserting the adapter module? .................................
General 1. What programmers can I use to program Actel devices? Ans. Actel only tests the programming of Actel devices on Silicon Sculptor II and Silicon Sculptor 3 programmers. Each release of Silicon Sculptor goes through a rigorous testing procedure to ensure the best programming yield possible. This test procedure includes programming devices and functionally testing these devices. Note: The Activator programmer, Silicon Sculptor 1 and Silicon Sculptor 6X have been discontinued.
Failure codes are: Three short flashes-- cannot self-calibrate Two short flashes -- ROM checksum error One short, one long flash-- RAM error If you encounter any of these errors, contact Actel Technical Support tech.support@actel.com. Do not attempt to program any devices if POST fails. 4. Does the Silicon Sculptor programmer have any memory? Does it retain any programming data after the programming? Ans. Yes. Memory is used to broadcast the programming information in concurrent mode.
Part number naming convention: ACT = initial release AACT = -1 (i.e. SM208PQ-ACTEL-1) BACT = -2 (i.e. SM208PQ-ACTEL-2) 6. Is there any limit on how many devices can be programmed with a Silicon Sculptor adapter module? Ans.
Figure 2: Debugging continuity failures Note: By default the continuity test is not enabled. In order to enable continuity test, select any APA device from the device list and select the Program tab. You can see continuity test as pre-selected. Click on the Program button without inserting any device or module in the Programmer. The operation will fail but at the same time the continuity test will be enabled for other devices. The continuity test is not available for all antifuse devices.
11. How frequently should I run the self test? Ans. You must ensure that all programming hardware is in good, working condition. This requires regular execution of the hardware self-diagnostic test and maintaining valid calibration of the programming hardware. Perform the self-diagnostic test before every programming session. 12. How do I perform Silicon Sculptor’s calibration verification? Ans. Refer to the Silicon Sculptor Verification of Calibration Work Instruction (www.actel.
Activator1 15. How can I verify that the software driver for the Activator (2/2S) is configured properly? Ans. Double-click the device icon located in the Control Panel program group. Look for the “Aspi32” driver. The driver status must be Started and Automatic. 16. How do I configure the Adaptec AVA-1505A SCSI Card for Windows® 95/98? Ans.
3. From the File menu, select Properties > Shortcut. 4. Append devactivator2: to the command line, as shown below: C:\actel\bin\apsw.exe devactivator2:4 19. How can I determine what IRQ and I/O addresses are used by the installed add-in cards? Ans. To determine the IRQ and I/O addresses being used by the installed add-in cards, follow the instructions below: 1. Double-click the Computer icon. The Computer Properties window is displayed. 2.
The locking arms on the SCSI board can easily be misaligned. Also, verify that the device driver(s) were installed correctly. For more information, refer to the Activator and APS Programming System - Installation and User's Guide (www.actel.com/documents/ActivatorUG.pdf.) 23. What does the message “Error: Activator communication link down. Exiting” mean? Ans. There is a problem with the connection between the Activator and the PC or the Activator has lost power.
27. How frequently do I need to calibrate Actel Activators? Ans. Actel Activators are calibrated before leaving the factory and should not require any further calibration during their lifetime. Actel provides a diagnostic utility (Activator Diagnostic Test) that you can run to guarantee that Activator is operating within the calibration specifications.
33. What is the *.avi/*.txt file? When and where is it generated? Ans. The *.avi/*.txt file is a log file that is generated when an Actel FPGA is programmed. The file contains information about the number of VPP voltage pulses applied to program each fuse and the programming current sensed through each fuse. If a programming failure occurs, the *.avi/*.txt file contains information about the programming failure mode. A new *.avi/*.txt file is generated each time the programming sequence begins.
38. What is the minimum version of Designer and Silicon Sculptor required to generate *.afm files for different devices? Ans. Actel recommends using the *.afm file generated from the latest Designer version. Table 2: lists the minimum Designer and Sculptor version to be used for the different antifuse families. Actel may deny return material authorization (RMA) or failure analysis requests if you use older versions of the software.
40. Can I get the programming time of different antifuse devices? Ans. Table 3: shows the programming time collected from in house programming center. It may vary slightly.
Family Device Programming Time (mins) DX 32300 60 DX 32300V 60 DX 3265 25 40MX 40MX02 10 (20: –F) 40MX 40MX04 10 (20: –F) 42MX 42MX09 15 (20: -F) 42MX 42MX16 20 (25: -F) 42MX 42MX24 35 (40: -F) 42MX 42MX36 45 (50: -F) SX SX08 10 SX SX16 17 SX SX16P 17 SX SX32 31 RTSX RTSX16 17 RTSX RTSX32 31 SXA SX08A 8 SXA SX16A 17 SXA SX32A 30 SXA SX72A 50 RT54SXS RT54SX32S 45 RT54SXS RT54SX72S 50 RTSXSU RTSX32SU 45 RTSXSU RTSX72SU 50 AX AX125 12 A
Family Device Programming Time (mins) RTAXS RTAX2000S 120 RTAXS RTAX4000S 240 41. Do I need a license to run Silicon Sculptor? Ans. No, you do not need to have a license to run the software. 42. Do I need admin rights to install and run Silicon Sculptor? Ans.
44. Can I use BPWin to program Actel devices? Ans. No. You need to use Silicon Sculptor (SculptW) to program Actel devices. Although Actel devices are supported in BPwin, sometimes specific fixes are not available in BPwin. If you use BPwin to program an Actel device and encounter programming failure, contact tech@bpmicro.com. 45. Is the *.avi/*.txt file supported in Silicon Sculptor? Ans. The *.txt file is supported in Silicon Sculptor only for RadTolerant and RadHard devices. No *.
The Checksum button or menu command verifies that the current programming file is the same as the one used to program the device. The Checksum command compares the checksum number, computed from the programming file, to the checksum number programmed into the chip. If the two numbers are the same, the program displays “PASSED.” If the two numbers are not the same, the program displays “FAILED,” with additional comments to briefly explain why it failed. 49.
Programming Files and Functions 52. What files can I use to program a device? Ans. For details on the files that you can use to program a device, see Table 4: below: Table 4: Files for Programming Activator *.adb or *.afm file Silicon Sculptor *.afm file 53. Can I generate * .afm files from *.def and *.fus files? Ans. Yes, it is possible to generate *.afm files from *.def and *.fus files. Refer to Knowledgebase article 1270 (www.actel.com/kb/article.aspx?id=SL1270) for more information. 54.
58. Is there a way to determine if the *.afm file is corrupted? Ans. After loading the *.afm file in Silicon Sculptor, check whether the log file (C:\BP\DATALOG) has been loaded successfully. Then regenerate the *.afm file using the same version of Designer and compare the regenerated *.afm file against the existing file; they should be identical. Make sure to zip the *.afm file to transfer it out of the host computer. Note: Prior to SculptW v5.
62. Can I use the same programming file with devices of different technologies? Ans. If you generate a programming file with one technology, (for example, a1020A), but actually program a different technology of the same device (for example, an RH1020), there are risks that this operation will not be successful. Because of the differences in separate revisions of devices, there are variations in programming.
65. Can I use 1020A files to program a 1020B device? Ans. Yes, the 1020B is compatible to the 1020A, but the timing will be different because the 1020B device technology is faster. Actel strongly recommends that you rerun all timing analyses after making the compatible die change. 66. How do I check which version of Designer was used to create my *.afm file? Ans. Open the *.afm file in a text editor. The header states the Designer release number that was used. The following example is an excerpt from a *.
69. How do I verify that a device has been programmed? Ans. You can verify that an Actel FPGA has been programmed by placing it in any supported programmer and running a blank check/Dev_Status. If the device is programmed then you will see Fuse checksum in the Design Checksum. See figure 4 above. 70. How do I determine the status of the Actel security fuse? Ans. To determine the status of the Actel security fuse, run Dev_Status. See figure 4. 71. What is the fuse checksum? Ans.
73. What is the difference between Array, Security, Probe, and Program fuse types? Ans. When you program an Actel FPGA with either the APSW software and an Activator, or SculptW software and Silicon Sculptor, you have the option to select the fuse type.
76. Concerning the programming file *.afm, is there a way of incrementing the silicon signature without redoing place-and-route? Ans. There is no way of incrementing the silicon signature without regenerating the *.afm file. However, it is not necessary to run place-and-route again. 77. Are all the fuses checked by Silicon Sculptor? Ans. Each fuse is checked individually as the array is programmed.
81. What does the error message “Antifuse xxx, Pulse xxxx, Cannot program” mean? Ans. The error message “Antifuse xxx, Pulse xxxx, Cannot program” means that programming of that particular fuse failed. 82. What does the error message “Antifuse xxxx, Integrity test xxx failed” mean? Ans. The error message “Antifuse xxxx, Integrity test xxx failed” means that a specific test failed after programming xxxx fuses.
85. Does Actel recommend programming a commercial part before programming an RH/RT part? Ans. Before programming a RadHard or RadTolerant device, Actel recommends that you program a commercially equivalent device to ensure the proper setup of the hardware and software. After you have successfully programmed a commercial device, you can program your RH or RT device. 86. Where can I find the lot number and date code on Actel FPGAs? Ans.
90. Does Actel provide programming services? Ans. Yes, Actel offers online prototyping solutions (OPS) for limited quantities. For volume programming, Actel offers in-house programming. For more information, refer to the Services page of the Actel website: www.actel.com/products/services/default.aspx. 91. For CQFP packages, is there any way to program the Actel FPGA after the lead frame has been trimmed and formed? Ans. No, once the leads are formed, there is no way to program the FPGA. 92.
Actel is the leader in low-power FPGAs and mixed-signal FPGAs and offers the most comprehensive portfolio of system and power management solutions. Power Matters. Learn more at http://www.actel.com. Actel Corporation Actel Europe Ltd. Actel Japan Actel Hong Kong 2061 Stierlin Court Mountain View, CA 94043-4655 USA Phone 650.318.4200 Fax 650.318.