APEX II Device Configuration

Configuration scheme overview

APEX^TM II devices support the following configuration schemes:

• Serial—Used to conserve pins
  • Passive Serial (PS)
    • Uses an external intelligent host such as a PC, an enhanced configuration (EPC) device (PDF), or a microprocessor to control the configuration process synchronously and supply the configuration data serially to the APEX II device.
  • JTAG
    • Configures APEX II devices via the IEEE Standard 1149.1 interface.
• Parallel—Used for faster configuration
  • Fast Passive Parallel (FPP)
    • Uses an external intelligent host, such as a PC, an EPC device (PDF) or a microprocessor, to control the configuration process synchronously and supply the configuration data in a parallel manor to the APEX II device.
  • Passive Parallel Asynchronous (PPA)
    • Uses an external intelligent host, such as a PC or a microprocessor, to control the configuration process asynchronously and supply the configuration data in a parallel manor to the APEX II device.

How to configure APEX II devices

• For prototyping or debugging
  • Using Altera Programming Cables
    • The Quartus^® II programmer supports configuring APEX II devices directly using PS or JTAG interfaces via Altera^® programming cables.
• In the field
  • Using an EPC Device (PDF) 
    • The EPC device configures the APEX II device automatically after power up. However, you need to program the EPC device first. MAX Series Configuration Controller Using Flash Memory (PDF)
  • • A MAX^® or MAX II device is used as a flash memory configuration controller to configure Altera FPGAs.
    • Source code (ZIP)

1. Can I use PPS configuration schemes to configure my APEX II devices?
2. Does the EPC16 configuration device support fast passive parallel (8-bit parallel) configuration for a single FLEX^®, ACEX^®, APEX, or APEX II device?
3. What is the ByteBlaster™ II download cable?