Hello world,

I'm looking at making my first FPGA board with a Cyclone III EP3C25
and am researching my boot memory solution. Reading Altera's docs they
reference their EPCS series serial programming chips but they run for
an outlandish $16 - $32 on Newark.

Googling got me to this page:
http://fpgaforum.blogspot.com/2006/03/any-replacement-for-altera-epcs_19.html
that claims that their so called EPCS programming chips are nothing
more than SPI flash. Can anyone confirm this? I am looking at getting
the SST25VF032B 32Mb (4M x 8) SPI Flash memory.


Thanks,

Omer Osman

On Dec 29, 12:36=A0pm, Omer Osman
<resea...@ottomaneng.com> wrote:
> Hello world,
>
> I'm looking at making my first FPGA board with a Cyclone III EP3C25
> and am researching my boot memory solution. Reading Altera's docs they
> reference their EPCS series serial programming chips but they run for
> an outlandish $16 - $32 on Newark.
>
> Googling got me to this page:http://fpgaforum.blogspot.com/2006/03/any-re=
placement-for-altera-epcs...
> that claims that their so called EPCS programming chips are nothing
> more than SPI flash. Can anyone confirm this? I am looking at getting
> the SST25VF032B 32Mb (4M x 8) SPI Flash memory.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Omer Osman

This is true. I use M25P16's on my Cyclone III boards, and they boot
just fine. I normally use in-system programming via JTAG, but they
should be programmable with active serial as well.

"Omer Osman"
<r...@ottomaneng.com> wrote in message 
news:0...@v25g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
> Hello world,
> I'm looking at making my first FPGA board with a Cyclone III EP3C25
> and am researching my boot memory solution. Reading Altera's docs they
> reference their EPCS series serial programming chips but they run for
> an outlandish $16 - $32 on Newark.
> Googling got me to this page: 
> http://fpgaforum.blogspot.com/2006/03/any-replacement-for-altera-epcs_19.html
> that claims that their so called EPCS programming chips are nothing
> more than SPI flash. Can anyone confirm this? I am looking at getting
> the SST25VF032B 32Mb (4M x 8) SPI Flash memory.


I don't think it can be just any serial flash, Quartus looks for the correct
device ID (or similar) when programming. Check the data sheets for the
details.

I've sucessfully used the ST parts for a few years, I was told off the record
by an FAE that the Altera parts are actually these re-branded.

It must cost a lot to write 'Altera' on them!


Nial 

On Jan 5, 12:53=A0pm, "Nial Stewart"
<nial*REMOVE_TH...@nialstewartdevelopments.co.uk> wrote:
> "Omer Osman" <resea...@ottomaneng.com> wrote in message
>
> news:0...@v25g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
>
> > Hello world,
> > I'm looking at making my first FPGA board with a Cyclone III EP3C25
> > and am researching my boot memory solution. Reading Altera's docs they
> > reference their EPCS series serial programming chips but they run for
> > an outlandish $16 - $32 on Newark.
> > Googling got me to this page:
> >http://fpgaforum.blogspot.com/2006/03/any-replacement-for-altera-epcs...
> > that claims that their so called EPCS programming chips are nothing
> > more than SPI flash. Can anyone confirm this? I am looking at getting
> > the SST25VF032B 32Mb (4M x 8) SPI Flash memory.
>
> I don't think it can be just any serial flash, Quartus looks for the corr=
ect
> device ID (or similar) when programming. Check the data sheets for the
> details.
>
> I've sucessfully used the ST parts for a few years, I was told off the re=
cord
> by an FAE that the Altera parts are actually these re-branded.
>
> It must cost a lot to write 'Altera' on them!
>
> Nial

right

1) ST
2) the LOGO costs $$$ (actuall it DOESNT its just PURE profit to
Altera!)
3) different vendors maybe "compatible" for basic read and maybe
write, but that doesnt them make to work with native Quartus tools

Antti

On Tue, 5 Jan 2010 04:10:08 -0800 (PST), Antti
<a...@googlemail.com> wrote:

>On Jan 5, 12:53 pm, "Nial Stewart"
><nial*REMOVE_TH...@nialstewartdevelopments.co.uk> wrote:
>> "Omer Osman" <resea...@ottomaneng.com> wrote in message
>>
>> news:0...@v25g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> > Hello world,
>> > I'm looking at making my first FPGA board with a Cyclone III EP3C25
>> > and am researching my boot memory solution. Reading Altera's docs they
>> > reference their EPCS series serial programming chips but they run for
>> > an outlandish $16 - $32 on Newark.
>> > Googling got me to this page:
>> >http://fpgaforum.blogspot.com/2006/03/any-replacement-for-altera-epcs...
>> > that claims that their so called EPCS programming chips are nothing
>> > more than SPI flash. Can anyone confirm this? I am looking at getting
>> > the SST25VF032B 32Mb (4M x 8) SPI Flash memory.
>>
>> I don't think it can be just any serial flash, Quartus looks for the correct
>> device ID (or similar) when programming. Check the data sheets for the
>> details.
>>
>> I've sucessfully used the ST parts for a few years, I was told off the record
>> by an FAE that the Altera parts are actually these re-branded.

This should be pretty obvious from the datasheets.

>> It must cost a lot to write 'Altera' on them!
>>
>> Nial
>
>right
>
>1) ST
>2) the LOGO costs $$$ (actuall it DOESNT its just PURE profit to
>Altera!)
>3) different vendors maybe "compatible" for basic read and maybe
>write, but that doesnt them make to work with native Quartus tools
>
>Antti
>

There are a lot of differences between manufacturers withe SPI flash in the area of
write/erase
granularity, but they are generally compatible for read. 
If Quartus is fussy about programming, use Altera chips for prototyping and someone else's
for
production. 

I've used SST, Atmel and ST(Now Numonyx).
The SST ones I used suck as they don't have page write so very slow to program.
I think Atmel currently have the biggest available (i.e. ex-stock DK/Mouser) capacity in
8-SO at
32mbit (note the 26 series has errata in chip erase), and decent write/erase times.