Quartus 19.1 on Ubuntu 18.04 problems with internet and usbblaster

[fourtytwo42]

Hi All, am appealing to anybody who has a similar environment to give me a few tips here

The internet problem is weird, the system default is ffox 70 that runs fine standalone but none of the quartus menu's that would invoke it (help etc) work you just get no response. The same is true even if you set the browser path directly to ffox instead of default. Tried this on the Intel Quartus community and got nothing that worked.

2nd problem is byteblaster! OK I admit I bought a "compatible" device that is based on an STM32 and buffer chip https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Altera-Programmer-FPGA-CPLD-JTAG-Quartus-USB-Blaster-Compatible-Flux-Workshop/111612485555?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649. Quartus can see it ok BUT when trying to program target get various errors like “Error (209037): JTAG Server can't access selected programming hardware” & “Error (209040): Can't access JTAG chain”.

Target is QMtech EP4CE15 board https://github.com/ChinaQMTECH/CYCLONE_IV_EP4CE15

Host is dual core 64 bit intel running Linux 5.2.19

The only Windows I have access to is XP/SP3 and all the versions of Quartus that support Cyclone IV E are 64 bit

Two other things I can think of this is the Lite version (Licence free) & the help files were installed.
And another thing, there don't seem to be any log files anywhere except an installation log containing just that.

[BrianHG]

The only Windows I have access to is XP/SP3 and all the versions of Quartus that support Cyclone IV E are 64 bit

Two other things I can think of this is the Lite version (Licence free) & the help files were installed.
And another thing, there don't seem to be any log files anywhere except an installation log containing just that.

You can download all versions of Quartus, 32&64 bit at Intel.  If you want proper USB blaster support for the latest Windows, you need at least Quartus 12.0sp2.  If you want CycloneIV E support, this begins with Quartus 9.1.

Here you go:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/programmable/downloads/software/quartus-ii-we/91sp2.html

You can choose the Quartus you want.  Earlier versions of Quartus didn't even come in 64bit variants.

[BrianHG]

The internet problem is weird, the system default is ffox 70 that runs fine standalone but none of the quartus menu's that would invoke it (help etc) work you just get no response. The same is true even if you set the browser path directly to ffox instead of default. Tried this on the Intel Quartus community and got nothing that worked.

Intel has stopped supporting all older Quartus help through the Quartus menu.  I get the same problem as well in Windows with firefox.

[fourtytwo42]

The only Windows I have access to is XP/SP3 and all the versions of Quartus that support Cyclone IV E are 64 bit

Two other things I can think of this is the Lite version (Licence free) & the help files were installed.
And another thing, there don't seem to be any log files anywhere except an installation log containing just that.

You can download all versions of Quartus, 32&64 bit at Intel.  If you want proper USB blaster support for the latest Windows, you need at least Quartus 12.0sp2.  If you want CycloneIV E support, this begins with Quartus 9.1.

Here you go:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/programmable/downloads/software/quartus-ii-we/91sp2.html

You can choose the Quartus you want.  Earlier versions of Quartus didn't even come in 64bit variants.

Thank you so much for the reply Ghaaaaaaaaa this is one of the many versions with download links broken! I complained to the Intel forum and got some response like "INTEL ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM"..................................... AND?? nothing!

Frankly in a past life I was a fairly heavy user of Altera but now Intel have taken over

[fourtytwo42]

Intel has stopped supporting all older Quartus help through the Quartus menu.  I get the same problem as well in Windows with firefox.

Lolo this even applies to 19.1 though I realise as the Pro release is up to 19.3 now I guess it could be considered old 

[BrianHG]

All I can offer is:
12.0sp2_263_quartus_free_windows.exe
or
91sp2_quartus_free.exe   <the last 'Fast' version of Quartus with internal simulator.

I cannot offer any of the paid versions.

[fourtytwo42]

All I can offer is:
12.0sp2_263_quartus_free_windows.exe
or
91sp2_quartus_free.exe   <the last 'Fast' version of Quartus with internal simulator.

I cannot offer any of the paid versions.

Well both of those are on my list of broken links at the Intel download site (that they claim to know about yet are doing nothing to fix them).
I only ever use free software where possible, I certainly would not countenance paying there overpriced licences.

As I have very slow internet I usually just try downloading the stand-alone programmer where available .

The only old version I did manage to download and did run on XP/32 bit was 8/sp1 but that didn't support Cyclone IV, doers your 12.0/sp2 ?

[BrianHG]

Both support Cyclone IV.  However, with a 64bit OS, the USB blaster may crash in V9.1sp2.

V12.0sp2 = 3GB.  Includes Nios.  I would have to break this one up into 2 .rar files giving you 2 download links.

V9.1sp2 = 1.9GB.

[blacksheeplogic]

Quartus can see it ok BUT when trying to program target get various errors like “Error (209037): JTAG Server can't access selected programming hardware” & “Error (209040): Can't access JTAG chain”.

I had that issue, you need to download a later (latest) version of Quartus, older versions were dependent on a SDK. I don't remember the details and I don't have the Ubuntu development system connected & booted right now to look at the exact version I'm currently using.

[BrianHG]

Here is: 12.0sp2_263_quartus_free_windows in 2 parts.  You need Winrar to re-assemble them into the 3gb original.

Part 1: https://we.tl/t-NxmEODa4A9
Part 2: https://we.tl/t-lQdpTV0YRB

They should download like any other http link.  They will auto delete in 7 days.

[blacksheeplogic]

I do not have the Ubuntu system available right now but according to my notes I'm using 18.1.1.646-linux. If you don't have any luck with that I will can boot the image I'm using but not until the weekend to get the fileset. My other systems are Debian images.

[fourtytwo42]

Here is: 12.0sp2_263_quartus_free_windows in 2 parts.  You need Winrar to re-assemble them into the 3gb original.

Part 1: https://we.tl/t-NxmEODa4A9
Part 2: https://we.tl/t-lQdpTV0YRB

They should download like any other http link.  They will auto delete in 7 days.

THANK YOU SO MUCH KIND SIR! This is up & running on my XP 32 bit machine and the jtag debugger is working with the usb byteblaster yeyyyy
I will move my development environment onto it and check everything works but I am sure it will.
Maybe I could have got here myself a few days ago if the Intel download site was not so badly broken..... In case that's deliberate I shall guard your gift very carefully

YEYYYYY just to confirm it all works and programs the target fine, thank you very much again 

[fourtytwo42]

Quartus can see it ok BUT when trying to program target get various errors like “Error (209037): JTAG Server can't access selected programming hardware” & “Error (209040): Can't access JTAG chain”.

I had that issue, you need to download a later (latest) version of Quartus, older versions were dependent on a SDK. I don't remember the details and I don't have the Ubuntu development system connected & booted right now to look at the exact version I'm currently using.

I am running the latest free version of Quartus that being 19.1, I also tested the very latest available programmer 19.3 and that didn't work either.

[nali]

I had a brief tinker with a cheapo eBay board/blaster a little while ago; from what I remember I had to set up a udev rule to allow non-root access to the blaster device:

https://rocketboards.org/foswiki/Documentation/UsingUSBBlasterUnderLinux

[fourtytwo42]

I had a brief tinker with a cheapo eBay board/blaster a little while ago; from what I remember I had to set up a udev rule to allow non-root access to the blaster device:

https://rocketboards.org/foswiki/Documentation/UsingUSBBlasterUnderLinux

Many thanks that sounds very promising as I have certainly not done that to date and now thanks to the software from BrianHG I know there is nothing wrong with the blaster itself.

EDIT I am sorry to report those incantations dont work as I had forgotten I had applied them some time ago after I found them somewhere else and I checked they do apply to the correct usb device by checking in lsusb.

So it seems Altera/Intels latest code wont run on an Ubuntu 18.04/64 bit machine! I have now been reduced to running the development platform on XPsp3/32 bit that at least runs Quartus/Modelsim 12.0 together with the usb-blaster properly!

There are still many problems on the Altera/Intel download site but some of them can be fixed by inserting /akdlm after altera.com in url when it spouts out invalid url!