Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Programmer

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ID 683039
Date 7/07/2025
Public
Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
Answers to Top FAQs 1. Quartus® Prime Programmer User Guide 2. Using the Quartus® Prime Programmer 3. Using the HPS Flash Programmer A. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Programmer Document Archive B. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides
1. Quartus® Prime Programmer User Guide x
1.1. Generating Primary Device Programming Files 1.2. Generating Secondary Programming Files 1.3. Enabling Bitstream Security for Stratix® 10 and Agilex™ 7 Devices 1.4. Enabling Bitstream Encryption or Compression for Arria® 10 and Cyclone® 10 GX Devices 1.5. Generating Programming Files for Partial Reconfiguration 1.6. Generating Programming Files for Altera® FPGA Devices with Hard Processor Systems 1.7. Scripting Support 1.8. Generating Programming Files Revision History
1.1. Generating Primary Device Programming Files x
1.1.1. Specifying Voltage Regulator Options
1.2. Generating Secondary Programming Files x
1.2.1. Generating Secondary Programming Files (Programming File Generator) 1.2.2. Generating Secondary Programming Files (Convert Programming File Dialog Box) 1.2.3. Generating Secondary Programming Files (Settings: Programming Files Dialog Box)
1.2.1. Generating Secondary Programming Files (Programming File Generator) x
1.2.1.1. Configuration Modes (Programming File Generator) 1.2.1.2. Secondary Programming Files (Programming File Generator) 1.2.1.3. Differentiating Programming Bitstream Versions
1.2.2. Generating Secondary Programming Files (Convert Programming File Dialog Box) x
1.2.2.1. Secondary Programming Files (Convert Programming Files) 1.2.2.2. Configuration Modes (Convert Programming Files) 1.2.2.3. Debugging the Configuration (Convert Programming Files)
1.3. Enabling Bitstream Security for Stratix® 10 and Agilex™ 7 Devices x
1.3.1. Enabling Bitstream Authentication (Programming File Generator) 1.3.2. Specifying Additional Physical Security Settings (Programming File Generator) 1.3.3. Enabling Bitstream Encryption (Programming File Generator)
1.5. Generating Programming Files for Partial Reconfiguration x
1.5.1. Generating PR Bitstream Files 1.5.2. Partial Reconfiguration Bitstream Compatibility Checking 1.5.3. Raw Binary Programming File Byte Sequence Transmission Examples 1.5.4. Generating a Merged .pmsf File from Multiple .pmsf Files ( Arria® 10 and Cyclone® 10 GX Designs)
1.6. Generating Programming Files for Altera® FPGA Devices with Hard Processor Systems x
1.6.1. Generating Programming Files for HPS Boot First Boot Flows 1.6.2. Generating Programming Files for FPGA Configuration First Boot Flows
1.7. Scripting Support x
1.7.1. quartus_pfg Command Line Tool 1.7.2. quartus_cpf Command Line Tool
1.7.2. quartus_cpf Command Line Tool x
1.7.2.1. Generating a Partial-Mask SRAM Object File using a Mask Settings File and a SRAM Object File
2. Using the Quartus® Prime Programmer x
2.1. Quartus® Prime Programmer 2.2. Programming and Configuration Modes 2.3. Basic Device Configuration Steps 2.4. Specifying the Programming Hardware Setup 2.5. Programming with Flash Loaders 2.6. Verifying the Programming File Source with Project Hash 2.7. Using PR Bitstream Security Verification ( Stratix® 10 Designs) 2.8. Stand-Alone Programmer and Tools 2.9. Programmer Settings Reference 2.10. Scripting Support 2.11. Using the Quartus® Prime Programmer Revision History
2.4. Specifying the Programming Hardware Setup x
2.4.1. JTAG Chain Debugger Tool 2.4.2. Editing the Details of an Unknown Device 2.4.3. Running JTAG Daemon with Linux
2.4.1. JTAG Chain Debugger Tool x
2.4.1.1. JTAG Chain Integrity Tab 2.4.1.2. JTAG Chain Debugging Tab
2.5. Programming with Flash Loaders x
2.5.1. Specifying Flash Partitions 2.5.2. Full Erase of Flash Memory Sectors
2.6. Verifying the Programming File Source with Project Hash x
2.6.1. Obtaining Project Hash for Arria® 10 Devices
2.8. Stand-Alone Programmer and Tools x
2.8.1. Stand-Alone Programmer Memory Consumption
2.9. Programmer Settings Reference x
2.9.1. Device & Pin Options Dialog Box 2.9.2. More Security Options Dialog Box 2.9.3. Output Files Tab Settings (Programming File Generator) 2.9.4. Input Files Tab Settings (Programming File Generator) 2.9.5. Bitstream Co-Signing Security Settings (Programming File Generator) 2.9.6. Configuration Device Tab Settings 2.9.7. Add Partition Dialog Box (Programming File Generator) 2.9.8. Add Filesystem Dialog Box (Programming File Generator) 2.9.9. Convert Programming File Dialog Box 2.9.10. Compression and Encryption Settings (Convert Programming File) 2.9.11. SOF Data Properties Dialog Box (Convert Programming File) 2.9.12. Select Devices (Flash Loader) Dialog Box
2.10. Scripting Support x
2.10.1. The jtagconfig Debugging Tool
3. Using the HPS Flash Programmer x
3.1. Supported Devices 3.2. HPS Flash Programmer Command-Line Utility 3.3. How the HPS Flash Programmer Works 3.4. Using the Flash Programmer from the Command Line 3.5. Supported Memory Devices 3.6. HPS Flash Programmer User Guide Revision History
3.4. Using the Flash Programmer from the Command Line x
3.4.1. HPS Flash Programmer 3.4.2. HPS Flash Programmer Command Line Examples
Answers to Top FAQs
1. Quartus® Prime Programmer User Guide
2. Using the Quartus® Prime Programmer
3. Using the HPS Flash Programmer
A. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Programmer Document Archive
B. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides

3. Using the HPS Flash Programmer

The Quartus® Prime software and Quartus® Prime Programmer include the hard processor system (HPS) flash programmer. Hardware designs, such as HPS, incorporate flash memory on the board to store FPGA configuration data or HPS program data. The HPS flash programmer programs the data into a flash memory device connected to an Altera® FPGA SoC. The programmer sends file contents over a download cable, such as the Intel® FPGA Download Cable II, to the HPS and instructs the HPS to write the data to the flash memory.

The HPS flash programmer programs the following content types to flash memory:

  • HPS software executable files—Many systems use flash memory to store non-volatile program code or firmware. HPS systems can boot from flash memory.
    Note: The HPS Flash Programmer is mainly intended to be used for programming the Preloader image to QSPI or NAND flash. Because of the low speed of operation, it is not recommended to be used for programming large files.
  • FPGA configuration data—At system power-up, the FPGA configuration controller on the board or HPS read FPGA configuration data from the flash memory to program the FPGA. The configuration controller or HPS may be able to choose between multiple FPGA configuration files stored in flash memory.
  • Other arbitrary data files—The HPS flash programmer programs a binary file to any location in a flash memory for any purpose. For example, a HPS program can use this data as a coefficient table or a sine lookup table.
The HPS flash programmer programs the following memory types:
  • Quad serial peripheral interface (QSPI) Flash
  • Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) compliant NAND Flash

Section Content
Supported Devices
HPS Flash Programmer Command-Line Utility
How the HPS Flash Programmer Works
Using the Flash Programmer from the Command Line
Supported Memory Devices
HPS Flash Programmer User Guide Revision History

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