Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing Quick Start

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MNL-1087 | 2018.04.16

Altera FPGA Software Installation and Licensing Quick Start

Downloading and Installing Quick Start

This quick start provides streamlined instructions for downloading, installing, and licensing Altera^® FPGA software. These instructions assume that you are a single user of the software, and are using Windows or Linux.

You download software from the Download Center on www.altera.com. Use one of the following methods:

Download a bundled set of software and device files, in .tar format
Download individual executable files for customized download and installation

The method you choose depends on your download speed, design requirements, and method of installation. If you want the complete FPGA software package and device support for all supported families, use the .tar format. If you want to download select elements of the software, additional software, or additional device support, use the individual executable files.

Note: If you use a 64-bit Linux operating system, you must install certain 32-bit libraries to run the ModelSim - Altera^® FPGA Edition software. Refer to the software prerequisites for complete details.

This quick start describes how to download software using the .tar format. To download using other methods, refer to the detailed download and installation instructions in the Altera^® FPGA Software Installation and Licensing Manual.

Windows Download Manager

If you are using the Windows operating system, the Akamai DLM3 Download Manager should automatically download and install on your local machine. The download manager controls the download of the files you select and allows you to pause and restart the download at any time.

Note: If you are on the Linux operating system or if the download manager does not work on your computer, you must individually download all the files.

Downloading and Installing with .tar Files

Follow these steps to download and install FPGA software with .tar files:

On the Download Center page of www.altera.com, choose whether you want to download and install the Quartus^® Prime Lite, Standard, or Pro Edition Software.
Verify that your operating system (OS) is correct, or select a different OS.
Verify that you have sufficient free disk space to contain copies of uncompressed versions of the software files.
On the version-specific download page, click Combined Files.
Choose which files to download:
- Single, complete .tar file.
- Quartus^® Prime Standard or Pro Edition .tar file and one or more device-specific .tar files.
- Quartus^® Prime Lite Edition, which includes device files.
To verify the software and device support included in each file, view the file contents by hovering your mouse over the information icon.
Download using one of the following methods:
- Windows: Select the files and click the Download Selected Files button.
- Linux: Click the download button next to each file name.
Wait for all of the files to download completely before beginning installation.
Extract the file(s) into the same directory. If you extract the files to different directories, the installer does not install all of the components. The components subdirectory stores software and device installation files.
Windows: You must unzip the .tar files to extract the installation files. WinZip, 7-Zip, and WinRAR are examples of unzipping tools. You must unzip the files to the same directory. In WinZip, click the Unzip button and then click Unzip to a selected folder. Do not use unzip program shortcuts, such as 1-Click Unzip.
Run one of the following files to begin installation. The installation wizard guides you through installation.
- setup.bat (Windows) or setup.sh (Linux) script (Lite and Standard Editions)
- setup_pro.bat (Windows) or setup_pro.sh (Linux) script (Pro Edition)

Installing Programming Cable Drivers

You must install the appropriate programming cable drivers before you can use a download cable or programming unit to program devices with the Quartus^® Prime software.

The programming cable drivers are located in the following directories:

Windows: <drive> :\<edition>\ <version number>\quartus\drivers
Linux: <home directory>/ <edition> /<version number>/quartus/drivers

Configuring the Linux User Environment

Before starting the Quartus^® Prime software for Linux for the first time, you must set up the Linux user environment.

Update each user’s PATH environment variable in the .cshrc file or .bashrc file, which is located in the home directory, to include the Quartus^® Prime bin directory. The bin directory is usually located at <home directory> /<edition>/ <version number> /quartus/bin directory, where <home directory> is the default directory of your Linux workstation or as set by your system administrator. To update the PATH environment variable, type the following command at a command prompt:
- C shell:
```
setenv PATH ${PATH}:/<
               Quartus^® Prime system directory>/bin
```
- Bash shell:
```
export PATH=${PATH}:/<
               Quartus^® Prime system directory>/bin
```
If you run the Quartus^® Prime software for Linux with a script, you can run the latest installed version of the Quartus^® Prime software with the quartus (Lite and Standard Editions) or qpro (Pro Edition) executable either by specifying the latest version of the Quartus^® Prime software, or the full path for the quartus or qpro executable in the PATH environment variable.
Review (and update as appropriate), each user’s QUARTUS_ROOTDIR_OVERRIDE environment variable, which specifies the name of the Quartus^® Prime system directory, and each user’s Quartus^® Prime general environment variables.
Optional: If you are using the LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE environment variable to specify your license file or license server address, modify the value of LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE to point to your license.dat file.
Versions of FPGA software that you purchase require a license; you can specify the license using the LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE environment variable or from within the software. Refer to the licensing instructions for more information.
Save the changes to the .cshrc file or .bashrc file, and then type the following at a command prompt:
- C shell:
```
cd
source .cshrc
```
- Bash shell:
```
cd
. ~/.bashrc
```

Starting the Quartus Prime Software on Linux

To start the Quartus^® Prime software, type one of the following commands at the command prompt:

Quartus^® Prime Lite or Standard Edition: <path to quartus installation> \quartus\bin\quartus
Quartus^® Prime Pro Edition: <path to quartus installation> \quartus\bin\qpro

Note: Make sure you do not run the quartus or qpro command in the /< Quartus^® Prime system directory>/linux64 directory. If you start the Quartus^® Prime software in a platform-specific directory, the software may not function correctly.

Licensing Quick Start

Versions of Altera^® FPGA software that you purchase require a license.

The license enables the software version that you purchase, as well as all previous versions, and all versions that are within one year of the purchase date. A license for the Quartus^® Prime software also enables the IP library. The license does not expire; you can use these products indefinitely.

The ModelSim - Altera^® FPGA Edition software requires a valid license. This license expires 12 months after the date of purchase. Every 12 months you must regenerate your license file in the Self-Service Licensing Center to renew your license for the specific ModelSim - Altera^® FPGA Edition software version that you purchase.

Note: The Quartus^® Prime Lite Edition and ModelSim - Altera^® FPGA Starter Edition Software do NOT require a license. If you are using this software, you can skip the licensing step and begin using the software.

This quick start describes how to license the Quartus^® Prime Standard and Pro Edition software for a single user on one computer. For other licensing options, refer to the detailed licensing instructions.

Note: Development kits that include the Quartus^® Prime software include instructions for obtaining a license for that software.

Licensing the Quartus Prime Software for a Single User, Single Computer

To license the Quartus^® Prime software, you can direct the software to retrieve a license file automatically, or you can manually request a license file from the Self‑Service Licensing Center of www.altera.com and install it.

To obtain a license file, follow these steps:

Start the Quartus^® Prime software. If the software does not detect a license, you are prompted to evaluate, license, or buy the software.
Request a license file using one of the following methods:
- Select Perform automatic web license retrieval. The software attempts to retrieve the license automatically from www.altera.com.
- Manually request a license file using the Self‑Service Licensing Center.
  Note: You need to know your computer's network interface card (NIC) ID number to manually request a license.
If the Quartus^® Prime software is able to retrieve a fixed license file successfully, you can skip the remaining licensing steps and begin using the software.
If you requested a license file manually, Altera^® emails you the license file text and an attached file. Use the attached license file to set up a fixed license.
If you do not receive your license email within 12 hours of requesting a license, or if you do not know all the required information to complete the process, file a service request at the mySupport section of www.altera.com.

Identifying Your NIC ID

A network interface card (NIC) ID is a 12‑digit hexadecimal string embedded in the network card that uniquely identifies the PC where the software or license server is installed.

You can find the NIC ID by running a command-line utility on your computer.

Note: If you purchase a floating license and are setting up a license manager server, you can use the FLEXlm licensing scheme to configure up to three redundant license servers. The first server specified is the master. Use the master server’s NIC ID or host ID when obtaining a license from Self-Service Licensing Center.

Find Your Windows NIC ID

Type the following command at a command prompt:

ipconfig /all

In the output of the command, the NIC ID is the physical address without the dashes. If your PC has more than one network card, you can use the NIC ID of any network card connected to the computer that is turned on when the Quartus^® Prime software is in use.

Find Your Linux NIC ID

Type the following command at a command prompt:

/sbin/ifconfig eth0

In the output of the command, the NIC ID is the ID to the right of HWaddr, without the colons.

Find Your NIC ID If the Quartus Prime Software Is Installed

Your NIC ID appears under Local System info in the Network Interface Card (NIC) ID field.

Setting Up a Fixed License

To set up a fixed license file (single user, single computer), follow these steps:

Make a backup copy of any existing license.dat file for reference.
Save the license.dat file (that was attached to the licensing email you received) on your local hard drive.

Store the license.dat file in a directory named C:\licenses\flexlm (Windows) or /usr/local/flexlm/licenses (Linux).

When you specify the license file location, use only alphanumeric characters and do not type any special characters or symbols, such as !$%^&*<>, empty spaces, or non-English characters in the license file directory name. Special characters may invalidate the license file location.
Use one of the following methods to specify your license:
- Specify the license within the Quartus^® Prime software.
- Specify the license file using an environment variable.
If you are using the legacy Quartus II software version 7.2 or earlier, you must also use a software guard. Attach the software guard to a parallel or USB port on your computer.

Specifying the License File within the Quartus Prime Software

You can specify a fixed or floating license file within the Quartus^® Prime software.

To specify the license file within the Quartus^® Prime software, follow these steps:

Start the Quartus^® Prime software. If the Quartus^® Prime software cannot detect a valid license file, you are prompted to license, evaluate, or buy the software.
Select Specify valid license file. The License Setup page on the Options dialog box appears.
In the License file box, specify the full path name of the license.dat file.
Click OK.

After you specify the location of the license file, you can begin using the software.

Specifying the License File with the LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE Environment Variable

You can specify the Quartus^® Prime software license location with the LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE environment variable.

To specify the license file:

Close the software if it is open.
Set the LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE environment variable using the Control Panel (Windows) or by editing your .cshrc or .bashrc file (Linux).
Note: Linux: You must source your .cshrc or .bashrc file before restarting the Quartus^® Prime software. See the topic on setting up the Linux environment for more details.
Start the Quartus^® Prime software.

Note: The license file setting in the License Setup dialog box supersedes the LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE environment variable setting.

Setting Windows Environment Variables

To set environment variables in Windows, follow these steps:

Click Windows Start menu > Control Panel or open the Control Panel app.
Click System and Security.
Click System.
Click Advanced system settings.
Click the Advanced tab in the System Properties dialog box.
Click Environment Variables.
Select a variable in the Environment Variables dialog box.
Click Edit.
Type a value in the Variable value box in the Edit Variable dialog box.

Document Revision History for Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing Quick Start

Date	Version	Changes
2018.04.16	17.1.0	Updated licensing information for ModelSim^® - Intel FPGA Edition software
2017.03.03	16.1.0	Initial release.