Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing
Version Information
| Updated for: |
|---|
| Intel® Quartus® Prime Design Suite 21.1 |
1. Introduction to Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing
1.1. Intel FPGA Download Center
1.2. Intel FPGA Self-Service Licensing Center
2. System Requirements and Prerequisites
2.1. Minimum Hardware Requirements
The Intel® Quartus® Prime software requires:
- A
Windows*
PC or Linux
workstation.
- For the most up-to-date FPGA software operating system requirements, refer to the Operating System Support page of www.intel.com.
- A minimum CPU of 64-bit Intel® Nethalem (2008) or an AMD Bulldozer (2011) microarchitecture processor with SSE4.2 instruction set or later.
- A monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 display resolution.
- At least 36 GB of free disk space to contain copies of uncompressed version
installation
files.
For disk space requirements for individual software components or
Intel® FPGA IP cores, refer to the Requirements page on the
website, and click the Memory Recommendations
tab.Important:
- The disk space may be significantly more based on the device families included in the install.
- Prior to installation, the disk space should be enough to hold both zipped tar files and uncompressed installation files.
- After successful installation, delete the downloaded zipped files to release the disk space.
2.2. Cable and Port Requirements
- USB port for connecting an
Intel® FPGA Download Cable (Formerly USB Blaster) or
Intel® FPGA Download Cable II (Formerly USB Blaster II).
For information about the Intel® FPGA Download Cable II, refer to the Intel® FPGA Download Cable II (formerly USB Blaster II) User Guide .
- 10/100 Mb Ethernet connection for
connecting an
Intel® FPGA Ethernet Cable download cable
(formerly EthernetBlaster II Download Cable).
For more information, refer to the EthernetBlaster II Communications Cable User Guide.
2.3. Software Requirements
- One of the following browsers with an Internet connection for
Intel®
Quartus® Prime software Internet resources:
- Mozilla Firefox version 3.6 or later
- Microsoft Internet Explorer version 8.0 or later
- Microsoft Edge
- Google Chrome
- Other requirements depend on your OS:
| OS | Prerequisite |
|---|---|
| Any Linux OS distribution | KDE or GNOME window manager (version included with your Linux distribution) |
| Native XServer software | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and 7 | Install the following RPM packages:
|
| SUSE 12 Enterprise operating system | Install the 64-bit libpng12.so.0 library. Obtain equivalent or substitute packages listed for Red Hat Enterprise Linux or above. |
| Ubuntu Enterprise Linux | Install libc6:i386, libncurses5:i386,
libxtst6:i386, libxft2:i386, libstdc++6:i386, libc6-dev-i386, lib32z1, lib32ncurses5, lib32bz2-1.0, and libpng12 libraries. Note:
|
| Windows |
|
2.3.1. Installing Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on Windows
Starting with Nios® II EDS in Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition version 19.2 and Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard Edition version 19.1, the Cygwin component in the Windows* version of Nios® II EDS has been removed and replaced with Windows* Subsystem for Linux* (WSL).
The procedure for installing WSL:
- For the Nios® II Command Shell, use all command line tools, as before, but you need to add .exe to launch a Windows* executable, like eclipse-nios2.exe or jtagconfig.exe.
- Nios® II BSP and application projects from previous Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition releases are not compatible with this WSL solution. You are required to regenerate your projects.
2.3.2. Intel High Level Synthesis Compiler Software Requirements
The Intel HLS Compiler requires the C++ Compiler and Mentor Graphics* ModelSim* Software in addition to Intel® Quartus® Prime:
C++ Compiler
On Linux, Intel® HLS Compiler requires GCC 9.1.0 including the GNU C++ library and binary utilities (binutils).
This version of GCC is provided as part of your Intel® HLS Compiler installation. After installing the Intel® HLS Compiler, GCC 9.3.0 is available in <installdir>/gcc.
- Microsoft* Visual Studio* 2017 Professional
- Microsoft* Visual Studio* 2017 Community
For ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition software requirements, refer to ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition Software Requirements
2.3.3. ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition Software Requirements
The prerequisites to install ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition depend on your OS:
| OS | Requisite |
|---|---|
| Red Hat Linux Enterprise 6 and 7 | Install the following additional RPM packages:
|
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 | Obtain equivalent or substitute packages listed for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, or above. |
| Windows | Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable Package
(x86). Note: If you have administrator privileges, the installation of
ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition installs this package
automatically.
|
2.4. Interaction with Third-party Software
If you are running the Bitdefender antivirus software, ensure to temporarily disable the software when downloading and installing the Intel® Quartus® Prime software.
3. Downloading and Installing Intel FPGA Software
- To download select elements of the software, additional software, or additional device support, use individual files.
- To download the complete software package and device support for all supported families, use .tar files.
3.1. Software Available in the Download Center
-
Intel®
Quartus® Prime Pro, Standard, and Lite
Edition software1
(includes the
Nios® II EDS
plug-in and IP Library) Note:
- Starting with Nios II EDS in the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition version 19.2 and Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard Edition version 19.1, the Cygwin component in the Windows version of Nios® II EDS has been removed and replaced with WSL.
- Starting with Nios® II EDS version 19.1, the Nios® II EDS requires the Eclipse IDE component to be manually installed.
- Intel® Quartus® Prime Help
- ModelSim* software
- DSP Builder for Intel® FPGAs
- FLEXlm license server software
- Advanced Link Analyzer
- Stand-alone Intel® Quartus® Prime Programmer and Tools1
- Intel® FPGA SDK for OpenCL™ 2 3
- Intel® High Level Synthesis Compiler
- Intel® FPGA Power and Thermal Calculator
You must install device support for Agilex™ , Intel® eASIC™ N5X, Stratix® , Arria® , Cyclone® , or MAX® device families as part of the Intel® Quartus® Prime installation.
3.2. Installation Path
The installation path must satisfy the following requirements:
- Contain only alphanumeric characters
- No special characters or symbols, such as !$%@^&*<>,
- Only English characters
- No spaces
Default Installation Path
| Linux | <home directory>/<edition>/<version number> | <home directory> is the default path of the Linux workstation, or as set by the system administrator |
| Windows | <drive>:\<edition>\<version number> |
- intelFPGA_lite—for Lite Edition
- intelFPGA—for Standard Edition
- intelFPGA_pro—for Pro Edition
If you use a different path, substitute the appropriate name for <installation-directory> in the installation steps.
3.3. Downloading and Installing with Individual Executable Files
3.3.1. Downloading Individual Executable Files
3.3.2. Installing Intel FPGA Software at the Command Prompt
- Linux:
<product>-<version>.run
-
Windows*
:
<product>-<version>.exe
Command-Line Installer Examples
<product>-<version>.run --help
<product>-<version>.exe --mode unattended
--unattendedmodeui minimal
--installdir <installation directory>
--accept_eula 1
<product>-<version>.run --mode text
--installdir <installation directory>
3.3.2.1. Command-Line Options
The available command-line arguments for the installer are:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| --help | Displays the installer help. |
| --version | Displays product information. |
| --unattendedmodeui <unattendedmodeui> |
Specifies whether the installation requires user interaction. This argument is useful with unattended mode. Options are:
Note: If you install in unattended mode, you must also
include the --accept_eula 1
option.
|
| --mode <mode> |
Specifies the installation mode. For
Linux, the available modes are:
For
Windows*
, the available modes are:
|
| --accept_eula 1 |
States that you accept the Intel FPGA End User License Agreement. This option is mandatory when you use unattended mode. |
| --disable-components <disable-components> | Specifies which components you want to disable, in a comma-separated list. |
| --installdir <installdir> | Specifies the
target
installation
directory for
Intel FPGA software. Refer to Download and Installation Prerequisites for the default installation directories. |
| --product_copy_name <product_copy_name> | If you install multiple copies of the same software with the same version on Windows, it specifies the installation name. Default=none. |
| --install-lic <install_lic> | Specifies the target directory for the license agreement files. |
3.4. Downloading and Installing Using .tar Files
3.4.1. Downloading .tar Files
3.4.2. Installing from .tar Files
3.4.3. Using the Same Installation Files on Multiple Systems
- Download and save the installation files to a location that is accessible by each system on which you want to install Intel FPGA software.
-
To perform the installation, you can:
- Launch the installation wizard from each system.
- Write and run a custom installation script using the available command-line arguments.
3.5. Intel Quartus Prime Environment Variables
QUARTUS_ROOTDIR_OVERRIDE
Use this optional environment variable when you have multiple copies of the Intel® Quartus® Prime software on the same computer and you want to determine which version to open by default.
QUARTUS_LIBRARY_PATHS
The QUARTUS_LIBRARY_PATHS environment variable specifies user‑defined library paths.
You can use this environment variable to define multiple library paths at the same time, instead of individually adding each path to the user library.
PATH
You must add $QSYS_ROOTDIR to the PATH variable. The $QSYS_ROOTDIR locates the directory at ${installdir}/qsys/bin.
LM_LICENSE_FILE
The LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable specify the location of the license file. However, the Intel® Quartus® Prime software overrides the value of the environment variable with the location that you specify in the License Setup dialog box.
LC_ALL
You must ensure that your operating system locale is set up correctly. In particular, the locale you specify in LC_ALL environment variable must match the locale settings (such as LANG). If there is a mismatch, the following Perl warning might be generated during IP generation:
perl: warning: Setting locale failed.
This warning results in IP generation failure.
3.6. Starting the Intel Quartus Prime Software
For versions that you purchase, the Intel® Quartus® Prime software prompts you for license information if it does not detect a license upon startup. You are prompted to evaluate, buy, or retrieve a license. The Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software provides the additional option of running the software in free mode for Intel® Cyclone® 10 GX devices only.
Starting the Intel® FPGA Software on Windows
Use any of the following methods to start Intel® FPGA software on Windows:
- On the desktop, double-click the Intel® FPGA software icon.
- On the Windows Start menu, click .
- At a command prompt,
type:
<installation-directory>\bin64\quartus
Starting the Intel® FPGA Software on Linux
Use the following method to start Intel® FPGA software on Linux:
- Type the following at the command
prompt:
<installation-directory>/quartus/bin/quartus
3.7. Installing Programming Cable Drivers
Locate the appropriate drivers in the following location and install the driver according to your operating system:
- Windows:
<installation-directory>\quartus\drivers
- Linux:
<installation-directory>/quartus/drivers
For detailed information on installing drivers and setting up cables, refer to the corresponding cable user guide.
3.7.1. Installing Drivers on Red Hat Enterprise Linux Systems
3.7.1.1. Installing on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
3.7.1.2. Installing on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 or Above
- Create a file named /etc/udev/rules.d/51-usbblaster.rules
-
In the file, write the following lines, depending on the type of
download cable:
-
Intel® FPGA Download Cable
SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="09fb", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6001", MODE="0666" SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="09fb", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6002", MODE="0666" SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="09fb", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6003", MODE="0666" -
Intel® FPGA Download Cable II:
SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="09fb", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6010", MODE="0666" SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="09fb", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6810", MODE="0666"
-
Intel® FPGA Download Cable
3.8. Installing and Configuring a JTAG Server
3.8.1. Installing and Configuring jtagserver on Windows
If you do not have the Administrator privilege during installation, or if you choose not to install the JTAG Server as a Windows service automatically, then when necessary, you can install the JTAG Server manually using the command line option, jtagserver.exe --install as an Administrator. The jtagserver.exe is available within your Intel® Quartus® Prime software installation directory (<path>/quartus/bin64). The installed service does not run as an Administrator.
- After the installation, you can either use the tab or the command-line option --status to verify if the jtagserver service is running.
- You can control the jtagserver service using the --start and --stop command-line options or using the Task Manager.
If there is no active JTAG Server process running, client applications such as Programmer automatically launches an instance of the non-persistent JTAG Server (without it running as a service) and exists after two minutes of idleness.
3.8.2. Installing and Configuring a Local JTAG Server (jtagd) on Linux
In a typical operation, the client application (for example, Intel® Quartus® Prime Programmer) starts the jtagd, which runs under your user account that is running the Intel® FPGA software. In this mode, jtagd exits after two minutes of idleness.
If you want to connect to the JTAG Server remotely, then manually run jtagd as a process by running the command <path>/quartus/linux64/jtagd with no argument, followed by running the command jtagconfig --enableremote <password> to make JTAG Server accept connection from remote clients. This allows you to log off without terminating the jtagd process.
3.9. Adding Device Support and Other Intel FPGA Software to Existing Installation
3.10. Managing Multiple Versions and Copies of Intel FPGA Software
- To specify which version you want to open by default, setting the QUARTUS_ROOTDIR_OVERRIDE environment variable.
- To preserve project compilation databases from an earlier version of the software before installing a newer version, open the design in the earlier version of the software and export a version-compatible database for the design.
3.11. Updating Intel FPGA Software
3.12. Uninstalling Intel FPGA Software
3.12.1. Uninstalling on Windows
3.12.2. Uninstalling on Linux
- Ensure that none of your project files are contained in the Intel FPGA software installation directory
- Delete the software directory.
4. Licensing Intel FPGA Software
- The version of the Intel® Quartus® Prime software you purchase
- All previous supported versions
- All versions released within a year of the purchase date
Intel also uses licenses to enable additional software, such as purchased IP cores. For more information about licensing conditions of Intel FPGA software, refer to Types of Intel FPGA Software Licenses.
4.1. Checking the IP License Status
To generate and view the Assembler report in the GUI:
- Click Assembler on the Compilation Dashboard.
- When the Assembler (and any prerequisite stages of compilation) complete,
click the Report icon for the Assembler in
the Compilation Dashboard.Assembler Report Icon in Compilation Dashboard
- Click the Encrypted IP Cores
Summary report.Encrypted IP Cores Summary Report
To generate and view the Assembler report at the command line:
- Type the following
command:
quartus_asm <project name> -c <project revision>
- View the output report in
/output_files/<project_name>.asm.rpt.
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ; Assembler Encrypted IP Cores Summary ; +--------+----------------------------------------------+--------------+ ; Vendor ; IP Core Name ; License Type ; +--------+----------------------------------------------+--------------+ ; Intel ; PCIe SRIOV with 4-PFs and 2K-VFs (6AF7 00FB) ; Unlicensed ; ; Intel ; Signal Tap (6AF7 BCE1) ; Licensed ; ; Intel ; Signal Tap (6AF7 BCEC) ; Licensed ; +--------+----------------------------------------------+--------------+
4.2. Evaluating the Intel Quartus Prime Software
When you start the Intel® Quartus® Prime software, if the software cannot detect a valid license file, a dialog box with the following options appears:
- Buy the Intel® Quartus® Prime Subscription Edition software—launches your default Internet browser and displays the Buy Design Software page of www.intel.com, where you can view and purchase software.
- Enter free mode with limited device family support—Only available for Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software, the free mode supports Intel® Cyclone® 10 GX devices only.
- Start the 30-day evaluation period with no license file—allows you to use the Intel® Quartus® Prime software for 30 days without programming file support.
- If you have a valid license file, specify the location of your license file—displays the License Setup page of the Options dialog box, where you can specify the location of your license file.
Select the 30-day evaluation option to evaluate the software before purchase.
4.3. Licensing Intel FPGA Software Walkthrough
- Activate Products
- Obtain Necessary Hardware Information
- Request a License File from the Self-Service Licensing Center
- Depending of the type of license that you use:
4.3.1. Activate Products
-
Access the Self‑Service Licensing Center.
Figure 1. Self-Service Licensing Center Home
Under My Altera Software and IP products, a list of products associated to your account appears.
4.3.2. Obtain Necessary Hardware Information
The following table indicates what information you need, depending on the type of license and the license host's operating system.
| License Type | OS | Hardware Information | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed license | Windows* or Linux | NIC ID or software guard ID | Legacy Quartus II software version 7.2 and earlier support software guards. |
| Floating license | Windows* or Linux license servers | NIC ID | Use the ID from a physical NIC card, not a virtual ID. |
| UNIX license servers | Host ID | Equivalent to the NIC ID. |
4.3.3. Request a License File from the Self-Service Licensing Center
From the Self-Service Licensing Center Home page:
Intel® sends the license file to the email address specified for the licensed user. If the license does not have an email address, Intel® sends the license file to the email address in your My Intel account profile.
4.3.4. Setting Up a Fixed License
-
Start the
Intel®
Quartus® Prime
software.
If the Intel® Quartus® Prime software cannot detect a valid license file, the License Setup Required dialog box prompts you to license, evaluate, or buy the software.Figure 2. License Setup Required Dialog Box
4.3.5. Set Up a License in a Network License Server
4.3.5.1. Set Up a License File in the License Server
Setting Up Floating Network Licenses on the License Server
SERVER myServer 0123456789ab 1800 VENDOR alterad ./alterad port=1801 VENDOR mgcld ./mgcld port=1802
4.3.5.2. Launch the Licensing Server
The requisites to configure a new license server are:
- System administration (Administrator) privileges.
- A valid license.dat license file.
- (Linux only) To run the FLEXlm lmgrd license server manager, make sure that the /usr/tmp directory exists.
-
Windows*
<installation-directory>\bin64\lmgrd -c \path\to\license.dat
- Linux:
<installation-directory>/linux/lmgrd -c /path/to/license.dat
4.3.5.3. Specify a Network License Server in the Intel Quartus Prime Software
4.4. Types of Intel FPGA Software Licenses
4.4.1. Intel Quartus Prime Software License
When you purchase an Intel® Quartus® Prime subscription, you choose between a single-user license that is fixed to a specific computer, or a multi-user floating license.
- Fixed license—A stand-alone (node-locked, single-user) license is tied to the network interface card (NIC) ID of the computer on which you installed the software.
- Floating license—A floating network (multi-user) license is for users running the Intel® Quartus® Prime software on multiple computers connected on a network. A license server issues licenses to computers on demand. Floating licenses are not specific to an operating system. If you want to run the FPGA software on additional computers, you can purchase additional seats to add to your floating license after its original purchase.
4.4.2. ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition Software License
The ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition license appears as a FEATURE line inside the Intel® Quartus® Prime license.dat file.
4.4.3. Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition and ModelSim - Intel FPGA Starter Edition Software License
4.4.4. Intellectual Property (IP) Cores Licenses
You must purchase the license and generate a full production license key before you can generate an unrestricted device programming file. During Intel® FPGA IP Evaluation Mode, the Intel® Quartus® Prime Compiler only generates a time-limited device programming file (<project name>_time_limited.sof) that expires at the time limit.
Intel® licenses IP cores on a per-seat, perpetual basis. The license fee includes first-year maintenance and support. You must renew the maintenance contract to receive updates, bug fixes, and technical support beyond the first year.
Purchase a license through your local sales office or distributor. Intel® FPGA partners can deliver third-party IP cores for evaluation with the appropriate license.
4.4.5. Development Kits Containing the Intel Quartus Prime Software
You can purchase development kits from the Development Kits, Daughter Cards & Programming Hardware page on www.intel.com or through a local sales office or distributor.
4.4.6. Nios II Embedded Design Suite License
With the Intel® FPGA IP Evaluation Mode feature, you can:
- Simulate the behavior of a Nios® II processor within your system.
- Verify the functionality of your design, as well as evaluate its size and speed quickly and easily.
- Generate time-limited device programming files for designs that include Nios II processors.
- Program a device and verify your design in hardware.
A license for the Nios® II processor core or the Nios® II development kit allows you to create, compile, and generate non-time-limited FPGA programming files and flash programming files. If you do not have a license, the programming files that you can create are time-limited.
You do not need a license to develop software using only the Nios® II Software Build Tools for Eclipse.
- Starting with
Nios® II EDS in the
Intel®
Quartus® Prime Pro Edition version 19.2 and
Intel®
Quartus® Prime Standard
Edition version 19.1, the Cygwin component in the Windows version of
Nios® II EDS has been removed and
replaced with WSL.
Starting with Nios® II EDS version 19.1, the Nios® II EDS requires the Eclipse IDE component to be manually installed.
4.4.7. Mentor Graphics AXI Verification IP Suite License (Intel FPGA Edition)
If you are using a legacy version of Quartus II software (prior to version 12.1) and want to upgrade your software, you must regenerate your license file before continuing to use the Mentor Graphics* AXI Verification IP Suite (Intel FPGA Edition) Bus Functional Models and Inline Monitor ( Mentor Graphics* Verification IP Suite (Intel FPGA Edition)) for AXI3 or AXI4.
To access Mentor Graphics* Verification IP Suite (Intel FPGA Edition) with the Intel® Quartus® Prime Lite Edition software, you must upgrade to version 12.1 or higher and purchase seat licenses by contacting your Intel sales representative.
4.4.8. University Program Software Licenses
For use in teaching, the University Program recommends the Intel® Quartus® Prime Lite Edition software, which does not require a license. The licensed commercial versions of the Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard and Pro Edition software are available for installation in university laboratory facilities. Refer to the University Program pages on www.intel.com for more information.
4.5. Configuring the License Manager Server
4.5.1. Installing the FLEXlm License Manager Server Software on Another License Server
-
On the additional license server, create a directory that mimics
the location of the
Intel®
FPGA software:
-
Windows*
<installation-directory>\bin64
- Linux
<installation-directory>/linux64
-
Windows*
-
From your local computer, copy the following files from the
location of the
Intel®
FPGA software
to the new directory on the licensing server:
- lmgrd
- lmutil
- alterad
- lmtools ( Windows* only)
4.5.2. Upgrading the FLEXlm License Manager Server Software
| Windows* |
<FLEXlm system directory>\lmgrd -v <FLEXlm system directory>\alterad -v |
| Linux |
/<FLEXlm system directory>/lmgrd -v /<FLEXlm system directory>/alterad -v |
If the lmgrd or alterad daemons are not version 11.16.1.0, you must upgrade both daemons with the versions that the Intel® Quartus® Prime software provides.
You can only have one vendor daemon running at a time on a single system. For example, alterad and mgcld can co-exist, but you cannot have two running daemons of alterad. If you have an Intel FPGA software license and ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition Software license, and also have other Mentor Graphics* ModelSim* software license. you can either merge all of them into a single file or put all Mentor Graphics* ModelSim* software licenses in a single file. If you do the later, you need to remove the VENDOR mgcld line from the Intel FPGA software license file. You cannot have Mentor Graphics licenses across two files for the same license server.
If a soft reload through the lmutil lmreread command failed, shut down the current license daemons before reloading them again.
To upgrade an older version of the FLEXlm software:
4.5.3. (Windows Only) Starting and Stopping the License Server
To start or stop the license server in the LMTOOLS dialog box:
4.5.4. (Windows Only) Starting the License Server Automatically
To start the license server automatically at startup:
4.5.5. Rereading an Existing License File on a License Server
| Windows* |
<Intel Quartus Prime system directory>/linux64/lmutil lmreread |
| Linux |
<Intel Quartus Prime system directory>\bin64\lmutil lmreread |
4.6. Other Licensing Actions
Besides requesting licensing files and activating software, you can perform the following tasks with the Self-Service Licensing Center:
- View existing licenses—you can view all your existing licenses, including their expiration dates, available rehosts, and licensed users.
- Renew licenses—you can renew your existing licenses.
- Rehost licenses—you can transfer your existing licenses from one computer to another. You have a total of three rehosts for each license.
- Add seats to a floating license—you can add seats to your existing floating licenses.
- Manage license users—you can specify the licensed user for each of your existing licenses.
- View license history—you can view the license file history for each computer that you add to your My Intel account.
Additionally, you can also split a floating license, obtain a checkout license, or obtain a companion license with the Self-Service Licensing Center.
4.6.1. Managing Licensed Users
4.6.2. Renewing a License
- Log on to your My Intel account from www.intel.com.
- Access the Self‑Service Licensing Center.
- In the Renewal License tab, click Apply Renewals to access the Apply Renewals page.
- Select the product you want to renew, and click Next.
- Select the renewal product you want to apply, and click Next.
4.6.3. Creating a Computer Profile
- Click the Update Computer icon next to the computer that you want to edit in the My Computers table.
- Make changes in the Update Computers dialog box.
- Click Submit when you are finished making changes.
4.6.4. Transferring a License File to Another Computer
- Log on to your My Intel account from www.intel.com.
- Access the Self‑Service Licensing Center.
-
To rehost a license, follow these steps:
- In the Computers and License Files tab, locate the product you want to rehost.
- In the Update Computer column, click the pencil icon.
- In the Update Computer dialog box, change the host ID in the Primary Computer ID box, and click the Submit button.
- Click Get License.
4.6.5. Adding Floating Seats
- Log on to your My Intel account from www.intel.com.
- Access the Self‑Service Licensing Center.
- In the Add Seat License tab, click Add Seats to access the My Add Seat License page.
- On the Add Seats page, select a product to which you want to add additional seats, and click Next.
- Select the product with the seats you want to apply and click Next.
- Type the number of additional seats you want to add to your floating license in the Number of Seats to Add box.
Floating License Example
If you have an existing floating license with ten seats that expires in five months and you purchase two additional seats, your updated floating license maintenance subscription would expire in seven months for all twelve seats.
4.6.6. Specifying the License for the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition Software
The ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition software supports licenses using the Mentor Graphics* license daemon mgcld.6
The ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition software license expires 12 months after the date of purchase, at which point you can no longer use the software. You must obtain an updated Intel® Quartus® Prime software subscription license file from the Self-Service Licensing Center every 12 months to renew your license for the specific ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition software version that you purchase. You can use only the version of ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition software that you purchase with the updated license.
4.7. Syntax of license.dat License File
- The text editor does not append .txt or any other file extension to the file name, for example, license.dat.txt, otherwise the software cannot find the license.
- The last FEATURE line ends with a carriage return (new line).
- Any FEATURE line that wraps to a second or third line must have a backslash (\) at the end of each line to indicate that the statement continues. However; VENDOR_STRING statements that wrap to multiple lines do not need a backslash (\). The backslash should only be added outside the line with double quotation marks (").
- The license file does not have
hidden control characters:
- Opening the license
file with any software other than a plain text editor may add hidden
characters.
For example, WYSIWYG editors such as Microsoft Excel, Word, or WordPad, may insert special control characters such as a tab or carriage return. Pasting special control characters into another plain text document can corrupt the license, even if those characters are invisible in a plain text editor.
- If you edit the license file in one operating system, then copy the license file in another operating system, and then copy the license file to the Windows* operating system, the second operating system may insert unwanted control characters into the license file. Make sure that you correctly convert the file.
- Opening the license
file with any software other than a plain text editor may add hidden
characters.
For information about the contents of a license file and example licenses, refer to About Intel FPGA License Files
5. About Intel FPGA Software License Files
5.1. License File Troubleshooting
5.2. License File Components
5.2.1. License File Header
The following example shows the header of a floating server license file that contains a license for the Intel® Quartus® Prime software and the ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition software. The license was issued on May 08, 2019, is a perpetual license with no defined companion IDs, and has a maintenance expiration date of April 2019.
# Intel Corporation Software and/or Intellectual Property License File # Issued 08 May 2019 # Upgrade to these products will no longer be available after the Maintenance Expiration # date unless licenses are renewed. # Floating Server License # Primary Machine Name-xxxxxxxx # Primary Machine ID-Host ID XXXXXXXXXXXX # Redundant Server 2-N/A # Redundant Server 3-N/A # Product License Summary: # Quartus PRO Edition Float for Partners, 1 Seat(s) # - Maintenance Expiration of 2019.04 # ModelSim Intel FPGA Edition Software, 1 Seat(s) # - Maintenance Expiration of 2019.04 # - License Expires 08-May-2020 ...
5.2.2. SERVER, VENDOR, and USE_SERVER Lines
SERVER <hostname> <8 or 12-character host or NIC ID> <port>
VENDOR <daemon> <path>
USE_SERVER
The USE_SERVER line designates the license file as a floating license.
You can configure up to three redundant network license servers with the FLEXlm licensing scheme. In this case, there are three SERVER lines, one for each license server machine. The first server specified is the master.
Typically, a license file contains multiple VENDOR lines; one for each required license vendor daemon. Some license files might use the DAEMON keyword instead of VENDOR.
|
Element Name |
Editable |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
hostname |
yes |
The host name of the server in the license.dat file. |
|
8- or 12-character host or NIC ID |
no |
The PC NIC or UNIX Host ID of the server. You must supply this ID to www.intel.com when purchasing the license. |
|
port |
n/a |
The port number. |
|
daemon |
no |
The vendor daemon name:
|
|
path |
yes |
The path to the vendor daemon on the server. You must edit this entry. |
5.2.3. FEATURE and INCREMENT Lines
FEATURE <name> <daemon> <version> <expiration> <# of licenses> <authcode> [<vendor_string>] [<hostid_lock>] [SIGN] [SUPERCEDE] [<issuer>]
A backslash (\) character indicates that the FEATURE or INCREMENT line continues on the next line in the text file. The last line of each FEATURE line does not require the backslash. Elements in brackets [ ] are present only in some license FEATURE or INCREMENT lines. The example below shows a FEATURE line, followed by an INCREMENT line.
FEATURE START
# The following is a feature line for
Intel®
Quartus® Prime Standard Edition Fixed
# Number of seat licenses is 1
# No license expiration date
FEATURE maxplus2 alterad 2015.04 permanent uncounted 6D103456930D \
HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 SIGN="0116 7EF5 F487 4771 3456 9278 \
4DA6 80CF 4131 95C6 1F1E D54F 8429 C807 6A8B 0A13 BC80 A11D 0F6E \
AC08 4FA8 0B6E C267 9BBB 5791 C037 0FAD FB9E FFD8 5CF4"
FEATURE quartus alterad 2015.04 permanent uncounted 08E2123438D3 \
HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 TS_OK SIGN="0403 403E CF63 6460 \
3C3D 2AA7 60B3 A074 77A7 670A 3C5D BF03 9391 3476 D1DA 14E7 56FA \
0F63 1EE2 77C8 41C9 3495 A238 FF7C F507 6573 54FA F46C D42B C0B3"
# FEATURE END
######################################################################
INCREMENT alteramtivsim mgcld 2015.04 13-aug-2015 uncounted \
6D7CE8FDD113FDB05C51 \
VENDOR_STRING=2A865E73 HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 ISSUER="Altera" \
SN=23912821 SIGN2="03BB 4774 F8FA 6E7A 4B71 5E3B FB9C 92B5 7B2F \
3581 49EF 4558 0945 260B 23C6 1DE0 2BD4 3709 6945 5A70 CAD6 C22B \
7A4E 67B7 C8FF 90BB B360 022C E3DC 32F8"
# FEATURE END
| Element Name | Description |
|---|---|
| name | The feature name. |
| daemon | The name of the vendor daemon that manages the feature. This name corresponds to a VENDOR line in network/server licenses. |
| version | Any version of software released up to and including this date is licensed. Software with a later version date does not function using this license file. |
| expiration | The date after which the software or service pack cannot be used. The expiration date applies to trial licenses. For Intel® FPGA license subscriptions, the expiration is permanent. |
| # of licenses | The number of concurrent users that can run each feature. For some license types, the entry is uncounted. |
| authcode | An authorization code generated by Intel® . |
| vendor_strings | Specified for certain third-party license features. |
| hostid_lock | Specified if a feature is node-locked to a
software guard, NIC ID, or hard-disk serial number. Intellectual
property (IP)
Intel® FPGA IP
functions often contain node-locked feature lines in floating
licenses.
|
| issuer | The name of the ModelSim* license issuer. |
| sign | An authorization code generated by Intel® . |
TS_OK |
Enables remote log on for fixed license Intel® Quartus® Prime software (includes Intel® FPGA IP, Nios® II Software Build Tools for Eclipse, and DSP Builder). |
The following table describes the available Intel® FPGA license features. This table does not include license features for any intellectual property (IP), development kits, or special license codes used for the Intel® Quartus® Prime Lite Edition software.
| Feature Name | Description |
|---|---|
quartus |
Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard Edition software |
quartus_pro |
Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software |
alteramtivsim |
ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition VHDL and Verilog HDL Simulator (1) |
alteramtivlog |
ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition Verilog HDL Simulator (2) |
|
Notes:
|
|
5.3. Using a FLEXlm Options File
By default, the license server grabs licenses from the first matching FEATURE or INCREMENT line in the license file. If all the licenses in the first FEATURE or INCREMENT line are in use, the license server attempts to grab licenses from the next FEATURE or INCREMENT lines, until the end of the license file. A FLEXlm options file allows you to control which users can grab which licenses by creating pools of licenses for each FEATURE and INCREMENT line.
To create a FLEXlm options file that controls a floating license server:
5.4. License.dat Example Files
5.4.1. Fixed PC Software Guard License Example
####################################################################### FEATURE START # The following is a feature line for ModelSim* - Intel® FPGA Edition # Number of seat licenses is 1 # No license expiration date INCREMENT alteramtivsim mgcld 2015.04 13-aug-2015 uncounted \ 6D7CE8FDD113FDB05C51 \ VENDOR_STRING=2A865E73 HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 \ ISSUER="Altera" \ SN=23912821 SIGN2="03BB 4774 F8FA 6E7A 4B71 5E3B FB9C 92B5 \ 7B2F 3581 49EF 4558 0945 260B 23C6 1DE0 2BD4 3709 6945 5A70 \ CAD6 C22B 7A4E 67B7 C8FF 90BB B360 022C # FEATURE END ####################################################################### FEATURE START # The following is a feature line for Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard Edition Fixed # Number of seat licenses is 1 # No license expiration date FEATURE maxplus2 alterad 2015.04 permanent uncounted 6D103456930D \ HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 SIGN="0116 7EF5 F487 4771 3456 9278 \ 4DA6 80CF 4131 95C6 1F1E D54F 8429 C807 6A8B 0A13 BC80 A11D \ 0F6E AC08 4FA8 0B6E c267 9BBB C037 0FAD FB9E FFD8 5CF4" FEATURE quartus alterad 2015.04 permanent uncounted 08E2123438D3 \ HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 TS_OK SIGN="0403 403E CF63 6460 \ 3C3D 2AA7 60B3 A074 77A7 670A 3C5D BF03 9391 3476 D1DA 14E7 \ 56FA 0F63 1EE2 77C8 41C9 3495 A238 F507 6573 54FA F46C FF7C \ D42B C0B3" ###################################################################### End of Altera Corporation Software and/or Intellectual Property License File. Issued 5/13/2015
5.4.2. Floating Network License Example
######################################################################
SERVER <hostname> 00B0D0ABCCBA <port number>
VENDOR alterad <path to daemon executable>
USE_SERVER
######################################################################
FEATURE START
# IP Base Suite (FIR Compiler II, FFT, NCO, DDR2 (UniPHY), DDR2 (ALTMEMPHY), DDR3,
# LPDDR2, QDR II, RLDRAM II)
# Number of seat licenses is 2
# No license expiration date
PACKAGE ip_base alterad COMPONENTS="6AF7_0034 6AF7_0012 6AF7_0055 \
6AF7_00A8 6AF7 00A7 6AF7_00A8 6AF7_00C2 6AF7_00BE 6AF7_00BF \
6AF7_00A4 6AF7_00AC 6AF7 00AD 6AF7_0014" OPTIONS=SUITE \
IGN="1A76 FAF3 0CFA 9A0B D5A9 C867 4923 F223 AA3B C17B 6F11 \
98E6 8056 178E A795 1F63 7695 1260 3D0C F662 2657 4AFF 25BD \
3029 0C7C 1B3A 542A 3948 9F90 03CE" \
FEATURE ip_base alterad 2015.05 permanent 2 D7564046983D \
VENDOR_STRING="iiiiiiiihdLkhIIIIIIIIUPDuiaaaaaaaa11X38DDDDDDDDpjz5
cddddddddJJJJJbqIhouuuuuuuuYYWiVVVVVVVVbp0FVHHHHHHHHBUEakffffffffD
2FFRkkkkkkkkWL$84" \
DUP_GROUP=UHD SIGN="0A9A EB33 1A75 A16D 5949 B37B 015F 1A69 \
9FD4 CED3 ABCE A628 9FDE 4846 455C 01E1 064B D881 C079 215C \
FBAE 86B2 AC3F 4210 F471 6298 A340 CFC8 BCDA C218"
# FEATURE END
######################################################################
FEATURE START
# The following is a feature line for
Intel®
Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Floating
# Number of seat licenses is 2
# No license expiration date
FEATURE maxplus2 alterad 2015.05 permanent 2 71781799E9FF \
SIGN="0D15 DBE8 1893 DA63 0658 4F28 D47C 64D8 A9AB 4E84 A3EE \
4257 F592 753F E261 0FD9 C334 F2E9 C9A2 5316 CB42 EF0F 188D \
7933 5134 6FDC 0BA8 6CCD FF8A 403D"
FEATURE quartus_pro alterad 2015.05 permanent 2 8D7C83160D8A SIGN="15F3 \
2C48 65E9 1EAC 5E5F 19A0 1C53 7DF1 4BEA D4EA 422A 92C7 9CC0 \
8B45 4A3D 0674 667C 1FB9 504E D960 8FC2 1B46 94C3 035B 3711 \
651F D889 0B03 99F7 48EC"
# FEATURE END
######################################################################
# End of Altera Corporation Software and/or Intellectual Property
License File.
Issued 05/13/2015
A. Getting Hardware Information for License
| License Type | OS | Hardware Information | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed license | Windows* or Linux | NIC ID or software guard ID | Legacy Quartus II software version 7.2 and earlier support software guards. |
| Floating license | Windows* or Linux license servers | NIC ID | Use the ID from a physical NIC card, not a virtual ID. |
| UNIX license servers | Host ID | Equivalent to the NIC ID. |
A.1. Identifying Host's NIC ID
A.1.1. Finding the NIC ID for Windows
Use the ipconfig utility to find the NIC ID on Windows.
ipconfig /all
The command prints network information. The NIC Address appears as Physical Address.
A.1.2. Finding the NIC ID on Linux
- At a command prompt,
type:
/sbin/ifconfig eth0
The command prints network information. The NIC Address appears as HWaddr.
A.1.3. Finding the NIC ID in the Intel Quartus Prime Software
Use the following method to find the NIC ID in the Intel® Quartus® Prime software:
- Display the License Setup settings by clicking .
The computer's NIC ID appears under Local System info in the Network Interface Card (NIC) ID field.
A.1.4. Find NIC ID on Windows Using FLEXlm Utilities
<installation-directory>\bin64\lmutil lmhostid
A.2. UNIX Host ID
A.3. Locating Your Hard-Disk Serial Number
A.3.1. To find the hard-disk serial number on a Windows PC
A.3.2. To find the hard-disk serial number if the Intel Quartus Prime software is installed on your computer
A.4. Identifying the USB Software Guard ID
- If the Intel® Quartus® Prime software is installed and the guard is attached, clicking the . Your software guard ID appears under Local System info in the Software Guard ID field.
- Otherwise, find the software guard ID on the printed label on the guard.
B. Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing Archives
| Intel® Quartus® Prime Version | User Guide |
|---|---|
| 20.4 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 20.3 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 20.2 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 20.1 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 19.4 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 19.3 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 19.1 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 18.1 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 18.0 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 17.1 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 17.0 | Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing |
| 16.1 | Altera Software Installation and Licensing |
| 16.0 | Altera Software Installation and Licensing |
| 15.1 | Altera Software Installation and Licensing |
| 15.0 | Altera Software Installation and Licensing |
| 14.1 | Altera Software Installation and Licensing |
C. Document Revision History for Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing
| Document Version | Intel® Quartus® Prime Version | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021.03.29 | 21.1 |
|
| 2020.12.14 | 20.4 |
|
| 2020.09.28 | 20.3 |
|
| 2020.07.13 | 20.2 |
|
| 2020.06.22 | 20.2 |
|
| 2020.04.13 | 20.1 |
|
| 2019.12.16 | 19.4 |
|
| 2019.09.30 | 19.3 |
|
| 2019.06.27 | 19.1 |
|
| 2019.04.01 | 19.1 |
|
| 2018.09.24 | 18.1.0 |
|
| 2018.05.07 | 18.0.0 |
|
| 2018.04.16 | 17.1.0 | Updated licensing information for ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software |
| 2017.11.06 | 17.1.0 |
|
| 2017.07.19 | 17.0.0 |
|
| 2017.05.08 | 17.0.0 |
|
| 2016.10.31 | 16.1.0 |
|
| 2016.05.02 | 16.0.0 | Removed instructions on downloading .iso files, which are no longer supported. |
| 2015.11.02 | 15.1.0 | Updated to reflect the new Quartus Prime Lite, Standard, and Pro Edition software. |
| 2015.05.04 | 15.0.0 |
|
| 2015.03.09 | 14.1.1 |
|
| 2014.12.15 | 14.1.0 |
|
| 2014.18.08 | 14.0a10.0 |
|
| June, 2014 | 14.0.0 |
|
| Nov, 2013 | 13.1.0 |
|
| May, 2013 | 13.0.0 |
|