Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing
Version Information
| Updated for: |
|---|
| Intel® Quartus® Prime Design Suite 21.3 |
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 7 and 8 | 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, libncurses6:i386,
libxtst6:i386,
libxft2:i386, libstdc++6:i386, libc6-dev-i386, lib32z1, lib32ncurses5, libbz2-1.0:i386,
and libpng12
libraries
(see note below). 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 Siemens EDA* Questa* Software in addition to Intel® Quartus® Prime:
C++ Compiler
On Linux, Intel® HLS Compiler requires GCC 9.3.0 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 Questa*-Intel® FPGA Edition software requirements, refer to Questa*-Intel FPGA Edition Software Requirements
2.3.3. Questa*-Intel FPGA Edition Software Requirements
The prerequisites to install Questa*-Intel® FPGA Edition depend on your OS:
| OS | Requisite |
|---|---|
| Windows | Install
the
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Microsoft Visual Studio
2017. Note: If you have administrator privileges, the installation of
Questa*-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
- Questa*-Intel® FPGA Edition 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. Note: To view the license agreement files prior to installation, run
the installer with the --install-lic
command-line option.
|
| --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 ${installdir}/qsys/bin.
In general, Intel® recommends adding all /bin to the PATH variable to allow running a software without adding the full path.
LM_LICENSE_FILE
The LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable specify the location of the license file. However, the Intel® Quartus® Prime software overrides the value of the environment variable with the location that you specify in the License Setup dialog box.
LC_ALL
You must ensure that your operating system locale is set up correctly. In particular, the locale you specify in LC_ALL environment variable must match the locale settings (such as LANG). If there is a mismatch, the following Perl warning might be generated during IP generation:
perl: warning: Setting locale failed.
This warning results in IP generation failure.
Sample Setup Script
Instead of setting up the above listed environment variables individually, you can also create a script to set up the environment for a particular version in Linux as shown in the following sample:
Sample setup script for Quartus: quartus_x.x.bash (executable) #Setup pointers to version X.X export QUARTUS_ROOTDIR="<quartus-install-path>/quartus" export QSYS_ROOTDIR=$QUARTUS_ROOTDIR/qsys/bin" export ALTERAOCLSDKROOT=<some_specific_release> export INTELFPGAOCLSDKROOT=<some_specific_release>” export PATH="$QUARTUS_ROOTDIR/bin:$QSYS_ROOTDIR:__^S^__PATH" # Adding any /bin under __^S^__ALTERAOCLSDKROOT or __^S^__INTELFPGAOCLSDKROOT to __^S^__PATH if applicable export LM_LICENSE_FILE=<path_to_license_file>
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 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.
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
- 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. 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. |
4.3.2. Request a License File from the Self-service Licensing Center
You must log into the Intel® Self-Service Licensing Center to create and manage your licenses. From the Self-Service Licensing Center Home page, use the new License Assistant. You can find this assistant on the bottom right corner of every page.
For new purchases, select one of the following options and navigate through the guided steps to generate and receive the license file by email:
- Find and generate license by License Activation Code
- View your unassigned licenses and generate license
If you have a floating, multi-user license, the FLEXlm licensing scheme allows you to set up two redundant license servers to serve licenses. You must request a license file for redundant servers from the Self-service Licensing Center.
For software, IP, or Development Kit legacy licenses with a maintenance expiration date prior to January 1, 2009, you can now obtain a license file via the Intel Self-Service Licensing Center's Generate Legacy Licenses option.
4.3.3. Set 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 1. License Setup Required Dialog Box
4.3.4. Set Up a License in a Network License Server
4.3.4.1. 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
4.3.4.2. 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
4.3.4.3. 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. Questa*-Intel FPGA Edition Software License
The Questa*-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 Questa*-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. Siemens EDA 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 Siemens EDA* AXI Verification IP Suite (Intel FPGA Edition) Bus Functional Models and Inline Monitor ( Siemens EDA* Verification IP Suite (Intel FPGA Edition)) for AXI3 or AXI4.
To access Siemens EDA* 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 Questa*-Intel® FPGA Edition Software license, and also have other Siemens EDA* Questa* software license. You can either merge all of them into a single file or put all Siemens EDA* Questa* 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 Siemens EDA* 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 Questa*-Intel FPGA Edition Software
The Questa*-Intel® FPGA Edition software supports licenses using the Siemens EDA* license daemon mgcld.6
The Questa*-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 Questa*-Intel® FPGA Edition software version that you purchase. You can use only the version of Questa*-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 Questa*-Intel® FPGA Edition software. The license was issued on June 09, 2021, is a perpetual license with no defined companion IDs, and has a maintenance expiration date of September 2019.
# Intel Corporation Software and/or Intellectual Property License File # Issued 09 June 2020 # 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 PRIME PRO FLOAT, 1 Seat(s) # - Maintenance Expiration of 2019.09 # Quartus II SE Floating, 2 Seat(s) # - Maintenance Expiration of 2018.02 # Quartus II SE Floating, 1 Seat(s) # - Maintenance Expiration of 1899.12 # Questa Intel FPGA Edition Software, 1 Seat(s) # - Maintenance Expiration of 2015.08 # - License Expires 09-Jun-2022 ...
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 license file for the Quartus PRIME PRO Edition Fixed
# Number of seat licenses is 1
# No license expiration date
FEATURE maxplus2 alterad 2021.05 permanent uncounted B36133371D28 \
HOSTID=e4a4716b48d8 SIGN="1A0F EECF 699E A64A 1E3A 83D1 BADC \
7763 B15D 98FA EF7F A371 E02F 4D9F D9CF 0BCE 2A9C 2650 20FA \
42CF ABD8 006A D037 DA2C 703B 9CFC 43E5 1A01 0C56 4D6D"
FEATURE quartus_pro alterad 2021.05 permanent uncounted 46499B9E717E \
HOSTID=e4a4716b48d8 TS_OK SIGN="08EF B762 CF6A 18CC FF95 B124 \
2FB0 F8F0 7A43 CAFE C88E DC28 5AC4 5F69 FFFB 1C1C DBF6 7A79 \
87E7 FFEF D8C2 F96F 461A 0D38 DB4B 4E5B 840E F3F6 F314 4DE9"
# FEATURE END
################################################################################
INCREMENT alteramtivsim mgcld 2022.06 9-jun-2022 1 4F127AC9C4D11138B611 \
\
VENDOR_STRING=98B0746B ISSUER=Intel SN=175935529 SIGN2="0FEF B2F5 0646 \
9F02 0405 423D D8B4 B072 3EFE 6CAA F66B 5E40 1C50 AAFE 3C0A 1869 269F \
492D 2D25 1CFE 1AA1 060D F7E3 96A6 7BA8 6CE1 B7D1 AC24 2797 376B"
# 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 Questa* 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 |
| intelqsim | Questa*-Intel® FPGA Edition Simulator (1) |
| intelqsimstarter | Questa*-Intel® FPGA Edition Simulator (2) |
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# FEATURE START # The following is a license file for the IP Base Suite Package part number for IP # Base Suite (NCO, FFT, FIR Compiler II) # Number of seat licenses is 1 # No license expiration date PACKAGE ip_base alterad COMPONENTS="6AF7_00D8 6AF7_0014 6AF7_0034" \ OPTIONS=SUITE SIGN="153B EB57 5B09 B585 D1D5 3EA8 1CC3 CB52 \ DC01 2214 9CDA 4A26 598F 76C2 C126 00FE 5122 A135 BCB7 9D0A \ 2BAD 5F03 BE38 FE97 EDF8 5B2A 55F2 99E3 1468 72B8" INCREMENT ip_base alterad 2021.05 permanent uncounted CBFAF3E3783C \ VENDOR_STRING="iiiiiiiihdLkhIIIIIIIIUPDuiaaaaaaaa11X38DDDDDDDDpjz5cd dddddddtmGzGJJJJJJJJbqIh0uuuuuuuugYYWiVVVVVVVVbp0FVHHHHHHHHBUEakffff ffffD2FFRkkkkkkkkWL$84" \ HOSTID=e4a4716b48d8 TS_OK SIGN="0571 823B B38A 3D50 F9F5 B760 \ 77A7 08A3 5195 999C A11D 901B 54A6 AB40 4438 0137 FD4A 6625 \ 51C9 3A43 7C37 DADE 84D8 6FC6 1A9B E31C 1972 A291 8EBF A56B" # FEATURE END ####################################################################### # FEATURE START # The following is a license file for the Quartus PRIME PRO Edition Fixed # Number of seat licenses is 1 # No license expiration date FEATURE maxplus2 alterad 2021.05 permanent uncounted B36133371D28 \ HOSTID=e4a4716b48d8 SIGN="1A0F EECF 699E A64A 1E3A 83D1 BADC \ 7763 B15D 98FA EF7F A371 E02F 4D9F D9CF 0BCE 2A9C 2650 20FA \ 42CF ABD8 006A D037 DA2C 703B 9CFC 43E5 1A01 0C56 4D6D" FEATURE quartus_pro alterad 2021.05 permanent uncounted 46499B9E717E \ HOSTID=e4a4716b48d8 TS_OK SIGN="08EF B762 CF6A 18CC FF95 B124 \ 2FB0 F8F0 7A43 CAFE C88E DC28 5AC4 5F69 FFFB 1C1C DBF6 7A79 \ 87E7 FFEF D8C2 F96F 461A 0D38 DB4B 4E5B 840E F3F6 F314 4DE9" # FEATURE END ###################################################################### # End of Intel Corporation Software and/or Intellectual Property License File. Issued 06/09/2021
5.4.2. Floating Network License Example
###################################################################### SERVER <hostname> 09876543 <port number> VENDOR alterad <path to daemon executable> VENDOR mgcld <path to daemon executable> USE_SERVER ###################################################################### # FEATURE START # The following is a license file for the IP Base Suite Package part number for IP # Base Suite (NCO, FFT, FIR Compiler II) # Number of seat licenses is 1 # No license expiration date PACKAGE ip_base alterad COMPONENTS="6AF7_00D8 6AF7_0014 6AF7_0034" \ OPTIONS=SUITE SIGN="153B EB57 5B09 B585 D1D5 3EA8 1CC3 CB52 \ DC01 2214 9CDA 4A26 598F 76C2 C126 00FE 5122 A135 BCB7 9D0A \ 2BAD 5F03 BE38 FE97 EDF8 5B2A 55F2 99E3 1468 72B8" INCREMENT ip_base alterad 2019.09 permanent 1 54C8E8A1FBA8 \ VENDOR_STRING="iiiiiiiihdLkhIIIIIIIIUPDuiaaaaaaaa11X38DDDDDDDDpjz5cd dddddddtmGzGJJJJJJJJbqIh0uuuuuuuugYYWiVVVVVVVVbp0FVHHHHHHHHBUEakffff ffffD2FFRkkkkkkkkWL$84" \ DUP_GROUP=UHD SIGN="02CC FF71 2A69 9432 0127 5793 5D3D C5B9 \ B2D4 F31C 63E4 5735 3333 0156 7A6F 0A06 683D E4DB EC19 EF83 \ DFCA CDBB A994 042B F35B ABE7 4215 391B 4ADB 0A70" # FEATURE END ###################################################################### # FEATURE START # The following is a license file for the Quartus PRIME PRO Edition Floating # Number of seat licenses is 1 # No license expiration date FEATURE quartus_pro alterad 2019.09 permanent 1 5BF77FD6D23D \ SIGN="03E9 8852 506A 279B EEB5 D51B 7019 13CB 14EF 386E 5A1A \ 3270 4A3B 3289 E028 0CBA CF01 DF36 30CC CAEE A561 AB7D 5FEE \ 4B91 E405 0923 2FE0 51F7 D3D2 7DE7" # FEATURE END ###################################################################### # End of Intel Corporation Software and/or Intellectual Property License File. Issued 06/09/2021
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
C. Document Revision History for Intel FPGA Software Installation and Licensing
| Document Version | Intel® Quartus® Prime Version | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021.10.04 | 21.3 |
|
| 2021.06.21 | 21.2 |
|
| 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 |
|