Help which programmer can read or write ALTERA CYCLONE III EP3C10F256C8N？ - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: daisizhou
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 08:24:24 am
content: I am repairing a circuit board.I guess the internal firmware program of ALTERA CYCLONE III EP3C10F256C8N is lost.I plan to read the firmware on a working EP3C10F256C8N board and write it inside the damaged board.If you know which programmer to use to be able to program the EP3C10F256C8N please let me know.Thanks

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 09:43:11 am
content: If the EP3C10F256C8N is like any other FPGA it uses an external memory to obtain the configuration bit stream from.There seems to be a FLASH memory on the board, so all you have to do is read that and load it onto the one on the defective board. It might be that the FLASH on the defective board is broken and may need replacing.Edit:It might be possible to get the data with a jtag interface.Another setup can be that the configuration is loaded by a microcontroller. The bit stream is also in the FLASH memory, but read by a mcu and then written to the FPGA. See the datasheet attached.

author: daisizhou
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 09:54:27 am
content: You mean that the EP3C10F256C8N has no internal storage program. The program is stored in the external flash memory or EEPROM, right?

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 09:57:47 am
content: Yes that is what I mean.Read the datasheet to find more info on this.

author: daisizhou
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 10:45:35 am
content: Ok, I'll try.Thank you for your help

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 11:09:02 am
content: Show us the other pcb side

author: daisizhou
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 12:35:40 pm
content: On the reverse I found an EPCS4SI8N,And seeing a 10P socket, I don't know the exact purpose

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 12:47:35 pm
content: That is a memory chip, so the configuration bit stream will be in that one.The 10 pin header could be for jtag, but that needs tracing the connections to verify it as such.

author: daisizhou
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 01:19:48 pm
content: EPCS4SI8N is a memory chip?

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 01:23:49 pm
content: Yep, is made by and targeted at Altera/Intel FPGA's. Google it and you will find a datasheet. It is 4Mbit SPI based and connects to the configuration interface of the FPGA.

author: daisizhou
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 01:34:28 pm
content: Do you mean EPCS4SI8N internal storage EP3C10F256C8N configuration program?We only need to read the internal program of the normally used EPCS4SI8N, replace it with a new EP3C10F256C8N and then connect the program to the new EPCS4SI8N, can we restore the original state?

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2022, 01:55:09 pm
content: The EPCS4SI8N is a SPI based FLASH memory to store the FPGA configuration bit stream. It is connected to the EP3C10F256C8N FPGA. On power up the EP3C10F256C8N reads data from the EPCS4SI8N to configure it self.It depends on what failed on your board what needs to be replaced. If the EPCS4SI8N lost a couple of bits, but is still functional otherwise, it might be possible to reprogram it, but you need a working board to read the original data from that EPCS4SI8N.To get a better understanding read the datasheet of both the IC's