Learn how to install the Altera usb Blaster drivers on Windows 10, this same method will work for Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows VisaFor written. USB-Blaster™ and USB-Blaster™ II Download Cables. USB-Blaster™ and USB-Blaster™ II Download Cables. The USB-Blaster™ download cable interfaces a USB port on a host computer to an Intel® FPGA mounted on a printed circuit board. The cable sends configuration data from the PC to a standard 10-pin header connected to the FPGA. I go to 'Update driver' using files at C: intelFPGA 16.1 qprogrammer drivers with the 'Include subfolders' checked. And it gets it to load the Altera USB-Blaster into the USB controllers but it still has an exclamation point. When I try to update the driver it says the best drivers are already installed. Windows Altera Usb Blaster free download - Panda USB Vaccine, Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16/32/AWE Drivers, HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, and many more programs.
You must install the Altera® USB-BlasterTM or Altera USB-Blaster IIdownload cable driver before you can use it to program devices with Quartus® Prime software.
The first time the USB-Blaster download cable is plugged in, the Windows Found New Hardware dialog box prompts you to install the driver. (Note: Do not use the Add HardwareWizard from the Control Panel.)
The USB-Blaster II device drivers require manual installation so that the cable will be properly recognized. Refer to the instructions below.
The Altera On-Board USB-Blaster II cable appears as Altera USB-Blaster (unconfigured) when first attached to your system. After it has been configured by the Quartus Prime software, it will appear as Altera USB-Blaster II (JTAG interface) and then Altera USB-Blaster II (SystemConsole interface). You might need to install drivers for each of these interfaces; follow the steps below to install the drivers.
You must have system administration (Administrator) privileges to install the USB-Blaster and USB-Blaster II download cable driver.
Driver Installation for Altera USB-Blaster
- Plug the USB-Blaster download cable into your PC. The Found New Hardware dialog box appears.
- Select Locate and install driver software (recommended).
- Select Don't search online.
- When you are prompted to Insert the disc that came with your USB-Blaster, select I don’t have the disc. Show me other options.
- Select Browse my computer for driver software (advanced) when you see the Windows couldn’t find driver software for your device dialog box.
- Click Browse, and browse to the<Path to Quartus Prime installation>driversusb-blaster directory.
- Note: Do not select the x32 or x64 directories.
- Click OK.
- Select the Include subfolders option, and click Next.
- If you are prompted Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver software, select Install this driver software anyway in the Window Security dialog box. The installation wizard guides you through the installation process.
- When The software for this device has been successfully installed dialog box appears, click Close.
- To complete your installation, set up programming hardware in the Quartus Prime software.
Driver Installation for Altera USB-Blaster II
- Plug the USB-Blaster II cable into your PC.
- Open the Device Manager, and right-click on the Unknown device under the Other devices branch.
- Select Update Driver Software.
- Select Browse my computer for driver software.
- Enter the location of the Quartus Prime software USB-Blaster II driver files directory (<Path to Quartus Prime installation>driversusb-blaster-ii) in the Search for driver software in this location field.
- Click Next.
- Click Install in the Would you like to install this device software? Windows security dialog box.
- Close the Update Driver Software - Altera USB-Blaster II (Unconfigured) successful installation notification. The Device Manager now shows a new branch called JTAG cables with an Altera USB-Blaster II (Unconfigured) node.
- Open the Quartus Prime Programmer. Within a few seconds, the JTAG cables branch displays two nodes: Altera USB-Blaster II (JTAG interface) and Altera-USB Blaster II (System Console interface).
I started playing around with FPGA development using the Terasic DE0 development board recently and the first problem I encountered was the installation of the USB blaster driver. As far as I know there is no problem in installing the driver on Windows 7 but if you are using Windows 8 or 8.1 then you probably ran into the problem of Windows not allowing you to install unsigned drivers. I lost a significant amount of time to make the driver work on Windows 8.1 so to speed things up for you, here is what you do.
First, you need to obtain the driver to be installed. You probably already have it if you installed Quartus II, it comes with the installation. On my system it is located in:
C:altera15.0quartusdriversusb-blaster
Now, if you follow the instruction from Altera USB blaster install you probably get to step 8 of the instructions after which you are not prompted with a window mentioned on step 9. This is due to the fact that Windows 8 doesn’t allow you to install unsigned drivers by default so you need to disable this security option.
press Windows key and type in “Change advanced startup options”, and enter the options. You should see the following window (click on the picture to enlarge)
Advanced startup options – Recovery – Advanced startup
Go to Recovery and under Advanced startup locate Restart now. Before you click on it save whatever stuff you need to save since the restart is (almost) immediate. After you click on the button you will be prompted with a window providing you with a few options. Choose:
Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Startup Settings -> Restart
After restarting you will be prompted with another window that will provide you some other options. Choose:
Altera Driver Usb Blaster Windows 10
7) Disable driver signature enforcement
Having all that in mind, now press the Restart now button from the screenshot above.
After restart try to install the USB blaster driver. Plug in the device, fire up Device Manager, locate the USB-blaster device and click on Update Driver Software.
On the new window that opens choose Browse my computer for driver software.
Choose to manually install the driver
In the next window, locate the driver and click Next.
Enter/browse for the location of the USB blaster driver. It’s in the Quartus II installation folder.
After the Window successfully finds the driver you should be prompted with the window:
Click on Install. When the driver installs you should see it installed in the Device Manager:
To check that Quartus II can now use the driver, open up Quartus II and go to:
Tools -> Programmer
A window will open. Click on Hardware Setup:
A new window will open. In the drop down menu choose USB blaster.
Quatus II – Programmer – Hardware setup window
Click Close. In the Programmer window you should now see the USB blaster selected as a programmer.
Quartus II – Programmer window with USB blaster selected
Altera Usb Blaster Drivers Download
That’s it! The driver is installed and you can now program the FPGA board.