Altera APEX DSP Development Kit User manual

101 Innovation Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
[phone]
http://www.altera.com
A-UG-APEXDSPKIT-1.1
Getting Started
APEX DSP Development Kit
User Guide
November 2001
P25-06920-01

ii Altera Corporation
APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide Copyright
Copyright 2001 Altera Corporation. Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, the stylized Altera logo, specific device designations, and all
other words and logos that are identified as trademarks and/or service marks are, unless noted otherwise, the trademarks and service marks of Altera
Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other product or service names are the property of their respective holders. Altera
products are protected under numerous U.S. and foreign patents and pending applications, maskwork rights, and copyrights.
Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products to current specifications in accordance with Altera’s standard warranty,
but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera assumes no responsibility or
liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to
in writing by Altera Corporation. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on
any published information and before placing orders for products or services. All rights reserved.

Altera Corporation iii
About this User Guide
This user guide provides comprehensive information about the Altera®
APEX™ DSP development kit (starter and professional versions).
Table 1 shows the user guide revision history.
fRefer to the APEX DSP development kit readme file on the APEX DSP
Development Kit CD-ROM for late-breaking information that is not
available in this user guide.
How to Find
Information
■The Adobe Acrobat Find feature allows you to search the contents of
a PDF file. Click on the binoculars icon in the top toolbar to open the
Find dialog box.
■Bookmarks serve as an additional table of contents.
■Thumbnail icons, which provide miniature previews of each page,
provide a link to the pages.
■Numerous links, shown in green text, allow you to jump to related
information.
Table 1. User Guide Revision History
Date Description
October 2001 Added DSP Builder information to the user guide.
August 2001 First version of user guide.

iv Altera Corporation
APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide
How to Contact
Altera
For the most up-to-date information about Altera products, go to the
Altera world-wide web site at http://www.altera.com.
For technical support on this product, send e-mail to [e-mail]. For
additional information about Altera products, consult the sources shown
in Table 2.
Note:
(1) You can also contact your local Altera sales office or sales representative.
Table 2. How to Contact Altera
Information Type Access USA & Canada All Other Locations
Altera Literature
Services Electronic mail [e-mail] (1) [e-mail] (1)
Non-technical
customer service Telephone hotline (800) SOS-EPLD [phone] (7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Pacific Time)
Fax [phone] [phone]
Technical support Telephone hotline (800) 800-EPLD
(6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Pacific Time)
[phone] (1)
(7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Pacific Time)
Fax [phone] [phone] (1)
Electronic mail (DSP questions) [e-mail] [e-mail]
FTP site ftp.altera.com ftp.altera.com
General product
information Telephone [phone] [phone] (1)
World-wide web site http://www.altera.com http://www.altera.com

Altera Corporation v
APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide
Typographic
Conventions
The APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide uses the
typographic conventions shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Conventions
Visual Cue Meaning
Bold Type with Initial
Capital Letters Command names, dialog box titles, checkbox options, and dialog box options are shown in bold, initial capital letters. Example: Save As dialog box.
bold type External timing parameters, directory names, project names, disk drive names,
filenames, filename extensions, and software utility names are shown in bold type.
Examples: fMAX, \QuartusII directory, d: drive, chiptrip.gdf file.
Bold italic type Book titles are shown in bold italic type with initial capital letters. Example:
1999 Device Data Book.
Italic Type with Initial
Capital Letters Document titles are shown in italic type with initial capital letters. Example: AN 75 (High-Speed Board Design).
Italic type Internal timing parameters and variables are shown in italic type. Examples: tPIA, n+ 1.
Variable names are enclosed in angle brackets (<>) and shown in italic type. Example:
<file name>, <project name>.pof file.
Initial Capital Letters Keyboard keys and menu names are shown with initial capital letters. Examples:
Delete key, the Options menu.
“Subheading Title” References to sections within a document and titles of Quartus II Help topics are
shown in quotation marks. Example: “Configuring a FLEX 10K or FLEX 8000 Device
with the BitBlaster™Download Cable.”
Courier type Signal and port names are shown in lowercase Courier type. Examples: data1, tdi,
input. Active-low signals are denoted by suffix n, e.g., resetn.
Anything that must be typed exactly as it appears is shown in Courier type. For
example: c:\quartusII\qdesigns\tutorial\chiptrip.gdf. Also, sections
of an actual file, such as a Report File, references to parts of files (e.g., the AHDL
keyword SUBDESIGN), as well as logic function names (e.g., TRI) are shown in
Courier.
1., 2., 3., and a., b., c.,... Numbered steps are used in a list of items when the sequence of the items is
important, such as the steps listed in a procedure.
■Bullets are used in a list of items when the sequence of the items is not important.
vThe checkmark indicates a procedure that consists of one step only.
1The hand points to information that requires special attention.
rThe angled arrow indicates you should press the Enter key.
fThe feet direct you to more information on a particular topic.

Altera Corporation vii
Contents
About this User Guide ............................................................................. iii
How to Contact Altera .................................................................................................................. iv
Typographic Conventions ..............................................................................................................v
About this Kit ......................................................................................... 9
Getting Started ......................................................................................11
Before You Begin ............................................................................................................................11
APEX DSP Development Kit (Professional Version) Contents .......................................11
APEX DSP Development Kit (Starter Version) Contents .................................................11
Inspect the Board ...................................................................................................................12
Software Requirements .........................................................................................................12
Important Considerations .....................................................................................................13
Quartus II Limited Edition System Requirements (Included with the Starter Version
Only) ........................................................................................................................................13
Software Installation ......................................................................................................................14
Installing the Quartus II Limited Edition Software (Included with the Starter Version
Only) ........................................................................................................................................14
Installing the MegaCore Functions & Reference Designs/Labs .....................................14
Install the DSP Builder ..........................................................................................................15
Set Up Licensing .............................................................................................................................16
Install the Starter Kit License ...............................................................................................16
Windows NT ..................................................................................................................17
Windows 2000 ................................................................................................................17
Windows 98 ....................................................................................................................17
Install the Professional Kit License ......................................................................................18
Connect the Cables to the Board & PC .......................................................................................18
ByteBlasterMV Cable .............................................................................................................19
RS-232 Cable ...........................................................................................................................20
SMA Cable ..............................................................................................................................20
Power Supply Cable ..............................................................................................................20
Run the Filtering Design ...............................................................................................................21
Using the Reference Designs/Labs .............................................................................................23
Documentation ...............................................................................................................................24

viii Altera Corporation
Contents
Appendix—Installing the ByteBlaster Driver ...................................................25
Install the Altera ByteBlaster Driver for Windows NT ............................................................25
Installing the Altera ByteBlaster Driver for Windows 2000 ....................................................26
Set Up the ByteBlasterMV Download Cable in the Quartus II Software ..............................27

Altera Corporation 9
About this Kit
1
About this Kit
The Altera®APEX™ DSP development kit provides everything you need
to develop complete system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions.
This document describes how to install the software provided with the kit
and how to connect the cables to the APEX DSP development board.
Figure 1 shows the kit contents.
Figure 1. APEX DSP Development Kit
The DSP Builder CD-ROM and the Quartus®II Limited Edition CD-ROM (only provided with the starter version of the kit)
and additional power cables are not shown.
The APEX DSP development kit includes:
■APEX DSP Development Board—The APEX DSP development board is
a prototyping platform that provides wireless system designers with
a solution for signal processing design. The professional board in the
professional version of the kit has an APEX EP20K1500E device; the
starter board in the starter version of the kit has an APEX EP20K200E
device.

10 Altera Corporation
APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide About this Kit
■DSP Builder: Quartus II & MATLAB/Simulink Interface—DSP system
design in Altera devices requires both high-level algorithms and
hardware description language (HDL) development tools. Altera’s
DSP Builder integrates these tools by combining the algorithm
development, simulation, and verification capabilities of The
MathWorks MATLAB and Simulink system-level design tools with
HDL synthesis, simulation, and Altera development tools. The DSP
Builder shortens DSP design cycles by helping you create the
hardware representation of a DSP design in an algorithm-friendly
development environment. DSP Builder allows system, algorithm,
and hardware designers to share a common development platform.
■Quartus II Limited Edition Development Software—The Quartus II
development software provides a comprehensive environment for
SOPC design. The Quartus II software integrates into nearly any
design environment, with interfaces to industry-standard EDA tools.
You can obtain a license for the software from the Altera web site.
1The APEX DSP development kit (starter version) includes
the Quartus II Limited Edition software; the professional
version of the kit requires that you purchase a full version of
the software.
■Evaluation MegaCore®IP Functions—The kit contains evaluation
versions of Altera DSP MegaCore functions. You can evaluate the
functions using the OpenCore®feature, which lets you quickly and
easily verify the functionality of an IP function, and evaluate its size
and speed before making a purchase decision. Additionally, these
functions have the OpenCore Plus hardware evaluation feature,
which allows you to generate time-limited programming files for
prototyping and board-level simulation. You can obtain a license to
enable the OpenCore Plus feature from the Altera web site.
1The OpenCore Plus hardware evaluation feature is an
evaluation tool for prototyping only. You must purchase a
license to use an Altera IP function in production designs.
■Reference Designs/Labs—Altera provides three labs and a reference
design with the APEX DSP development kit to help you get started
building applications. See “Using the Reference Designs/Labs” on
page 23 for more information on the labs provided.

Altera Corporation 11
Getting Started
2
Getting Started
Before You
Begin
Before using the kit or installing the software, be sure to check the contents
of the kit and inspect the board to verify that you received all of the items.
If any of these items are missing, contact Altera before you proceed. You
should also verify that your PC meets the software and system
requirements of the kit.
APEX DSP Development Kit (Professional Version) Contents
The professional kit contains the following items:
■APEX DSP development board with an EP20K1500E device
■ByteBlasterMV cable
■Power cable and adapters for North America, Europe, United
Kingdom, and Japan
■SMA cable
■RS-232 cable
■APEX DSP Development Kit CD-ROM
■DSP Builder: Quartus II & MATLAB/Simulink Interface CD-ROM
■The MathWorks Product & Documentation CDs
APEX DSP Development Kit (Starter Version) Contents
The starter kit contains the following items:
■APEX DSP development board with an EP20K200E device
■ByteBlasterMV cable
■Power cable and adapters for North America, Europe, United
Kingdom, and Japan
■SMA cable
■RS-232 cable
■APEX DSP Development Kit CD-ROM
■DSP Builder: Quartus II & MATLAB/Simulink Interface CD-ROM
■The MathWorks Product & Documentation CDs
■Quartus II Limited Edition Development Software CD-ROM

12 Altera Corporation
APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide Getting Started
Inspect the Board
Place the board on an anti-static surface and inspect it to ensure that it has
not been damaged during shipment. Verify that all components are on the
board and appear intact. (For the APEX DSP development board starter
version, the memory sockets at U14 and U23 and the 12-bit A/D sockets
at U11 and U21 are unpopulated.)
1The board can be damaged without proper anti-static handling.
Therefore, you should take anti-static precautions before
handling the board.
fRefer to the APEX DSP Development Board (Professional Version) Data Sheet
or the APEX DSP Development Board (Starter Version) Data Sheet—which
are available on the APEX DSP Development Kit CD-ROM—for
information on the board components and their location.
Software Requirements
You should install the following software before you begin developing
designs for the kit.
■Quartus II software version 1.1 or later (the limited edition provided
with the starter kit, the web edition, or a purchased version). See
“Installing the Quartus II Limited Edition Software (Included with
the Starter Version Only)” on page 14.
1To develop designs for the professional kit only, you must
have purchased the Quartus II version 1.1 software. Contact
your local Altera sales representative if you do not have the
software.
■Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 2 or later to use Quartus II
Help. You need a web browser to register the Quartus II software and
request license files.
■Altera recommends that you install the software on the APEX DSP
Development Kit CD-ROM. See “Installing the MegaCore Functions
& Reference Designs/Labs” on page 14.
■DSP Builder requires the following software:
– MATLAB version 6.0 or later
– Simulink version 4.0 or later
– A VHDL synthesis tool that is fully compliant with the VHDL 93
specification
– Quartus II version 1.1 or later

Altera Corporation 13
Getting Started APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide
Getting Started
2
To use DSP Builder’s automated Tcl script flows, you must use the
following software in addition to the required software above (refer
to the DSP builder user guide for a description of these flows):
– Synplify version 6.1 or later or LeonardoSpectrum version
2000.01b or later
– ModelSim version 5.5 or later
1If you want to target Altera APEX II devices, you must use
Synplify version 7.0 or LeonardoSpectrum version 2001.1d.
Important Considerations
■You need your network identification card (NIC) ID for licensing the
Quartus II software and to enable the OpenCore Plus feature for the
IP functions. Refer to the following URL for instructions on finding
your NIC ID:
http://www.altera.com/support/licensing/ip/lic-ipm-dsp.jsp
■You need administrative privileges to install parts of the Quartus II
software on Windows NT or Windows 2000.
Quartus II Limited Edition System Requirements (Included with
the Starter Version Only)
To use the APEX DSP development kit with the Quartus II Limited
Edition software (provided with the starter version), your system must
meet the following minimum requirements.
1Contact your local Altera sales representative for the purchased
Quartus II version 1.1 system requirements.
■Pentium II PC running at 400 MHz or faster (faster systems give
better performance)
■512 MBytes of RAM
■400 MBytes of free hard disk space plus 100 MBytes temporary space
■Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 (Service Pack 3 or higher),
Windows 98, or Windows 2000
■Microsoft Windows-compatible graphics card and SVGA monitor
■Microsoft Windows-compatible 2- or 3-button mouse
■One or more of the following ports:
– Parallel port for use with the ByteBlasterMV parallel-port
download cable
– (Optional) Serial port for use with an RS-232 cable

14 Altera Corporation
APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide Getting Started
fRefer to the Quartus II Limited Edition readme file for additional
installation, memory, and disk space information.
Software
Installation
The APEX DSP development kit contains the Quartus II Limited Edition
software (starter version only), the DSP Builder for use with the MATLAB
and Simulink software, evaluation MegaCore functions that support the
OpenCore Plus feature, and reference designs/labs.
Installing the Quartus II Limited Edition Software (Included with
the Starter Version Only)
Follow these instructions to install the software:
1. Insert the Quartus II Limited Edition Development Software
CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. The Setup program starts
automatically and guides you through the installation process.
1If the Setup program is not already running, you can start it
manually. Choose Run (Windows Start menu), type the
following command, and click OK:
<CD-ROM drive>:\install.exe r
2. Click the Install Quartus II Limited Edition Software button.
3. After the software finishes installing, you must request and install a
license to enable it. See “Set Up Licensing” on page 16 for more
information.
Installing the MegaCore Functions & Reference Designs/Labs
To install the MegaCore functions and reference designs:
vInsert the APEX DSP Development Kit CD-ROM into your
CD-ROM drive. The installation program runs automatically.
The MegaCore functions with the OpenCore Plus feature and the
reference designs/labs are installed. Figure 1 shows the directory
structure.

Altera Corporation 15
Getting Started APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide
Getting Started
2
Figure 1. APEX DSP Development Kit Directory Structure
Install the DSP Builder
Follow these instructions to install the DSP Builder:
1. Insert the DSP Builder: Quartus II & MATLAB/Simulink Interface
CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. The installation program runs
automatically.
1If the installation program does not run automatically,
perform the following steps to run it manually.
a. Choose Run (Windows Start menu).
b. Type <CD-ROM drive>:\DSPBuilder.exe in the
Open box.
c. Click OK. The installation program opens.
2. Follow the instructions in the installation program.
MegaCore
fir-v2.3.0
Contains the FIR compiler MegaCore function files and documentation.
rs-v3.2.0
Contains the Reed-Solomon MegaCore function files and documentation.
intlv-v1.0.0
Contains the symbol interleaver/deinterleaver MegaCore function files and documentation.
fft-v1.1.0
Contains the FFT MegaCore function files and documentation.
nco-v1.3.0
Contains the NCO compiler MegaCore function files and documentation.
dsp_development_kit-v1.0.0
Contains the APEX DSP Development Kit documentation, example designs, and reference design.
doc
Contains the documentation provided with the kit.including data sheets, application notes, white papers
and third-party component documentation.
labs
Contains the labs provided with the kit.
filtering
Contains the filtering lab, windows application, and documentation.
reedsolomon
Contains the Reed-Solomon lab, windows application, and documentation.
reference_design
Contains the reference designs provided with the kit.
dsss
Contains the direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) reference design, windows application,
and documentation.

16 Altera Corporation
APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide Getting Started
fRefer to the DSP Builder Quartus II & MATLAB/Simulink Interface User
Guide for information on the DSP Builder directory structure.
The DSP Builder Quartus II & MATLAB/Simulink Interface User Guide
also includes a tutorial that describes how to create a design in Simulink
and then convert it to VHDL for synthesis, Quartus II compilation, and
RTL simulation. See page 18 in the user guide.
Set Up
Licensing
Before using the Quartus II Limited Edition software (starter kit only),
DSP Builder, or the OpenCore Plus feature of the evaluation MegaCore
functions, you must request a license file from the Altera web site at
http://www.altera.com/licensing and install it on your PC. When you
request a license file, Altera e-mails you a license.dat file that enables the
software.
To obtain a license, perform the following steps:
1. Point your web browser to the Altera web site at
http://www.altera.com/licensing.
2. Click the APEX™ DSP Development Kit Licensing - Starter Version
or APEX™ DSP Development Kit Licensing - Professional Version
link, depending on which version of the kit you have.
3. Follow the on-line instructions to request your license. A license file
is e-mailed to you.
4. To install your license, continue to “Install the Starter Kit License” or
“Install the Professional Kit License”, depending on which kit you
have.
Install the Starter Kit License
Before installing your license, close the following software if it is running
on your PC:
– Quartus II
–MAX+PLUSII
– MATLAB and Simulink
– LeonardoSpectrum
–Synplify
–ModelSim
To install your license, perform the steps for your platform.

Altera Corporation 17
Getting Started APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide
Getting Started
2
Windows NT
1. Choose Settings > Control Panel (Windows Start menu).
2. Double-click the System icon in the Control Panel window.
3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Environment tab.
4. Click the System Variable list to highlight it, and then in the
Var ia ble box, type LM_LICENSE_FILE.
5. In the Va l ue box, type <path to license file>\license.dat.
6. Click OK.
Windows 2000
1. Choose Settings > Control Panel (Windows Start menu).
2. Double-click the System icon in the Control Panel window.
3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
4. Click the Environment Variables button.
5. Click the System Variable list to highlight it, and then click New.
6. In the Va r ia b le N a m e box, type LM_LICENSE_FILE.
7. In the Va ri a b l e Va l u e box, type <path to license file>\license.dat.
8. Click OK.
Windows 98
1. With a text editor, open your PC’s autoexec.bat file.
2. Type the following environment variable on its own line in the
autoexec.bat file:
set LM_LICENSE_FILE=<path to license file>\license.dat
3. Save the autoexec.bat file.
4. Restart the PC.

18 Altera Corporation
APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide Getting Started
Install the Professional Kit License
To install your license, perform the following steps.
1Before installing your license, you must already have installed a
full version of the Quartus II software and set up licensing for it.
1. Close the following software if it is running on your PC:
– Quartus II
–MAX+PLUSII
– MATLAB and Simulink
– LeonardoSpectrum
–Synplify
–ModelSim
2. Open your DSP Builder/OpenCore Plus license file in a text editor.
The file should contain two FEATURE line, spanning 2 lines, one for
DSP Builder and one to enable the OpenCore Plus feature.
3. Open your Quartus II license.dat file in a text editor.
4. Copy the FEATURE lines from the DSP Builder/OpenCore Plus
license file and paste them into the Quartus II license file.
1Do not delete any FEATURE lines from the Quartus II license
file.
5. Save the Quartus II license file.
1When using editors such as Microsoft Word or Notepad,
ensure that the file does not have extra extensions appended
to it after you save (e.g., license.dat.txt or license.dat.doc).
Verify the filename in a DOS box or at a command prompt.
Connect the
Cables to the
Board & PC
The instructions in this section explain how to set up the following
hardware:
■ByteBlasterMV cable
■RS-232 cable
■Power supply cable
■SMA cable
1Before connecting the cables, shut down and power off your PC.
Turn on your PC when you are finished connecting the cables
(ByteBlasterMV and/or RS-232) to it.

Altera Corporation 19
Getting Started APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide
Getting Started
2
ByteBlasterMV Cable
The board supplies power to the ByteBlasterMV download cable. Connect
the ByteBlasterMV cable to one of two headers on the board, depending
on which device you want to configure/program.
vConnect the ByteBlasterMV cable’s 10-pin female plug to the APEX
device JTAG header on the board (J8) and connect the other end to
your PC to configure the APEX device directly using an SRAM
Object File (.sof). See Figure 2.
1The labs provided in this kit include SOFs for configuring
the APEX device directly.
or
vConnect the ByteBlasterMV cable’s 10-pin female plug to the EPC16
JTAG header on the board (JP7) and connect the other end to your
PC to program the EPC16 device using a Programmer Object File
(.pof). The EPC16 device configures the APEX device when power to
the board is turned off and then on again.
1Align the ByteBlasterMV connector so that the red stripe is
oriented towards the Altera logo on the board.
fRefer to the APEX DSP Development Board (Professional Version) Data Sheet
or the APEX DSP Development Board (Starter Version) Data Sheet for more
information on how to configure the APEX device on the board. Refer to
AN 116 (Configuring APEX 20K, FLEX 10K & FLEX 6000 Devices) for more
information on configuring Altera devices.
Figure 2. Connect the ByteBlasterMV Cable to the Board

20 Altera Corporation
APEX DSP Development Kit Getting Started User Guide Getting Started
RS-232 Cable
Attach the serial cable to one of the serial ports on your PC and to the
RS-232 male connector at J7 on the board. See Figure 3.
1For the APEX DSP board to communicate with the PC via the
RS-232 cable, RS-232 interface logic must be implemented in the
Altera device on the board.
Figure 3. Connect the RS-232 Cable
SMA Cable
Connect both ends of the SMA cable to the APEX DSP development
board. This cable connects the digital-to-analog (D/A 0 and D/A 1) and
analog-to-digital (A/D 0 and A/D 1) connectors on the board.
Power Supply Cable
Connect the power cable to the board as shown in Figure 4 on page 21 and
plug the other end into a power outlet.
After the board powers-up, the EPC16 configuration device, which ships
pre-programmed with a filtering design, automatically configures the
APEX 20KE device. The CONF_DONE LED turns on signifying that the
APEX device is configured.