Connecting FX3 GPIO directly to an ALTERA GPIO

Tip / Sign in to post questions, reply, level up, and achieve exciting badges. Know more

cross mob
Anonymous
Not applicable

Happy new year to you all,

   

I just wanted to ask if we can plug directly the GPIO of the EZ USB FX3 to an FPGA Type Altera Cyclone IV without using a HSMC interconnect board ( just connect directly the pins ) and would that affect the transfer rate ?

   

Thank you in advance for your help 

0 Likes
4 Replies
Anonymous
Not applicable

I'm plugging in the SuperSpeed Explorer kit using the top pins and wires like these: http://cloud6.lbox.me/images/384x384/201211/40p-dupont-jumper-wire-cable-line-1p-1p-pines-21-5cm_baz... of 10cm length and it works fine at frequencies up to 65MHz (max i tested). Using 3.3v LVTTL and 4mA drive strength in altera pin planner (make sure to set jumper on explorer board to 3.3v as well). At 8mA drive strength the wires had too much interference from one another at >30MHz.

0 Likes
Anonymous
Not applicable

okay, but could I connect directly like in the photo below ( I am actually working with a De0 Nano Cyclone IV FPGA and it has the same size as the EZ USB FX3 kit so I wanted to connect them directly) 

   

But in the case where I should use the wires you showed me, I should connect which pin to which pin ? 

   

I'm just getting started with the FPGA and I don't know how to connect them 

   

Thank you very much

0 Likes
Anonymous
Not applicable

this is how I want to connect the FX3 to the FPGA  

   

 

   

0 Likes
Anonymous
Not applicable

You will have to look at the DE0 schematic and see how the exposed pins map to the FPGA package.

   

Then find the appropriate ones to connect to DQ[31..0] and CTL[15..0] as well as PCLK (you might want PCLK to be output of a PLL, for example).

   

I doubt you can just use a ribbon cable/direct male to female mating to connect, because some of the pins on the superspeed explorer are 5V power pins, which will DESTROY your  fpga if connected to, and some are GND, which you should connect to corresponding GND pins (you might be able to get away by connecting them to IO pins on the FPGA if you run out of GND pins, just make sure to set those IO pins on the FPGA to output, and drive a 0 on them)

0 Likes