FlashPro v5.0 Release Notes
(Sep 29, 2006)
FlashPro v5.0 is the newest major release of Actel's programming software
tool for the entire Flash family of devices: ProASIC,
ProASICPLUS, ProASIC3,
ProASIC3E,
and Fusion, as well
as ARM-enabled ProASIC3, ProASIC3E, and ARM-enabled Fusion. FlashPro
v5.0 provides a new ChainBuilder interface for facilitating the programming
of multiple Actel devices connected in the JTAG chain. FlashPro v5.0
combines all the features of FlashPro v4.2 and ChainBuilder v1.1 along
with many other additional enhancements, such as direct Chain programming.
Programming chains of devices in parallel is also supported in this release.
Actel strongly recommends that you upgrade to this latest major release
of the FlashPro software.
Separate releases of ChainBuilder will no longer be offered by Actel
as its functionality is now integrated within the FlashPro software.
Microsoft Windows – U.S. Version
- Windows XP SP1 or later
- Windows 2000 with SP2 or later
- Pentium II 450 or higher processor with Microsoft Windows 2000 or
newer
- 256 MB available memory
- 50 MB available hard disk space
- VGA or higher-resolution video adapter (SVGA 256-color and 800x600
or higher resolution recommended)
- Administrative rights are required to your local workstation for
Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems for installation and for running
the software.
- Supports all Fusion, ProASIC3, ProASIC3E, and ARM7 enabled ProASIC3/E
and Fusion devices with FlashPro3. IGLOO support is planned for a future
release of the FlashPro software with FlashPro3.
- Supports all ProASIC and all ProASICPLUS devices with
FlashPro
- Supports all ProASICPLUS devices with FlashPro Lite
The FlashPro v5.0 software includes many new features. One hundred different
development SARs have been closed for this release which cannot all be
enumerated here. This is a major new release with greatly enhanced functionality
and a new graphical interface to allow Chain Programming. With this new
FlashPro software release, many instability issues have been resolved
and better threading has been implemented. Some of the highlighted new
features are:
- New dedicated device driver for FlashPro3 instead of a Human Interface
Device (HID) generic classification. This provides many usability benefits.
- Full ChainBuilder functionality to allow heterogeneous JTAG chains
containing Actel Flash devices to be programmed directly without needing
to generate a dedicated Chain programming STAPL file.
- Ability to program using JTAG signals generated via a parallel port
buffer cable for ProASIC3 and Fusion devices.
Many issues have been addressed in this release as well as new developments
incorporating several usability improvements too numerous to mention
in these release notes. It is recommended that all users upgrade to this
new major release immediately to take advantage of the many benefits
offered.
New FlashPro3 Driver and Resulting Installation
Issues
The new FlashPro3 dedicated driver provides a whole host of usability
benefits compared to the previously used HID driver. However, as it is
a completely new driver, older versions of the software will no longer
work once the new version is installed. The following bullet points explain
the additional steps necessary when the automatic software removal tool
encounters older versions. The benefits of using the FlashPro v5.0 software
far outweigh the minor issues in the set up process listed below.
- When FlashPro v4.2 is detected, the FlashPro v5.0 installer will
uninstall FlashPro v4.2 and then exit – you must manually run the FlashPro
v5.0 installer again to install FlashPro v5.0.
- Registry cleanup does not always work, due to permissions issues – if
the FlashPro3 programmer is not recognized, you need to follow the
instructions in Driver Install Rules (PDF)
- If you try to run the FlashPro v4.2 installer after installing FlashPro
v5.0, FlashPro v5.0 will be uninstalled.
- FlashPro v4.X will not work properly after installing FlashPro v5.0 – the
FlashPro v5.0 installer will try to uninstall FlashPro v4.X to prevent
you from encountering this.
- Libero installations have links to their own installed FlashPro v4.X
components which will not work after installing FlashPro v5.0 – you
need to manually change your Libero profile settings to link Libero
with FlashPro v5.0 (you are informed via a popup message before the
installation of FlashPro v5.0).
- When installing/using an FP3 programmer for the first time, the Windows
device wizard cannot always find the driver automatically, the manual
workaround is covered in SARno46033 below.
- When installing/using an FlashPro3 programmer for the first time,
the Windows Device Wizard has to install the driver twice in a row
before the FlashPro3 will work properly.
General Issues
- SARno52280: Parallel FlashPro programming will fail with exit -90
- Parallel programming via USB 1.1 with FlashPro programmers (not FlashPro3)
is disabled. If you attempt to program using parallel FlashPro programmers,
a failure will result: exit code -90. Use only one FlashPro programmer
at a time for programming.
- SARno50666: After installing FlashPro v5.0 on a windows 2000 machine,
the new FlashPro software v5.0 icon will not display
- If a v3.4 or earlier (prior to v4.0) version of the software was
the first version of FlashPro software installed on the machine the
icon will remain fixed at v3.4, this is caused by the way icons were
referenced in that version of the software.
- SARno50533: Do not use TCK=8MHz when programming with FlashPro3 Programmer
- Occasionally, instability has been observed with TCK=8MHz. Use the
recommended TCK frequency of 4MHz for programming ProASIC3 and ProASIC3E
devices using a FlashPro3 programmer. Programming at TCK frequencies
of 8MHz and above has now been disabled, giving the max frequency at
6MHz to ensure reliable programming of all ProASIC3 and Fusion parts.
Even manually writing a higher TCK in the STAPL file will have no effect,
as it will be ignored by the software which will still set a maximum
frequency of 6MHz. The FlashPro3 hardware can operate at much higher
TCK frequencies; if a user wishes to enable the higher frequencies
for test purposes (Note: Not recommended for commercial programming
purposes), then simply change the variable definition of "High
Frequency Enable" from 0 to 1 in the flashpro.def file. The variable
value to change in the file is:
data FP_FPENG_FP3_HIGH_FREQUENCY_ENABLE 0
- SARno48103: Occasional connectivity issues while connecting FlashPro3
programmers to a Dell D600 laptop
- The workaround is to use the recommended PCMCIA to USB 2.0 card instead
of directly connecting to the laptop. Follow the connection procedure
outlined in the FlashPro v5.0 User's Guide.
- SARno46033: FlashPro3 driver may not be detected automatically by
Windows
- If you are asked for the location of the FlashPro3 driver, you can
find it in <FlashPro v5.0 software installation directory>/Drivers
folder.
We have tested several PCI/PCMCIA to USB 2.0 cards along with different
USB 1.1/2.0 hubs, and we have observed that the Belkin PCI/PCMCIA to
USB 2.0 cards with Belkin USB 1.1/2.0 hubs have demonstrated the appropriate
performance criteria for programming with the FlashPro v5.0 software.
