A Step-by-Step Guide to Installing USB Blaster Driver on Windows 10 for DE10-Lite FPGA Development

Introduction

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The development process for Field Programmable Logic (FPGA) devices such as the DE10-Lite can be streamlined significantly with the right tools and software. One essential component in this setup is a reliable USB Blaster driver, which acts as an interface between your host computer's USB port and the FPGA's programming circuitry.

This article will walk you through a detailed procedure on how to install the USB Blalter (sic) driver for Windows 10, particularly focusing on the DE10-Lite board. Please note that this process may require some technical know-how, especially when dealing with unsigned drivers in modern operating systems like W10.

Hardware Requirements

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1. A host computer running a supported version of Microsoft Windows 10.

2. The USB cable provided for connecting your FPGA development board (DE10-Lite) to the host PC's USB port.

3. An instance of Quartus or another suitable Integrated Development Environment (IDE) installed on your system.

Software Requirements

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1. A working copy of the DE10 Lite FPGA Board Design File (.qipz) for programming purposes.

2. The latest version of Altera/Intel's Quartus development software suite, including the USB Blaster cable drivers and JTAG interface IP cores (if not included with your IDE).

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

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### Step 1: Connect Your DE10-Lite Board to the Host PC via USB Cable

Firstly, ensure that both ends of the provided USB cable are securely connected. On one end, you should see a micro-USB connector (usually labeled as 'JTAG/UART' or similar) which needs to be plugged into its corresponding socket on your DE10-Lite board's JTAG/Programming Port. At the other end lies an standard Type-A USB plug that must then be inserted into any available USB port on your host computer.

### Step 2: Start the Quartus IDE and Launch DE10LiteControlPanel.exe

Next, double-click or double-tap (depending upon whether you're using a mouse click or touch input respectively) on the executable file named 'DE10LiteControlPanel.exe' located within the extracted folder of your Quartipz design files. This should launch the Quartus Programmer user interface.

### Step 3: Load and Program Your FPGA Bitstream

With both physical connections established, you are now ready to load your pre-compiled bitstream onto your DE10-Lite board's programmable logic cells (PLC). In this case, we're assuming that our design files already contain the necessary *.sof file required for programming. To do so:

1. Click on 'Program' located at top left corner within Programmer window.

2. From list of available devices select your DE10-Lite board from drop-down menu below it.

### Step 4: Install Unsigned USB Blaster Driver (Optional but Necessary)

If you encounter an error message stating that unsigned drivers cannot be installed by default, follow these steps:

1. Open Device Manager and expand the 'Universal Serial Bus Controllers' section.

2. Right-click on 'USB Serial Controller' or similar device with exclamation mark icon next to it.

3. From context menu select 'Update Driver'.

4. Choose 'Browse my computer for driver software (recommended)'.

### Step 5: Locate and Install Unsigned USB Blaster Drivers

1. Navigate through your system directories until you reach the folder where you extracted the Quartus/DE10-Lite Development Board Support Files.

2. Double-click on 'USB-Blaster-II_Driver_Win10_2020.zip' or equivalent zip file containing unsigned drivers.

### Step 6: Follow On-Screen Instructions to Complete Driver Installation

1. Accept terms and conditions presented during installation wizard.

2. Choose the correct USB port where your DE10-Lite board is connected from drop-down list if prompted.

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With these simple steps completed, you should now have a functional USB Blaster driver installed on Windows 10 for programming and debugging purposes using your DE10-Lite FPGA development board! Remember to always refer back to the official Quartus/Intel documentation or manufacturer's support resources in case of any issues encountered during this process.

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