Re: Update on Carte Blanche status.

[Steven Hirsch <snhirsch@gmail.com>]

Alex Freed wrote:
> Steven Hirsch wrote:
> > Alex Freed wrote:
> >
> > > At the same time the re-configuring is a little dangerous just like 
> > > re-flashing a motherboard BIOS. If something goes wrong during the 
> > > procedure - a power failure or some other malfunction - it can 
> > > "brick" the board and the only way to unbrick will be by using the 
> > > $12 JTAG tool. Or a $300 USB JTAG from Xilinx :)
> >
> > Is the $12 tool the "JTAG 3" that connects to a parallel port?  If 
> > not, do you know if the latter will server?
>
> The $12 cable is basically the classic design published by Xilinx but 
> with a level converter attached that can work with the targets requiring 
> lower voltages.
>
> http://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Catalog.cfm?NavPath=2,395&Cat=5
>
> I probably have one of the biggest collections of JTAG tools in the 
> Silicon Valley because as a consultant I have to work with a lot of 
> different devices. So I also tried the honest-to-God Xilinx' parallel 
> cable III but it doesn't have the drivers to reliably work with Spartan 
> 3e. And the $12 cable does while being logically 100% compatible.

Ok, bear with me a minute..  The cable I'm looking at:

One end is a DB25 parallel port connector

The other end is a shrink-wrapped PCB + SIP female header with this printed on it:

JTAG3 With SPI 1.8 to 5.5V

and along the edge:

TMS
TDI
TD0
TCK
GND
VDD

It looks essentially identical to the $12 cable on the Digilent website.

Is that what I have here?

Steve