General Information - Actel Silicon Explorer II User Manual

General Information

Q: Does Silicon Explorer support ProASIC programming and
debugging?
A: No. As of today Silicon Explorer does not support either ProASIC
programming or debugging.
Q: What are the accessories available for the Silicon Explorer?
A: Silicon Explorer Accessories:
SI-EX-RIBBONS:Ribbon cable assembly for FPGA probe
connection (for both Silicon Explorer and Silicon Explorer lite)
SI-EX-TCA: Flying lead cable assembly
Q: Can we use Silicon Explorer to debug devices which have their
security fuses programmed?
A: As a part of the Actel FPGAs security feature the Silicon Explorer
cannot be used on devices which have their security fuse
programmed.
Q: Can I use the probe pins as regular I/Os?
A: All of the probe pins can be used as user I/O except for the MODE
and TMS pins. Once the device enters probe mode, The I/O's
switch to the probe functionality. We highly recommend that you
do not use these pins as inputs, since your device will not accept
the inputs during probe mode.
Q: What are the differences between Silicon Explorer I and Silicon
Explorer II?
A: The main difference between Silicon Explorer I and Silicon
Explorer II is that the Silicon Explorer II logic-analysis system was
enhanced to support an external power supply, which permits
internal probing of 5.0V, 3.3V, and 2.5V FPGAs. Other features
include four-levels of triggering, decompression on download to
speed up response time and system acquisition rates up to
100MHz.
General Information
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