FPGA help?

[Doomguy42]

Hi there, I'm just doing some preliminary research to see if it's possible to read and rewrite old FPGA chips?

I'm working with Pcb's from the 1990's that have lost programs. I have a 25pin serial port on the boards.

I'm relatively new to electronics, I've programmed Eproms/Pal's successfully so im looking to learn how to do these next... if anyone can set me off in the right direction?

Thanks

 

[ronsimpson]

What is the part number on the FPGAs?

 

[dknguyen]

i doubt you will be able to read the fpga from a commercial product since they tend to be encrypted

 

[ChrisP58]

As dknguyen said, if they're encrypted, you won't be able to read them.

However, you said that they've lost their program. I assume that you mean that their internal code has gotten corrupted. And that's possible after ~25 years. If so then reading them, even if not encrypted, would be worthless.

Can you get the original program for the part? If yes, then you just to follow the process for erasing and re-programming the part. What those processes are will depend on the FPGA that you have, and what programming support there is on the PCB.

 

[ronsimpson]

lost their program

Some FPGAs use external memory.

 

[dknguyen]

Some FPGAs use external memory.

Most?

 

[gophert]

Most?

Are you implying that no FPGA has onboard Memory?

 

[dknguyen]

Are you implying that no FPGA has onboard Memory?

Well, we are talking specifically about configuration memory in this thread.

 

[ronsimpson]

data sheet
These are large memories for being in a 8 pin package.