Intel Altera USB Blaster Range Cable Selection & Installation

The TC2030-ALT-NL cable is a special programming cable that has a TC2030 Tag-Connector at one end and a 10-pin 0.1" pitch female IDC connector at the other. The 10-pin IDC can be plugged directly into some Altera USB Blasters and ByteBlasters. The cable is wired as follows:

TC2030-ALT-NL Connections

TC2030-NL	10-pin 0.1" IDC
1	4     Vref
2	5     TMS
3	9     TDI
4	1     TCLK
5	2,10  GND
6	3     TDO

Please refer to the TC2030-IDC-NL datasheet for details of the TC2030-NL connector and footprint. Usually ships in 1-3 days of order, please contact us to check if your need is urgent.

Datasheet (for TC2030-NL connector and footprint details only)

The TC2030-ALT programming cable is a special cable that has a TC2030 "Legged" Tag-Connector at one end and a 10-pin 0.1" pitch female IDC connector at the other. The 10-pin IDC can be plugged directly into some Altera USB Blasters and ByteBlasters. The cable is wired as follows:

TC2030-ALT Connections

TC2030-NL	10-pin 0.1" IDC
1	4     Vref
2	5     TMS
3	9     TDI
4	1     TCLK
5	2,10  GND
6	3     TDO

Please refer to the TC2030-IDC datasheet for details of the TC2030 connector and footprint. Usually ships in 1-3 days of order, please contact us to check if your need is urgent.

Datasheet (for TC2030 connector and footprint details only)

Edge-Connect™ - The Leading-Edge Connector!

The ECV3-10-IDC is a 10-pin Edge-Connect™ connector terminated in a 10-pin 0.1″ pitch female IDC. This uses version 3 of our patented literal edge of the board connector which more robust and more convenient than previous versions. ECV3 is the third generation in the Edge-Connect™ family. ECV3 is NOT compatible with the previous Edge-Connect family and both will continue to be supported as current products into the future. ECV3 makes some minor improvements adding greater robustness, improved convenience and is designed to be a mainstream product. Edge-Connect™ is the patent-pending newest member in the family of Programming Connectors and Cables from Tag-Connect. EC10-IDC is the 10-pin version. By connecting to the literal edge of the PCB (not the surface near the edge like traditional edge-connectors) Edge-Connect™ is designed to essentially eliminate the wasted real-estate needed by JTAG programming and test connectors. Edge-Connect™ is an Ideal solution for space-sensitive PCB’s and modules that don’t have room on the board for traditional connectors but which still need a means of programming firmware and testing. We've designed Edge-Connect™ so that we can offer low-cost, fast-turn, customized connector solutions to meet the unique requirements of your PCB - Contact Us if you have a custom requirement.

• Connects directly to the literal edge of the PCB
• PCB snaps directly onto the Edge-Connect™
• Zero Component Cost on the PCB
• Maximizes available PCB real-estate
• Eliminates the cost of a connector on every board
• Requires just one tiny locating hole
• Low profile edge access ideal for use with stacked PCB’s with no access headroom
• Cant be connected backwards due to keyed feature
• Standard or custom design configurations available
• Alternative pitch? Three castellated edges? No problem!
• No Header! - No Brainer!

Instead of using the usual space-costly Surface Mount or Plated Through-Hole connectors, Edge-Connect™ has springy gold-plated contacts that connect directly to the literal edge of the target PCB using edge castellation. A Castellated PCB edge is a board edge that has plated through holes that are placed overhanging the edge of the board and typically made at little to no extra cost even from most cheap proto-board fab services (often a check box in the online quote is marked "Castellated Holes"). Castellated edges are commonly used on RF, WiFi, BLE and IoT sensor modules making them suitable for soldering as an SMT component onto host PCB’s using the castellated holes as pins. Edge-Connect™ allows test and programming and even debugging without first soldering the module to the host PCB. This makes it very useful for factory test and programming of the module. EC10-IDC has a castellation pitch of 1.27mm and requires a single tiny non-plated through hole to locate and hold the PCB in place. See below for the latest datasheets. We will be publishing revisions to the datasheets. Note: ECV3-10-IDC with ribbon cable and IDC connector only supplied, Demo PCB not included.

Datasheet

 

Tag-Connect's TC2050-IDC "Legged" Plug-of-Nails™ programming cable is a 10-conductor cable fitted with a spring-pin Tag-Connector that conveniently plugs directly into your PCB and terminates in a 0.1" ribbon connector.

• Plugs straight to your PCB - No mating connector or header required!
• Requires only a tiny footprint of pads and locating holes in your PCB.
• Zero Cost Per Board!
• Tiny Footprint!
• High-Reliability Spring-Pins make a Secure Connection and are rated for over 100,000 operations.
• Footprint has no height and can reduce the size and space requirements of your PCB.
• A great way to make test and debug signals available at no cost and with minimal board space.

Tag-Connect cables provide a simple, reliable means of connecting Debuggers and Programmers or other test equipment to your PCB's while lowering board costs and facilitating efficient production programming. Tag-Connect uses a specially designed (Patent Pending) connector which eliminates the need for putting a programming header or other mating connector on every PCB. Instead, Tag-Connect uses tried and tested spring-pins rated for over 100,000 operations to make a secure connection to a special footprint pattern of pads and locating holes in your PCB. The legged version footprint takes about the same board space as two or three SMT resistors which means you can locate the footprint right next to the MCU if desired. This 10-conductor cable has a TC2050 Tag-Connector on one end and a standard 0.1" ribbon connector on the other and is suitable for use with most many MCUs / FPGAs and JTAG programming and debug operations. A growing range of adaptors are available for specific and generic applications such as Xilinx SPARTAN and VERTEX FPGAs, TI MSP430 (TC2050-IDC-430), etc See also TC2050-IDC-NL (no-legs) version with a tiny 0.03” footprint.

Datasheet

Tag-Connect's TC2050-IDC-NL "No Legs" Plug-of-Nails™ programming cable is a 10-conductor cable fitted with a spring-pin Tag-Connector that conveniently plugs directly into your PCB and terminates in a 0.1" ribbon connector.

• Plugs straight to your PCB - No mating connector or header required!
• Requires only a tiny 0.03" footprint of pads and locating holes in your PCB.
• Zero Cost Per Board!
• Tiny Footprint!
• High-Reliability Spring-Pins make a Secure Connection and are rated for over 100,000 operations.
• Footprint has no height and can reduce the size and space requirements of your PCB.
• A great way to make test and debug signals available at no cost and with minimal board space.
• Can be retained in place using a TC2050-CLIP board.

Tag-Connect cables provide a simple, reliable means of connecting Debuggers and Programmers or other test equipment to your PCB's while lowering board costs and facilitating efficient production programming. Tag-Connect uses a specially designed (Patent Pending) connector which eliminates the need for putting a programming header or other mating connector on every PCB. Instead, Tag-Connect uses tried and tested spring-pins rated for over 100,000 operations to make a secure connection to a special footprint pattern of pads and locating holes in your PCB. The tiny  "No Legs" footprint takes only 0.03 square inches (about the same board space as a couple of SMT resistors) which means you can locate the footprint right next to the MCU if desired. This 10-conductor cable has a TC2050-NL Tag-Connector on one end and a standard 0.1" ribbon connector on the other and is suitable for use with most many MCUs / FPGAs and JTAG programming and debug operations. A growing range of adaptors are available for specific and generic applications such as Xilinx SPARTAN and VERTEX FPGAs, TI MSP430 (TC2050-IDC-430), etc Also available in self-retaining "legged" version TC2050-IDC.

Datasheet

The TC2030-ALT-M programming cable is a special cable that has a TC2030 "Legged" Tag-Connector at one end and a 10-pin 0.1" pitch male IDC connector at the other. The 10-pin male IDC can be used with Altera USB Blasters and ByteBlasters where the existing cable is not unpluggable. Where the existing cable can be unplugged from a ByteBlaster or USB Blaster, please use the TC2030-ALT cable instead. The cable is wired as follows:

TC2030-ALT-M Connections

TC2030-NL	10-pin 0.1" IDC
1	4     Vref
2	5     TMS
3	9     TDI
4	1     TCLK
5	2,10  GND
6	3     TDO

Please refer to the TC2030-IDC datasheet for details of the TC2030 connector and footprint. Usually ships in 1-3 days of order, please contact us to check if your need is urgent.

Datasheet (for TC2030 connector and footprint details only)

This product is intended to temporarily hold a TC2030 -NL ("No Legs") cable in place on a PCB. This solution will help when board space is at a premium and you need a hands free solution for debugging. Supplied as pack of 3. We recommend keeping a few spare of these since the tiny boards are easy to misplace when working on the bench. For a more robust solution consider a TC2030 legged cable.

Tag-Connect's TC2050-IDC-NL-M "No-Legs" Plug-of-Nails™ programming cable is a 10-conductor cable fitted with a spring-pin Tag-Connector that conveniently plugs directly into your PCB and terminates in a 0.1" male ribbon connector. These special male IDC cables are only for use where the existing debugger cable can't be removed and has to be extended instead such as on some Altera USB Blasters and ByteBlasters.

• Plugs straight to your PCB - No mating connector or header required!
• Requires only a 0.03" footprint of pads and locating holes in your PCB.
• Zero Cost Per Board!
• Tiny Footprint!
• High-Reliability Spring-Pins make a Secure Connection and are rated for over 100,000 operations.
• Footprint has no height and can reduce the size and space requirements of your PCB.
• A great way to make test and debug signals available at no cost and with minimal board space.
• Can be retained in place using a TC2050-CLIP board.

Tag-Connect cables provide a simple, reliable means of connecting Debuggers and Programmers or other test equipment to your PCB's while lowering board costs and facilitating efficient production programming. Tag-Connect uses a specially designed (Patent Pending) connector which eliminates the need for putting a programming header or other mating connector on every PCB. Instead, Tag-Connect uses tried and tested spring-pins rated for over 100,000 operations to make a secure connection to a special footprint pattern of pads and locating holes in your PCB. The tiny  “No Legs” footprint takes only 0.03 square inches (about the same board space as a couple of SMT resistors) which means you can locate the footprint right next to the MCU if desired. This 10-conductor cable has a TC2050-NL Tag-Connector on one end and a male 0.1" ribbon connector on the other and is suitable for use with many MCUs / FPGAs and JTAG programming and debug operations where the existing cable can't be removed from the programmer and has to be extended instead. Also available in self-retaining “legged” version TC2050-IDC-M.

Datasheet (for TC2050-NL connector and footprint details only)

Tag-Connect's TC2050-IDC-M "Legged" Plug-of-Nails™ programming cable is a 10-conductor cable fitted with a spring-pin Tag-Connector that conveniently plugs directly into your PCB and terminates in a 0.1" male ribbon connector. These special male IDC cables are only for use where the existing debugger cable can't be removed and has to be extended instead such as on some Altera USB Blasters and ByteBlasters.

• Plugs straight to your PCB - No mating connector or header required!
• Requires only a tiny footprint of pads and locating holes in your PCB.
• Zero Cost Per Board!
• Tiny Footprint!
• High-Reliability Spring-Pins make a Secure Connection and are rated for over 100,000 operations.
• Footprint has no height and can reduce the size and space requirements of your PCB.
• A great way to make test and debug signals available at no cost and with minimal board space.

Tag-Connect cables provide a simple, reliable means of connecting Debuggers and Programmers or other test equipment to your PCB's while lowering board costs and facilitating efficient production programming. Tag-Connect uses a specially designed (Patent Pending) connector which eliminates the need for putting a programming header or other mating connector on every PCB. Instead, Tag-Connect uses tried and tested spring-pins rated for over 100,000 operations to make a secure connection to a special footprint pattern of pads and locating holes in your PCB. The legged version footprint takes about the same board space as two or three SMT resistors which means you can locate the footprint right next to the MCU if desired. This 10-conductor cable has a TC2050 Tag-Connector on one end and a male 0.1" ribbon connector on the other and is suitable for use with many MCUs / FPGAs and JTAG programming and debug operations where the existing cable can't be removed from the programmer and has to be extended instead. See also TC2050-IDC-NL-M (no-legs) version with a tiny 0.03” footprint.

Datasheet (for TC2050 connector and footprint details only)