5989 – USB Blaster V2/en

Documentation notice: This technical documentation was independently rewritten from an archived supplier source. Check technical details and commands against the product version and manufacturer documentation before use.

Summary

The Waveshare USB Blaster V2 is a download cable for programming ALTERA FPGAs, CPLDs and Active Serial configuration devices. It connects the PC via USB 2.0 and the target device via JTAG, AS or PS interfaces.

Related products at JW Tech

5989 – Waveshare USB Blaster V2 Download Cable, compatible with ALTERA USB Blaster FPGA/CPLD programmer, high-speed FT245+CPLD solution
WSAL5989 – Waveshare USB Blaster V2 Download Cable, compatible with ALTERA USB Blaster FPGA/CPLD programmer, high-speed FT245+CPLD solution

Technical overview

The cable is designed for ALTERA FPGA, CPLD and Active Serial configuration devices.
It uses an FT245 + CPLD architecture (Option 1), which is closest to the original design.
With a 24 MHz CPLD clock, the download speed matches the original performance.
This solution is positioned as a high-speed alternative to cheaper options such as CY7C68013A or C8051F320/1.
USB Blaster V2 differs from the original USB Blaster only in slightly larger dimensions and a slightly different PCB layout; functionality is identical.
On Windows, a driver is required and is provided with the Quartus software.
Linux support is available; refer to the user manual for driver installation details.
To troubleshoot programming failures: check the connection between the downloader and the target board, re-plug the connector, then power on and retry writing.
To generate a .pof file in Quartus: go to Assignments → Device → Device and Pin Options, select the Configuration tab, enable “Use Configuration Device” and choose the configuration chip.
Select “Active Serial” as the configuration scheme.

Commands and examples – verify before use:

Quartus: Assignments → Device → Device and Pin Options → Configuration tab → Use Configuration Device → select configuration chip → Configuration scheme: Active Serial

Notes and version constraints

The exact Quartus version that is guaranteed to work is not explicitly stated; per the FAQ, using Quartus 11 resolves certain errors seen with older versions like Quartus 9.
Manual driver installation on Windows requires action in Device Manager; exact steps are not detailed in the source text.
Some error messages (e.g., "can't place multiple pins assigned to pin location Pin_101") reference external forum posts whose content is not available here.
The full list of supported chipset compatibility is not enumerated in the source.
Version-sensitive driver installation steps may require human confirmation depending on OS version.

Source and revision record

USB Blaster V2 - Waveshare Wiki
Source revision: 73619
Captured: 2026-08-29T08:50:43+00:00
SHA-256: 18336115374d6928772bdbc2af7f87aa7e99dfee520d94eca6df4a5f64b931fa