Quartus Install
Quartus Install
Quartus Install
and Licensing
Updated for Intel® Quartus® Prime Design Suite: 17.1
Contents
7 Additional Information...................................................................................................46
7.1 Document Revision History.....................................................................................46
You download and license Intel FPGA software using the Download Center and Self-
Service Licensing Center on the altera.com website. The Download Center provides
the following downloads:
• Software and components
• Programming software
• Board layout and test software
• Legacy design software
• License daemons
Note: If you are a single user of Intel Quartus Prime software for Windows or Linux, use the
quick start to get your software up and running quickly. For more complex licensing
scenarios, refer to the chapters on downloading, installing, and licensing software.
Related Links
• Download Center
• Self-Service Licensing Center
Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Altera, Arria, Cyclone, Enpirion, MAX, Nios, Quartus
and Stratix words and logos are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Intel warrants performance of its FPGA and semiconductor products to current specifications in ISO
accordance with Intel's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services 9001:2008
at any time without notice. Intel assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any Registered
information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Intel. Intel
customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published
information and before placing orders for products or services.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
MNL-1065 | 2017.11.06
Related Links
• Operating System Support
• Intel Quartus Prime Software Device Support Release Notes
Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Altera, Arria, Cyclone, Enpirion, MAX, Nios, Quartus
and Stratix words and logos are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Intel warrants performance of its FPGA and semiconductor products to current specifications in ISO
accordance with Intel's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services 9001:2008
at any time without notice. Intel assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any Registered
information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Intel. Intel
customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published
information and before placing orders for products or services.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
2 System Requirements and Prerequisites
MNL-1065 | 2017.11.06
Linux Prerequisites
• The following RPM packages are required to run Intel FPGA software on systems
running Red Hat Linux Enterprise 5 and 6:
— X Window libraries: make, libX11.i686, libXau.i686, libXdmcp.i686,
libXext.i686, libXft-devel.i686, libXft.i686, libXrender.i686, libXt.i686, and
libXtst.i686.
— GIMP toolkit: GTK+2.
— For more information about RPM packages, visit the Red Hat website.
• The following additional RPM packages are required to run the ModelSim - Intel
FPGA Edition software and SoC EDS on systems running Red Hat Linux Enterprise
5 and 6:
— 32-bit libraries: unixODBC-libs, unixODBC, ncurses, ncurses-libs, libzmq3,
libXext, alsa-lib, libXtst, libXft, libxml2, libedit, libX11, libXi.
Windows Prerequisites
• The Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable Package (x86) is required to run
the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software on Windows systems.
Related Links
• Setting Up a Floating Network License on Your Local Computer on page 31
• Setting Up or Upgrading a License Manager Server on page 34
• Intel Quartus Prime Download Center
3.1 Introduction
This section provides detailed instructions for downloading and installing Intel FPGA
software.
You download software from the Download Center on www.altera.com. You have
several options for downloading software:
• Download a bundled set of software and device files, in .tar format
• Download individual executable files for customized download and installation
The method you choose depends on your download speed, design requirements, and
method of installation. If you want the complete software package and device support
for all supported families, use the .tar format. If you want to download select
elements of the software, additional software, or additional device support, use the
individual executable files.
Note: If you use a 64-bit Linux operating system, you must install certain 32-bit libraries to
run the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software. Refer to the software prerequisites for
complete details.
Related Links
Download Center
(1) The Intel FPGA SDK for OpenCL is based on a published Khronos Specification, and has passed
the Khronos Conformance Testing Process. Current conformance status can be found at
www.khronos.org/conformance.
Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Altera, Arria, Cyclone, Enpirion, MAX, Nios, Quartus
and Stratix words and logos are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Intel warrants performance of its FPGA and semiconductor products to current specifications in ISO
accordance with Intel's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services 9001:2008
at any time without notice. Intel assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any Registered
information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Intel. Intel
customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published
information and before placing orders for products or services.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
3 Downloading and Installing Intel FPGA Software
MNL-1065 | 2017.11.06
You must install device support for Stratix®, Arria®, Cyclone®, or MAX® device
families as part of the Intel Quartus Prime installation.
Note: You can also obtain older versions of software and legacy software from the Download
Center.
Related Links
Operating System Support
Note: If you are on the Linux operating system, or if the download manager does not work
on your computer, you must individually download all the files.
(2) OpenCL and the OpenCL logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. used by permission of the Khronos
Group™.
Important: Wait for all the files to download completely before beginning
installation.
7. Extract all installation files into the same directory. If you extract the files to
different directories, the installer does not install all the components. The
components subdirectory stores software and device installation files.
Note: Windows only: You must unzip the .tar files to extract the installation files.
WinZip*, 7-Zip*, and WinRAR* are examples of unzipping tools. You must
unzip the files to the same directory. In WinZip, click the Unzip button and
then click Unzip to a selected folder. Do not use unzip program shortcuts,
such as 1-Click Unzip
8. Run one of the following scripts to begin installation:
Option Description
The wizard appears, and guides you through the installation process.
— Windows:
<product>-<version>.exe
The installation wizard appears to guide you through the installation process.
Option Description
• qt (Default)
• gtk
• xwindow
• text
• unattended
For Windows, the available modes are:
• qt (Default)
• win32
• unattended
--accept_eula 1 States that you accept the Intel FPGA End User License
Agreement.
This option is mandatory when you use unattended mode.
--installdir <installdir> Specifies the target installation directory for Intel FPGA
software.
Refer to Download and Installation Prerequisites for the
default installation directories.
--product_copy_name <product_copy_name> If you install multiple copies of the same software with the
same version, specifies the installation name. Default=none.
--install-lic <install_lic> Specifies the target directory for the license agreement files.
Related Links
Download and Installation Prerequisites on page 6
3.2.5 Installing Additional Device Support and Other Intel FPGA Software
If you did not install the complete Intel FPGA software package and device support,
you can download and install additional device support or software (such as Intel
Quartus Prime Help, DSP Builder, or the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software).
You download device family support and other Intel FPGA software from the
Individual Files and Additional Software tabs on the version-specific download
page on the Download Center of www.altera.com.
• Download device family support files to the same directory as the Intel Quartus
Prime software, and then install it through the Intel Quartus Prime software.
• Install other Intel FPGA software in the same directory as the Intel Quartus Prime
software.
1. On the Download Center of www.altera.com, choose whether you want the Intel
Quartus Prime Lite, Standard, or Pro Edition software.
2. Verify that your operating system is correct, or select a different OS.
3. On the version-specific download page, click Individual Files.
4. Download using one of the following methods:
— Windows: Select the files and click the Download Selected Files button.
Note: The download manager opens and begins the download process. If you
cannot use the download manager, follow the instructions for Linux.
— Linux: Click the download button next to each file name.
Wait for all the files to download completely before beginning the
installation process.
5. Run the Intel Quartus Prime software.
6. Click Tools ➤ Install Devices. The installation wizard guides you through
installation. Install the device family support to the same location as the Intel
Quartus Prime software.
Windows: If you do not see the Install Devices command, point to All
Programs ➤ Intel FPGA <version number> (Windows Start menu).
In typical operation, jtagd runs under the account of the user who is running the
Programmer, debugging tools, Signal Tap, and so on. In this mode, jtagd exits after
two minutes of idleness, and does not accept connections from remote machines.
You can set up your system to run jtagd as a daemon, which also enables remote
access to JTAG resources:
1. Create the directory /etc/jtagd.
2. Set the permissions of the directory and the files in it so that the user who runs
jtagd has read/write access.
3. Run the command <path>/quartus/bin64/jtagd with no arguments.
jtagd is now running as a service and does not terminate operation when you log off.
You can also access JTAG services remotely.
QUARTUS_ROOTDIR_OVERRIDE
Note: If the system displays an error message indicating that Intel Quartus Prime software
files cannot be found when you start the program, you must set the
QUARTUS_ROOTDIR_OVERRIDE environment variable to the name of the Intel Quartus
Prime system directory.
QUARTUS_LIBRARY_PATHS
You must add $QSYS_ROOTDIR to the PATH variable ($QSYS_ROOTDIR locates the
directory at QUARTUS_ROOTDIR_OVERRIDE/sopc_builder/bin).
— Bash shell:
export PATH=${PATH}:/<Intel Quartus Prime system directory>/bin
If you run the Intel Quartus Prime software for Linux with a script, you can run the
latest installed version of the Intel Quartus Prime software with the quartus (Lite
and Standard Editions) or qpro (Pro Edition) executable either by specifying the
latest version of the Intel Quartus Prime software, or the full path for the
quartus or qpro executable in the PATH environment variable.
2. Review (and update as appropriate), each user’s QUARTUS_ROOTDIR_OVERRIDE
environment variable, which specifies the name of the Intel Quartus Prime system
directory, and each user’s Intel Quartus Prime general environment variables.
3. Optional: If you are using the LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE
environment variable to specify your license file or license server address, modify
the value of LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE to point to your
license.dat file.
Versions of Intel FPGA software that you purchase require a license; you can
specify the license using the LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE
environment variable or from within the software. Refer to the licensing
instructions for more information.
4. Save the changes to the .cshrc file or .bashrc file, and then type the following
at a command prompt:
— C shell:
cd
source .cshrc
— Bash shell:
cd
. ~/.bashrc
Related Links
Intel Quartus Prime Environment Variables on page 15
Related Links
Cable and Adapter Drivers Information
For versions that you purchase, the Intel Quartus Prime software prompts you for
license information if it does not detect a license upon startup. You are prompted to
evaluate, buy, or retrieve a license. The Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition software
provides the additional option of running the software in free mode for Intel Cyclone
10 GX devices only.
Note: You can evaluate the Intel Quartus Prime software at no cost for a period of time.
Related Links
Evaluating the Intel Quartus Prime Software on page 22
Note: Make sure you do not run the quartus or qpro command in the /<Intel Quartus
Prime system directory>/linux64 directory. If you start the Intel Quartus Prime
software in a platform-specific directory, the software may not function correctly.
A software subscription enables the Intel Quartus Prime software (including the Intel
FPGA IP Library) and the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software. When you purchase
an Intel Quartus Prime software subscription, the license file supports the version of
the Intel Quartus Prime software you purchase, all previous supported versions, and
all versions released within a year of the purchase date. You can use the version of the
Intel Quartus Prime software you purchase, and all related software, including the
ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software and the IP Library, indefinitely.
Intel also uses licenses to enable additional software, such as purchased IP cores, the
Intel FPGA SDK for OpenCL, and the Intel SoC FPGA Embedded Design Suite (EDS).
Related Links
Setting Up or Upgrading a License Manager Server on page 34
Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Altera, Arria, Cyclone, Enpirion, MAX, Nios, Quartus
and Stratix words and logos are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Intel warrants performance of its FPGA and semiconductor products to current specifications in ISO
accordance with Intel's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services 9001:2008
at any time without notice. Intel assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any Registered
information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Intel. Intel
customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published
information and before placing orders for products or services.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
4 Licensing Intel FPGA Software
MNL-1065 | 2017.11.06
When you purchase an Intel Quartus Prime subscription, you choose between a single-
user license that is fixed to a specific computer, or a multi-user floating license in
which the licenses are shared among computers on a network.
• Fixed license—A stand-alone (node-locked, single-user) license is tied to the
network interface card (NIC) ID of the computer on which you installed the
software.
• Floating license—A floating network (multi-user) license is for users running the
Intel Quartus Prime software on multiple computers connected on a network. A
license server issues licenses to computers on demand. Floating licenses are not
operating system-specific. If you want to run the FPGA software on additional
computers, you can purchase additional seats to add to your floating license after
its original purchase.
Note: Intel continues to support operating system-specific floating licenses for the legacy
Quartus II software version 6.1 and earlier.
The ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software requires a valid license. This license
expires 15 months after the date of purchase. Every 15 months you must regenerate
your license file in the Self-Service Licensing Center to renew your license for the
specific ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software version that you purchased.
The ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software does not require a separate license file. If
you purchase this software, your Intel Quartus Prime license file includes a FEATURE
line to enable it. You must, however, specify the location of license file for the
ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software using an environment variable before you can
use it. Refer to the topic about specifying a ModelSim license file for more information.
Related Links
• License.dat Example Files on page 43
• Specifying the License for the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition Software on page 33
4.1.2.2 Licensing the Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition and ModelSim - Intel FPGA
Starter Edition Software
Intel offers the entry-level Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition and ModelSim - Intel FPGA
Starter Edition software. This software supports selected devices, provides limited
feature support, and does not require license files.
You must have a full license for all Intel FPGA IP soft IP or Nios II soft processor cores
to generate programming files that you may use for an unlimited time. You can
purchase a license through your local sales office or distributor, and then download a
license file from the Self-Service Licensing Center of www.altera.com.
Related Links
• Intellectual Property and Reference Designs
• AN 320: OpenCore Plus Evaluation of Megafunctions
• AN 343: OpenCore Evaluation of AMPP Megafunctions
• Self-Service Licensing Center
4.1.2.4 Licensing Development Kits Containing the Intel Quartus Prime Software
Development kits that include the Intel Quartus Prime software include instructions for
obtaining a license for that software.
You can purchase development kits from the Development Kits, Daughter Cards &
Programming Hardware page on www.altera.com or through your local sales office or
distributor.
Related Links
Development Kits, Daughter Cards and Programming Hardware
4.1.2.6 Licensing Mentor Graphics Verification IP Altera Edition AMBA for AXI3
and AXI4
The Mentor Graphics Verification IP (VIP) Altera Edition provides bus functional models
for simulation and verification. This software requires a license file.
If you are using a legacy version of Quartus II software (prior to version 12.1) and
want to upgrade your software, you must regenerate your license file before
continuing to use the Mentor Graphics AXI Verification IP Suite Altera Edition Bus
Functional Models and Inline Monitor (Mentor VIP AE) for AXI3 or AXI4.
If you want to access Mentor VIP AE with the Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition
software, you must upgrade to version 12.1 or higher and purchase seat licenses by
contacting your Intel sales representative.
For use in teaching, the University Program recommends the Intel Quartus Prime Lite
Edition software, which does not require a license. The licensed commercial versions
of the Intel Quartus Prime Standard and Pro Edition software are available for
installation in university laboratory facilities. Refer to the University Program pages on
www.altera.com for more information.
Related Links
University Program
When you start the Intel Quartus Prime software, if the software cannot detect a valid
license file, a dialog box with the following options appears:
• Buy the Intel Quartus Prime Subscription Edition software—launches your
default internet browser and displays the Buy Design Software page of
www.altera.com, where you can view and purchase software.
• Perform automatic web license retrieval—for fixed licenses, this option allows
the Intel Quartus Prime software to retrieve the license file automatically from
www.altera.com.
• Enter free mode with limited device family support—Only available for Intel
Quartus Prime Pro Edition software, the free mode supports Intel Cyclone 10 GX
devices only.
• Start the 30-day evaluation period with no license file—allows you to use
the Intel Quartus Prime software for 30 days without programming file support.
• If you have a valid license file, specify the location of your license file—
displays the License Setup page of the Options dialog box, where you can
specify the location of your license file.
Select the 30-day evaluation option to evaluate the software before purchase.
Most licenses require a network interface card (NIC) ID, which is the physical address
of your Ethernet card.
Notes:
1. Software guards are supported for the legacy Quartus II software version 7.2 and earlier.
2.
3. Use the ID from a physical NIC card, not a virtual ID.
4. Because Intellectual Property (IP) and development kit licenses are added as feature lines in the Intel Quartus Prime
software license file, the licensing requirements depend on the Intel Quartus Prime software license type.
You can find the NIC ID by running a command-line utility on your computer.
Note: If you purchase a floating license and are setting up a license manager server, you can
use the FLEXlm licensing scheme to configure up to three redundant license servers.
The first server specified is the master. Use the master server’s NIC ID or host ID
when obtaining a license from Self-Service Licensing Center.
In the output of the command, the NIC ID is the physical address without the
dashes. If your PC has more than one network card, you can use the NIC ID of
any network card connected to the computer that is turned on when the Intel
Quartus Prime software is in use.
In the output of the command, the NIC ID is the ID to the right of HWaddr,
without the colons.
4.2.1.1.3 Find Your NIC ID If the Intel Quartus Prime Software Is Installed
• Your NIC ID appears under Local System info in the Network Interface Card
(NIC) ID field.
Related Links
Identifying Your NIC ID on page 23
In the output of the command, the hard-disk serial number is the volume serial
number.
4.2.1.3.2 To find the hard-disk serial number if the Intel Quartus Prime software is
installed on your computer
• Click Tools ➤ License Setup. The hard-disk serial number appears under Local
Systems info in the C: drive serial number field. Verifying the hard-disk serial
number with the Intel Quartus Prime software ensures that you use the correct
hard-disk serial number if your PC has multiple hard drives.
Find the software guard ID on the printed label on the guard, or if the Intel Quartus
Prime software is installed and the guard is attached, by clicking the License Setup
dialog box on the Tools menu. Your software guard ID appears under Local System
info in the Software Guard ID field.
Note: If you want to obtain a license file for software or IP with an expiration date prior to
January 1, 2009, visit the Legacy License Generator page on www.altera.com.
Related Links
• Self-Service Licensing Center
• Legacy License Generator
Additionally, you can also split a floating license, obtain a checkout license, or obtain a
companion license with the Self-Service Licensing Center.
You can access the Self-Service Licensing Center from the www.altera.com Licensing
page, the mySupport page, or from the Download Center. You must have a myAltera
account to access the Self-Service Licensing Center.
Related Links
Self-Service Licensing Center
Your license file is sent to the email address specified for your licensed user. If you
have not specified an email address, your license file is sent to the email address in
your myAltera account profile. Your software license type must match the license type
of any license you want to assign your computer.
Related Links
• Activating a License on page 28
• Renewing a License on page 28
• Creating a Computer Profile on page 26
7. Type your NIC ID, Host ID, or software guard ID number in the Primary
Computer ID box.
8. If you have a fixed license and want to use your license for multiple computers,
you can specify up to two companion IDs in the Companion ID and Companion
ID 2 boxes. Your companion ID is your NIC ID, Host ID, or software guard ID. You
can use your license or associated companion license only on one computer at a
time.
9. If you have a floating license, you can set up your license on up to three
redundant license servers. Type the NIC ID or Host ID for redundant servers in the
Redundant Server ID 2 and Redundant Server ID 3 boxes.
10. Click Submit.
11. To edit an existing computer profile, follow these steps:
a. Click the Update Computer icon next to the computer that you want to edit
in the My Computers table.
b. Make changes in the Update Computers dialog box.
c. Click Submit when you are finished making changes.
Related Links
License Request Hardware Information Requirements on page 22
Your license file is sent to the email address specified for your myAltera account
profile. Your software license type must match the license type of any license you
want to assign your computer.
When you add additional seats to an existing floating license, the new maintenance
subscription term of the floating license is calculated by adding the total number of
maintenance months for the existing and new seats, and then dividing by the total
number of seats. Any partial number is rounded up to the nearest whole number.
If you have an existing floating license with ten seats that expires in five months and
you purchase two additional seats, your updated floating license maintenance
subscription would expire in seven months for all twelve seats.
The licensed user receives an email notifying them that they have been added as
a licensed user and now have access to the specific license that they have been
assigned.
4.3.1.1 Specifying the License File within the Intel Quartus Prime Software
You can specify a fixed or floating license file within the Intel Quartus Prime software.
To specify the license file within the Intel Quartus Prime software, follow these steps:
1. Start the Intel Quartus Prime software. If the Intel Quartus Prime software cannot
detect a valid license file, you are prompted to license, evaluate, or buy the
software.
2. Select Specify valid license file. The License Setup page on the Options
dialog box appears.
3. In the License file box, specify the full path name of the license.dat file.
4. Click OK.
After you specify the location of the license file, you can begin using the software.
Note: The license file setting in the License Setup dialog box supersedes the
LM_LICENSE_FILE or ALTERAD_LICENSE_FILE environment variable setting.
Refer to About Intel FPGA License Files for information about the contents of a license
file and example licenses.
Related Links
About Intel FPGA Software License Files on page 39
The license location for the user is <port>@<hostname>. If a port is not listed in
the license.dat file, specify @<hostname>.
2. After you obtain the port number and host name, use one of the following
methods to set up your license:
— Specify the license file within the Intel Quartus Prime software.
— Specify the license file using an environment variable.
You can set up a floating network license on a Windows or Linux license server using
the FLEXlm license manager software provided.
1. Modify your license file to include information about your license server (e.g., host
name).
2. Set up the FLEXlm license manager on your license server.
3. Start the license server.
You must modify the license.dat file before the license server uses it.
To modify and save the license file, type in the license.dat file the variables that
appear in the table. The license file already includes the host or NIC ID. The host and
daemon lines are of the format:
<host port number> The port number for the license manager service on the server; for example,
(1) 1800. Windows systems require the port number. The number must be outside
of the 27000-28000 range, and be unique on the machine.
mgcld "<path to daemon executable>" Path to the Mentor Graphics vendor daemon executable mgcld.
(2)(3)(4) • \<ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition system directory>\win32aolem
\mgcld.exe (Windows).
• /<ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition system directory>/linuxaloem/mgcld
(Linux).
port=<user-defined port number> Optional, user-defined port numbers for the mgcld and alterad daemons.
The FLEXlm software works with Internet firewalls that require you to specify
port numbers. You must specify a port number on the SERVER line in the
license file. You must also specify different port numbers on each VENDOR or
DAEMON line with the PORT=<number> syntax. Finally, you must allow firewall
continued...
access to those port numbers. The following example shows how to specify port
numbers in a floating license file. To provide access through a firewall for the
following example, specify ports 1800, 1801, and 1802.
Notes:
1. If you do not specify a port number, the FLEXlm license manager automatically chooses a free port between 27000 and
27009. However, in Windows systems you must specify an explicit port number.
2. If the license server does not provide the necessary vendor daemon, copy the required daemon from another machine,
save the file in a location on the license server, and specify the daemon location on the license server in the license file.
3. If the server path has spaces in it, enclose the full path in quotation marks.
4. If you are not using a license file for the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software, you can delete this line.
When you complete all modifications, ensure the license file conditions are met.
Related Links
Editing the license.dat License File on page 31
4.3.3 Specifying the License for the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition
Software
The ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software supports licenses using the Mentor
Graphics license daemon mgcld. You can find the mgcld daemon in the following
directories:
• Windows: <ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition system directory>\win32aloem
• Linux: <ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition installation directory>/linuxaloem
Note: The ModelSim - Intel FPGA Starter Edition software versions 6.4g and later do not
require a license.
Before starting the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software, set the
MGLS_LICENSE_FILE environment variable to the location and file name of the
ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition license file. For example, MGLS_LICENSE_FILE
(<ModelSim installation directory>/licenses/eda/license.dat) or with the
<port>@<hostname> notation (1900@set), where <port> is the license port
number and <hostname> is the server’s host name.
The ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software license expires 15 months after the date
of purchase, at which point you can no longer use the software. You must obtain an
updated Intel Quartus Prime software subscription license file from the Self-Service
Licensing Center every 15 months to renew your license for the specific ModelSim -
Intel FPGA Edition software version that you purchase. You can use only the version of
ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software that you purchase with the updated license.
Related Links
• Modifying the Network License File on page 32
• Self-Service Licensing Center
Related Links
Rehosting a License on page 27
To run the FLEXlm lmgrd license server manager on a Linux workstation, make sure
that the /usr/tmp directory exists.
A system administrator should perform these steps to configure license servers after
the Intel Quartus Prime software is installed.
Before you configure a new license server, be aware of the following information:
• You must have system administration (Administrator) privileges on Windows.
• You must have a valid license file.
• These instructions assume that you saved the license.dat file in the <drive>:
\flexlm directory (Windows) or the/usr/local/flexlm/licenses directory
(Linux). If you installed the license file in a different directory, substitute the
directory path.
To launch a new license server, type the following command at a command prompt:
Windows:
<Intel Quartus Prime system directory>\bin64\lmgrd -c <drive>:\flexlm
\license.dat
Linux:
<Intel Quartus Prime system directory>/<operating system>/lmgrd -c /usr/local/
flexlm/licenses/license.dat
Linux:
/<Intel Quartus Prime system directory>/<operating system>/alterad
Linux:
/<FLEXlm system directory>/lmutil -c lmdown <license file path>
Related Links
Rereading an Existing License File on page 36
• Windows:
<FLEXlm system directory>\lmgrd -v
<FLEXlm system directory>\alterad -v
• Linux:
/<FLEXlm system directory>/lmgrd -v
/<FLEXlm system directory>/alterad -v
If the lmgrd or alterad daemons are not from the FLEXlm software version 10.8,
you must upgrade both daemons with the versions provided with the Intel Quartus
Prime software.
Note: You can see a list and description of the available FLEXlm options by typing lmgrd -
help at a command prompt.
Related Links
Modifying the Network License File on page 32
To start or stop the license server in the LMTOOLS dialog box, follow these steps:
1. Type the following command at a command prompt:
<Intel Quartus Prime system directory>\bin64\lmtools
2. In the LMTOOLS dialog box, click Configuration using Services.
3. Select the name of the license server, usually Flexlm License Server.
4. Click the Start/Stop/Reread tab.
5. Click Start Server or Stop Server.
Related Links
Configuring a New License Server on page 34
To start the license server automatically at startup with the LMTOOLS dialog box,
follow these steps:
1. Type the following command at a command prompt:
<Intel Quartus Prime system directory>\bin64\lmtools
2. In the LMTOOLS dialog box, click Configuration using Services.
3. Select the name of the license server, usually Flexlm License Server.
4. Click the Config Services tab.
5. Turn on Use Services.
6. Turn on Start Server at Power Up.
— lmgrd
— lmutil
— alterad
— lmtools (Windows)
Related Links
• Software Licensing Troubleshooter
• Intel FPGA Licensing
The example below shows the header of a fixed license file that contains a license for
the Intel Quartus Prime software and the ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition software. This
license file works on a PC that has software guard number T000012345 attached to its
parallel port. The license was issued on May 13, 2010, is a perpetual license with no
defined companion IDs, and has a maintenance expiration date of April 2011.
Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Altera, Arria, Cyclone, Enpirion, MAX, Nios, Quartus
and Stratix words and logos are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Intel warrants performance of its FPGA and semiconductor products to current specifications in ISO
accordance with Intel's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services 9001:2008
at any time without notice. Intel assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any Registered
information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Intel. Intel
customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published
information and before placing orders for products or services.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
5 About Intel FPGA Software License Files
MNL-1065 | 2017.11.06
USE_SERVER
You can configure up to three redundant network license servers with the FLEXlm
licensing scheme. In this case, there are three SERVER lines, one for each license
server machine. The first server specified is the master.
Typically, a license file contains multiple VENDOR lines; one for each required license
vendor daemon. Some license files might use the DAEMON keyword instead of VENDOR.
Table 4. Elements of the SERVER and VENDOR Lines for Floating Licenses
Element Name Editable Description
hostname yes The host name of the server in the license.dat file.
8- or 12-character host or NIC ID no The PC NIC or UNIX Host ID of the server. You must supply this
ID to www.altera.com when purchasing the license.
path yes The path to the vendor daemon on the server. You must edit
this entry.
A backslash (\) character indicates that the FEATURE or INCREMENT line continues on
the next line in the text file. The last line of each FEATURE line does not require the
backslash. Elements in brackets [ ] are present only in some license FEATURE or
INCREMENT lines. The example below shows a FEATURE line, followed by an
INCREMENT line.
FEATURE START
# The following is a feature line for Intel Quartus Prime Standard Edition
Fixed
# Number of seat licenses is 1
# No license expiration date
FEATURE maxplus2 alterad 2015.04 permanent uncounted 6D103456930D \
HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 SIGN="0116 7EF5 F487 4771 3456 9278 \
4DA6 80CF 4131 95C6 1F1E D54F 8429 C807 6A8B 0A13 BC80 A11D 0F6E \
AC08 4FA8 0B6E C267 9BBB 5791 C037 0FAD FB9E FFD8 5CF4"
FEATURE quartus alterad 2015.04 permanent uncounted 08E2123438D3 \
HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 TS_OK SIGN="0403 403E CF63 6460 \
3C3D 2AA7 60B3 A074 77A7 670A 3C5D BF03 9391 3476 D1DA 14E7 56FA \
0F63 1EE2 77C8 41C9 3495 A238 FF7C F507 6573 54FA F46C D42B C0B3"
# FEATURE END
######################################################################
INCREMENT alteramtivsim mgcld 2015.04 13-aug-2015 uncounted \
6D7CE8FDD113FDB05C51 \
VENDOR_STRING=2A865E73 HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 ISSUER="Altera" \
SN=23912821 SIGN2="03BB 4774 F8FA 6E7A 4B71 5E3B FB9C 92B5 7B2F \
3581 49EF 4558 0945 260B 23C6 1DE0 2BD4 3709 6945 5A70 CAD6 C22B \
7A4E 67B7 C8FF 90BB B360 022C E3DC 32F8"
# FEATURE END
daemon The name of the vendor daemon that manages the feature. This name corresponds to a
VENDOR line in network/server licenses.
version Any version of software released up to and including this date is licensed. Software with a later
version date does not function using this license file.
expiration The date after which the software or service pack cannot be used. The expiration date applies
to trial licenses. For Intel FPGA license subscriptions, the expiration is permanent.
# of licenses The number of concurrent users that can run each feature. For some license types, the entry
is uncounted.
hostid_lock Specified if a feature is node-locked to a software guard, NIC ID, or hard-disk serial number.
Intellectual property (IP) Intel FPGA IP functions often contain node-locked feature lines in
floating licenses.
• Software guard: HOSTID=GUARD_ID=<Software guard number>
• Network interface card (NIC): HOSTID=<NIC ID>
• Hard-disk serial number: HOSTID=DISK_SERIAL_NUM=<Hard-disk ID>
TS_OK Enables remote log on for fixed license Intel Quartus Prime software (includes Intel FPGA IP,
Nios II Software Build Tools for Eclipse, and DSP Builder).
The following table describes the available Intel FPGA license features. This table does
not include license features for any intellectual property (IP), development kits, or
special license codes used for the Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition software.
alteramtivsim ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition VHDL and Verilog HDL Simulator (1)
Notes:
1. The alteramtivsim license subscription supports both VHDL and Verilog HDL, but the software does not support
mixed language simulation for ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition version 6.4a and later. For ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition
version 6.3g_p1and earlier, the alteramtivsim license subscription supports VHDL only.
2. The ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition alteramtivlog license subscription supports Verilog HDL only and is available for
ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition version 6.3g_p1 and earlier.
By default, the license server uses licenses from the first matching FEATURE or
INCREMENT line in the license file. If all the licenses in the first FEATURE or
INCREMENT line are in use, the license server attempts to use the next FEATURE or
INCREMENT if one is available, until it reaches the end of the license file. You can use
a FLEXlm options file to control which users can access which licenses by creating
pools of licenses for each FEATURE and INCREMENT line.
To create a FLEXlm options file to use with a floating license server, follow these steps:
1. In a new text file, add a GROUP line for each user group you want to create, with a
list of user names, separated by spaces for each group, as follows:
Users can be members of more than one group as shown in the following
example:
Related Links
Rereading an Existing License File on page 36
#######################################################################
FEATURE START
# The following is a feature line for ModelSim - Intel FPGA Edition
# Number of seat licenses is 1
# No license expiration date
INCREMENT alteramtivsim mgcld 2015.04 13-aug-2015 uncounted \
6D7CE8FDD113FDB05C51 \
VENDOR_STRING=2A865E73 HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 \
ISSUER="Altera" \
SN=23912821 SIGN2="03BB 4774 F8FA 6E7A 4B71 5E3B FB9C 92B5 \
7B2F 3581 49EF 4558 0945 260B 23C6 1DE0 2BD4 3709 6945 5A70 \
CAD6 C22B 7A4E 67B7 C8FF 90BB B360 022C
# FEATURE END
#######################################################################
FEATURE START
# The following is a feature line for Intel Quartus Prime Standard Edition
Fixed
# Number of seat licenses is 1
# No license expiration date
FEATURE maxplus2 alterad 2015.04 permanent uncounted 6D103456930D \
HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 SIGN="0116 7EF5 F487 4771 3456 9278 \
4DA6 80CF 4131 95C6 1F1E D54F 8429 C807 6A8B 0A13 BC80 A11D \
0F6E AC08 4FA8 0B6E c267 9BBB C037 0FAD FB9E FFD8 5CF4"
FEATURE quartus alterad 2015.04 permanent uncounted 08E2123438D3 \
HOSTID=GUARD_ID=T000012345 TS_OK SIGN="0403 403E CF63 6460 \
3C3D 2AA7 60B3 A074 77A7 670A 3C5D BF03 9391 3476 D1DA 14E7 \
56FA 0F63 1EE2 77C8 41C9 3495 A238 F507 6573 54FA F46C FF7C \
D42B C0B3"
######################################################################
End of Altera Corporation Software and/or Intellectual Property
License File.
Issued 5/13/2015
######################################################################
SERVER <hostname> 00B0D0ABCCBA <port number>
VENDOR alterad <path to daemon executable>
USE_SERVER
######################################################################
FEATURE START
# IP Base Suite (FIR Compiler II, FFT, NCO, DDR2 (UniPHY), DDR2 (ALTMEMPHY),
DDR3,
# LPDDR2, QDR II, RLDRAM II)
# Number of seat licenses is 2
# No license expiration date
PACKAGE ip_base alterad COMPONENTS="6AF7_0034 6AF7_0012 6AF7_0055 \
6AF7_00A8 6AF7 00A7 6AF7_00A8 6AF7_00C2 6AF7_00BE 6AF7_00BF \
6AF7_00A4 6AF7_00AC 6AF7 00AD 6AF7_0014" OPTIONS=SUITE \
IGN="1A76 FAF3 0CFA 9A0B D5A9 C867 4923 F223 AA3B C17B 6F11 \
98E6 8056 178E A795 1F63 7695 1260 3D0C F662 2657 4AFF 25BD \
3029 0C7C 1B3A 542A 3948 9F90 03CE" \
FEATURE ip_base alterad 2015.05 permanent 2 D7564046983D \
VENDOR_STRING="iiiiiiiihdLkhIIIIIIIIUPDuiaaaaaaaa11X38DDDDDDDDpjz5
cddddddddJJJJJbqIhouuuuuuuuYYWiVVVVVVVVbp0FVHHHHHHHHBUEakffffffffD
2FFRkkkkkkkkWL$84" \
DUP_GROUP=UHD SIGN="0A9A EB33 1A75 A16D 5949 B37B 015F 1A69 \
9FD4 CED3 ABCE A628 9FDE 4846 455C 01E1 064B D881 C079 215C \
FBAE 86B2 AC3F 4210 F471 6298 A340 CFC8 BCDA C218"
# FEATURE END
######################################################################
FEATURE START
# The following is a feature line for Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition Floating
# Number of seat licenses is 2
# No license expiration date
FEATURE maxplus2 alterad 2015.05 permanent 2 71781799E9FF \
SIGN="0D15 DBE8 1893 DA63 0658 4F28 D47C 64D8 A9AB 4E84 A3EE \
4257 F592 753F E261 0FD9 C334 F2E9 C9A2 5316 CB42 EF0F 188D \
7933 5134 6FDC 0BA8 6CCD FF8A 403D"
FEATURE quartus_pro alterad 2015.05 permanent 2 8D7C83160D8A SIGN="15F3 \
2C48 65E9 1EAC 5E5F 19A0 1C53 7DF1 4BEA D4EA 422A 92C7 9CC0 \
8B45 4A3D 0674 667C 1FB9 504E D960 8FC2 1B46 94C3 035B 3711 \
651F D889 0B03 99F7 48EC"
# FEATURE END
######################################################################
# End of Altera Corporation Software and/or Intellectual Property
License File.
Issued 05/13/2015
If a version is not listed, the manual for the previous version applies.
Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Altera, Arria, Cyclone, Enpirion, MAX, Nios, Quartus
and Stratix words and logos are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Intel warrants performance of its FPGA and semiconductor products to current specifications in ISO
accordance with Intel's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services 9001:2008
at any time without notice. Intel assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any Registered
information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Intel. Intel
customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published
information and before placing orders for products or services.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
MNL-1065 | 2017.11.06
7 Additional Information
2017.11.06 17.1.0 • Fixed outdated links from topic: "Using the Self-Service Licensing Center"
• Added topics: "Installing Intel FPGA Software at the Command Prompt"
and "Downloading and Installing Intel FPGA Software on Multiple
Systems"
• Removed command-line information from "Additional Installation
Procedures"
2017.05.08 17.0.0 • Included new free licensing mode for Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition
software, which supports Intel Cyclone 10 GX devices only.
• Removed all references to Solaris, which is no longer supported.
• Added make as a required Linux library.
2016.05.02 16.0.0 Removed instructions on downloading .iso files, which are no longer
supported.
2015.11.02 15.1.0 Updated to reflect the new Intel Quartus Prime Lite, Standard, and Pro
Edition software.
2015.03.09 14.1.1 • Updated the supported Red Hat Linux version number (5 and 6 instead of
6 and 7)
• Changed recommended screen resolution from 768 x 1024 to 1024 x 768
2014.12.15 14.1.0 • Updated RPM package prerequisite information for Red Hat Linux
Enterprise 7 and ModelSim-Altera Edition software and SoC EDS on
systems running Red Hat Linux Enterprise 7
• Added Microsoft redistributable package requirements for ModelSim-
Altera Edition
• Updated FLEXlm license server version to 11.11.1
• Updated available software in the "Altera Software" topic
• Removed references to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
• Updated terminology in the "Adding Floating Seats" topic
• Updated instructions for the "Setting Windows Environment Variables"
topic
• Added a firewall example to the "Modifying the Network License File"
topic
2014.18.08 14.0a10.0 • Updated RPM package prerequisite information for Red Hat Linux
Enterprise 6 and ModelSim-Altera Edition software and SoC EDS on
systems running Red Hat Linux Enterprise 6
continued...
Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Altera, Arria, Cyclone, Enpirion, MAX, Nios, Quartus
and Stratix words and logos are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Intel warrants performance of its FPGA and semiconductor products to current specifications in ISO
accordance with Intel's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services 9001:2008
at any time without notice. Intel assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any Registered
information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Intel. Intel
customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published
information and before placing orders for products or services.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
7 Additional Information
MNL-1065 | 2017.11.06
Nov, 2013 13.1.0 • Added references to Altera SDK for OpenCL in "Altera Software" topic.
• Updated information about downloading .tar files in "Installation Options"
topic.
• Removed note about installing software separately from "Installing
Device Family Support" topic.
May, 2013 13.0.0 • Removed references to the TCP/IP protocol in "More Download,
Installation, and Setup Procedures" topic.
• Removed references to SOPC Builder in "Supported Software
Subscriptions" topic.
• Removed the "Individual Software Files" topic, and "Using the 64-Bit
Version of the Quartus II Software for Linux" topic.
• Updated Altera Complete Design Suite DVD information in "Altera
Software" topic.
• Removed reference to Windows Vista in "Cables and Ports" topic.
• Updated downloading, installing, and uninstalling Altera software
information in "Altera Download Center" topic.
• Updated information about installing the FLEXlm software in "Upgrading
the FLEXlm License Manager Server Software" topic.