Is there any law problem when our company use a 3rd-party usb-blaster to update the p

[Altera_Forum]

Is there any law problem when our company use a 3rd-party usb-blaster to update the product? 

I have a question for Altera consultant. If a big company use a 3rd-party usb-blaster(not the official one), is there any law problem or lisence problem?  our company fears the law problem that may exist. so I come here. PLS tell me , thanks.

[Altera_Forum]

I doubt it. It might be problematic if you plan on shipping your product with that blaster though but that's more to do with the blaster than what you have connected it to. 

 This goes without saying, don't expect Altera to support you if the blaster doesn't work properly. For something important like on-chip debug getting the real thing might be a good investment rather than debugging with a potentially flaky programming cable.

[Altera_Forum]

are you reffering to a terrasic USB blaster? I *think* they build altera dev boards too.... I might be wrong. 

 we have terrasic and altera usb blasters where I work (and they both work fine)

[Altera_Forum]

We use Terasic and Altera USB-Blasters too, and both are fine (apart from the Altera cable is now broken due to overuse!). The Terasic blaster is 1/4 price of the Altera one though, so well worth it. I think the only time you might want to make sure you are using an Altera programmer is if you are programming security encryption keys in something like a Stratix II part as that uses non-standard voltages etc. But if you do that Altera write-off most of your guarantees anyway......

[Altera_Forum]

thanks ... I don't quite follow you.  

All I want to know is whether the Altera will start a lowsuit to our company if we use 3rd-party blaster to update our product. Assume that our company is very big, has reputation.   Is 3rd-party usb-blaster illegle or not? Is it forbidden or not?

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---   All I want to know is whether the Altera will start a lawsuit to our company if we use 3rd-party blaster to update our product.   --- Quote End ---  Altera could care less about what you do behind the 'closed doors' of your company. Its up to you how you program your devices.    --- Quote Start ---   Is 3rd-party usb-blaster illegle or not? Is it forbidden or not?  --- Quote End ---  A third-party USB-Blaster is not illegal. However, selling a device that uses altera's usb vendor id and device id is most likely illegal.  Terasic is allowed to sell USB-Blaster devices that have Altera's IDs as those two companies have a close relationship.  If you were to buy a cheap USB-Blaster clone from eBay and it comes with the Altera IDs programmed, then it is illegal.   If however, you buy a USB microcontroller or FDTI FT245 and program the IDs, then there is nothing Altera can do about it since they have no way of telling you are doing that.  Cheers, Dave

[Altera_Forum]

Thank you so much!! Dave and other dear friends