Is it possible to damage an FPGA using a configuration file for wrong FPGA type?

[AlbrechtN]

I have damaged the EP4CE40F29 FPGA on several boards.
The symptom is that the FPGA short-circuits the 3.3V power supply for the IO-Banks 1, 7 and 8 (3.3V power supply limits at 0.2V dilivering about 1A).
The other IOs are supplied with 2.5V and this power supply is just fine.

The boards use originally the EP4CE30F29. As we need more functionality in the FPGA for a specific project,  we have replaced this FPGA by a EP4CE40F29 on some boards.

As we use our standard software, the board comes up with a configuration file for the EP4CE30F29. Only after running the standard software, I can easily replace the configuration file by the configuration file for EP4CE40F29.
On one board I was successful with this course of action.

As I am not sure how I damaged the other FPGAs, here my questions:

• Is it likely that a wrong configuration file causes such a severe damage as described above?
• Is there a protection mechanism in the FPGA that would prevent the activation of an unsuitable configuration file (e.g. check sum) or is this completely in the responsibility of the application software?

[NurAiman_M_Intel]

Hi,

• Wrong Configuration file will not causes damage to the device.
• What do you mean by using standard software? What software did you used?
• Is there any changes when you change the devices?
• The power regulator might not functioning correctly and overpower the device then causing damage.

Regards,

Aiman

[AlbrechtN]

Thank you for the answer.

• With "standard software" I mean the our software that is used to operate the system. The code that is loading the configuration file to the FPGA seems to be "old" (some years). Nobody in the software development team knew any details about it.
• Except for soldering the EP4CE40F29 to the same position as the EP4CE30F29, there are no changes on our board.
• I had a look at the power supplies already. I did not see overpowering (too high voltage) problems.
  Due to  a problem in the system, the 3.3V power supply  for the IO-banks was not present, when loading the configuration file. Can this be the cause of the damage?

Regards,

Albrecht

[NurAiman_M_Intel]

Hi,

1. How many EP4CE40F29 was damage?
2. Have this EP4CE40F29  ever work fine? Or it was damage during the 1st time you configure the device?
3. Can you try to program the damage FPGA on another board?
4. Please try to run the EPE. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/programmable/support-resources/power/pow-powerplay.html

To see the power consumption needed for the device. However, this also should not damage the device.

5.The damage might be caused by ESD due to mishandling of the device.

Regards,

Aiman

[NurAiman_M_Intel]

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