Design and Support Resources Guide

Our literature and technical documentation section lists handbooks (that include data sheets), application notes, user guides, manuals, pin connection guidelines, pin-out files, errata sheets, release notes, reliability reports and more. You'll find product information, like our Product Selector Guides, end market and corporate literature, as well as documentation on our FPGA, CPLD and ASIC devices and our development software, intellectual property (IP) cores and technology.   You can also request literature services such as subscriptions to weekly Technical Updates on new or changed documents, eNewsletters and email announcements for updates on Altera^® products, training, upcoming events and more.

Product information on Altera's design suite, including Quartus^® II development software Subscription Edition and Web Edition (see Quartus II Subscription Edition vs. Web-Edition (PDF) for comparison), SOPC Builder, ModelSim^®-Altera software simulator, the Nios^® II Embedded Design Suite, and DSP builder.

Product information on each Altera device series. You can use the left column navigation bar to see a summary of features and capabilities and descriptions about each device series. Or you can select a family in the series from the listings on the page. For example, you can view the About Stratix^® Series page or go directly to information on the Stratix IV FPGA family.

Short view-on-demand presentations about our FPGA, CPLD, and ASIC devices, industry topics, and related design software and intellectual property (IP).

Ready-to-use design examples to deliver efficient solutions to design problems. Use these examples to instantiate individual building blocks for use in a system design. For example, variations of external memory controller applications targeting Stratix^® and Cyclone^® FPGA families. Additional design examples can be found as associated with Application Notes and User Guides.

An index of complete system reference designs using Altera^® intellectual property (IP) cores and tools: PCIe, SRIO, SDI, Triple-Speed Ethernet and other high-speed interfaces, memory controllers, embedded processors and digital signal processing (DSP). Downloadable with an Altera.com account.

High-level, end market solutions for automotive, computer and storage, industrial, military, wireless, broadcast, consumer, medical, test & measurement and wireline applications.

Introductory and in depth technical materials covering Altera^® technology, including: transceiver portfolio and architecture, single-ended and differential I/O standards, the Signal Integrity Center, and solutions for digital signal processing (DSP), embedded processing, and external memory interfaces.

A searchable database of Altera IP cores, related development kits, and reference designs, along with IP certification and licensing information. For a free in-system evaluation of Altera^® and partner IP see AN 320: OpenCore Plus Evaluation of Megafunctions (PDF). You can also use the Transceiver Protocol Support selector guide to help select the right device for a chosen application.

Design embedded systems with the Quartus^® II development software and SOPC Builder tool. Build and simulate DSP systems using MathWorks/Simulink-to-FPGA DSP Builder design tool.

Wide range of Altera and Partner development kits to address a variety of applications.  Many development kits feature a standard host interface that accepts High Speed Mezzanine Cards (HSMC) daughter cards.  Applications include PCIe, Ethernet, DVI, and more.

Learn about Altera and Partner Professional design services to assist you in your product design.

Online store for Altera devices, tools, development kits, programming hardware and cables.

Download Quartus^® II software tools (latest and legacy), Nios^® II Embedded Design Suite, ModelSim^®-Altera, intellectual property (IP), license daemons, Gerber files and PCB footprints, SPICE and IBIS models, device programming software, and more.

Review licensing options and get a license for software, intellectual property (IP), and development kits for products you have downloaded or purchased from Altera.   Requires and Altera.com account to access.

A central repository for installation and licensing support documentation. Refer to Altera Software Installation and Licensing (PDF) or use the licensing troubleshooter as a step-by-step diagnostic tool.

Choose the training format, topic, and location. Use search courses to focus your selection. You can also view training partners outside of North America.  Note, an Altera.com account is required to register for courses. 

Most recent solutions, known issues, troubleshooters, and self-help tools. Also access to advanced search, search tips, and the KDB Browser to search solutions by product category, area, and sub-area.

Step-by-step diagnostic tools to solve common technical problems, including licensing, ModelSim^®  software simulation, timing analysis, PLL loss of lock, FPGA configuration, JTAG configuration and ISP, parallel flash loader (PFL), Jam, JBC and SVF programming.

The Forum brings Altera users together to learn from each other.  At the Altera Forum, you can share projects, news, and ideas related to Altera^® products.

The Nios Forum is the center where users can share ideas about the Nios II processor and embedded operating systems.

A community for Nios II users to collaborate on user guides, design tips, and frequently asked questions.

Learn about the professional design and support services offered by Altera and Altera partners.

Submit a service request (SR) to an applications engineer.  Requires and Altera.com account to access. 

Altera contact information, including sales offices, distributors and representatives, plus corporate office addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses.