Gowin USB Programming Download Cable User Guide

Document ID: UG112-1.1.1E

Date: 07/21/2022

1 About This Guide

1.1 Purpose

This guide covers:

Features, functions, and signal definitions of the Gowin USB programming download cable.
Instructions for installing, downloading, and using the Gowin USB programming download cable.

For simplicity, the Gowin USB programming download cable is referred to as the "cable" throughout this document.

1.2 Supported Products

This cable is compatible with all Gowin FPGA products.

1.3 Related Documents

Additional user guides are available on the GOWINSEMI Website at www.gowinsemi.com:

DS100, GW1N series of FPGA Products Data Sheet
UG103, GW1N series of FPGA Products Package and Pinout User Guide
UG290, Gowin FPGA Products Programming and Configuration Guide
DS102, GW2A series of FPGA Products Data Sheet
UG111, GW2A series of FPGA Products Package and Pinout User Guide

1.4 Terminology and Abbreviations

Key terminology and abbreviations used in this manual are defined in Table 1-1.

Terminology and Abbreviations	Meaning
FPGA	Field Programmable Gate Array
USB	Universal Serial Bus

1.5 Support and Feedback

Gowin Semiconductor offers comprehensive technical support. For questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact them via:

Website: www.gowinsemi.com
E-mail: support@gowinsemi.com

2 Introduction

The Gowin USB programming download cable is primarily used to download bitstream files generated by Gowin Software to Gowin FPGA chips or external storage devices. The cable is available in two versions: PL-USB-Cable and PL-U2X-Cable.

2.1 Appearance and Composition

The PL-USB-Cable and PL-U2X-Cable are compact, grey rectangular devices with "GOWIN" branding. They feature status LEDs and a USB port. The appearance of the PL-USB-Cable is depicted in Figure 2-1.

Figure 2-1: The Appearance of PL-USB-Cable

The appearance of the PL-U2X-Cable is shown in Figure 2-2.

Figure 2-2: The Appearance of PL-U2X-Cable

In addition to the download cable (labeled 1), the Gowin USB cable box contains a flat cable (labeled 2) and a connection cable (labeled 3). The contents are:

One download cable
One 10-pin cable
One USB-A to USB-B type connection cable

Figure 2-3: Box List. The illustration shows the download cable (1), flat cable (2), and connection cable (3).

Note: The red line on the flat cable (2) indicates Pin 1 (TCK).

2.2 Features

Supports Windows and Linux operating systems.
Compatible with all Gowin FPGA product series.
Enables downloading bitstream files to internal SRAM, on-chip Flash, and off-chip Flash via JTAG.
USB interface supports USB1.0 and USB2.0.
USB interface provides DC +5V power supply.
JTAG interface supports 1.2V~3.3V programming download.
PL-USB-Cable JTAG interface operates up to 30MHz; PL-U2X-Cable JTAG interface operates at a fixed rate of 1.33MHz.
Includes LED indicators for power and download status.
Conforms to RoHS standard.

2.3 Functional Block Diagram

The functional block diagram illustrates the internal components of the cable, including the USB receptacle, ESD protection, oscillator (OSC), the GWU2X FPGA, a voltage translator, LED indicators, and a 10-pin JTAG connector. It shows the flow of signals and power.

Figure 2-4: Cable Functional Block Diagram. The diagram shows connections between VCC_USB, USB Receptacle, ESD, OSC, GWU2X (FPGA), Voltage Translator, LED, and a 10-Pin Right-Angle Receptacle with pins TCK, TDI, TDO, TMS, GND, VCC, and NC (Not Connected).

2.4 Signal Definition

JTAG Interface Signal Definition (Table 2-1)

Pin No.	Signal Name	I/O	Description
1	TCK	O	Clock signal
2	GND	-	GND
3	TDI	O	Data sent to the device
4	NC	-	-
5	TDO	I	Data received from the device
6	VCC	-	Input VCC on the device
7	NC	-	-
8	NC	-	-
9	TMS	O	Control signal of state machine
10	GND	-	GND

USB Interface Signal Definition (Table 2-2)

Pin No.	Signal Name	I/O	Description
1	VCC_USB	I	Input power on USB
2	USB_D+	I/O	Differential data on USB interface
3	USB_D-	I/O	Differential data on USB interface
4	GND	-	Power Ground

2.5 AC/DC Characteristic

The table below lists the limit operating parameters for the cable. It is recommended to use advised working conditions for reliable operation.

Limit Operating Parameters (Table 2-3)

Item	Description	Min.	Max.	Unit
VCC	Device-side power supply	-0.3	4.6	V
VCC_USB	USB-side power supply	-0.5	6.0	V
Io	Output current	-50	50	mA
Ii	Input current	-50	50	mA

Recommended Operating Parameters Based on VCC (Table 2-4)

Item	I/O Level	Min.	Max.	Unit
VCC	3.3	3.0	3.6	V
	2.5	2.375	2.625	V
	1.8	1.71	1.89	V
	1.5	1.43	1.57	V
	1.2	1.14	1.26	V

2.6 ESD Features

Complies with the IEC 61000-4-2 standard.

ESD protection: ±15kV for contacting discharge and ±8kV for air discharge.

3 Cable Driver

3.1 PL-USB-Cable Driver

3.1.1 Windows

Before using the cable, install the driver on your Windows system. Download the Programmer installer from the support and download section of the Gowin Website.

After downloading, double-click the installer. The setup wizard will appear, as shown in Figure 3-1.

Figure 3-1: Programmer Setup Wizard. The wizard welcomes the user and provides information about the installation process, recommending closing other applications. It prompts the user to click 'Next' to continue.

Click "Next >" to proceed with the Programmer installation, as shown in Figure 3-2.

Figure 3-2: Select Programmer Installation Directory. This screen allows the user to choose the installation folder for the GOWIN Programmer. The default location is typically 'C:\Program Files (x86)\GOWIN\Programmer'. Options to browse for a different folder are available.

After selecting the installation directory, click "Install" to begin the installation, as shown in Figure 3-3.

Figure 3-3: Installing Programmer. A progress bar indicates the installation status, showing files being extracted, such as 'QtGui.pyd', 'python27.dll', etc. The output folder is displayed.

Click "Finish" to complete the Programmer installation, as shown in Figure 3-4.

Figure 3-4: Finish Installing Programmer. This screen confirms that the GOWIN Programmer has been installed. It offers an option to 'Install drivers of download cable' and prompts the user to click 'Finish' to close the wizard.

After installing the Programmer, click "Extract" to begin extracting the cable driver files, as shown in Figure 3-5. The extraction process is shown in Figure 3-6.

Figure 3-5: Start to Unpack Cable Driver. The FTDI CDM Drivers setup prompts the user to click 'Extract' to unpack version 2.12.00 of the FTDI Windows driver package and launch the installer.

Figure 3-6: Unpacking Cable Driver. The FreeExtractor utility shows the progress of extracting compressed files for the driver package.

Once the unpacking is complete, click "Next >" to proceed to the next step, as shown in Figure 3-7.

Figure 3-7: Finish Installing Cable Driver. The Device Driver Installation Wizard welcomes the user and explains its purpose: to install software drivers for devices. It prompts the user to click 'Next' to continue.

Select "I accept this agreement" and click "Next >" to proceed with the installation, as shown in Figure 3-8. The cable driver installation interface is displayed in Figure 3-9.

Figure 3-8: Agreement License. The Device Driver Installation Wizard presents the license agreement. Users must accept the terms to continue the installation.

Figure 3-9: Installing Cable Driver. This screen indicates that the drivers are currently being installed, with a progress indicator.

Click "Finish" to complete the cable driver installation, as shown in Figure 3-10.

Figure 3-10: Finish Installing Cable Driver. The wizard confirms that the drivers were successfully installed and advises the user to connect their device. It shows the status of installed drivers as 'Ready to use'.

After connecting the USB download cable to the PC, "USB Serial Converter A" should appear in the Device Manager under "Universal Serial Bus controllers". This indicates successful driver installation, allowing FPGA programming via the download cable, as shown in Figure 3-11.

Figure 3-11: Cable Driver Interface on PC (Device Manager). The Device Manager window shows various system devices, including "USB Serial Converter A" listed under "Universal Serial Bus controllers", confirming the driver installation.

3.1.2 Linux

The cable driver is not required for Linux. You can use the USB download cable after downloading the Gowin Software for Linux.

3.2 PL-U2X-Cable Driver

3.2.1 Windows

Download and save the Zadig driver installer from: https://github.com/pbatard/libwdi/releases/download/v1.4.1/zadig-2.7.exe.
Connect the GWU2X device to the computer's USB interface. Open Zadig (administrator privileges are required). Click "Options" and select "List All Devices". All connected USB devices will be listed, as shown in Figure 3-12.

Figure 3-12: Check "List All Device" Option. The Zadig application window shows the 'Options' menu with 'List All Devices' checked. It lists detected USB devices.

Select the GWU2X device that requires driver installation, as shown in Figure 3-13.

Figure 3-13: Select the Device that Requires Driver Installation. The Zadig application displays a list of USB devices, and the user needs to select the appropriate GWU2X device.

Select the driver to be installed: use "libusb+WinUSB" and choose "WinUSB", as shown in Figure 3-14.

Figure 3-14: Select the Driver to be Installed. In Zadig, the user selects "WinUSB (libusb)" as the driver for the GWU2X device.

Click "Install Driver". The driver will be installed after a few moments.

Note: The button will display "Install Driver" if the driver is not currently installed, or "Replace Driver" if another driver is already present.

3.2.2 Linux

The cable driver is not required for Linux.

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