Is there a way to program an SST26VF080A-104I/SN flash part on a Spartan-6 using JTAG-HS3 cable?

[Don Koch]

I have a board with an SST26VF080A-104I/SN flash connected to a Spartan-6 part (standard serial master configuration) and the ability to connect via JTAG using a JTAG-HS3 cable.  I would normally do this using iMPACT, but this flash part is too new to work with that tool.

Under iMPACT, connection to the flash through the FPGA is accomplished by first downloading a MicroBlaze load and then programming the flash (mostly hidden from the user).

If it is not possible to program this flash from JTAG through the FPGA, I also have access to the flash's SPI pins via another connector.  Is there a Digilent solution that would allow me program the part directly, instead of through JTAG?

[JColvin]

Hi @Don Koch,

Generally speaking, Digilent's Adept software is not able to program on-board flash chips either directly or indirectly.

It does have an option for users to provide a .svf file (which in theory should let you program on-board flash chips), but I have not been successful in getting this to work even when following Xilinx's formal guide on loading .svf's from Vivado's hardware manager.

It might be possible to add custom SPI flash support to iMPACT, but I am not certain how this would be done; this Xilinx Answer Record would probably be a good place to start though: https://support.xilinx.com/s/article/70681?language=en_US.

Thanks,
JColvin