# "FPGA/FLASH" versus "FPGA/user-image"

**URL:** https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/fpga-flash-versus-fpga-user-image/13279
**Category:** Lime Suite
**Created:** [20 July 2026 18:09 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/fpga-flash-versus-fpga-user-image/13279 "2026-07-20T18:09:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![aardric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cdc98d/32.png) [@aardric](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/aardric)
#### Post date: [20 July 2026 18:09 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/fpga-flash-versus-fpga-user-image/13279/1 "2026-07-20T18:09:32Z")

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Hi,

I’m not confident in understanding the consequence of using the first versus the second of the following:

limeFLASH --device=“LimeSDR XTRX, media=PCIe, addr=/dev/limepcie0,serial=000000000e5dd779” --target=“FPGA/FLASH” LimeSDR\_XTRX\_user.bin

limeFLASH --device=“LimeSDR XTRX, media=PCIe, addr=/dev/limepcie0,serial=000000000e5dd779” --target=“FPGA/user-image” LimeSDR\_XTRX\_user.bin

After updating GW (with the first of the above FLASH lines), from Firmware version: 4, Gateware version: 1, Gateware revision: 22

to

Firmware version: 11, Gateware version: 3, Gateware revision: 10 I discovered in the documentation that

1. If GW version is **\<1.13** then **LimeSDR\_XTRX\_combined.bin** file and **FPGA/FLASH** programming mode should be used.
2. If GW version is **\>1.13** then **LimeSDR\_XTRX\_user.bin** file and **FPGA/user-image** programming mode should be used.
3. The XTRX board version is 1.2.
4. 
5. Do I require corrective action following this update?
6.

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### Author: ![tomasS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6de8d8/32.png) [@tomasS](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/tomasS)
#### Post date: [21 July 2026 06:45 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/fpga-flash-versus-fpga-user-image/13279/2 "2026-07-21T06:45:18Z")

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Hi,

FPGA/FLASH is a legacy programming mode. I would not recommend using it, unless user/gold modes are unavailable. In gateware versions 1.13 and newer, it functions like FPGA/user-image, whereas in gateware versions 1.12 and older it functions like FPGA/gold-image.

Since your original gateware version was 1.22, there is no functional difference between FPGA/FLASH and FPGA/user-image. i.e. no corrective action required in your case.

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### Author: ![aardric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cdc98d/32.png) [@aardric](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/aardric)
#### Post date: [21 July 2026 15:54 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/fpga-flash-versus-fpga-user-image/13279/3 "2026-07-21T15:54:22Z")

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Thank you TomasS. This is useful and reassuring.

Rick