The Xilinx Platform Cable USB Firmware Loader is a software component that facilitates communication between a computer and Xilinx hardware devices, such as FPGAs, for tasks like programming, debugging, and configuration. The USB cable itself, known as the Xilinx Platform Cable USB, is used to connect the computer to the FPGA or other Xilinx devices, allowing the transfer of data, bitstreams, and programming information.

In particular, the Firmware Loader is used to load the necessary firmware onto the Platform Cable USB to ensure it can work properly with the Xilinx tools (such as Vivado or ISE).