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11/04/06 14:04
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  11/04/06 14:27
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Msg Score: +1
 +1 Good Question		 #127367 - Getting Started With FPGAs
Here are some questions for Jez and/or anybody else who knows what's up with FPGAs.

I understand the concept, but have never messed with an FPGA myself. I would like to remedy that sorry situation by actually getting my hands dirty playing with some sort of evaluation kit. After a brief Google search, I realized that I am too stupid to select one. Hence this note.
  1. Can you recommend an evaluation kit that would be appropriate for a complete beginner? At first, I would be happy to do something really, really simple like string together a few gates and flip-flops to make a counter or something. Eventually I would like something capable enough that I could grab one of those free 8051 cores and connect my gates and flip-flops to its I/O lines. I don't want some bleeding edge thing where I will run into problems with the vendor's software or the hardware platform itself. (I will make enough mistakes of my own.) Low cost would be nice. Good documentation would be nice. Some sort of flash-based, download-and-go setup would be nice.
  2. How do I decide between Verilog and VHDL?
  3. How much money am I talking about here to get started?
  4. Supposing I did get to the point of messing with an 8051 core, how does the 8051's program get loaded into its program memory? Does that happen at the same time the FPGA itself is configured?
  5. Once a guy's figured out the chips and software from one FPGA vendor, how difficult is it to switch to another vendor's chips and software? Would that be sort of like trying to work with a PIC (*barf*) after having become an 8051 expert? Easier? Harder? In other words, how much of a commitment am I making with my initial selection of a learning environment?
  6. What questions have I failed to ask because I'm still too stupid to ask them?
-- Russ


List of 81 messages in thread
TopicAuthorDate
Getting Started With FPGAs            01/01/70 00:00      
   A Book            01/01/70 00:00      
   Proceed with caution!            01/01/70 00:00      
   This is quite a nice deveolpment board            01/01/70 00:00      
   I like this board            01/01/70 00:00      
      I\'ve got one of these and can\'t recommend it            01/01/70 00:00      
         What are you talking about            01/01/70 00:00      
            Let me explain ...            01/01/70 00:00      
   generaly speaking            01/01/70 00:00      
      Damn, Jez, you need a spell-checker!            01/01/70 00:00      
         HDL-based design needs TEST BENCHES            01/01/70 00:00      
            I use 'em all the time, but ...            01/01/70 00:00      
               If your design is so simple            01/01/70 00:00      
                  What\'s important is the entry effort            01/01/70 00:00      
                     I dunno where you get these ideas from Richard            01/01/70 00:00      
                        Can you say ModelSim?            01/01/70 00:00      
                     Wrong            01/01/70 00:00      
                        Well, the schematic needs a little work            01/01/70 00:00      
                           more work?            01/01/70 00:00      
                              a few points ...            01/01/70 00:00      
                           ...            01/01/70 00:00      
                     HDL vs Schematics, take 1E6            01/01/70 00:00      
                        Thta may be great comfort to you ...            01/01/70 00:00      
                           Schematics? You're kidding!            01/01/70 00:00      
                              No, nor is my customer.            01/01/70 00:00      
                              both are a 'representation of Boole'            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 Yep, you're right...            01/01/70 00:00      
                                    To Clarify            01/01/70 00:00      
                                       schematic as equivalence check            01/01/70 00:00      
                                          Manual verification impossible because ...            01/01/70 00:00      
                                             schematic verification            01/01/70 00:00      
                                       Some more clarification            01/01/70 00:00      
                                          hanging problem            01/01/70 00:00      
                                             so will your post be            01/01/70 00:00      
                                    it's not fear of the unknown, but fear of its cost            01/01/70 00:00      
                           Static Timing Analysis and those "young engineers"            01/01/70 00:00      
                              It's a sign of the times, I suppose            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 And times change            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 senior?            01/01/70 00:00      
                                    That's because you've been avoiding the subject            01/01/70 00:00      
            I agree entirely. test benches are a pain but            01/01/70 00:00      
   Update from the OP            01/01/70 00:00      
      It's true ... we see things differently            01/01/70 00:00      
      the first buuk for any such venture            01/01/70 00:00      
      FPGA boards and that Cypress book            01/01/70 00:00      
         This may answer your question(s)            01/01/70 00:00      
   some of the references in the fpga faq            01/01/70 00:00      
      Good attitude            01/01/70 00:00      
   Also remeber to look at webistes like www.xilinx.c            01/01/70 00:00      
   My recommendation and opinions            01/01/70 00:00      
      I would stay away from Virtex-II            01/01/70 00:00      
         If you're going to fiddle with the 805x core ...            01/01/70 00:00      
            Something about life-cycles            01/01/70 00:00      
               No doubt about it.            01/01/70 00:00      
                  useful work            01/01/70 00:00      
                     Well, I beg to differ.            01/01/70 00:00      
                        salient point            01/01/70 00:00      
                           There's an area where that's not necessarily true            01/01/70 00:00      
                           FPGA Editor            01/01/70 00:00      
            Not necessarily            01/01/70 00:00      
               It's still too costly            01/01/70 00:00      
   Thanks to all            01/01/70 00:00      
   Update #2 from the OP            01/01/70 00:00      
   A testbench is...            01/01/70 00:00      
      I C            01/01/70 00:00      
         test bench            01/01/70 00:00      
            Makes sense            01/01/70 00:00      
   Yeah but...            01/01/70 00:00      
   Tristate buffer with propagation delays            01/01/70 00:00      
   Schematics vs. HDL            01/01/70 00:00      
      In a nutshell            01/01/70 00:00      
         it\'s been a while            01/01/70 00:00      
      Yes, but ... and there's always a but ...            01/01/70 00:00      
   Yep you can its called gate level design            01/01/70 00:00      
   Its really nothing to do with showing off            01/01/70 00:00      
      did you paraphrase this?            01/01/70 00:00      
      Jez, It\'s not \"sea of gates\" design, you know ...            01/01/70 00:00      
         Richards, it is there philosophy            01/01/70 00:00      
         Viewlogic            01/01/70 00:00      
   it is true            01/01/70 00:00      
   Here you go Richard graphical design exploration            01/01/70 00:00      

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