>I started with Xilink in the 1990s. 30 years ago. When I returned to the
>academic 10 years ago, I found that Xilink does not provide its tools for
>free so I chose Altera.
You've started 30 years ago... and stayed there.
Reply by Jan Coombs●August 16, 20182018-08-16
On Wed, 15 Aug 2018 19:00:03 -0700 (PDT)
Othman Ahmad <othmana@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thursday, 16 August 2018 08:55:06 UTC+8, Jan Coombs wrote:
> > [1] Gnarly Grey UPDuino v1.0 Board $9.99 delivered
> > 5.3K LUTs, 1Mb SPRAM, 120Kb DPRAM, 8 Multipliers, 34 GPIO on
> > 0.1=E2=80=9D headers, SPI Flash, RGB LED, 3.3V and 1.2V Regulators
> > Gnarly Grey UPDuino v1.0 Board
> > http://gnarlygrey.atspace.cc/development-platform.html#upduino_v1
> >=20
> > or with std FTDI programmer interface $15.99 delivered
> > http://gnarlygrey.atspace.cc/development-platform.html#upduino_v2
> >=20
> > [2] Project Icestorm - see iCE40-UP5K-SG48
> > http://www.clifford.at/icestorm/
>=20
> Thank you for introducing me to Lattice FPGA. I had been
> looking for sources of Lattice Logic FPGA but cannot find any
> supplier.
[snip]
> Your source seem cheap but transportation cost will kill us.
The boards I have bought are shipped 5000km for free, and one
at a time do not attract customs charges.
> Its tools are still primitive but if Lattice were to provide
> manual routing tools, or anybody else in the ICE project were
> to provide manual routing tools, I may reconsider.=20
The Icestorm tool chain is open source, so could be adapted for
layout control, elimination of synthesis tool, and similar
custom work.=20
> With manual routing tools, I can see exactly what devices are
> to be connected and how they are connected. It will allow me
> to optimise my design better. I used to do it for a Xinlink
> fpga for an instruction decoder demonstration.
>=20
> It was also satisfying to be able to see our components
> clearly. The pin planners are too jumbled up and do not
> provide much information about devices that are connected.=20
These chips are so small that maybe you could do this without a
GUI, or add a chip layout planner to the tool chain yourself?
Jan Coombs
Reply by Othman Ahmad●August 15, 20182018-08-15
On Thursday, 16 August 2018 08:55:06 UTC+8, Jan Coombs wrote:
> >=20
> > The A-CE4E6
> >=20
> > Intel Cyclone IV FPGA ic.
>=20
> I like this one better, almost everything for a very low power
> processor on one chip [1], and open-source development tool chain
> available [2].
>=20
> It also has 15% more LUTs, ten times more RAM, and an SPI
> flash for code storage. But only 60% of multipliers, and 16b
> wide memories.
>=20
> The iCE40 UP5K also has on chip 10kHz and 48MHz oscillators, and
> hardware support for 2 x SPI and 2 x I2C interfaces.=20
>=20
> Jan Coombs
> --=20
>=20
> [1] Gnarly Grey UPDuino v1.0 Board $9.99 delivered
> 5.3K LUTs, 1Mb SPRAM, 120Kb DPRAM, 8 Multipliers, 34 GPIO on
> 0.1=E2=80=9D headers, SPI Flash, RGB LED, 3.3V and 1.2V Regulators
> Gnarly Grey UPDuino v1.0 Board
> http://gnarlygrey.atspace.cc/development-platform.html#upduino_v1
>=20
> or with std FTDI programmer interface $15.99 delivered
> http://gnarlygrey.atspace.cc/development-platform.html#upduino_v2
>=20
> [2] Project Icestorm - see iCE40-UP5K-SG48
> http://www.clifford.at/icestorm/
Thank you for introducing me to Lattice FPGA. I had been looking for source=
s of Lattice Logic FPGA but cannot find any supplier.
The development tools of this FPGA is still primitive compared to Intel Qua=
rtus.
I started with Xilink in the 1990s. 30 years ago. When I returned to the a=
cademic 10 years ago, I found that Xilink does not provide its tools for fr=
ee so I chose Altera.
We started with simulation tools but later on managed to get funds to buy f=
ull development boards for teaching. And now, are committed to developing F=
PGA using Altera/Intel ics. I do not know the status of Xilink but would li=
ke to reconsider if very attractive.
Despite a few offerings, like the Spartan development boards at competitive=
prices, Intel FPGA are still more widespread and tend to be slightly cheap=
er than Xilink boards. Lattice boards are even more expensive.
Your source seem cheap but transportation cost will kill us. Its tools are =
still primitive but if Lattice were to provide manual routing tools, or any=
body else in the ICE project were to provide manual routing tools, I may re=
consider. Intel boards only allow auto-routing. Xinlink used to provide man=
ual routing tools but no more.
With manual routing tools, I can see exactly what devices are to be connect=
ed and how they are connected. It will allow me to optimise my design bette=
r. I used to do it for a Xinlink fpga for an instruction decoder demonstrat=
ion.
It was also satisfying to be able to see our components clearly. The pin pl=
anners are too jumbled up and do not provide much information about devices=
that are connected.
Reply by Jan Coombs●August 15, 20182018-08-15
On Wed, 15 Aug 2018 16:54:16 -0700 (PDT)
Othman Ahmad <othmana@gmail.com> wrote:
>=20
> The A-CE4E6
>=20
> Intel Cyclone IV FPGA ic.
I like this one better, almost everything for a very low power
processor on one chip [1], and open-source development tool chain
available [2].
It also has 15% more LUTs, ten times more RAM, and an SPI
flash for code storage. But only 60% of multipliers, and 16b
wide memories.
The iCE40 UP5K also has on chip 10kHz and 48MHz oscillators, and
hardware support for 2 x SPI and 2 x I2C interfaces.=20
Jan Coombs
--=20
[1] Gnarly Grey UPDuino v1.0 Board $9.99 delivered
5.3K LUTs, 1Mb SPRAM, 120Kb DPRAM, 8 Multipliers, 34 GPIO on
0.1=E2=80=9D headers, SPI Flash, RGB LED, 3.3V and 1.2V Regulators
Gnarly Grey UPDuino v1.0 Board
http://gnarlygrey.atspace.cc/development-platform.html#upduino_v1
or with std FTDI programmer interface $15.99 delivered
http://gnarlygrey.atspace.cc/development-platform.html#upduino_v2
[2] Project Icestorm - see iCE40-UP5K-SG48
http://www.clifford.at/icestorm/
Reply by Othman Ahmad●August 15, 20182018-08-15
http://mymicroprocessor.blogspot.com/2018/08/cheapest-fpga-board-rm250-similar-to.html
The A-CE4E6
Intel Cyclone IV FPGA ic.