Compact FPGA Board?

Peter Alfke <peter@xilinx.com> wrote in message news:<BD34280A.7CD7%peter@xilinx.com>...
> I know (from my own experience) that it is tempting to design something
> small and neat. But I have also seen many failures when there just was not
> enough room to complete the design properly.
> My advice is: Think twice ( or thrice) before committing to a very tight
> footprint.
> Peter Alfke

Thanks for the advice Peter, but unfortunately this isn't an option
for me.  The space that the board must go in has already been
determined; it must be 40x30x10 mm in volume.

-DAG

daragoth@kuririnmail.com (Daragoth) wrote in message news:<317379a8.0408041333.cd5ec11@posting.google.com>...
> Peter Alfke <peter@xilinx.com> wrote in message news:<BD34280A.7CD7%peter@xilinx.com>...
> > I know (from my own experience) that it is tempting to design something
> > small and neat. But I have also seen many failures when there just was not
> > enough room to complete the design properly.
> > My advice is: Think twice ( or thrice) before committing to a very tight
> > footprint.
> > Peter Alfke
> 
> Thanks for the advice Peter, but unfortunately this isn't an option
> for me.  The space that the board must go in has already been
> determined; it must be 40x30x10 mm in volume.

I'm surprised that Peter didn't mention that Xilinx has a Spartan 3 in
a 100 pin thin flat pack that measures 16 mm on a side (maybe Peter
better look at his own data sheets!). The thickness is 1.6 mm, so it
looks like you can do what you want to do (but it will be a custom).

Tom

Jim Granville <no.spam@designtools.co.nz> wrote in message news:<MoBPc.1495$zS6.183791@news02.tsnz.net>...
>   Did you look at the ones at www.quickcores.com - they are smaller than
> your target size ?
> -jg

Actually, no I didn't... but unfortunately that link doesn't seem to
work.  Did the site go down?  Is there another site like it?  Thanks.

-DAG

Daragoth wrote:

> Jim Granville <no.spam@designtools.co.nz> wrote in message news:<MoBPc.1495$zS6.183791@news02.tsnz.net>...
> 
>>  Did you look at the ones at www.quickcores.com - they are smaller than
>>your target size ?
>>-jg
> 
> 
> Actually, no I didn't... but unfortunately that link doesn't seem to
> work.  Did the site go down?  Is there another site like it?  Thanks.

  It does seem to be down at the moment : what they offered was a DIP28
footprint, done using a BGA ProASIC FPGA.
  A quick google shows some links for their IP, but I did not see 
photos/details of their PCB, best general description looks like

http://www.us.design-reuse.com/news/news3814.html

  Anyone know if anything has happened to Quickcores & Jerry D. Harthcock ?

-jg

Philip Freidin <philip@fliptronics.com> wrote in message news:<etptg09pd0bgf0b0438544aah7td9hnpif@4ax.com>...
> try http://alternatezone.com/electronics/files/PCBDesignTutorialRevA.pdf

Ah, thanks a lot.  It was helpful.
 
> You could try this freeware version:
> 
>    http://www.cadsoft.de/freeware.htm

I haven't gotten around to downloading that yet, but thanks for the link.

-DAG

Jim Granville <no.spam@designtools.co.nz> wrote in message news:<XXYQc.2169$zS6.258026@news02.tsnz.net>...
>   It does seem to be down at the moment : what they offered was a DIP28
> footprint, done using a BGA ProASIC FPGA.
>   A quick google shows some links for their IP, but I did not see 
> photos/details of their PCB, best general description looks like
> 
> http://www.us.design-reuse.com/news/news3814.html

Hm, sounds interesting, I would be interested to know more information
about it.

>   Anyone know if anything has happened to Quickcores & Jerry D. Harthcock ?

It has been almost two weeks now and it is still down... perhaps the
site is gone for good?

-DAG