newbie wants to do VHDL on an FPGA

Hello folks,
I have done FPGA design some years ago using a Schematic Design tool
from Xilinx, so I am not totally "green". What I now want to do is to
specify a design in VHDL and synthesize it into an FPGA. I am doing
this as a hobby venture, so I can't pay thousands of $$  for design
software. Can the experts of this newsgroup suggest a demo board and
free/cheap software that fulfill those requirements ? Maybe a board
from Xilinx and their ISE software? (I could not find out whether ISE
actually includes VHDL synthesis...) As an alternative, I would be
willing to specify my design in C if there is a free/cheap synthesis
tool...

frankgerlach@gmail.com wrote:

>I have done FPGA design some years ago using a Schematic Design tool
>from Xilinx, so I am not totally "green". What I now want to do is to
>specify a design in VHDL and synthesize it into an FPGA. I am doing
>this as a hobby venture, so I can't pay thousands of $$  for design
>software. Can the experts of this newsgroup suggest a demo board and
>free/cheap software that fulfill those requirements ? Maybe a board
>from Xilinx and their ISE software? (I could not find out whether ISE
>actually includes VHDL synthesis...) As an alternative, I would be
>willing to specify my design in C if there is a free/cheap synthesis
>tool...


The free Webpack software includes VHDL and Verilog synthesis.


--
Phil Hays (Xilinx, but speaking for himself)

Hi Frank,

I am interested in the same thing as you are now (building hardware on
FPGAs for hobby, on low budget). I want to use this to learn HW design
and more importantly, microarchitecture specification to achieve
desired performance.

For starters., I have done some research already on (project ideas,
books to buy, HW and SW to buy etc). I also have about 6 years in SoC
Verification and know Verilog / digital design pretty well. Let me know
if you are interested in pursuing this "hobby" together.


-Anand

frankgerlach@gmail.com wrote:
> Hello folks,
> I have done FPGA design some years ago using a Schematic Design tool
> from Xilinx, so I am not totally "green". What I now want to do is to
> specify a design in VHDL and synthesize it into an FPGA. I am doing
> this as a hobby venture, so I can't pay thousands of $$  for design
> software. Can the experts of this newsgroup suggest a demo board and
> free/cheap software that fulfill those requirements ? Maybe a board
> from Xilinx and their ISE software? (I could not find out whether ISE
> actually includes VHDL synthesis...) As an alternative, I would be
> willing to specify my design in C if there is a free/cheap synthesis
> tool...

anand wrote:
...
> Verification and know Verilog / digital design pretty well. Let me know
> if you are interested in pursuing this "hobby" together.

Hi Anand,
that is a very good idea ! Send me your email address to fgerlach AT
gmail.com !

Webpack as already suggested is a good choice. It is the same now as
the ISE full toolset but with a more limited range of devices supported
and does cover the board I'm about to suggest.

For a board I will of course suggest our Raggedstone1 GBP=A350(+VAT if
applies) - approximately US$95 for the RS1-400(Spartan-3
XC3S400-4FG456C) and if you want to work outside of a PC get the PCI
I/O Header as it also gives you circa 50 I/O that are 5V tolerant as a
side benefit. Bundle price is GBP=A365 - also currently a slightly
better offer if join our newsletter subscription. Details here
http://www.enterpoint.co.uk/moelbryn/raggedstone1.html. Low cost
worldwide shipping is GBP=A310 or approx US$19.

John Adair
Enterpoint Ltd.


frankgerlach@gmail.com wrote:
> Hello folks,
> I have done FPGA design some years ago using a Schematic Design tool
> from Xilinx, so I am not totally "green". What I now want to do is to
> specify a design in VHDL and synthesize it into an FPGA. I am doing
> this as a hobby venture, so I can't pay thousands of $$  for design
> software. Can the experts of this newsgroup suggest a demo board and
> free/cheap software that fulfill those requirements ? Maybe a board
> from Xilinx and their ISE software? (I could not find out whether ISE
> actually includes VHDL synthesis...) As an alternative, I would be
> willing to specify my design in C if there is a free/cheap synthesis
> tool...

John Adair wrote:
> Webpack as already suggested is a good choice. It is the same now as
> the ISE full toolset but with a more limited range of devices supported
> and does cover the board I'm about to suggest.
Well, err, and how am I supposed to program your board ?
Maybe your solution is indeed better than Xilinx's offering, so please
tell us about your VHDL compiler and synthesis tools !

Some other questions to the experts: When I worked with those FPGAs a
couple of years ago (I think that were the XC3000s), I used a 10/100Mhz
(repeating)  Scope and an HP16500 logic analyzer. Well, now I am
working as a software engineer and don't have access to that machinery.
What do you experts think is the minimum required equipment for FPGA
hobby development ? I guess I could do quite a few things with a used
50Mhz analog scope, a soldering iron  and some kind of TTL multiplexing
circuits attached to the PC parallel port. What do you suggest ?

Some other questions to the experts: When I worked with those FPGAs a
couple of years ago (I think that were the XC3000s), I used a 10/100Mhz
(repeating)  Scope and an HP16500 logic analyzer. Well, now I am
working as a software engineer and don't have access to that machinery.
What do you experts think is the minimum required equipment for FPGA
hobby development ? I guess I could do quite a few things with a used
50Mhz analog scope, a soldering iron  and some kind of TTL multiplexing
circuits attached to the PC parallel port. What do you suggest ?

Webpack contains all the tools for VHDL or Verilog synthesis, back end
mapping, place and route and not to forget programming. The
Raggedstone1 comes with a parallel port cable (Cable III look alike) to
make the physical connection.Webpack is "free" to download from Xilinx.

As to comparisons of boards they vary with what you think you need. Our
philosophy is to provide a minimalist board but with a big FPGA (for
the price target) and a lot more of I/O compared to our competitors. We
also support stripboard add-ons by virtue that our I/O is on simple 0.1
inch spaced headers. These headers will even take directly 3.3V DIL
based components if you can find some still out there.

John Adair
Enterpoint Ltd.

frankgerlach@gmail.com wrote:
> John Adair wrote:
> > Webpack as already suggested is a good choice. It is the same now as
> > the ISE full toolset but with a more limited range of devices supported
> > and does cover the board I'm about to suggest.
> Well, err, and how am I supposed to program your board ?
> Maybe your solution is indeed better than Xilinx's offering, so please
> tell us about your VHDL compiler and synthesis tools !

Webpack contains all the tools for VHDL or Verilog synthesis, back end
mapping, place and route and not to forget programming. The
Raggedstone1 comes with a parallel port cable (Cable III look alike) to
make the physical connection.Webpack is "free" to download from Xilinx.

As to comparisons of boards they vary with what you think you need. Our
philosophy is to provide a minimalist board but with a big FPGA (for
the price target) and a lot more of I/O compared to our competitors. We
also support stripboard add-ons by virtue that our I/O is on simple 0.1
inch spaced headers. These headers will even take directly 3.3V DIL
based components if you can find some still out there.

John Adair
Enterpoint Ltd.

frankgerlach@gmail.com wrote:
> John Adair wrote:
> > Webpack as already suggested is a good choice. It is the same now as
> > the ISE full toolset but with a more limited range of devices supported
> > and does cover the board I'm about to suggest.
> Well, err, and how am I supposed to program your board ?
> Maybe your solution is indeed better than Xilinx's offering, so please
> tell us about your VHDL compiler and synthesis tools !