Spartan 3E-Kit

I found the thread about this kit but cannot write there, since it is
more than 60 days old.

I am seeking for an empty or small project to start with the xilinx
ide. Of course I found the sample projects, but a) they are too complex
IMO (i do not need the pico blaze yet ) and b) I am having difficulties
in creating a complete and working project from out of the given files.

To be honest, I am afraid of using a wrong configuration - esspeciall
pin files - and then ruin my fpga!

So if anybody has an "empty" project with correct settings (like unused
pins z) and /or "z" definitions for the board (i think it is something
as an ucf) I was happy if he could send me that.

Thanks in advance

spartanius@arcor.de wrote:

> To be honest, I am afraid of using a wrong configuration - esspeciall
> pin files - and then ruin my fpga!

You can copy the UCF definition from the PDF documentation and then set an
option (I forget which) in the IDE to ignore unconnected pins.

> So if anybody has an "empty" project with correct settings (like unused
> pins z) and /or "z" definitions for the board (i think it is something
> as an ucf) I was happy if he could send me that.

Not empty, but you can delete anything you don't need:

http://www.frank-buss.de/vhdl/spartan3e.html

Included on the web page: the non-intuitve steps required to synthesize it,
starting and use of iMPACT :-)

-- 
Frank Buss, fb@frank-buss.de
http://www.frank-buss.de, http://www.it4-systems.de

thanks, but the synthesis sais "NgdBuild:755 - Line 7 in
'E:/xilinxprojekte/frankbuss/src/spartan3e.ucf':" for nearly all the
lines up to 200x. (?

spartanius@arcor.de wrote:
> thanks, but the synthesis sais "NgdBuild:755 - Line 7 in
> 'E:/xilinxprojekte/frankbuss/src/spartan3e.ucf':" for nearly all the
> lines up to 200x. (?

I also got there very elaborated messages on my design today. After digging
some time, I realized, that nets "LOC"ed in the UCF did not exist in the HDL
sources or had typing errors. But why the hell doesn't the error message
tell that?

-- 
Uwe Bonnes                bon@elektron.ikp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de

Institut fuer Kernphysik  Schlossgartenstrasse 9  64289 Darmstadt
--------- Tel. 06151 162516 -------- Fax. 06151 164321 ----------

spartanius@arcor.de wrote:

> thanks, but the synthesis sais "NgdBuild:755 - Line 7 in
> 'E:/xilinxprojekte/frankbuss/src/spartan3e.ucf':" for nearly all the
> lines up to 200x. (?

I can't reproduce this with the ise\Spartan3E.ise project file. If you've
setup your own project, right-click on "Implement Design"->"Translate" and
enable "Allow Unmatched LOC Constraints", if it is Uwe referenced. Do you
use the latest version of ISE (help->about: 8.2.0.3i) ?

Another interesting source of errors: ISE saves local settings for your
projects in C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\Local
Settings\Temp\something-with-ise-and-your-project-name
Once I replaced the source files for my project, because I didn't want to
setup all the settings again, but it didn't worked until I deleted the
temporary files.

-- 
Frank Buss, fb@frank-buss.de
http://www.frank-buss.de, http://www.it4-systems.de

I am currently using the ISE 8.1 - you seem to use 8.2. Could this be
the explanation for the errors?

Anyway, I installed the newest available version now, and still have no
success. rightclicking the *.ise opens the ISE, but I have no sources
and have to add them manually again like before.

It seems to be a challenge to get a Xilinx Environment run. (?)  Well,
when starting with Altera`s, 2 years ago, everything worked fine the
first run (eval board board, first project, quartus ide etc).

Hm....

Maybe I am a bit to lazy, or missed  something important, or I am
simply to strong on the Altera line to switch easily.

In any case I am a bit disappointed, that there are no simple and
working examples in a -> starter kit.

Anybody else working with this kit ?

<spartanius@arcor.de> wrote in message 
news:1164209777.649517.273910@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
>
> I am currently using the ISE 8.1 - you seem to use 8.2. Could this be
> the explanation for the errors?
>
> Anyway, I installed the newest available version now, and still have no
> success. rightclicking the *.ise opens the ISE, but I have no sources
> and have to add them manually again like before.
>
> It seems to be a challenge to get a Xilinx Environment run. (?)  Well,
> when starting with Altera`s, 2 years ago, everything worked fine the
> first run (eval board board, first project, quartus ide etc).
>
> Hm....
>
> Maybe I am a bit to lazy, or missed  something important, or I am
> simply to strong on the Altera line to switch easily.
>
> In any case I am a bit disappointed, that there are no simple and
> working examples in a -> starter kit.
>
> Anybody else working with this kit ?

I got the kit and just started modifying the existing demo.  The unused pins 
that aren't included in the top level or .ucf don't cause me any problems. 
Heck, I even expanded upon the PicoBlaze code to do my own LCD stuff.  It 
was quite a nice experience.

I have the full .ucf if/when I need to add signals in my HDL and current 
.ucf.  I used it in 8.1 and 8.2, various service packs.

I liked the kit so much I got the 1600E version, too.

- John_H 

spartanius@arcor.de wrote:

> I am currently using the ISE 8.1 - you seem to use 8.2. Could this be
> the explanation for the errors?
> 
> Anyway, I installed the newest available version now, and still have no
> success. rightclicking the *.ise opens the ISE, but I have no sources
> and have to add them manually again like before.

Using 8.1 can't be the explanation, because you have updated to 8.2. I can
start the project with double click.

> It seems to be a challenge to get a Xilinx Environment run. (?)  Well,
> when starting with Altera`s, 2 years ago, everything worked fine the
> first run (eval board board, first project, quartus ide etc).

Maybe someone from Xilinx can help? Looks like you can't have anything:
With Quartus you have a nice and clean IDE (ok, sometimes switching to the
programmer after synthesizing doesn't update to the last synthesized
program and minor other bugs, but at least the GUI looks and feels more
modern), but you can't trust the synthesizer until some service packs were
released and with ISE webpack the backend may be more stable, but using the
IDE is a nightmare sometimes.

BTW: in German Windows, deleting "C:\Dokumente und
Einstellungen\YourName\Lokale Einstellungen\Temp\xil*" may help.

-- 
Frank Buss, fb@frank-buss.de
http://www.frank-buss.de, http://www.it4-systems.de

I only find "C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\MyName" but there is no
"Lokale Einstellungen", however, neiter with the user "administrator"
nor with "all users". ????

spartanius@arcor.de wrote:

> I only find "C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\MyName" but there is no
> "Lokale Einstellungen", however, neiter with the user "administrator"
> nor with "all users". ????

You have to enable hidden files. In German Windows just enable the well
hidden option "Extras->Ordernoptionen->Ansicht->Versteckte Dateien und
Ordner->Alle Dateien und Ordner anzeigen" (and while you are in this mask,
make sure to disable the option "Erweiterungen bei bekannten Dateitypen
ausblenden" for a better life :-)

-- 
Frank Buss, fb@frank-buss.de
http://www.frank-buss.de, http://www.it4-systems.de