Virtex and Spartan

Hello
can anyone say me what is the difference between virtex and spartan
fgpa chips.
It is just the number of gates in them, voltage levels or anything
more than that.
I have used spartan chips.i configured the chip with different vhdl
files again and again on the same chip.But somebody said it is not
possible in the xcv1000 virtex chips.(dynamically reconfigurable).Is
it true.Then,y are they called FPGA's.


Thanks in advance
bhadri

Bhadri wrote:

> Hello
> can anyone say me what is the difference between virtex and spartan
> fgpa chips.
> It is just the number of gates in them, voltage levels or anything
> more than that.
> I have used spartan chips.i configured the chip with different vhdl
> files again and again on the same chip.But somebody said it is not
> possible in the xcv1000 virtex chips.(dynamically reconfigurable).Is
> it true.Then,y are they called FPGA's.

Bhadri,

did you have a short look at the data sheet of both series?
They should answer your question.

As for your last question, I would say you have been told something
wrong from somebody.

Regards,
Mario

Bhadri,
somebody gave you bad information.
Virtex and Spartan are very similar, sometimes even almost identical.
Virtex emphasizes size and performance, Spartan is the more frugal
(hence the name) brother.
SpartanXL is almost identical with XC4000XL,
Spartan-II is almost identical with Virtex
Spartan-IIE is almost identical with Virtex-E
Spartan3 has many of the features of Virtex-II, but has reduced the chip
size and therefore eliminated some features, and it has a newer version
of the DCM.

Then there is technological evolution, which determines chip size and
price, as well as performance and supply voltage.
There is no substitute to studying the data sheets.

But, to paraphrase Annie Oakley: 
"Anything Spartan can do, Virtex can do also". 
Often faster, sometimes in a different package, usually at a higher price...
Peter Alfke 
=======================
Bhadri wrote:
> 
> Hello
> can anyone say me what is the difference between virtex and spartan
> fgpa chips.
> It is just the number of gates in them, voltage levels or anything
> more than that.
> I have used spartan chips.i configured the chip with different vhdl
> files again and again on the same chip.But somebody said it is not
> possible in the xcv1000 virtex chips.(dynamically reconfigurable).Is
> it true.Then,y are they called FPGA's.
> 
> Thanks in advance
> bhadri

Peter Alfke wrote:

> Bhadri,
> somebody gave you bad information.
> Virtex and Spartan are very similar, sometimes even almost identical.
> Virtex emphasizes size and performance, Spartan is the more frugal
> (hence the name) brother.
> SpartanXL is almost identical with XC4000XL,

little difference other than speed and package choices

>
> Spartan-II is almost identical with Virtex

Virtually no difference.  Some spartanII and VIrtex bit streams are
interchangeable.  The biggest difference I recall was the elimination of the
temp sense diode in spartanII

>
> Spartan-IIE is almost identical with Virtex-E

Differences are greater.  The most remarkable one is that the SpartanIIe has
considerably less memory than the equivalent sized virtexE.  The DLLs are also
different IIRC, still macros for one could be used in the other without change

>
> Spartan3 has many of the features of Virtex-II, but has reduced the chip
> size and therefore eliminated some features, and it has a newer version
> of the DCM.

Further divergence.  Half of the SRL16s / LUT RAM is gone, making it tricky to
reuse placed macros for VirtexII in spartan 3.

>

History shows that the spartan line is diverging from the virtex line.  Let's
hope the divergence does not continue to the point where design libraries are no
longer common between them.  It is already getting to be a pain to work a design
library to support both spartan3 and VIrtexII.


--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930     Fax 401/884-7950
email ray@andraka.com
http://www.andraka.com

 "They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
  temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
                                          -Benjamin Franklin, 1759