Hi Folks, I am currently in the process for selecting an FPGA for one of my projects. I have always used Xilinx FPGAs but now am considering using Altera. The Altera Cyclone III FPGAs looks like a very cost effective device but I have no idea how well it compares performance wise (will be used for DSP application) to a Spartan3E. I would be very grateful if someone would be able to provide me few pros and cons of Cyclone III. Thanks Sudhir
Spartan3E or Cyclone III ?
Started by ●June 27, 2009
Reply by ●June 28, 20092009-06-28
On Jun 27, 3:39=A0pm, Sudhir Singh <Sudhir.Si...@email.com> wrote:> Hi Folks, > I am currently in the process for selecting an FPGA for one of my > projects. I have always used Xilinx FPGAs but now am considering using > Altera. The Altera Cyclone III FPGAs looks like a very cost effective > device but I have no idea how well it compares performance wise (will > be used for DSP application) to a Spartan3E. > I would be very grateful if someone would be able to provide me few > pros and cons of Cyclone III. > > Thanks > Sudhirit is matter of taste and preferences but if you compara S3E and C-III i see no reasons not to prefer C-III but as said its a question of taste, or possible corporate policy I would recommend C-III over S3E but my most argument is SPI multiboot capability C-III has it, S3E doesnt of course the amount of BRAM too smallest device CIII has 46 compared to 8K in S3E Antti
Reply by ●June 29, 20092009-06-29
Sudhir It's a matter of luck which works out cheaper for a given project. Some designs will have a better fit in an Altera and some conversely Xilinx. Pricing will also vary a lot if it's a "volume" project. On the xilinx front it would also be worth considering the Spartan-3A or Spartan-3A DSP. If your manufacturing doesn't start for 6 months or so Spartan-6 will be a good option as well. Not to leave them out Altera will no doubt be offering some competition to Spartan-6. You can try a lot of these device out for fit in the fre versions of ISE and Quartus respectively. John Adair Enterpoint Ltd.- Home of Craignell. The DIL FPGA Solution. On 27 June, 13:39, Sudhir Singh <Sudhir.Si...@email.com> wrote:> Hi Folks, > I am currently in the process for selecting an FPGA for one of my > projects. I have always used Xilinx FPGAs but now am considering using > Altera. The Altera Cyclone III FPGAs looks like a very cost effective > device but I have no idea how well it compares performance wise (will > be used for DSP application) to a Spartan3E. > I would be very grateful if someone would be able to provide me few > pros and cons of Cyclone III. > > Thanks > Sudhir
Reply by ●June 29, 20092009-06-29
Hi, Also, you can better compare C3 to more "modern" offerings from Xilinx, like S3A(N) or S3A-DSP. -- Jaime Andres Aranguren C. SanJaaC Electronics Soluciones en DSP www.sanjaac.com <Antti.Lukats@googlemail.com> escribi� en el mensaje news:a30100b2-fd3c-421f-af7c-8c969316c04c@x5g2000yqk.googlegroups.com... On Jun 27, 3:39 pm, Sudhir Singh <Sudhir.Si...@email.com> wrote:> Hi Folks, > I am currently in the process for selecting an FPGA for one of my > projects. I have always used Xilinx FPGAs but now am considering using > Altera. The Altera Cyclone III FPGAs looks like a very cost effective > device but I have no idea how well it compares performance wise (will > be used for DSP application) to a Spartan3E. > I would be very grateful if someone would be able to provide me few > pros and cons of Cyclone III. > > Thanks > Sudhirit is matter of taste and preferences but if you compara S3E and C-III i see no reasons not to prefer C-III but as said its a question of taste, or possible corporate policy I would recommend C-III over S3E but my most argument is SPI multiboot capability C-III has it, S3E doesnt of course the amount of BRAM too smallest device CIII has 46 compared to 8K in S3E Antti
Reply by ●June 29, 20092009-06-29
Hi Guys, Thanks for your replies. John, its interesting that you suggested Spartan-3A DSP and Spartan-6 coz I had enquired with a distributor about these two devices just today. Hopefully Spartan-3A DSP will have a good pricing. We have to have the boards fabricated in 4 months time so Spartan-6 may be no-goer at this stage. I didn't realise that CIII's LUTs can not be configured as distributed memory. Cheers Sudhir
Reply by ●June 29, 20092009-06-29
Sudhir One other Xilinx advantage can be the SRL16 construct where the LUT is used as a shift register rather than just a ram. The SRL16 alone can shrink some designs by a lot if the design can make use of it. For boards in 4 months Spartan-6 would be very difficult to get, if not impossible, and Spartan-3 is the way for a Xilinx offering in that timeframe. John Adair Enterpoint Ltd. - Home of Darnaw1 the FPGA PGA Solution. On 29 June, 14:05, Sudhir Singh <Sudhir.Si...@email.com> wrote:> Hi Guys, > Thanks for your replies. > > John, its interesting that you suggested Spartan-3A DSP and Spartan-6 > coz I had enquired with a distributor about these two devices just > today. Hopefully Spartan-3A DSP will have a good pricing. > We have to have the boards fabricated in 4 months time so Spartan-6 > may be no-goer at this stage. > > I didn't realise that CIII's LUTs can not be configured as distributed > memory. > > Cheers > Sudhir
