pcb&bitstream

hi all
i stupidly bought 5 spartan 3E when i just understoud the power of
fgpa !
so now i need a not expensive fgpa-pcb maker to put the 5 spartan in
my tablet
also i need the bitstream spec to directly use fgpas on my tablet !
unlike else *pu i can't find the doc to direct programming it and
xilinx give no answer to not affiliated people !!!
thanks
_________________
http://opencores.org/project,smart-non-binary-computing,overview

>hi all
>i stupidly bought 5 spartan 3E when i just understoud the power of
>fgpa !
>so now i need a not expensive fgpa-pcb maker to put the 5 spartan in
>my tablet
>also i need the bitstream spec to directly use fgpas on my tablet !
>unlike else *pu i can't find the doc to direct programming it and
>xilinx give no answer to not affiliated people !!!
>thanks
>_________________
>http://opencores.org/project,smart-non-binary-computing,overview
>

The bitstream format is not published.
Download the ISE Webpack tools to enable you to generate a bitstream.

However, your best plan is probably to sell off the chips. Bespoke PCB
design and build is both difficult and expensive, especially for
hobbyists.
	   
					
---------------------------------------		
Posted through http://www.FPGARelated.com

"geobsd" <geobsd.os@gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:50d241f8-27a5-4308-8b81-1e515a045346@q14g2000vbf.googlegroups.com...
> hi all
> i stupidly bought 5 spartan 3E when i just understoud the power of
> fgpa !

Just the FPGAs?

> so now i need a not expensive fgpa-pcb maker to put the 5 spartan in
> my tablet

What tablet?

What interface?

> also i need the bitstream spec to directly use fgpas on my tablet !
> unlike else *pu i can't find the doc to direct programming it and

It's not a CPU it's a programmable logic device. You don't program it you
define how the logic will operate and configure it.

> xilinx give no answer to not affiliated people !!!
> thanks

There's plenty of information on the web site!

:-)


Nial. 

> Just the FPGAs?
yes !

> What tablet?
a chineese tablet 8" with a freescale IMX5

> What interface?
well i'm not sure what's in it without open it (i will destroy the
back soon)
usb-otg, wifi sure

> It's not a CPU it's a programmable logic device. You don't program it you
> define how the logic will operate and configure it.
that's what i call programme fgpa, you can't programme cpu you
programme on it, we are ok here !

> There's plenty of information on the web site!
i didn't found good information to direct use of fpga without made
bitstream yet, and my tablet will run my OS, ISE&al are dead for me !

thanks Nial

> The bitstream format is not published.
that's a shame !
unlike else *pu we can't use freely !

> Download the ISE Webpack tools to enable you to generate a bitstream.
i'll do this in last thing if i don't decode the spec by myself :(

> However, your best plan is probably to sell off the chips.
must i suicide too ?

> Bespoke PCB
> design and build is both difficult and expensive, especially for
> hobbyists.
what about reflow oven ?

thanks RCIngham

On Mar 10, 10:06=A0am, geobsd <geobsd...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Just the FPGAs?
>
> yes !
>
> > What tablet?
>
> a chineese tablet 8" with a freescale IMX5
>
> > What interface?
>
> well i'm not sure what's in it without open it (i will destroy the
> back soon)
> usb-otg, wifi sure
>
> > It's not a CPU it's a programmable logic device. You don't program it y=
ou
> > define how the logic will operate and configure it.
>
> that's what i call programme fgpa, you can't programme cpu you
> programme on it, we are ok here !
>
> > There's plenty of information on the web site!
>
> i didn't found good information to direct use of fpga without made
> bitstream yet, and my tablet will run my OS, ISE&al are dead for me !
>
> thanks Nial

I don't think that you fully understand what an FPGA is and how it is
used.  The free ISE WebPack software will running on a Windows or
Linux PC to design the logic that will go into the FPGA and to
generate the bitstream to configure the bitstream.

Have you read the Spartan-3E datasheet?
www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/data_sheets/ds312.pdf

What are you trying to accomplish with this project?

Ed McGettigan
--
Xilinx Inc.

hi Ed

i understoud, after buying those, that fgpas can't be used directly in
any OS !
strangely it is the most flexible PU too (and that's why i bought 5)

my project is to have dynamic generation of bitstream to have a very
powerfull tablet in any usage !

i don't say protyping or R&D is bad but limit fpgas to those fields
only is a non-sense !

childs play to push the wheele but later they learn to use them to
make bicycle ;)
i understand that my way will be hard, i didn't saw anyone doing
bicycle yet, ~np i have harder to live in my life !

@bient=F4t

On Mar 10, 8:41=A0pm, Ed McGettigan <ed.mcgetti...@xilinx.com> wrote:
>
> What are you trying to accomplish with this project?
>
> Ed McGettigan
> --
> Xilinx Inc.

It seems the OP is expecting an FPGA to already be doing everything
that it could do without his having to do anything but purchase them.

What is the ordering code for a Spartan that is pre-programmed with
all possible applications?  Does Digi-key have stock?  Can you post
the link to that bit-stream?

;)

On Mar 11, 3:38=A0am, geobsd <geobsd...@gmail.com> wrote:
> hi Ed
>
> i understoud, after buying those, that fgpas can't be used directly in
> any OS !
> strangely it is the most flexible PU too (and that's why i bought 5)
>
> my project is to have dynamic generation of bitstream to have a very
> powerfull tablet in any usage !
>
> i don't say protyping or R&D is bad but limit fpgas to those fields
> only is a non-sense !
>
> childs play to push the wheele but later they learn to use them to
> make bicycle ;)
> i understand that my way will be hard, i didn't saw anyone doing
> bicycle yet, ~np i have harder to live in my life !
>
> @bient=F4t

FPGAs are not limited to prototyping or R&D.  If you take a look at
the revenue of Xilinx of Altera you will see that it about $4B
annually.  You can't do that with low volumes.

Many startup companies have been started and failed over the years
trying to mate FPGAs with CPUs as co-processors, but the general
purpose computing space really isn't a good fit.  Companies have used
FPGAs to create very high end data processing engines to tackle
encryption/decryption, real-time video processing and simulation
acceleration engines.  Usually these are dedicated platforms, but
sometimes they are created as expansion cards for PC servers.

When you start reading the Spartan-3E data sheet and the user guides
in your quest for dynamic bitstream generation you should quickly come
to understand the vast complexities that this entails and why it isn't
a practical design flow.

Ed McGettigan
--
Xilinx Inc.

On 12 Mrz., 05:27, Ed McGettigan <ed.mcgetti...@xilinx.com> wrote:
>=A0Companies have used
> FPGAs to create very high end data processing engines to tackle
> encryption/decryption, real-time video processing and simulation
> acceleration engines. =A0Usually these are dedicated platforms, but
> sometimes they are created as expansion cards for PC servers.

This reminds me of my favorite quote regarding computer architecture:
"Special purpose hardware is always faster than general purpose
hardware,
except in the general case!"

An advice to the OP:
FPGAs are great, but they definitely are more difficult to use than
MCUs.
Try to answer your question first for an ARM MCU. (Designing the
board,
how to solder it, how to program it with no OS, how to connect it to
your tablet, how to
design the power supply, ...)
Once you understood all that, you can continue with the FPGA specific
questions:
How to design the circuits going into the FPGA, how to do dynamic
reconfiguration,
how to encode the bitstream, etc.

Have fun,

Kolja