Electronics > Beginners

Online FPGA simulator?

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KE5FX:

--- Quote from: jmelson on February 12, 2019, 10:45:06 pm ---Really, trying to debug an FPGA in a more complex system with just a scope can be very frustrating.
--- End quote ---

As opposed to simulating a USB controller, DDR SDRAM, and numerous complex proprietary peripherals for which you don't have models?

Simulation has its value in education, but you'll never convince me that it's a win in real-world complex designs.  The effort required to keep the simulation faithful to the peripheral hardware, including aspects that aren't documented, will generally be higher than the effort needed to debug the hardware itself. 

I have a big problem with people who stick their noses in the air and preach the virtues of simulation over getting one's hands dirty.  They generally have not shipped many FPGA products themselves, but they're happy to tell beginners how to do it.

james_s:

--- Quote from: rstofer on February 12, 2019, 07:17:51 pm ---In earlier times with Xilinx ISE, the simulator wasn't free.  The IDE was free, the synthesis and place/route tools were free but not the simulator.  As a result, I have never used the simulator.

--- End quote ---

It's been free for a while, I've been doing FPGA development as a hobby for about 5 years and I've always had the simulator in ISE. I don't use it all that often because my projects are mostly small enough to just compile and debug but it's there and it works. I think if I were doing very large complex projects or things where timing was critical then I'd use the simulator a lot more.

ogden:

--- Quote from: KE5FX on February 12, 2019, 10:59:01 pm ---
--- Quote from: jmelson on February 12, 2019, 10:45:06 pm ---Really, trying to debug an FPGA in a more complex system with just a scope can be very frustrating.
--- End quote ---

As opposed to simulating a USB controller, DDR SDRAM, and numerous complex proprietary peripherals for which you don't have models?

--- End quote ---

OP do not have money to spend on FPGA board, not to mention multi-gigahertz scope :palm: It is unlikely that he owns ANY scope, yet you are pushing "hands dirty with scope" agenda. I would like to remind that simulator is what OP asked for. (You may want to check subject of this thread)

rstofer:

--- Quote from: james_s on February 12, 2019, 11:29:24 pm ---It's been free for a while, I've been doing FPGA development as a hobby for about 5 years and I've always had the simulator in ISE.

--- End quote ---

I started when I retired, about 15 years ago.  Modelsim was available but not free.  So I came up with a different plan.

There are lots of ways to do things.  Circumstances will often shorten the list of possibilities.

KE5FX:

--- Quote from: ogden on February 12, 2019, 11:57:19 pm ---OP do not have money to spend on FPGA board, not to mention multi-gigahertz scope :palm: It is unlikely that he owns ANY scope, yet you are pushing "hands dirty with scope" agenda. I would like to remind that simulator is what OP asked for. (You may want to check subject of this thread)

--- End quote ---

Yes, and if you'll notice, I recommended some free online simulation tools.  OP's use case falls into the category of "education," where simulation can be a valuable time saver and aid to understanding.

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