Electronics > FPGA
Complete newbie looking for a good practical beginers guide to programming FPGAs
rstofer:
When I started using the free version of Xilinx ISE, it didn't include a free simulator. As a result, I never learned to use one. Still don't use one. In the end, I'm building hardware not screen shots and what I build usually runs without too many errors. My big error is failing to provide a default value for an output of a FSM. Doing incremental development can lead to this kind of error.
On a larger project, I threaded a 32 bit debug bus through all of the entities. Generally, the signals were commented out unless I needed to use a logic analyzer on some portion of the system. With Xilinx's new ILA (Integrated Logic Analyzer), I get the best of both worlds. I can look at real hardware signals without having to spend time connecting signals to the debug bus.
https://www.xilinx.com/video/hardware/logic-debug-in-vivado.html
SiliconWizard:
Yes simulation is a key tool when doing digital design. Except for the most trivial designs, not doing simulation is crazy. An almost sure way of getting things wrong while wasting a lot of time trying to fix them.
If you're using VHDL, apart from the commercial simulators, GHDL has become very good. That's my main simulator.
fourfathom:
I've been using the free Icarus Verilog simulator for functional simulation. I had been using the simulator that was part of the Lattice Diamond toolset (which I use for my MACHX FPGA work), but they recently changed the simulator and I haven't bothered to figure out the new setup.
SiliconWizard:
--- Quote from: fourfathom on November 29, 2021, 06:29:36 pm ---I had been using the simulator that was part of the Lattice Diamond toolset (which I use for my MACHX FPGA work), but they recently changed the simulator and I haven't bothered to figure out the new setup.
--- End quote ---
They used to include ActiveHDL, they have switched to Modelsim. While I rarely use it because GHDL covers most of my needs, Modelsim is a good and industry-standard simulator. The initial learning curve is a bit steeper than with ActiveHDL, though.
james_s:
--- Quote from: bingo600 on November 29, 2021, 01:48:34 pm ---I have no idea what to use the FPGA boards for right now
I struggle with VHDL .. But just lack of experience.
And The challenge that i'm used to "C" & sequential flow :scared:
--- End quote ---
I've done a bunch of projects using those little Cyclone II boards, they're dirt cheap and capable of holding a lot of retro projects. I released a handful of bronze age Atari arcade games and an implementation of the Heathkit ET-3400 microprocessor trainer. There's also a daughterboard for Grant's Multicomp.
https://github.com/james10952001
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