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Aart van Beuzekom wrote: > > Hei, > > I will start developing FPGA applications with WebPack. My problem is > that my OS is WinNT, which is not supported by WebPack 5.2i. I've got a > CD laying round here with WebPack version 4.2WP0.0. > > Can anybody tell me if the advantages of v. 5.2i are so much that > upgrading to Win2000 really is necessary? > > My application will run on a Spartan-II device. Clock speed wil not be > an issue, but efficient use of logic cells might be. There are other reasons to upgrade to Win2000 and it can be fairly painless. If you are interested, email me. -- Rick "rickman" Collins rick.collins@XYarius.com Ignore the reply address. To email me use the above address with the XY removed. Arius - A Signal Processing Solutions Company Specializing in DSP and FPGA design URL http://www.arius.com 4 King Ave 301-682-7772 Voice Frederick, MD 21701-3110 301-682-7666 FAXArticle: 59126
Don S wrote: > I'm a sysadmin looking at a problem that a designer is having with > slow turn around times in Altera Quartus. The turn around time on a > compile is about 1 hr on a AMD 1700+ with 1 gig of memory. Quartus > version is 2.1 running on Win2K SP2. Gosh. I wish I had a sysadmin. Any openings? :) One hour is not bad for synthesis and place+route on a medium sized FPGA. > There is apparently a way to lock down the layout of certain blocks > and/or do an incremental compile so that everything would not have to > be re-synthesised but the designer says that it doesn't seem to work > correctly. I haven't even tried the "logic-lock" place+route locker because things change too much and I don't do that many place+routes. You should turn on "smart-compile" to save the cache. Hard drives are cheap. > Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. A simulation recompile and rerun only takes a few minutes. You might suggest the designer spend more time on the testbench and less in synthesis/place+route. -- Mike TreselerArticle: 59127
This might be a place to go to an ON NBSG16VS part, and do the power rails to get the vcm into spec, unless you want to AC couple. They can be set from 100mV to 800 mV (you want about 500 if I remember correctly), but don't get the BGA - they are dropping BGA's like crazy (too much lead inductance, you'll make rise time spec, but not by much unless you're very careful) - the QFN's can go to 35ps. Andrew Paul Gentieu wrote: > The Xilinx web page describing the RocketIO serdes mentions in passing > that it can support Serial ATA. But I don't see any support for > out-of-band signaling, and the serdes voltage swing and common-mode > levels don't seem compatible either. > > So, it seems that significant external circuitry would be required, > and it would be kludgy. Is there an appnote for doing this? Dedicated > SATA Phy chips seem pretty hard to find. > > Of course, a real SATA-compatible transceiver in the next generation > of the FPGA would be preferable... > > -Paul >Article: 59128
usrdr@yahoo.co.uk (serdar) wrote in message news:<d983e0c.0308080239.68f20297@posting.google.com>... > Hi, > I am new CPLD and FPGA. Should I start Xilinx devices or ALTERA > You might find it interesting to look at the tutorials at http://tutor.al-williams.com. These cover the basics of Xilinx and Altera using CPLDs. It is overwhelming getting started, but working through the tutorial will help you get a feel for things. Keep in mind that you can do software simulation and get your feet wet without actually investing in any hardware at first. Regards, Al Williams AWC http://www.al-williams.com/awceArticle: 59129
Hi Don, I have a few questions: (a) Why is the user iterating through full P&R so much? Is it for timing closure? Or are they doing post-P&R simulation when they could be using pre-P&R simulation for the purposes of debugging their HDL? (b) What device is being used, and how full is it? 1 hr is not unreasonable for a medium-sized design, and your observation that Quartus is CPU bound confirms that the user is not running out of memory for some reason. There is an option in Quartus known as "Fast Fit" which will make the fitter run faster at the expense of a small amount of performance. I'd also suggest upgrading to the latest version of Quartus II (version 3.0) as I *think* there has been a bit of a speed up for newer families over the past few releases, though I don't have the data handy to confirm this. If the user is iterating to achieve timing closure, a newer version of Quartus could do the trick as we are constantly improve the quality of push-button place and route. I'm not terribly familiar with the CPU time implications of using logic lock or incremental compile and will ask a colleague about this on Monday. Regards, Paul Leventis Altera Corp. "Don S" <dshesnicky@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:b9ff9982.0308081117.164f3b3a@posting.google.com... > I'm a sysadmin looking at a problem that a designer is having with > slow turn around times in Altera Quartus. The turn around time on a > compile is about 1 hr on a AMD 1700+ with 1 gig of memory. Quartus > version is 2.1 running on Win2K SP2. > > The bulk of the time is spent in Logic Synthesis and the Fitter. > If we just bring up the task manager it shows that we have not tapped > the memory but the cpu is pegged. > > There is apparently a way to lock down the layout of certain blocks > and/or do an incremental compile so that everything would not have to > be re-synthesised but the designer says that it doesn't seem to work > correctly. > > Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. > > DonArticle: 59130
Does Xilinx Webpack ISE support RTL-synthesis of Verilog-2001? If so, what was the first version to support it? I'm mainly looking at support for 'signed' number support. (Signed regs, wires, inputs/outputs, and '>>>')Article: 59131
> Does Xilinx Webpack ISE support RTL-synthesis of Verilog-2001? If so, what > was the first version to support it? I'm mainly looking at support for > 'signed' number support. > (Signed regs, wires, inputs/outputs, and '>>>') Can't answer you on ISE support -- but if you are looking for a freely available Verilog-2001 compiler, the Quartus II 3.0 Web Edition should do the trick. You can select Verilog-1995 or Verilog-2001 support via the Settings dialog box in the Assignments menu. Almost all language features are supported, including signed declarations and the >>> operator. Please see http://www.altera.com/support/kdb/rd05132003_6968.html or application note AN238 for more information. Regards, Paul Leventis Altera Corp.Article: 59132
Hello. I have to implement a Design from an Altera Max7000S (EPM7128SL84-15) to any Xilinx-Board. Which board you can recommend for this task and why? Are there any problems I have to watch out? Regards, RonnyArticle: 59133
Hi, I'm working on a University project that requires ddr-ram interfaced to a Vertex-EM device. I am basing my design off xapp200 from xilinx. The design uses DLLs to deskew the system clock and ddr-ram clock. The signal fed back to the DLLs (sys_clk_fb) is apparently the ddr clk. What I don't understand is where I take this signal from. Should I have tracks on my PCB comming back from the ddr-ram chips to inputs on the fpga? Or can the feedback signal come from inside the fpga? I am a little lost as to how the DLLs manage to sychronise the two clocks. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Michael.Article: 59134
Michael, There are two basic ways that DLL's are used to de-skew clocks. For lack of any other names, they are: 1) internal de-skew 2) external de-skew Internal de-skew means that the global clock net, within the FPGA, transitions at the same time (phase) that the FPGA's input clock transitions. External de-skew means that a clock at an FPGA output pin transitions at the same time (phase) that the FPGA's input clock transitions. Here are some terms you should know: IBUF/OBUF -- an FPGA input/output pin (what most of the FPGA pins are). IBUFG -- really just a standard I/O pin, but physically close to the DLL -- such that the DLL knows what its routing delay is to it. These are where clock inputs (and external clock feedback signals) are supposed to connect to. DLL -- the phase detector, etc... BUFG -- a global clock buffer. The output of the BUFG's are the global clock nets. With internal de-skew, the output of the BUFG (global clock net) is fed directly back to the DLL's clock feedback input -- with the FPGA itself. With external de-skew, the output of the BUFG feeds an OBUF (output pin). Then, a trace on your circuit board connects that OBUF to an IBUFG. With a synchronous RAM design (like your DDR project), the idea is to first get a clock to the RAM that has the same phase as one of the FPGA's internal global clock nets. This is so that the timing of the RAM read data, at the FPGA IBUF's, has a known time relationship. One of the DLL's in the design is used to do this -- via external de-skew. The other DLL is used (via internal de-skew) to create the "read RAM data" clock. I haven't looked at XAPP200 carefully, but here's how we do our DDR controllers: 1) Use external de-skew to create the RAM's CLK/CLKB, and DQS clocks. Note that the DQS clocks (strobes) are tristated during RAM reads, and are not used during RAM reads. Additionally, this DLL's 90deg output is used to feed the OBUF's that create the RAM DQ lines -- but only for RAM writes. 2) Use internal de-skew to create a separate clock net for RAM reads (and other FPGA functions). Having said all this, I must say that it's amazing to me that a Virtex-E device can be used for this type of application. I say this because the data from the RAM is valid during the time "between" the RAM's DQS clock (strobe) edges. So, when the RAM read data gets back to the FPGA pins, its valid data position is not ideal (i.e., suitable setup and hold time). It is much easier to use a Virtex-II device, wherein a third internal de-skew clock net can be generated (which has phase shift via the DCM) in order to properly capture the RAM read data. Either way, you'll learn a lot with this project. Regards, Bob "Michael Chan" <s354025@student.uq.edu.au> wrote in message news:bh2scl$kop$1@bunyip.cc.uq.edu.au... > Hi, > > I'm working on a University project that requires ddr-ram interfaced to a > Vertex-EM device. I am basing my design off xapp200 from xilinx. The > design uses DLLs to deskew the system clock and ddr-ram clock. The signal > fed back to the DLLs (sys_clk_fb) is apparently the ddr clk. What I don't > understand is where I take this signal from. Should I have tracks on my PCB > comming back from the ddr-ram chips to inputs on the fpga? Or can the > feedback signal come from inside the fpga? > > I am a little lost as to how the DLLs manage to sychronise the two clocks. > Any help would be appreciated. > > Thanks. > > Michael. > >Article: 59135
Andrew Paule <lsboogy@qwest.net> writes: > Paul Gentieu wrote: > >> The Xilinx web page describing the RocketIO serdes mentions in >> passing that it can support Serial ATA. But I don't see any support >> for out-of-band signaling, and the serdes voltage swing and >> common-mode levels don't seem compatible either. >> >> So, it seems that significant external circuitry would be required, >> and it would be kludgy. Is there an appnote for doing this? >> Dedicated SATA Phy chips seem pretty hard to find. >> >> Of course, a real SATA-compatible transceiver in the next generation >> of the FPGA would be preferable... >> >> -Paul >> > This might be a place to go to an ON NBSG16VS part, and do the power > rails to get the vcm into spec, unless you want to AC couple. They > can be set from 100mV to 800 mV (you want about 500 if I remember > correctly), but don't get the BGA - they are dropping BGA's like crazy > (too much lead inductance, you'll make rise time spec, but not by much > unless you're very careful) - the QFN's can go to 35ps. > > Andrew > Andrew, I just looked at the data sheet on Onsemi's web site. How does this part help with OOB? It's just a Differential Receiver/Driver: there's no enable or CM detection. It would only help with levels, which isn't as much of an issue. I don't think you understood the question, or maybe you meant a different Onsemi part. Anyway, Paul, please beat up your Xilinx rep! I'm annoyed about this too. They prominently say that the RocketIO can be used for SATA applications, but it doesn't support OOB, which is absolutely required. Maybe if enough people bug them they will do something about it! DavidArticle: 59136
> I've been debating for several days whether or not to post this message. > Well...here it goes, we'll see what develops. > > I read a disturbing article this last week in Time magazine. It seems to be > available online at > http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030804-471198,00.html . > This article describes the alarming rate at which many types of jobs are > being exported to countries such as India, where the work gets done for darn > near 1/10th. the cost, or less. > > Now, before anybody beats me over the head with a digital club, please know > that my intention here is to understand the trend and what it might mean in > general. As a small business owner facing the need to hire engineers > (FPGA/embedded) within the next six to twelve months I have to ask myself if > my competitors have exported these jobs? If that were to be the case, > competitive forces alone would almost dictate that I (and others in my > position) look for offshore solutions. From people I've spoken to down here in Southern California, most of the 'famous' high-tech companies (Broadcom, Connexant, etc.) have already begun investigating outsourcing engineering/design work. My contact at Connexant says some departments there already outsource some portion of back-end (place/route) designwork to Indian firms. Broadcom is likely to follow soon (if they haven't started already.) At this point, the engineering-design capabilities of these outsourcing companies are 'fairly basic.' As the practice is in its infancy, the work-quality is decidedly mixed, varying from company to company and project to project. Projects which require ongoing input from the (US-based) spec-writers often run into complications, due to communication errors or other logistic problems. (Sitting down face to face still beats out email/video-conferencing any day!) I suspect that as time goes on, project managers will become more familiar with the process of outsourcing, and adapt to the logistic issues. Likewise, as the outsourcing companies compete against one another, the better performers will garner repeat work, increase their design capacity and sophistication.Article: 59137
The on semi part just gets you into the voltage swing - the oob and cmdet functions are going to have to be handled externally also - I used to work for a company that did these things (Wavecrest) and notice that now mindspeed is dumping their parts (last time buys). The serial ATA functions are not going to be well supported by Xilinx - I think that they are trying to get these things tested right now, and being a digital company, I think that they have some marketing people who assume that they can handle this stuff. Obviously, any mention of SATA with these chips has not been well thought out (1.0 ATA spec requires OOB). Mindspeed is dumping this stuff, and I think I'd be looking LSI ways for a while for anything custom. The jitter spec along is going to force these things away from compliance - me thinks you get about a third of a UI at 1.2G for TJ - and the DCM in the part already gives about 100ps - great for CMOS, but until you get a good CDR module, and proper I/O buffers, we're playing with external components anyway. I'd see if Peter Alfke (he is Xilinx, but I've found him to be knowledgable and honest) knows of any hints, but I think that serial ATA is still best done SiGe with externals. Mindspeed is having some sort of real fun - the telecom market is not giving them the business that they need to keep some parts alive (they are the cores that Xilinx is using), and should be a good source - they make GREAT stuff, but they are dumping this stuff Side note for Peter - how can you BERT two of these if your clock is only at 100ps RJ? Tektronix and wavecrest are both capable of doing this, but their clocks are under 1ps jitter. You need a thermally stabilized source to do this in my goofy opinion. Andrew David Rogoff wrote: >Andrew Paule <lsboogy@qwest.net> writes: > > > >>Paul Gentieu wrote: >> >> >> >>>The Xilinx web page describing the RocketIO serdes mentions in >>>passing that it can support Serial ATA. But I don't see any support >>>for out-of-band signaling, and the serdes voltage swing and >>>common-mode levels don't seem compatible either. >>> >>>So, it seems that significant external circuitry would be required, >>>and it would be kludgy. Is there an appnote for doing this? >>>Dedicated SATA Phy chips seem pretty hard to find. >>> >>>Of course, a real SATA-compatible transceiver in the next generation >>>of the FPGA would be preferable... >>> >>>-Paul >>> >>> >>> >>This might be a place to go to an ON NBSG16VS part, and do the power >>rails to get the vcm into spec, unless you want to AC couple. They >>can be set from 100mV to 800 mV (you want about 500 if I remember >>correctly), but don't get the BGA - they are dropping BGA's like crazy >>(too much lead inductance, you'll make rise time spec, but not by much >>unless you're very careful) - the QFN's can go to 35ps. >> >>Andrew >> >> >> > >Andrew, > >I just looked at the data sheet on Onsemi's web site. How does this >part help with OOB? It's just a Differential Receiver/Driver: there's >no enable or CM detection. It would only help with levels, which >isn't as much of an issue. I don't think you understood the question, >or maybe you meant a different Onsemi part. > >Anyway, Paul, please beat up your Xilinx rep! I'm annoyed about this >too. They prominently say that the RocketIO can be used for SATA >applications, but it doesn't support OOB, which is absolutely >required. Maybe if enough people bug them they will do something about it! > > David > >Article: 59138
you can also check http://www.fpga4fun.com/ "serdar" <usrdr@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:d983e0c.0308080239.68f20297@posting.google.com... > Hi, > I am new CPLD and FPGA. Should I start Xilinx devices or ALTERA > devices? and verilog or VHDL? > I think buy a CPLD starter board.(CoolRunner II Design Kit or MAX 7000 > Quick Start Development Kit) Can you recommended any board for > starting?Article: 59139
check the coolrunner family, you might find a pin compatible version. :-) I actually found a pin for pin (but it had 2 less IO) version which is cheaper.. the max is cheaper than the coolrunner that is by a factor of about 3. Failing that there's the 9500 series which I bet is cheaper than the coolrunner. Simon "Ronny Hengst" <ballu_baer@gmx.de> wrote in message news:bh2afi$tgbr9$1@ID-163925.news.uni-berlin.de... > Hello. > > I have to implement a Design from an Altera Max7000S (EPM7128SL84-15) to any > Xilinx-Board. Which board you can recommend for this task and why? Are there > any problems I have to watch out? > > Regards, Ronny > >Article: 59140
I've looked through the Xilinx site and found some reference to the problem I'm having and tried the suggestions, but to no avail. I am using the DFS function on a DCM, but I get no output from the CLKFX output....... yes I have also defined the CLKIN_PERIOD. Has anyone seen this problem ? Thanks in advance CharlieArticle: 59141
Is the DCM locked? Bob "Charles Stuart" <cstuart@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message news:PXhZa.26947$K4.1430387@twister.tampabay.rr.com... > I've looked through the Xilinx site and found some reference to the problem > I'm having and tried the suggestions, but to no avail. I am using the DFS > function on a DCM, but I get no output from the CLKFX output....... yes I > have also defined the CLKIN_PERIOD. Has anyone seen this problem ? > > Thanks in advance > Charlie > >Article: 59142
I spent a little (emphasis on little) bit of time, and Xilinx does not say in any of the lit that I can find that they actually support serial ATA. I think that this is one standard that you will have to get elsewhere. Ever look at XAUI/XIBI stuff, much better alternative. Andrew Paul Gentieu wrote: > The Xilinx web page describing the RocketIO serdes mentions in passing > that it can support Serial ATA. But I don't see any support for > out-of-band signaling, and the serdes voltage swing and common-mode > levels don't seem compatible either. > > So, it seems that significant external circuitry would be required, > and it would be kludgy. Is there an appnote for doing this? Dedicated > SATA Phy chips seem pretty hard to find. > > Of course, a real SATA-compatible transceiver in the next generation > of the FPGA would be preferable... > > -Paul >Article: 59143
You have to monitor the "LOCKED" output and reset the DCM if lock is not achieved. My reset sequencing module takes this into account and holds the rest of the FPGA in reset until all DCM's are up and running. It resets the DCM's, waits for a period of time and then samples for a lock condition. If no lock was achieved the sequence repeats (reset, look for lock). -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Martin Euredjian To send private email: 0_0_0_0_@pacbell.net where "0_0_0_0_" = "martineu" "Charles Stuart" <cstuart@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message news:PXhZa.26947$K4.1430387@twister.tampabay.rr.com... > I've looked through the Xilinx site and found some reference to the problem > I'm having and tried the suggestions, but to no avail. I am using the DFS > function on a DCM, but I get no output from the CLKFX output....... yes I > have also defined the CLKIN_PERIOD. Has anyone seen this problem ? > > Thanks in advance > Charlie > >Article: 59144
I've had several courses on Digital Logic, ......but that was in the early 1980s !! I was very familiar with the 7400 series of integrated circuits, and could name the gates and truth tables off the top of my head. A lot of years have passed since I worked with these chips, and I've fallen way behind in technology. But now I'd like to do some experimenting on my own. I wanted to build something like a simple Annunciator Panel type project, so I dug out my old logic books to brush up. What I found out was that I needed about 50-75 Logic Gates for my particular design, though I'm sure I could pare that down some, but the thought of mounting and wiring (I used to wire-wrap a lot) about 25 or more Integrated Circuits just kind of discouraged me. I was asking a fellow Technician about maybe using some sort of EEProm, and he told me about Field Programmable Gate Arrays...according to what I've since learned, it looks like I should be able to program a FPGA with my logic design(or reprogram it if I make a mistake)....my logic would be a series of And, Nor, etc. gates, Flip Flops, etc, and use contact closures for inputs and LEDs for outputs. Am I correct in my interpretation of what a FPGA is, and how it operates? I was looking at 10 inputs (contact closures) and 10 simple LEDs for the outputs on this first project. Since I'm not familiar with the pin assignments for the I/Os, and what's needed to program these FPGAs, would any of you have a recommendation on what family and size of FPGA I should start with? Or is an FPGA really what I need? What about a programmer (or programming method) and software? I'd be most comfortable using a software that graphically displays my gates and their connections if there is such a thing, but since this is just going to be a playtoy for now, I guess cost needs to be a consideration, so inexpensive developmental would be best. Is there a Complete Experimenter's Kit available for someone with my interests? Or would I be better off buying individual components to suit my needs? I've read some of the posts, and it sounds like you guys are WAAAY up on the curve....can you help me get started? Thanks, John.Article: 59145
Al Williams wrote: > > usrdr@yahoo.co.uk (serdar) wrote in message news:<d983e0c.0308080239.68f20297@posting.google.com>... > > Hi, > > I am new CPLD and FPGA. Should I start Xilinx devices or ALTERA > > > You might find it interesting to look at the tutorials at > http://tutor.al-williams.com. These cover the basics of Xilinx and > Altera using CPLDs. It is overwhelming getting started, but working > through the tutorial will help you get a feel for things. Keep in > mind that you can do software simulation and get your feet wet > without actually investing in any hardware at first. Al, That looks like a valuable resource. Thanks for the effort of writing it all up. RobArticle: 59146
"Martin Euredjian" <0_0_0_0_@pacbell.net> ha scritto nel messaggio news:ChpYa.49$6x2.6678595@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com... > Where is this going? I'm all for globalization and > economic prosperity at > every point on the globe If you really are for economic prosperity everywhere, you must accept the fact that when the cake needs to be split in more parts, the slices are smaller. So those who ate almost all of the cake in the past, now will have less to eat. -- LorenzoArticle: 59147
Off the subject but I have been really glad to see Altera's presence in this forum for the last few months. For years it seemed that only Xilinx cared about their user community on here so its nice to see the support. Kudos to Paul, Subroto et al. (and continuing thanks to Austin, Peter et al from Xilinx) Mike hit the nail on the head, most work should be done pre-synthesis. Of course the Altera product (or Xilinx) doesn't really lend itself to doing this by itself. I'd recommend Active HDL (www.aldec.com) though others swear by ModelSim You 'really' need a decent simulator to speed the overall design process. Paul "Paul Leventis" <paul.leventis@utoronto.ca> wrote in message news:f0YYa.127991$hOa.39807@news02.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com... > Hi Don, > > I have a few questions: > > (a) Why is the user iterating through full P&R so much? Is it for timing > closure? Or are they doing post-P&R simulation when they could be using > pre-P&R simulation for the purposes of debugging their HDL? > (b) What device is being used, and how full is it? 1 hr is not unreasonable > for a medium-sized design, and your observation that Quartus is CPU bound > confirms that the user is not running out of memory for some reason. > > There is an option in Quartus known as "Fast Fit" which will make the fitter > run faster at the expense of a small amount of performance. I'd also > suggest upgrading to the latest version of Quartus II (version 3.0) as I > *think* there has been a bit of a speed up for newer families over the past > few releases, though I don't have the data handy to confirm this. If the > user is iterating to achieve timing closure, a newer version of Quartus > could do the trick as we are constantly improve the quality of push-button > place and route. > > I'm not terribly familiar with the CPU time implications of using logic lock > or incremental compile and will ask a colleague about this on Monday. > > Regards, > > Paul Leventis > Altera Corp. > > > > "Don S" <dshesnicky@yahoo.com> wrote in message > news:b9ff9982.0308081117.164f3b3a@posting.google.com... > > I'm a sysadmin looking at a problem that a designer is having with > > slow turn around times in Altera Quartus. The turn around time on a > > compile is about 1 hr on a AMD 1700+ with 1 gig of memory. Quartus > > version is 2.1 running on Win2K SP2. > > > > The bulk of the time is spent in Logic Synthesis and the Fitter. > > If we just bring up the task manager it shows that we have not tapped > > the memory but the cpu is pegged. > > > > There is apparently a way to lock down the layout of certain blocks > > and/or do an incremental compile so that everything would not have to > > be re-synthesised but the designer says that it doesn't seem to work > > correctly. > > > > Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. > > > > Don > >Article: 59148
John Bowen wrote: > ... Am I correct in my interpretation of what a FPGA is, and > how it operates? Yes. > ... a recommendation on what family and size of FPGA I should > start with? Or is an FPGA really what I need? A very similar product called a CPLD is probably closer to your needs. CPLDs are smaller, simpler and cheaper. As you don't need the number of gates even the smallest FPGA has (~10,000) you probably want to look at CPLDs first. > What about a programmer (or programming method) and software? Programmer is a cable between a parallel port on a PC and software can be various free packages from the CPLD vendor. I'd suggest looking at Altera's MAX and Xilinx's Coolrunner and 9500 stuff. Software is at: http://www.altera.com/products/software/free/fre-emax_baseline.html http://www.xilinx.com/xlnx/xil_prodcat_landingpage.jsp?title=ISE+WebPack Yes, these are just the biggest two vendors. See the vendor list at: http://www.optimagic.com/ > I'd be most comfortable using a software > that graphically displays my gates and their connections if there is such a > thing, but since this is just going to be a playtoy for now, I guess cost > needs to be a consideration, so inexpensive developmental would be best. Schematic entry packages are included with free software packages from Altera and Xilinx. > Is > there a Complete Experimenter's Kit available for someone with my interests? Two choices: http://www.xilinx.com/xlnx/xil_prodcat_product.jsp?title=design_kit http://www.altera.com/products/devkits/kit-dev_platforms.jsp > Or would I be better off buying individual components to suit my needs? Perhaps. Planning on making more than one? Then perhaps making a circuit board and buying the parts would be a good idea. -- Phil HaysArticle: 59149
There are two vectors, named V1 and V2, the sizes of which are 1*M and 1*N, respectively. We have known that there is at most one common element in both vectors. I am looking for the quick algorithm to search this common element. The general algorithm is to compare every element in V1 with each element in V2. the comparison complexity will be O(M*N). Is there any efficient method to complete it? I hope it can be done in FPGA. If M=N=60, and each element is 20 bit long,there isn't enough pins for the general search algorithms at one time. It need some loops to do it. So I am looking for an efficient algorithm and expect that the common element can be found in around 10ns~50ns. Is it possible? Thanks,
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