Xilinx Xact software for XC2018 Logic Cell Array
in [Embedded]
|
Prev: Wireless sensor network at 868MHz
Next: Extended deadline (15 July 2010): CACS Singapore [EI Compendex,ISTP,IEEE Xplore]
From: Gabor on 24 May 2010 15:15 On May 24, 3:09 pm, glen herrmannsfeldt <g...(a)ugcs.caltech.edu> wrote: > In comp.arch.fpga d_s_klein <d_s_kl...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > (snip, I wrote) > > >> I believe that Xilinx still has software for XC4000 devices on > >> their web site, and I might even believe that some would still > >> use them. If you want a hobbyist device, go for XC4000 series. > > I disagree with the suggestion to use an XC4000. HDL support for this > > family (and the Spartan/SpartanXL) ended 5+ years ago. And by ended, > > I mean that there is no legal way of obtaining the necessary software. > > I meant it in the sense that one shouldn't go farther back than that. > > I thought the software was on the "Classic" section of the Xilinx > web site, but didn't try actually installing it. > > -- glen I'm still running version 4.1 of the Xilinx tools, but the "Foundation" not "ISE" version. You can still get ISE 4.1, but it doesn't include synthesis or schematics, so you'd need some third party tools to make up the gap. Xilinx no longer offers the original Foundation versions, since they don't own the third party (Aldec) content. The Alliance tools, by the way also required additional third party tools for synthesis or schematics. Definitely not on a hobbyists budget. Regards, Gabor
From: John Adair on 24 May 2010 18:07 The other problem you get with old software is the OS. I keep some machines with NT for times I need to run my old version software. John Adair Enterpoint Ltd. On 24 May, 20:15, Gabor <ga...(a)alacron.com> wrote: > On May 24, 3:09 pm, glen herrmannsfeldt <g...(a)ugcs.caltech.edu> wrote: > > > > > In comp.arch.fpga d_s_klein <d_s_kl...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > (snip, I wrote) > > > >> I believe that Xilinx still has software for XC4000 devices on > > >> their web site, and I might even believe that some would still > > >> use them. If you want a hobbyist device, go for XC4000 series. > > > I disagree with the suggestion to use an XC4000. HDL support for this > > > family (and the Spartan/SpartanXL) ended 5+ years ago. And by ended, > > > I mean that there is no legal way of obtaining the necessary software.. > > > I meant it in the sense that one shouldn't go farther back than that. > > > I thought the software was on the "Classic" section of the Xilinx > > web site, but didn't try actually installing it. > > > -- glen > > I'm still running version 4.1 of the Xilinx tools, but the > "Foundation" > not "ISE" version. You can still get ISE 4.1, but it doesn't include > synthesis or schematics, so you'd need some third party tools > to make up the gap. Xilinx no longer offers the original Foundation > versions, since they don't own the third party (Aldec) content. The > Alliance tools, by the way also required additional third party > tools for synthesis or schematics. Definitely not on a > hobbyists budget. > > Regards, > Gabor
From: d_s_klein on 25 May 2010 12:09 On May 24, 3:07 pm, John Adair <g...(a)enterpoint.co.uk> wrote: > The other problem you get with old software is the OS. I keep some > machines with NT for times I need to run my old version software. > > John Adair > Enterpoint Ltd. > Take a look at 'vmware' or 'virtualbox'. I have been able to run antique OS's (and applications) on modern hardware using both. RK
From: Nico Coesel on 25 May 2010 16:23 John Adair <g1(a)enterpoint.co.uk> wrote: >Depending on what you want to achieve there are ways to make boards >simple by using modules like our previously mentioned Darnaw1. There >are also the DIL format Craignell1 http://www.enterpoint.co.uk/component_replacements/craignell.html >and Craignell2 http://www.enterpoint.co.uk/component_replacements/craignell2.html >modules. These modules allow you to develop your own carrier board but >handle the complex and costly BGA bit for you. > >There are other low cost products like our Polmaddie series >http://www.enterpoint.co.uk/polmaddie/polmaddie_family.html offer ways >into FPGA and CPLD technology at not a lot of cost. These particular >boards sell 1 off at GBP 40 (approx USD 60, Euro 50) in one off and >you get a free programming cable (parallel port) for that money. Club >together with a couple of friends and you can get free worldwide >shipping on our web shop if you can get the order over GBP 100. > >All of these products are bought by hobby engineers. Tools for all of >the above are free to download. We also use 0.1 inch/ 2.54mm pitch >headers/sockets a lot to facilitate hobby and student markets with >many customers even building their add ons with simple stripboard. This is definitely a sensible way to go. OTOH it is not very difficult to put a TQFP100 or PQ208 on a board with a simple soldering iron. -- Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply indicates you are not using the right tools... nico(a)nctdevpuntnl (punt=.) --------------------------------------------------------------
From: Philip Pemberton on 25 May 2010 17:17
On Tue, 25 May 2010 20:23:36 +0000, Nico Coesel wrote: > John Adair <g1(a)enterpoint.co.uk> wrote: [...] >>All of these products are bought by hobby engineers. Tools for all of >>the above are free to download. We also use 0.1 inch/ 2.54mm pitch >>headers/sockets a lot to facilitate hobby and student markets with many >>customers even building their add ons with simple stripboard. > > This is definitely a sensible way to go. Seconded. The Drigmorn2 is a lovely little board -- 32MiB SDRAM, onboard SPI flash, switches, HD44780 LCD, and a ton of LEDs. Debugging it is a DREAM, especially when you can just plug a Harwin pin header into the LHS/ RHS headers, wire in a logic analyser pod and watch as closely as you like. The only thing I don't like about it is the ISSI SDRAM -- the refresh rate figures in the datasheet are incorrect. Use 4096 cycles per 32ms (the refresh rate for the "Industrial" spec part) and it's fine, use 4096- in-64ms (the "Commercial" spec rating) and you get random data corruption issues. I suspect the section on Auto Refresh has been copy-pasted from a datasheet for a different part and not checked against the tested specification... but that's just conjecture. The other possibility is that the part on my DM2 is a mis-marked Ind Temp part, but the laser-markings say it *should* be a -7BL, or a 7ns part in Pb-free BGA... if it was ind-spec it *should* have been marked "-7BLI"... > OTOH it is not very difficult to put a TQFP100 or PQ208 on a board with > a simple soldering iron. Yeah, tack down a few pins at a corner, then coat the pins in paste flux and drag-solder. Clean up with solder wick and you're done. If you're not a fan of manual labour you can use solder paste and a hot-air reflow station, but drag soldering is usually quicker... not to mention more reliable :) -- Phil. usenet10(a)philpem.me.uk http://www.philpem.me.uk/ If mail bounces, replace "10" with the last two digits of the current year |