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???
08/18/06 19:05
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 		 #122588 - been there, done that
Responding to: ???'s previous message
Richard Erlacher said:
They want you to overlook the fact that their JTAG-programmable PROMs are VERY costly. Some years back, a fellow at one of the major German universities published a "project" (that's what the XILINX software likes to call 'em) that used a CPLD to make an FPGA boot from a standard parallel flash device and also allowed you to program the parallel flash device from a serial port.


I did that on a design a long time ago. Remember when Xilinx config PROMs were PROMs -- as in, one-time-programmable? Well, I used an XC9536 and a standard parallel UV-windowed EPROM and made the EPROM look like the serial prom to my FPGA.

Then Atmel (yes, Atmel) developed a config EEPROM compatible with both Brand A and Brand X FPGAs. You still had to stick the things into a programmer, though. And it was an EE Tools programmer -- which was the WORST piece of shit I've encountered. The only thing worse than their product was their obnoxious blame-the-customer tech support. But I digress.

Anyways, XCF01S (1 Mbit) parts are less than four bucks each if you buy a tube from Digikey, and that's about on par with a 1 Mbit SPI EPROM. Bonus feature is that the XCF thingies are programmed using JTAG.

-a



List of 70 messages in thread
TopicAuthorDate
stand alone fpga            01/01/70 00:00      
   Whose FPGA?            01/01/70 00:00      
      thanks            01/01/70 00:00      
         The answer is...            01/01/70 00:00      
            needed to hear it from the horse's mouth            01/01/70 00:00      
               Who is the horse in this instance?            01/01/70 00:00      
                  The Stallion            01/01/70 00:00      
         or if you are feeling brave..            01/01/70 00:00      
         which Altera            01/01/70 00:00      
            No Altera or Xilinix yet            01/01/70 00:00      
               the first book to teach by            01/01/70 00:00      
                  Altera development boards            01/01/70 00:00      
                     Jez, Mahmood If you want            01/01/70 00:00      
                        ive got baseband version 10.2            01/01/70 00:00      
                  Logic book            01/01/70 00:00      
                     It assumes you know about that            01/01/70 00:00      
                        Skahill's VHDL book            01/01/70 00:00      
                           Exactly!            01/01/70 00:00      
               Why not yet?            01/01/70 00:00      
                  Deadline            01/01/70 00:00      
   RTFDS            01/01/70 00:00      
      datasheet for what device?            01/01/70 00:00      
         There are "family" data sheets that are adequate            01/01/70 00:00      
      Kittens are cute, but ...            01/01/70 00:00      
         awww poor Tiddles            01/01/70 00:00      
            The best cat            01/01/70 00:00      
               ha ha didnt work            01/01/70 00:00      
                  He didn\'t do anything to stop me when...            01/01/70 00:00      
   Why oh why didn\'t the Horse tell me?            01/01/70 00:00      
      This particular horse thought you knew            01/01/70 00:00      
      This "horse" doesn't want you to notice            01/01/70 00:00      
         This horse won the race!            01/01/70 00:00      
            Every bit of it is on their website!            01/01/70 00:00      
         been there, done that            01/01/70 00:00      
            do they still make FPGA's that small?            01/01/70 00:00      
               Small FPGAs            01/01/70 00:00      
                  a colleague said, \"the gates are free\"            01/01/70 00:00      
                     maybe for small parts            01/01/70 00:00      
                        depends on where you get pricing            01/01/70 00:00      
                     yield            01/01/70 00:00      
                  small fpga---try altera acex            01/01/70 00:00      
                     What I like to compare is a 33-bit AND gate            01/01/70 00:00      
                     CycloneII is the way to go            01/01/70 00:00      
                        Well, most 805x's run at 5 Volts ...            01/01/70 00:00      
                           well, nope            01/01/70 00:00      
                              depends on how you use 'em.            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 do you read the posts or just the titles?            01/01/70 00:00      
                                    Yes, I read 'em, but that doesn't make it so ...            01/01/70 00:00      
                                       rubbish            01/01/70 00:00      
                                          Don't be so sure ...            01/01/70 00:00      
                                             ...are you?            01/01/70 00:00      
                                                we've drifted            01/01/70 00:00      
                                             FPGA usage            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 how many do you need?            01/01/70 00:00      
                           High speed logic woe            01/01/70 00:00      
                              seen them all            01/01/70 00:00      
                              FPGA clock skew            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 I agree...but            01/01/70 00:00      
                                    WOW            01/01/70 00:00      
                        yeah well            01/01/70 00:00      
               other choices            01/01/70 00:00      
                  and there's Altera's MAX-II, too            01/01/70 00:00      
                     all different manufacturers            01/01/70 00:00      
                        ah ha well portablitly yes and no,            01/01/70 00:00      
                        crawl before you walk            01/01/70 00:00      
                           I'd get the belly even closer to the floor            01/01/70 00:00      
                              the problem with them is programming            01/01/70 00:00      
                        Multibrand HDL is like multiplatform in C            01/01/70 00:00      
                        code portability            01/01/70 00:00      
      since the beginning of time            01/01/70 00:00      

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