[sdiy] Xilinx 3E board comments

[Scott Gravenhorst]

Interesting.  $150 I can cough up, but $650 is out of range for me.  What sort of project
are you doing that a 50 MHz 8 bit MPU won't handle?

I guess I'm asking for the cutoff point, can anyone throw out some possible project types
that could be done with the PicoBlaze?

Showing my complete and utter ignorance, I'm not even sure what the MPU does - I'm
guessing MIDI stuff?  Obviously, the FPGA does some of the work, I assume at the
direction of the MPU?  Are the docs any better for the PicoBlaze?  Sorry for dumb
questions - I will have plenty more come Saturday.

James Patchell <patchell at cox.net> wrote:
>Yes, for $150 you get everything you need to do FPGA designs...the free 
>software will allow you to use schematic, VHDL and Verilog all in the same 
>design...which is very nice.
>
>The PicoBlaze 8 bit processor is free.  I have never used it.  For the 
>applications I am doing, it is not suitable.  I am not sure how the design 
>flow works with it.
>
>The MicroBlaze 32 bit processor will cost ~$500.  What you get is pretty 
>fantastic, you just need to put up with very bad documentation.
>
>A long time ago, I started a project where I was making a verilog model of 
>the 6502.  I haven't finished yet...don't have time...but doing something 
>like that is not all that difficult...although, verification could be.
>
>At 01:30 AM 6/8/2006 -0700, Gorka Garcia wrote:
>>So... If I understood right, for the $150 you get the starter kit with 
>>everything you need to program the FPGA either in VHDL or Verilog (that is 
>>for you to decide) or to put an 8 bit micro. Is that correct? or you still 
>>need to acquire a VHDL or Verilog "compiler/linker/builder/whatever"
>>
>>I am pretty lost in the FPGA world, but I might get trained at work 
>>soon... unfortunately we work mostly with altera.
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>_____________________________________________________________
>>www.deMadrid.com , el correo gratuito de Madrid. 25 Mb de espacio.
>
>         -Jim
>***************************************************************
>Come to the 2006 Pacific Southwest Synth DIY meet
>June 10, 2006 at the Goleta Library....
>
>Details:
>http://www.oldcrows.net/~patchell/synthdiymeet.html
>***************************************************************
>http://www.oldcrows.net/~patchell
>http://www.noniandjim.com/
>***************************************************************
>
>

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-- Scott Gravenhorst | LegoManiac / Lego Trains / RIS 1.5
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