[sdiy] Xilinx 3E board comments

[James Patchell]

Actually, I am designing a motion controller, and it will require the use 
of a multi threaded operating system...which the pico blaze just won't handle.

And since I had to buy the microblaze...well, why not use it :-)

And yes, for music applications, the Microblaze would handle midi, and 
anything else suited to it...

Docs for picoblaze any better?....I don't know, I have never used it...I 
thought the Microblaze Docs looked pretty good until I tried to use it.

Bring the questions on... :-)

I think you will be very overwhelmed by what an FPGA can do...
At 06:30 AM 6/8/2006 -0700, Scott Gravenhorst wrote:
>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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         -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/
***************************************************************