Re: CPLD/FPGA course

From: Mark McDougall <msmcdoug_at_iinet.net.au>
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2012 08:43:33 +1000
Message-ID: <4FE25215.8090901@iinet.net.au>
On 21/06/2012 5:23 AM, didier@aida.org wrote:

> I've downloaded the latest quartus,  looks nicer than ise...

It is!

> the de1 has sram + sdram  the de0 has only sdram
> what is the use of 2 different type of ram ?   speed ? special use ?

SRAM is much easier to use from an FPGA. SDRAM requires a 'controller' unit 
to access the (specific type of) RAM on the board and must be accessed in 
bursts which have a significant set-up time (delay/latency) where-as SRAM 
can be accessed word-by-word without much rigmarole.

Plus always good to have both on different busses!

Also, DE1 has a number of designs such as Coco3FPGA (Coco3), Minimig (Amiga 
500), Zet (PC) as well as C64 and other micro and arcade platforms (Space 
invaders, galaxian, frogger etc). It appears to be the "platform of choice" 
for this sort of thing.

> btw if I develop on the max2 micro kit the finaly goal is to finally to
> program real cpld not only the one on the development board.

Technically, it's an FPGA not a CPLD, but the concepts are the same as far 
as programming is concerned.

> If I have correctly understood all the thread on the forum about cpld I
> have to use MAX7000S (5v) and probably PLCC

Yes, you'll need a device with 5V tolerant inputs if you're connecting to 
the Coco/Commodore.

> I am right or did I missed something ?

If a CPLD is a Coco/C64, then an FPGA is a PC. A CPLD will allow you to 
provide some combinatorial logic with a small set of registers/synchronous 
logic. Good for interfacing logic, for example. An FPGA, OTOH, will allow 
you to implement an entire Coco/C64 on-chip. Big difference.

Regards,

-- 
|              Mark McDougall                | "Electrical Engineers do it
|  <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug>   |   with less resistance!"



       Message was sent through the cbm-hackers mailing list
Received on 2012-06-20 23:00:04

Archive generated by hypermail 2.2.0.