Survey of FPGA dev boards

[BigEd]

That's a very good point. I'm only familiar with Xilinx, where the the tools appear to be zero cost and unencumbered. If you (or anyone) know of unpleasant limitations on the altera tools, it would be good to record that here.
Cheers
Ed

[BigEd]

I see that Lattice have an offer on: FPGA dev boards for $19.

Note that Lattice are a minority player, but it seems like a good price. 68 I/Os on a 0.1" pitch, 3V3 logic levels, 1280LUTs. No mention of 5V tolerance. No fancy peripherals at this price: just LEDs and buttons.

6502.org wrote:

Image no longer available: http://www.eetimes.com/ContentEETimes/Images/Design/Max-Stuff/2012-08/iceblink.jpg

There's a low power (L) version and a high speed (H) version.

PDF: http://www.latticesemi.com/documents/EB73.pdf
Other docs: http://www.latticesemi.com/dynamic/inde ... ce=sidebar
Chip family: http://www.latticesemi.com/products/cpl ... /index.cfm

Via: http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-prod ... -eval-kits

[BigEd]

Elsewhere, enso has drawn our attention to Waveshare's boards:
http://www.wvshare.com/column/XILINX_De ... tBoard.htm
From under $50, for a Xilinx Spartan3 3Volt breakout board. Also available via ebay.

[Dajgoro]

I don't need FPGA dev boards, i need a cheap replacement for the now already antique XC95xx CPLD series. I want something that i can plug in a big socket(64 pin dip is ok), and that i can use with my existing 5V hardware. Also it would need to have an eeprom on board. As for programing the JTAG pins could be among all the other pins, so i can solder the JTAG connector on the board that i am building.
I also think that there are other people that would appreciate a cheap and easy to interface CPLD replacement.
Do you understand what i am looking for?
And can it be done?

[Arlet]

Dajgoro, in the first post there's a link to these OHO boards, which seem to fit your requirements.

[BigDumbDinosaur]

Dajgoro wrote:

I don't need FPGA dev boards, i need a cheap replacement for the now already antique XC95xx CPLD series. I want something that i can plug in a big socket(64 pin dip is ok), and that i can use with my existing 5V hardware. Also it would need to have an eeprom on board. As for programing the JTAG pins could be among all the other pins, so i can solder the JTAG connector on the board that i am building.
I also think that there are other people that would appreciate a cheap and easy to interface CPLD replacement.
Do you understand what i am looking for?
And can it be done?

Perhaps you should look at the Atmel 15xx series, which is a 5 volt product available in PLCC, as well as other packages. Atmel also sells a programming rig that accepts various adapters for the different package types, or you can implement the JTAG port on your PCB. I selected an Atmel 1508AS for use in my POC V2 project.

Despite what some around here may think, Xilinx isn't the only maker of CPLDs.

[Dajgoro]

Quote:

Dajgoro, in the first post there's a link to these OHO boards, which seem to fit your requirements.

Yes, something like that, but that board is bit expensive, and it has additional features which are noncritical, for the example the usb port and crystal oscillator, ect...

As for Atmels CPLD-s they are like the XC series that i use, bu a bit better. What application are used for writing hdl and programming it?

[Arlet]

I doubt you can get much cheaper than 50-60 Euros for something like this, and you'd probably end up spending more if you try to make it yourself.

[Dajgoro]

Arlet wrote:

I doubt you can get much cheaper than 50-60 Euros for something like this, and you'd probably end up spending more if you try to make it yourself.

Of course, but when removing some of that additional parts, and maybe eve using cheaper FPGA, it could be sold on ebay in mass. Such a small pcb shouldn't be too expensive, Garthwilson could sell it through his company(like the 4MB ram module).

How much would a stripped down prototype cost?

[Arlet]

The problem is that this isn't really a mass market item, so your development and production cost will still be relatively high. And the more you strip it down, the less attractive it becomes.

[BigDumbDinosaur]

Dajgoro wrote:

As for Atmels CPLD-s they are like the XC series that i use, bu a bit better. What application are used for writing hdl and programming it?

You can use WinCUPL, which is free for the downloading from Atmel's site. WinCUPL is a complete package that includes editor, compiler, simulator and device fitter.

[BigEd]

Err, Dajgoro, for future reference, I think it would be better for you(*), and this thread, and for future searches, if you had started a new thread on a subject like "I need a cheap replacement for the now already antique XC95xx CPLD series"

I'm not picking on you, but using this as an example: everyone should please consider starting a new thread when an idea or question comes to them while reading an existing thread.

Cheers
Ed
(*) better for you to get answers

Edit: Thanks Dajgoro for the new thread:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2354

[GARTHWILSON]

Quote:

everyone should please consider starting a new thread when an idea or question comes to them while reading an existing thread.

If it's going to start another whole subject of conversation instead of just being a passing comment or quick question that is only partially related, then definitely. And, as Ed has been good about doing, make the two link to each other so the reader can see what other conversation the new one came from, and someone reading the older one can know where to read and post about the offshoot.

[YT2095]

just had this in my twitter feed: http://hackaday.com/2012/12/11/breadboa ... dly-fpgas/
the comments and mentions of other boards later on may be as interesting as the article itself eventually too.
I`m also chatting/hinting/urging/arm twitsing a designer friend of mine to develop a small FPGA board as well, so fingers crossed

[Dajgoro]

Haha, just saw it on my own, and posted in the other topic.