FPGA start?

[bobi]

I want to start with Xilinx FPGA's. How does one start cheap? I see a
development kit from Digilent for $99 US.
It is for a Spartan IIE. But then I see there is a Spartan III but no
development kit for this.

What are the options. Can the Spartan IIE 200K gate do a lot of designs. Is
that enough gates?

--
Yours sincerely,


Bobi Mageroski
Practel Pty. Ltd.

Tel: 61 2 9957 1797
Fax: 61 2 9957 2892


e-mail: bobi.mageroski@practel.com.au
www.practel.com.au

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[Antti Lukats]

"bobi" <bobi@nospam.com> wrote in message news:<bjgu0n$2i9j$1@otis.netspace.net.au>...

I want to start with Xilinx FPGA's. How does one start cheap? I see a
development kit from Digilent for $99 US.
It is for a Spartan IIE. But then I see there is a Spartan III but no
development kit for this.

Memec had Spartan III S50J kits but those are all sold out
also notice that did use "J" version with only 2.5 IO and no BRAM
more S3 kits from Memec are exptected but timeline unknown

What are the options. Can the Spartan IIE 200K gate do a lot of designs. Is
that enough gates?

thats a lot and pretty much enough

antti

 

[Ray Andraka]

The Shortwave radio design I refer to on my website uses a 100K gate Spartan
(http://www.andraka.com). Not so long ago, 200K gates was considered an
enormous device. At that time (about 6 years ago), I was using mostly 25K gate
XC4025E's and doing some pretty sophisticated signal processing with 3 or four
of them on a board. With that in mind, 200K gates should be ample for what you
intend.

bobi wrote:

I want to start with Xilinx FPGA's. How does one start cheap? I see a
development kit from Digilent for $99 US.
It is for a Spartan IIE. But then I see there is a Spartan III but no
development kit for this.

What are the options. Can the Spartan IIE 200K gate do a lot of designs. Is
that enough gates?

--
Yours sincerely,

Bobi Mageroski
Practel Pty. Ltd.

Tel: 61 2 9957 1797
Fax: 61 2 9957 2892

e-mail: bobi.mageroski@practel.com.au
www.practel.com.au

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Important Notice:
This email is for the named recipient only. Its contents are confidential.
If you are not the authorised recipient you must not use, disclose or copy
any of these contents. If you receive this email in error please contact us
immediately and delete the email from your system.
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--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
email ray@andraka.com
http://www.andraka.com

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, 1759

 

[Ben Popoola]

bobi wrote:

I want to start with Xilinx FPGA's. How does one start cheap? I see a
development kit from Digilent for $99 US.
It is for a Spartan IIE. But then I see there is a Spartan III but no
development kit for this.

What are the options. Can the Spartan IIE 200K gate do a lot of designs. Is
that enough gates?

Depending on your budget I would advice you to take a look at the

modular development boards at http://www.burched.biz/.

As you become more experienced with FPGAs and your needs grow, these
boards will offer you the opportunity to expand.