spartan3 board for newbie: xilinx XC3S200 starter kit or nu-

[Hank]

Hi guys,

I am mostly a newb at fpga design, although I did a teeny bit of work on a
Spartan II design a few years ago in verilog.

Anyway, I would like to learn vhdl, and get a development board because I like
to supplement endless reading of textbooks with some hands-on experiments. I
will probably purchase Ashenden's book soon.

So, I have found two starter boards which look interesting...the $99 Spartan 3
starter kit from Xilinx, and the $164 Spartan 3 starter kit from Nu Horizons.

Before I saw the Nu Horizons board, I was ready to get the Xilinx starter kit.
Now, I am torn between the two. I know nothing about the Microblaze core...does
the Nu Horizons board come with all the IP you need to do endless experiments
with this core, or do you need to pay the $495 edk to Xilinx to get usefull IP?
If you get everything you need with the $164 Nu Horizons board, then I am sold
on that, because I have several projects in mind that would greatly benefit from
the larger Sparten 3 part, the 64MB of sdram and the 32MB of flash. The D/A is
very nice too...I have an application for that as well.

Opinions?

Thanks!

Hank

 

[Edmond Cote]

Hi Hank,

I'm currently investigating hte same products. You might also take a
look at the boards from digilent or memec, especially if you want a VGA
output port. But I figure that it shouldn't be too difficult to prototype
one myself.

Btw, I assume the 64MB and 32MB of RAM and ROM refer to 8MByte and
4Mbyte respectively. Can someone please confirm this for me.

Has someone out there used this particular board and have any comments?

Thanks,

Edmond






"Hank" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:CNCGc.28775$qw1.92@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...

Hi guys,

I am mostly a newb at fpga design, although I did a teeny bit of work on a
Spartan II design a few years ago in verilog.

Anyway, I would like to learn vhdl, and get a development board because I
like
to supplement endless reading of textbooks with some hands-on experiments.
I
will probably purchase Ashenden's book soon.

So, I have found two starter boards which look interesting...the $99
Spartan 3
starter kit from Xilinx, and the $164 Spartan 3 starter kit from Nu
Horizons.

Before I saw the Nu Horizons board, I was ready to get the Xilinx starter
kit.
Now, I am torn between the two. I know nothing about the Microblaze
core...does
the Nu Horizons board come with all the IP you need to do endless
experiments
with this core, or do you need to pay the $495 edk to Xilinx to get
usefull IP?
If you get everything you need with the $164 Nu Horizons board, then I am
sold
on that, because I have several projects in mind that would greatly
benefit from
the larger Sparten 3 part, the 64MB of sdram and the 32MB of flash. The
D/A is
very nice too...I have an application for that as well.

Opinions?

Thanks!

Hank

 

[Makesh Soundarajan]

Hi,

The spartan 3 kit from Nu Horizons doesnt come with EDK (for
microblaze) as standard. You have to buy it separately. The kit works
with the free ISE Webpack. You just need a parallel port cable. The
kit is really good. It has A/D, D/A, config flash ,LCD and others.

Hope this helps

Makesh




"Hank" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message news:<CNCGc.28775$qw1.92@nwrddc01.gnilink.net>...

Hi guys,

I am mostly a newb at fpga design, although I did a teeny bit of work on a
Spartan II design a few years ago in verilog.

Anyway, I would like to learn vhdl, and get a development board because I like
to supplement endless reading of textbooks with some hands-on experiments. I
will probably purchase Ashenden's book soon.

So, I have found two starter boards which look interesting...the $99 Spartan 3
starter kit from Xilinx, and the $164 Spartan 3 starter kit from Nu Horizons.

Before I saw the Nu Horizons board, I was ready to get the Xilinx starter kit.
Now, I am torn between the two. I know nothing about the Microblaze core...does
the Nu Horizons board come with all the IP you need to do endless experiments
with this core, or do you need to pay the $495 edk to Xilinx to get usefull IP?
If you get everything you need with the $164 Nu Horizons board, then I am sold
on that, because I have several projects in mind that would greatly benefit from
the larger Sparten 3 part, the 64MB of sdram and the 32MB of flash. The D/A is
very nice too...I have an application for that as well.

Opinions?

Thanks!

Hank

 

[Mike Treseler]

Hank wrote:

I am mostly a newb at fpga design, although I did a teeny bit of work on a
Spartan II design a few years ago in verilog.
Anyway, I would like to learn vhdl, and get a development board because I
like
to supplement endless reading of textbooks with some hands-on experiments.
I will probably purchase Ashenden's book soon.

That's the right book.
Learning vhdl has more to do with your simulator than the board.
Pick the board with the interfaces you need.

-- Mike Treseler

 

[Joe]

Makesh Soundarajan wrote:

Hi,

The spartan 3 kit from Nu Horizons doesnt come with EDK (for
microblaze) as standard. You have to buy it separately. The kit works
with the free ISE Webpack. You just need a parallel port cable. The
kit is really good. It has A/D, D/A, config flash ,LCD and others.

Hope this helps

Makesh




"Hank" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message news:<CNCGc.28775$qw1.92@nwrddc01.gnilink.net>...

Hi guys,

I am mostly a newb at fpga design, although I did a teeny bit of work on a
Spartan II design a few years ago in verilog.

Anyway, I would like to learn vhdl, and get a development board because I like
to supplement endless reading of textbooks with some hands-on experiments. I
will probably purchase Ashenden's book soon.

So, I have found two starter boards which look interesting...the $99 Spartan 3
starter kit from Xilinx, and the $164 Spartan 3 starter kit from Nu Horizons.

Before I saw the Nu Horizons board, I was ready to get the Xilinx starter kit.
Now, I am torn between the two. I know nothing about the Microblaze core...does
the Nu Horizons board come with all the IP you need to do endless experiments
with this core, or do you need to pay the $495 edk to Xilinx to get usefull IP?
If you get everything you need with the $164 Nu Horizons board, then I am sold
on that, because I have several projects in mind that would greatly benefit from
the larger Sparten 3 part, the 64MB of sdram and the 32MB of flash. The D/A is
very nice too...I have an application for that as well.

Opinions?

Thanks!

Hank

I'm interested in this board as well. But instead of using SRAM (as in
Xilinx's board), this board use SDRAM and I haven't design SDRAM
controller before. Does the board come with design example for the
SDRAM controller? Anyone have the experience of using this board with
free SDRAM controller cores from internet?

Cheers,
Joe

 

[Edmond Cote]

Hi Joe (and others),

I placed an order for the board earlier this week and should receive it
by early next week sometime. I'll keep you guys posted with my impressions,
etc.

Edmond

"Joe" <joe@invalid_address.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:cckiq0$ct6$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...

Makesh Soundarajan wrote:

Hi,

The spartan 3 kit from Nu Horizons doesnt come with EDK (for
microblaze) as standard. You have to buy it separately. The kit works
with the free ISE Webpack. You just need a parallel port cable. The
kit is really good. It has A/D, D/A, config flash ,LCD and others.

Hope this helps

Makesh




"Hank" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:<CNCGc.28775$qw1.92@nwrddc01.gnilink.net>...

Hi guys,

I am mostly a newb at fpga design, although I did a teeny bit of work on
a
Spartan II design a few years ago in verilog.

Anyway, I would like to learn vhdl, and get a development board because
I like
to supplement endless reading of textbooks with some hands-on
experiments. I
will probably purchase Ashenden's book soon.

So, I have found two starter boards which look interesting...the $99
Spartan 3
starter kit from Xilinx, and the $164 Spartan 3 starter kit from Nu
Horizons.

Before I saw the Nu Horizons board, I was ready to get the Xilinx
starter kit.
Now, I am torn between the two. I know nothing about the Microblaze
core...does
the Nu Horizons board come with all the IP you need to do endless
experiments
with this core, or do you need to pay the $495 edk to Xilinx to get
usefull IP?
If you get everything you need with the $164 Nu Horizons board, then I
am sold
on that, because I have several projects in mind that would greatly
benefit from
the larger Sparten 3 part, the 64MB of sdram and the 32MB of flash. The
D/A is
very nice too...I have an application for that as well.

Opinions?

Thanks!

Hank

I'm interested in this board as well. But instead of using SRAM (as in
Xilinx's board), this board use SDRAM and I haven't design SDRAM
controller before. Does the board come with design example for the
SDRAM controller? Anyone have the experience of using this board with
free SDRAM controller cores from internet?

Cheers,
Joe

 

[Edmond Cote]

Well I received my Nu Horizons board. Don't expect much in the way of
example code, or information beyond datasheets. In due time, I'll try
and host a website and post some code for some of the peripherals om
board... (does one already exist?)

A simple question for whomever has already used it. How would one go
about writing data to the flash ROM. I'm only asking as honnestly I
haven't read through the data sheet yet, is a JTAG cable required for that?

Edmond

Edmond Cote wrote:

Hi Joe (and others),

I placed an order for the board earlier this week and should receive it
by early next week sometime. I'll keep you guys posted with my impressions,
etc.

Edmond

"Joe" <joe@invalid_address.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:cckiq0$ct6$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...

Makesh Soundarajan wrote:


Hi,

The spartan 3 kit from Nu Horizons doesnt come with EDK (for
microblaze) as standard. You have to buy it separately. The kit works
with the free ISE Webpack. You just need a parallel port cable. The
kit is really good. It has A/D, D/A, config flash ,LCD and others.

Hope this helps

Makesh




"Hank" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message

news:<CNCGc.28775$qw1.92@nwrddc01.gnilink.net>...

Hi guys,

I am mostly a newb at fpga design, although I did a teeny bit of work on

a

Spartan II design a few years ago in verilog.

Anyway, I would like to learn vhdl, and get a development board because

I like

to supplement endless reading of textbooks with some hands-on

experiments. I

will probably purchase Ashenden's book soon.

So, I have found two starter boards which look interesting...the $99

Spartan 3

starter kit from Xilinx, and the $164 Spartan 3 starter kit from Nu

Horizons.

Before I saw the Nu Horizons board, I was ready to get the Xilinx

starter kit.

Now, I am torn between the two. I know nothing about the Microblaze

core...does

the Nu Horizons board come with all the IP you need to do endless

experiments

with this core, or do you need to pay the $495 edk to Xilinx to get

usefull IP?

If you get everything you need with the $164 Nu Horizons board, then I

am sold

on that, because I have several projects in mind that would greatly

benefit from

the larger Sparten 3 part, the 64MB of sdram and the 32MB of flash. The

D/A is

very nice too...I have an application for that as well.

Opinions?

Thanks!

Hank

I'm interested in this board as well. But instead of using SRAM (as in
Xilinx's board), this board use SDRAM and I haven't design SDRAM
controller before. Does the board come with design example for the
SDRAM controller? Anyone have the experience of using this board with
free SDRAM controller cores from internet?

Cheers,
Joe