Xilinx training

[Jakub]

Hello,

I am a junior FGPA designer and am planning on attending some training
to improve my design skills and FPGA knowledge. Can someone tell me
if the courses offered by Xilinx are good courses? I am looking into
the FPGA design flow (not VHDL classes) with courses like fundamental
of FPGA design, designing for performance etc etc...

Can anyone suggest other(better?) training classes for xilinx FPGA
design

Thanks a lot...

 

[Mike Treseler]

Jakub wrote:

I am a junior FGPA designer and am planning on attending some training
to improve my design skills and FPGA knowledge. Can someone tell me
if the courses offered by Xilinx are good courses? I am looking into
the FPGA design flow (not VHDL classes) with courses like fundamental
of FPGA design, designing for performance etc etc...

The FPGA design flow begins
with design entry and simulation.
That's your bread and butter.
Consider developing expertise on
the front end first.

You need HDL expertise for simulation
even if you use schematics for design entry.

Class quality is most sensitive to the particular
instructor. Find out who it is and check references.

-- Mike Treseler

 

[Hendra Gunawan]

Jakub wrote:

I am a junior FGPA designer and am planning on attending some training
to improve my design skills and FPGA knowledge. Can someone tell me
if the courses offered by Xilinx are good courses? I am looking into
the FPGA design flow (not VHDL classes) with courses like fundamental
of FPGA design, designing for performance etc etc..

I attended both Fundamentals of FPGA Design and Designing for Performance.
In my opinion, they are not that usefull. The classes are mostly focused on
how to use the software, clicking here and there and see how it changes.
There is no in depth tutorial on Xilinx FPGA architecture. I think they
posted some of their course material on Xilinx ftp site. Look for
"Fundamentals of FPGA Design", "Designing for Performance", and "Advanced
FPGA Implementation" keywords. Just look over it and make decision on your
own whether or not you really need to take the course.
Note that I am not trying to discredit Xilinx or anything. I think Xilinx is
a wonderfull company, their software is much better than Altera, the help
menu is very good, and their website is very well organized. I am just
dissapointed that I don't get the thing that I expected out of the class. I
expected to learn Xilinx Hardware FPGA Architecture, but instead I have just
been taught on how to use the software tool.

Hendra

 

[Martin Thompson]

"Hendra Gunawan" <u1000393@email.sjsu.edu> writes:

Jakub wrote:

I am a junior FGPA designer and am planning on attending some training
to improve my design skills and FPGA knowledge. Can someone tell me
if the courses offered by Xilinx are good courses? I am looking into
the FPGA design flow (not VHDL classes) with courses like fundamental
of FPGA design, designing for performance etc etc..

I attended both Fundamentals of FPGA Design and Designing for Performance.
In my opinion, they are not that usefull. The classes are mostly focused on
how to use the software, clicking here and there and see how it changes.
There is no in depth tutorial on Xilinx FPGA architecture. I think they
posted some of their course material on Xilinx ftp site. Look for
"Fundamentals of FPGA Design", "Designing for Performance", and "Advanced
FPGA Implementation" keywords. Just look over it and make decision on your
own whether or not you really need to take the course.
Note that I am not trying to discredit Xilinx or anything. I think Xilinx is
a wonderfull company, their software is much better than Altera, the help
menu is very good, and their website is very well organized. I am just
dissapointed that I don't get the thing that I expected out of the class. I
expected to learn Xilinx Hardware FPGA Architecture, but instead I have just
been taught on how to use the software tool.

I can't comment on those courses, but I know we all got a lot out of
the "DSP implementation techniques" course both about
logic-architecture (not much about routing resources) and about doing
DSP in FPGAs. Not a PC in sight - lots of paper exercises to amek you think!

Cheers,
Martin

--
martin.j.thompson@trw.com
TRW Conekt, Solihull, UK
http://www.trw.com/conekt