fpga programing board - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: navidrct
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2015, 06:09:06 am
content: HII want start with fpga programing.and first i want build programer for itany suggestion for building cheap programer for spartan 6?

author: ale500
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2015, 06:21:29 am
content: The cheapest is probably a parallel cable 3, but you need a PC with a real parallel port. For like 15 $ you get a cheap china clone on ebay... is there any reason why you want to build the programmer ? A USB programmer needs a Cypress USB chip and a CPLD....There are also boards FPGA+Programmer all in one...

author: navidrct
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2015, 06:43:14 am
content: Quote from: ale500 on September 13, 2015, 06:21:29 ami don't have PCcan i use USB to serial to build fpga programer?

author: ale500
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2015, 07:12:39 am
content: FPGAs are programmed in several ways. For development purposes mostly JTAG is used. Some USB-to Serial ics have some extra pins that with the right software can be used to talk to JATG. FT245 is one of those chips and used to talk to Altera and Lattice FPGAs. Another programming methods exists like synchronous serial... I'd recommend you read this app note:http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/user_guides/ug380.pdf

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2015, 08:13:16 am
content: Quote from: navidrct on September 13, 2015, 06:09:06 amIf you want to program FPGAs, you probably don't want to build your own programmer, and probably don't want to build the board it is on.Your best option is almost certainly to buy a small board containing an FPGA, since that will already have programming and debugging features built in and be connected to a suitable development toolchain.

author: that_guy
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2015, 02:00:01 pm
content: Well, thecheapestway would be to use any 3.3V microcontroller dev board that you probably already own and bit-bang the spartan's slave-serial programming mode. You'd have to write the code though and your time may not be cheap.

author: Scrts
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2015, 02:15:51 pm
content: Buy a programmer clone. It's the best option not because of the program capability, but for debug reasons as well. You will be able to use ChipScope or debug embedded softcore processor using break points.The other option is to buy a proper development kit.

author: daqq
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2015, 02:24:19 pm
content: The best and probably cheapest option for you would be to pick your FPGA vendor and get a cheap programmer from ebay:http://www.ebay.com/itm/altera-Mini-Usb-Blaster-Cable-For-CPLD-FPGA-NIOS-JTAG-Altera-Programmer-new-/161597061343?hash=item259fef78dfhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Xilinx-Platform-USB-Download-Cable-Jtag-Programmer-for-FPGA-CPLD-C-Mod-XC2C64A-/151748009964?hash=item2354e2dfecThese (atleast the xilinx one, I have no experience with Altera) can be used with the original IDE.QuoteTo the best of my knowledge there are no FPGA tools for Macs, tablets or other similar toys.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2015, 02:38:42 pm
content: Quote from: navidrct on September 13, 2015, 06:43:14 amthen how are you going to develop the FPGA code ? You need a computer for that. And it needs to run Windows or a version of Linux in order to get the devtools loaded...