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The problem with newbies such as myself is that not only don't they
know anything, they don't even suspect!

I have been using WebPack ISE for about 5 years and it has the
advantage of being free. It works ok but it doesn't include any
simulation tools other than a limited sample (ModelSim) and I'm not
sure it is even installed by default.

>From Hellwig's LogicProbe project I see that Icarus Verilog and
GTKWave are free and can produce a graphical simulation. I was
starting to get a sense of this from the POP11 LiveCD as well.

So, the question is: what other tools are out there that can be used
on various platforms such as Linux, WinXP or Cygwin?

I guess I would prefer Linux but I have never been successful getting
the Xilinx cable drivers to work. Thus, I can't program the device
with Linux. As a result, I do all my development under WinXP even
though the machine is a dog (and loud).

Then too, I use VHDL. No particular reason, it's just what I started
with. But, if the free tool selection is better using Verilog I
suppose I can change.

One last thing: does anyone have a 10,000 foot view of SFL? Things
like: why does it exist, why would I want to learn how to use it,
what advantage does it have over Verilog or VHDL, where does it fit in
the toolbox?

Richard



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