I am new to the FPGA and I want to learn by small experiments.

Can some FPGA experts tell me what is the easiest and least expensive way of 
getting started ?

What eventually I want to implement (what I'm dreaming) are;
    * Communicate with four RS232 devices (115200baud) simultaneously
    * Control 16 parallel I/O lines
    * Encode/decode multi channel Radio Control signals
        http://www.mp.ttu.ee/risto/rc/electronics/radio/signal.htm
        http://www.veetail.com/HowRCworks.shtml
        http://www.mh.ttu.ee/risto/rc/electronics/pctorc.htm
        http://adamone.rchomepage.com/guide1.htm
    * Control high speed (5MHz sampling rate, 12-16bit resolution) Analog to 
Digital converter to digitise high frequecy signals and being able to 
transfer the digitised data to a PC via either USB3 and/or Firewire to 
perform FFT
    * Decode and count quadrature encoder signals
    * Multi channel PID servo controller with PWM and/or analog outputs

Huianx wrote:

> I am new to the FPGA and I want to learn by small experiments.
> 
> Can some FPGA experts tell me what is the easiest and least expensive way of 
> getting started ?
> 
> What eventually I want to implement (what I'm dreaming) are;
>     * Communicate with four RS232 devices (115200baud) simultaneously
>     * Control 16 parallel I/O lines
>     * Encode/decode multi channel Radio Control signals
>         http://www.mp.ttu.ee/risto/rc/electronics/radio/signal.htm
>         http://www.veetail.com/HowRCworks.shtml
>         http://www.mh.ttu.ee/risto/rc/electronics/pctorc.htm
>         http://adamone.rchomepage.com/guide1.htm
>     * Control high speed (5MHz sampling rate, 12-16bit resolution) Analog to 
> Digital converter to digitise high frequecy signals and being able to 
> transfer the digitised data to a PC via either USB3 and/or Firewire to 
> perform FFT
>     * Decode and count quadrature encoder signals
>     * Multi channel PID servo controller with PWM and/or analog outputs


At least the far aims are not too small. First you should decide
whether you also wanted to have a CPU inside the FPGA. To start with
I suggest to have one outside. That makes it much easier in terms
of getting used to a new development environment and debugging the software.
The usual way to get started is to get an evaluation kit of an
FPGA from a standard manufacturer. They usually have a free development 
software.
In case the CPU inside the FPGA should also be covered, then the
Stratix or Cyclone NIOS kit from Altera comes to my mind.
This goes for 495 $ or so with a one year license of the software.
Other manufacturers probably have a similar offer.

Rene
-- 
Ing.Buero R.Tschaggelar - http://www.ibrtses.com
& commercial newsgroups - http://www.talkto.net

What about Altium's Nexar (http://www.altium.com/nexar/evaluation/?vc=1612) 
?

Take a look here
http://www.fpga4fun.com/SerialInterface.html
http://www.fpga4fun.com/RCServos.html
http://www.fpga4fun.com/digitalscope.html
http://www.fpga4fun.com/QuadratureDecoder.html

Good luck!
Jean

You should start with an evaluation board for one of the low-cost FPGA
lines.
Xilinx offers the Spartan-3 family, with evaluation boards from Xilinx
or the distributors. Many of them are below $ 150.
For your internal microprocessor I recommend the Xilinx PicoBlaze.
It is free (!), and it is simple, and allows you to do the control jobs
you mentioned.
No opeating system, no C compiler, but direct access to the hardware.
It uses about 200 LUTs/flip-flops plus a BlockRAM. Real tiny, and real
popular.  Google it...
Peter Alfke, Xilinx Applications

Yim wrote:

> What about Altium's Nexar (http://www.altium.com/nexar/evaluation/?vc=1612) 

Nexar's price tag is not really targetted to beginners,
I guess.

Rene
-- 
Ing.Buero R.Tschaggelar - http://www.ibrtses.com
& commercial newsgroups - http://www.talkto.net

I was in "Embedded World 2005" in Nürnberg last week and the Nexar 
representative told me that they sell some eval board for 99? only (with the 
choice between Xilinx or Altera). These boards looked really convenient to 
get in touch with FPGA.

Bye


"Rene Tschaggelar" <n...@none.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag 
news:42289d44$0$3402$5...@news.sunrise.ch...
> Yim wrote:
>
>> What about Altium's Nexar 
>> (http://www.altium.com/nexar/evaluation/?vc=1612)
>
> Nexar's price tag is not really targetted to beginners,
> I guess.
>
> Rene
> -- 
> Ing.Buero R.Tschaggelar - http://www.ibrtses.com
> & commercial newsgroups - http://www.talkto.net 

Peter Alfke wrote:

> You should start with an evaluation board for one of the low-cost FPGA
> lines.
> Xilinx offers the Spartan-3 family, with evaluation boards from Xilinx
> or the distributors. Many of them are below $ 150.
> For your internal microprocessor I recommend the Xilinx PicoBlaze.
> It is free (!), and it is simple, and allows you to do the control jobs
> you mentioned.
> No opeating system, no C compiler, but direct access to the hardware.
> It uses about 200 LUTs/flip-flops plus a BlockRAM. Real tiny, and real
> popular.  Google it...


Very interesting.

Rene

The eval board with a FPGA. Plus the Nanoboard to plug it in for 995Euro
plus the Software for 7995Euro.

Rene

Mouarf wrote:

> I was in "Embedded World 2005" in N=FCrnberg last week and the Nexar=20
> representative told me that they sell some eval board for 99? only (wit=
h the=20
> choice between Xilinx or Altera). These boards looked really convenient=
 to=20
> get in touch with FPGA.
>=20
> Bye
>=20
>=20
> "Rene Tschaggelar" <n...@none.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag=20
> news:42289d44$0$3402$5...@news.sunrise.ch...
>=20
>>Yim wrote:
>>
>>
>>>What about Altium's Nexar=20
>>>(http://www.altium.com/nexar/evaluation/?vc=3D1612)
>>
>>Nexar's price tag is not really targetted to beginners,
>>I guess.

Eval board work fine wich ISE.

usmgn


"Rene Tschaggelar" <n...@none.net> a écrit dans le message de news: 
4228a10f$0$3402$5...@news.sunrise.ch...
The eval board with a FPGA. Plus the Nanoboard to plug it in for 995Euro
plus the Software for 7995Euro.

Rene

Mouarf wrote:

> I was in "Embedded World 2005" in Nürnberg last week and the Nexar 
> representative told me that they sell some eval board for 99? only (with 
> the choice between Xilinx or Altera). These boards looked really 
> convenient to get in touch with FPGA.
>
> Bye
>
>
> "Rene Tschaggelar" <n...@none.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag 
> news:42289d44$0$3402$5...@news.sunrise.ch...
>
>>Yim wrote:
>>
>>
>>>What about Altium's Nexar 
>>>(http://www.altium.com/nexar/evaluation/?vc=1612)
>>
>>Nexar's price tag is not really targetted to beginners,
>>I guess.