Cheapest FPGA board to study VHDL on

samiam wrote:
> Mike, I felt that having an FPGA board, where I can download the code,
> and do things ... "see" the results for myself, would only serve to 
> reinforce what I am reading
> 
> A simulator is one thing ... "seeing" the results on bare metal is
> another

Sorry I rained on your parade.
Trial and error synthesis using a logic analyzer works also.
I guess I spent too many years hooking up those
little clip leads and waiting for a trigger.

               -- Mike Treseler

> Digilent has a $59 board with a 100k-gate FPGA, switches, port
> connectors, LEDs etc.
> http://digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?Prod=BASYS

BINGO!!!

Id like to start there ... after I have gained some experience, I can
buy a more more expensive FPGA board with larger resources

Thanks

> I think that seeing something work in reality is an important part of
> learning, even though simulators give you more insight into what's
> happening.  Otherwise you get to your first real design after a few
> years of learning VHDL and then you ask 'what does non-synthesizable
> mean?'

I like to put equal time in reading/research as I do in "lab work".

Theres a certain joy and "ahah" factor that comes from seeing the
results in front of you.

priceless!

Mike Treseler wrote:
> Sorry I rained on your parade.
> Trial and error synthesis using a logic analyzer works also.
> I guess I spent too many years hooking up those
> little clip leads and waiting for a trigger.

Not only are HP16xxx logic analyzers cheap on eBay these days, but
making one out of an FPGA is yet another fun project.

fpga_toys@yahoo.com wrote:
> Mike Treseler wrote:
> > Sorry I rained on your parade.
> > Trial and error synthesis using a logic analyzer works also.
> > I guess I spent too many years hooking up those
> > little clip leads and waiting for a trigger.
>
> Not only are HP16xxx logic analyzers cheap on eBay these days,

Anyone want mine?

> but making one out of an FPGA is yet another fun project.

it's real easy.  The hard part is coming up with some nice host
software!

-a

Andy Peters wrote:
> fpga_toys@yahoo.com wrote:
> > Mike Treseler wrote:
> > > Sorry I rained on your parade.
> > > Trial and error synthesis using a logic analyzer works also.
> > > I guess I spent too many years hooking up those
> > > little clip leads and waiting for a trigger.
> >
> > Not only are HP16xxx logic analyzers cheap on eBay these days,
>
> Anyone want mine?
>
> > but making one out of an FPGA is yet another fun project.
>
> it's real easy.  The hard part is coming up with some nice host
> software!

Here is one for the Digilent/Xilinx S3 kit that comes with PC software:

http://www.sump.org/projects/analyzer/

Leon

On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:33:31 GMT, samiam <samiamSPAMTHIS@spamalert.com> wrote:
>Figured this was the place to ask (comp.arch.embedded or comp.arch.fpga)
>
>Whats the cheapest board to study VHDL on?
>
>Ideally Id like an FPGA based board with a few inputs (dip 
>switches,toggles?), some outputs (parallel or serial connector, some
>leds) < $100
>
>I am looking on ebay now, and I see one or two boards well above $100.
>Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks in advance

You may also want to check out a very extensive list of boards at:

   http://www.fpga-faq.org/FPGA_Boards.shtml


===================
Philip Freidin
philip.freidin@fpga-faq.org
Host for WWW.FPGA-FAQ.ORG

I would have a peek at the MachXO (Lattice) www.latticesemi.com
It's an FPGA CPLD crossover, and it's around 90 eur.

It's a small board with LED's, Switches, and a small prototyping area.

Martin.

"samiam" <samiamSPAMTHIS@spamalert.com> wrote in message 
news:vHsZg.77479$p86.25317@fe05.news.easynews.com...
> Figured this was the place to ask (comp.arch.embedded or comp.arch.fpga)
>
> Whats the cheapest board to study VHDL on?
>
> Ideally Id like an FPGA based board with a few inputs (dip 
> switches,toggles?), some outputs (parallel or serial connector, some
> leds) < $100
>
> I am looking on ebay now, and I see one or two boards well above $100.
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance