Software for FPGA - is it required?

Hello,

I want to learn how to design a digital system controlled from PC host
and as a practical system to start from, I have chosen such system:

audio_signal1->ADC->digital_filter->DAC->audio_signal2

digital filter has to be FPGA-based and controlled from PC host
running Windows XP. I mean that a user should be capable to choose a
type of filter, bandwidth etc from GUI and load it to the system.

My difficulty is that I am a beginner and not sure how all parts of
the project communicate with each other. For example, a program
written in Visual Basic is supposed to be run on PC and this program
will tell to filter which mode of filtering has to be used.
Should I write any software for FPGA, like microcontrollers or
software on PC host is the only thing which is required?

On Oct 19, 10:10 am, Vagant <vladimir.v.koroste...@rambler.ru> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I want to learn how to design a digital system controlled from PC host
> and as a practical system to start from, I have chosen such system:
>
> audio_signal1->ADC->digital_filter->DAC->audio_signal2
>
> digital filter has to be FPGA-based and controlled from PC host
> running Windows XP. I mean that a user should be capable to choose a
> type of filter, bandwidth etc from GUI and load it to the system.
>
> My difficulty is that I am a beginner and not sure how all parts of
> the project communicate with each other. For example, a program
> written in Visual Basic is supposed to be run on PC and this program
> will tell to filter which mode of filtering has to be used.
> Should I write any software for FPGA, like microcontrollers or
> software on PC host is the only thing which is required?

Buy a DAQ card and LABview from www.ni.com and you are almost done....

On Oct 19, 5:10 pm, Vagant <vladimir.v.koroste...@rambler.ru> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I want to learn how to design a digital system controlled from PC host
> and as a practical system to start from, I have chosen such system:
>
> audio_signal1->ADC->digital_filter->DAC->audio_signal2
>
> digital filter has to be FPGA-based and controlled from PC host
> running Windows XP. I mean that a user should be capable to choose a
> type of filter, bandwidth etc from GUI and load it to the system.
>
> My difficulty is that I am a beginner and not sure how all parts of
> the project communicate with each other. For example, a program
> written in Visual Basic is supposed to be run on PC and this program
> will tell to filter which mode of filtering has to be used.
> Should I write any software for FPGA, like microcontrollers or
> software on PC host is the only thing which is required?

if you have a developer kit(evaluational board for FPGA), then
probably it has ADC on it and uses some ports to communa\icate with
PC, such as PCI or USB port. So you need to write your GUI(e.g. based
on VB) to communicate with PCI or USB port of your FPGA board,  in
addition to write your own VHDL code for digital filter. set the
filter coeficients which are h(n) of digital filter . all filter
parameters will be set by setting its coeficients. if you want to have
a variable filter size then you need to declare the size in GUI too.
if you don't have an evaluational board, then forget this!! cause just
having an fpga without a starter board and ADC won't help you.
but if you want just simulate it, don't think of GUI. write your VHDL
code. and set the parameters in simulator (e.g modesim).
good luck

On Oct 20, 10:21 am, naliali <nali...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Oct 19, 5:10 pm, Vagant <vladimir.v.koroste...@rambler.ru> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hello,
>
> > I want to learn how to design a digital system controlled from PC host
> > and as a practical system to start from, I have chosen such system:
>
> > audio_signal1->ADC->digital_filter->DAC->audio_signal2
>
> > digital filter has to be FPGA-based and controlled from PC host
> > running Windows XP. I mean that a user should be capable to choose a
> > type of filter, bandwidth etc from GUI and load it to the system.
>
> > My difficulty is that I am a beginner and not sure how all parts of
> > the project communicate with each other. For example, a program
> > written in Visual Basic is supposed to be run on PC and this program
> > will tell to filter which mode of filtering has to be used.
> > Should I write any software for FPGA, like microcontrollers or
> > software on PC host is the only thing which is required?
>
> if you have a developer kit(evaluational board for FPGA), then
> probably it has ADC on it and uses some ports to communa\icate with
> PC, such as PCI or USB port. So you need to write your GUI(e.g. based
> on VB) to communicate with PCI or USB port of your FPGA board,  in
> addition to write your own VHDL code for digital filter. set the
> filter coeficients which are h(n) of digital filter . all filter
> parameters will be set by setting its coeficients. if you want to have
> a variable filter size then you need to declare the size in GUI too.
> if you don't have an evaluational board, then forget this!! cause just
> having an fpga without a starter board and ADC won't help you.
> but if you want just simulate it, don't think of GUI. write your VHDL
> code. and set the parameters in simulator (e.g modesim).
> good luck- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I have Spartan3E-1600E MicroBlaze Development Board and I want to
design
a complete project run from PC (not just a simulation). I wonder,
which software
is more appropriate for my project - WebPack ISE or EDK?

On Oct 21, 10:27 pm, Vagant <vladimir.v.koroste...@rambler.ru> wrote:
> On Oct 20, 10:21 am, naliali <nali...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Oct 19, 5:10 pm, Vagant <vladimir.v.koroste...@rambler.ru> wrote:
>
> > > Hello,
>
> > > I want to learn how to design a digital system controlled from PC host
> > > and as a practical system to start from, I have chosen such system:
>
> > > audio_signal1->ADC->digital_filter->DAC->audio_signal2
>
> > > digital filter has to be FPGA-based and controlled from PC host
> > > running Windows XP. I mean that a user should be capable to choose a
> > > type of filter, bandwidth etc from GUI and load it to the system.
>
> > > My difficulty is that I am a beginner and not sure how all parts of
> > > the project communicate with each other. For example, a program
> > > written in Visual Basic is supposed to be run on PC and this program
> > > will tell to filter which mode of filtering has to be used.
> > > Should I write any software for FPGA, like microcontrollers or
> > > software on PC host is the only thing which is required?
>
> > if you have a developer kit(evaluational board for FPGA), then
> > probably it has ADC on it and uses some ports to communa\icate with
> > PC, such as PCI or USB port. So you need to write your GUI(e.g. based
> > on VB) to communicate with PCI or USB port of your FPGA board,  in
> > addition to write your own VHDL code for digital filter. set the
> > filter coeficients which are h(n) of digital filter . all filter
> > parameters will be set by setting its coeficients. if you want to have
> > a variable filter size then you need to declare the size in GUI too.
> > if you don't have an evaluational board, then forget this!! cause just
> > having an fpga without a starter board and ADC won't help you.
> > but if you want just simulate it, don't think of GUI. write your VHDL
> > code. and set the parameters in simulator (e.g modesim).
> > good luck- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> I have Spartan3E-1600E MicroBlaze Development Board and I want to
> design
> a complete project run from PC (not just a simulation). I wonder,
> which software
> is more appropriate for my project - WebPack ISE or EDK?

If you want to do ANY FPGA development, you need either the WebPack or
the full-up (paid-for) ISE.

If you want to use a MicroBlaze soft-core or a device with an embedded
PowerPC, then you ALSO need to use the (paid-for) EDK.

-a