Banti: Xilinx chips?

[Paul V]

You've now twice mentioned using Xilinx chips for custom hardware. Any idea how much it would cost to buy (or build) a test board and a burner to program the Xilinx Spartan series? They're pretty cheap FPGAs ($4 apiece or so?) and I could buy the software no prob (have used it before too, in Elec. Engineeing labs), but I have no idea how best to get or build HW to do actual testing and burning of FPGAs.

[Banti]

Will research (read ask college) and report back to you.

Banti

[Banti]

I am still looking for college. I have never heard of the Spartan. Most of the chips we used were $70 and up. I am not sure whether the programming will remain the same, but you simplely need to connect the hardware pins to the comm port adapter (should come with sw). You can use a good digital logic analyzer to test (big bucks though). Most of this should be available at any school. You can also buy testing cards for your comp that simulate a digital o-scope and logic anaylzer. The best way to get the HW is to obtain a proto-kit from Xilinx. You could be a student, or desing enginner, or a teacher, who needs to see if the Xilinx platform is worth purchasing (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

Banti

[This message has been edited by Banti (edited 02-09-2000).]

[Paul V]

Actually the engineering is pretty close to true http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif I am a Biomed Engineering student, and in fact I can get access to this equiptment in labs and such, I was just wondering how much I'd be looking at paying if I wanted a setup for myself for hobby use when I'm not in school. Plus I can't permanently burn chips and keep them, all I can do is temporarily program them and test a design.

And the Spartans are the value line, they still have a lot of power (enough to do any reasonably simple design) but are low priced.