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Propeller-1 FPGA Image, what the heck? — Parallax Forums

Propeller-1 FPGA Image, what the heck?

RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
edited 2014-08-06 15:11 in Propeller 1
So what am I supposed to do with that?

Ray

Comments

  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2014-08-06 13:12
    It's not just the FPGA image: it's the code that was used to create that image. With that, you can make modifications to the Propeller 1 chip architecture.

    The thread for this discussion is here: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/156773-Open-Propeller-Project-6-Open-Source-Verilog-for-Propeller-1
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2014-08-06 13:16
    We don't expect most of our customers to do anything with the Verilog code. I imagine there's a small number of developers who will actually use it as intended.

    Ken Gracey
  • RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
    edited 2014-08-06 13:16
    So, will there be a cheap board available for us common folk, and then what, create a Propeller chip that has 8 COGs and 32MB of RAM?

    Ray
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2014-08-06 13:17
    Rsadeika wrote: »
    So, will there be a cheap board available for us common folk, and then what, create a Propeller chip that has 8 COGs and 32MB of RAM?

    Ray

    Of course.

    Again, as the story unfolds on-line everything will be more clear. There is a $89.00 DE0-Nano FPGA board that runs the P1 with 50% to spare.

    Ken Gracey
  • RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
    edited 2014-08-06 13:27
    OK I am not really convinced that this could be something of use to me, or other people like me. Didn't I hear somewhere that Parallax is making an FPGA board, and would that be cheaper than the DE0-NANO board?

    Ray
  • ReinhardReinhard Posts: 489
    edited 2014-08-06 13:29
    Golden times ...
    I really mean it
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2014-08-06 13:31
    Rsadeika wrote: »
    OK I am not really convinced that this could be something of use to me, or other people like me. Didn't I hear somewhere that Parallax is making an FPGA board, and would that be cheaper than the DE0-NANO board?

    Ray

    Ray,

    Thsi is targeted toward people that are interested in learning Verilog and how to program an FPGA to build a microcontroller. It's especially exciting because it is the Propeller architecture all of us here are familiar with.

    The Parallax FPGA board I assume will let you run this but it is a more powerful board targeted people wanting to participate in the Propeller 2 FPGA testing.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2014-08-06 13:33
    Rsadeika wrote: »
    OK I am not really convinced that this could be something of use to me, or other people like me. Didn't I hear somewhere that Parallax is making an FPGA board, and would that be cheaper than the DE0-NANO board?

    Ray

    That is intended for the P2. The board is based on the latest Altera Cyclone V FPGA, and will cost a lot more than the DE0-Nano (Cyclone IV).
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2014-08-06 13:51
    Leon, maybe ya gotta let the other forums you belong to know about what's going on? That'd be great.

    Ken Gracey
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2014-08-06 13:59
    Reinhard wrote: »
    Golden times ...
    I really mean it

    Good to see the German guys coming back to the fun.

    Ken Gracey
  • RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
    edited 2014-08-06 14:01
    I just went to the Parallax store, I did not see any DE0-NANO boards for sale, would I have to go somewhere else to get one, not saying that I am that interested, mind you.

    Ray
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2014-08-06 14:06
    They are available from Terasic, who makes them:

    http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?CategoryNo=139&No=593

    and Farnell, RS and Digi-Key:

    http://uk.farnell.com/terasic-technologies/p0082/ep4ce22f17c6n-de0-nano-dev-kit/dp/2076463?Ntt=DE0-Nano

    http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/programmable-logic-development-kits/7689039/

    http://www.digikey.co.uk/product-search/en?x=16&y=19&lang=en&site=uk&KeyWords=DE0-Nano

    I bought mine from Digi-Key.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2014-08-06 14:12
    Ken Gracey wrote: »
    Leon, maybe ya gotta let the other forums you belong to know about what's going on? That'd be great.

    Ken Gracey

    I'll mention it on any that are appropriate.
  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,173
    edited 2014-08-06 14:20
    Rsadeika wrote: »
    OK I am not really convinced that this could be something of use to me, or other people like me.

    Correct, this is more for someone who would likely need a FPGA anyway, (and classes) and it allows them to pull *most of a P1 into the fabric. ie it makes most sense, if you already plan to use the rest of the FPGA for other logic.

    * Chip has said the Nano build lacks the character ROM., so it is P1-
    Rsadeika wrote: »
    Didn't I hear somewhere that Parallax is making an FPGA board, and would that be cheaper than the DE0-NANO board?

    That plan will be very much in flux, as they will also want to support P2.

    In the mean time, there are a lot of FPGA boards out there already, and the BEMicro CV is $42.03 @ verical.
    ( no build for that one yet, I'm sure it will come quickly )

    Once this beds-in, Parallax could/should go and talk to Xilinx/Lattice/Altera et al about their best prices for eval boards.
    The BEMicro is made by Arrow, and obviously they get a hot price on the silicon.

    In the eval market, there seem to be many IC vendors keen to 'get the eyeballs' & their logo on boards used by students and developers, so the chip prices are quite elastic.
  • RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
    edited 2014-08-06 14:51
    This is a hypothetical, lets say Parallax is selling the DE0-NANO, or a suitable knockoff, does the board come with the Propeller 1 FPGA image installed? Then all I would have to do is plug in an appropriate USB cable into my computer, start up PropellerIDE, and I could load and run some programs with the DE0-NANO?

    Ray
  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,155
    edited 2014-08-06 15:02
    Rsadeika wrote: »
    This is a hypothetical, lets say Parallax is selling the DE0-NANO, or a suitable knockoff, does the board come with the Propeller 1 FPGA image installed? Then all I would have to do is plug in an appropriate USB cable into my computer, start up PropellerIDE, and I could load and run some programs with the DE0-NANO?

    Ray


    That's how it could work, but it's really easy to just compile the whole design and load it from Quartus II.
  • Jen J.Jen J. Posts: 649
    edited 2014-08-06 15:11
    Locking this thread. Let's move this to OPP #6 discussion.
    All the official details are there. Thank you!

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/156773-Open-Propeller-Project-6-Open-Source-Verilog-for-Propeller-1
This discussion has been closed.