Want to learn VHDL myself.

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cwjcwjcwj

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 246
Helped: 2

23 May 2008 19:29 what do i need to learn vhdl

I want to learn VHDL myself for DSP and digital communication usage. Any good free software recommend?

photonix

Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 46
Helped: 4

25 May 2008 4:09 how to learn vhdl myself

What software do you need? If you use Xilinx you can use Free Xilinx ISE

cwjcwjcwj

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 246
Helped: 2

25 May 2008 9:48 nawabi vhdl

I don't know which one I want to use. Maybe Xilinx or Altera? What is the most common use in industry these days? Anywebsite to download the software?

haneet

Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 149
Helped: 15

29 May 2008 17:34 algorithm for convolutional encoder using vhdl

I suggest go for ModelSim or Xilinx.

Xilinx will help you to work on FPGA but Modelsim you can only code but cannot check the results on board. You can check the results on screen.

thanks

echo47

Joined: 07 Apr 2002
Posts: 4206
Helped: 566

30 May 2008 3:02 want to learn vhdl

A good way to get started is to buy an inexpensive FPGA development kit (prices start around $150 US) that includes whatever hardware features are interesting to you (audio, video, communications, whatever). Then you can install the (enormous) software and start experimenting. You can simulate your HDL in the simulator (ModelSim is popular), and then synthesize it, download it into an FPGA, and watch it run.

Or you can simply download the software and run it without any hardware. I think you can download a free student version of ModelSim directly from www.model.com. But I think it's more fun to have real hardware to try out audio processing, video processing, etc.

I use Xilinx. Here are their development kits:
http://www.xilinx.com/products/devboards/index.htm

Here's the free ISE WebPACK software. It supports all the smaller Xilinx devices, but not the big ones:
http://www.xilinx.com/ise/logic_design_prod/webpack.htm

_Altera has nice FPGA products and kits too, but I'm not familiar with them.

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30 May 2008 3:02 Ads

pini_1

Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 288
Helped: 17

30 May 2008 5:19 learn vhdl by video

You can use the free vhdl simulator
http://ghdl.free.fr/

Please see a lot of examples of VHDL and VERILOG at
http://bknpk.no-ip.biz/

cwjcwjcwj

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 246
Helped: 2

30 May 2008 22:26 is there any free student vhdl simulator

thx all.anyone can suggest the model name of very cheap development kit?

by the way,why some of then using c language for fpga?

echo47

Joined: 07 Apr 2002
Posts: 4206
Helped: 566

31 May 2008 0:08 learning vhdl with model sim

Here are several low-cost Xilinx FPGA kits based on various Spartan-3 family FPGAs:
http://www.xilinx.com/products/boards/s3_sk_promo.htm
Most of them are called "Spartan-3xx Starter Kit". The more expensive ones are usually called development kits.

Some of the kits include MicroBlaze development tools. MicroBlaze is a 32-bit soft processor core that you can drop into the FPGA, and then program it using a C compiler. Sometimes it's nice to have a general-purpose processor in your FPGA project.

muhammad_ali

Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 43
Helped: 8
Location: Egypt

31 May 2008 8:11 vhdl development kit

what is the risk of damaging these kits as then i will learn on it? because i wished to do that but i am always afraid of being burned

echo47

Joined: 07 Apr 2002
Posts: 4206
Helped: 566

31 May 2008 8:42 nawabi+download+vhdl

I haven't heard of anyone blowing up a development kit by downloading bad code into it, if that's what you mean.

If you download a large high-clock-frequency design into an FPGA, you should check the FPGA temperature, and if necessary install a small heatsink or fan. Most designs don't need it.

As with any open electronics, be careful handling the board. Avoid static electricity zaps. Don't drop metallic things onto the board while it's running. Don't apply excessive voltages to the I/O connectors. The usual precautions.

cwjcwjcwj

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 246
Helped: 2

31 May 2008 9:23 learn vhdl in 21 days

thx echo. are those kits that you mentioned suitable for digital comms., like error control coding, interleaving, modulation, fft, dsp?

by the way, why sometime peoples using c and sometime using vhdl? both of them also ok for the kits you mentioned? which language is more often used in industry for fpga? thx!

sachi123

Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 7
Helped: 1

31 May 2008 11:52 active hdl student

start reading VHDL book by nawabi and use modelsim....

echo47

Joined: 07 Apr 2002
Posts: 4206
Helped: 566

31 May 2008 12:59 best kit learning vhdl

Any of those FPGA kits can do some amount of digital comm processing. You probably want to choose a kit that has appropriate I/O interfaces for your projects. The various FPGA types have different amounts of multipliers, block RAMs, logic cells, and other resources. I can't guess which one is most suitable for your projects, other than to suggest buying the largest one you can afford. Or you could simply download the free software, design your various projects, and try fitting them into various size FPGAs to get a feel for the required FPGA size. Or try searching for interesting project application notes on the Xilinx web site. They usually say how many FPGA resources are consumed. Look under Doc Type -> Application Notes:
http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/index.htm

You should design your digital systems with an HDL such as VHDL or Verilog. There are some bleeding edge tools that try to synthesize digital hardware using C dialects, but I haven't heard of many happy users.

If you put a soft core microprocessor into your FPGA, you can run compiled C programs on it just like any other microprocessor. That's convenient for some purposes, but it's not an efficient use of FPGA resources. The performance of a soft core general-purpose microprocessor in an FPGA is a lot slower than a dedicated hardware microprocessor. An FPGA is best doing parallel processing.

staraimm

Joined: 21 Oct 2006
Posts: 134
Helped: 3

01 Jun 2008 13:24 vhdl nawabi

What are you going to do? Do you have any basic idea? If you have no idea, I suggest you choosing the simple topic to start from.

cwjcwjcwj

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 246
Helped: 2

02 Jun 2008 22:05 Re: Want to learn VHDL myself.

trying to implement my convolutional encoder/decoder from algorithm to fpga (for hobby).

cwjcwjcwj

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 246
Helped: 2

04 Jun 2008 23:09 Re: Want to learn VHDL myself.

I have just installed ModelSim PE Student Edition 6.3g. But when I tried running simulation, it shows up message that I haven't got a student_license. Where can I get it?

echo47

Joined: 07 Apr 2002
Posts: 4206
Helped: 566

05 Jun 2008 1:35 Want to learn VHDL myself.

"Step 3" looks like the answer:
http://www.model.com/resources/student_edition/student_download.asp

ronydc

Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 148

05 Jun 2008 9:53 Re: Want to learn VHDL myself.

dear dear dear..

why still no one suggested u the Great --> ORCAD ..?

NOTHNING BATTER THN THT.. try beginner level.

RONY.

ezzeldeen

Joined: 27 May 2008
Posts: 22

05 Jun 2008 21:23 Re: Want to learn VHDL myself.

Hi All

i hope this book help you to learn VHDL

http://www.edaboard.com/viewtopic.php?p=795800#795800

thanks

cwjcwjcwj

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 246
Helped: 2

09 Jun 2008 22:40 Re: Want to learn VHDL myself.

Is modelsim student version allows me to compile and simulate vhdl code?

Added after 12 minutes:

I got this message when I wanted to load a design. Is the Student version not support vhdl simulation? What about others Modelsim version? Which one is good?

Modelsim>vsim work.test_counter
# // ModelSim PE Student Edition 6.3g May 1 2008
# //
# // Copyright 1991-2008 Mentor Graphics Corporation
# // All Rights Reserved.
# //
# // THIS WORK CONTAINS TRADE SECRET AND
# // PROPRIETARY INFORMATION WHICH IS THE PROPERTY
# // OF MENTOR GRAPHICS CORPORATION OR ITS LICENSORS
# // AND IS SUBJECT TO LICENSE TERMS.
# //
#
# // NOT FOR CORPORATE OR PRODUCTION USE.
# // THE ModelSim PE Student Edition IS NOT A SUPPORTED PRODUCT.
# // FOR HIGHER EDUCATION PURPOSES ONLY
# //
# vsim work.test_counter
# ** Error: ModelSim PE Student Edition license key file not found at C:\Modeltech_pe_edu_6.3g\win32pe_edu\..\student_license.dat.
# ** FATAL ERROR: ModelSim PE Student Edition licensing failure due to one or more problems with the license key such as:
# - it is not found
# - it has expired
# - it is not for this user
# - it is not for this computer
# - it is not for this version of ModelSim PE Student Edition.
#
# Please go to http://www.model.com and download an updated copy of the ModelSim PE Student Edition.
# Error loading design

echo47

Joined: 07 Apr 2002
Posts: 4206
Helped: 566

10 Jun 2008 1:10 Want to learn VHDL myself.

Yes it supports VHDL. See "highlights" at the link in my previous message.

Did you follow "step 3" regarding the license error?

cwjcwjcwj

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 246
Helped: 2

10 Jun 2008 20:16 Re: Want to learn VHDL myself.

After I installed the Modelsim, the license form didn't appears. I trid install again, is not working as well. Any other version to recommend that support VHDL?

echo47

Joined: 07 Apr 2002
Posts: 4206
Helped: 566

10 Jun 2008 21:02 Want to learn VHDL myself.

Try visiting the ModelSim PE Student Edition User Group. Read the discussions about licensing problems:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/modelsim-pe-student-edition

The SE version also supports VHDL. It's not quite free though --- about $20000 US.

cwjcwjcwj

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 246
Helped: 2

12 Jun 2008 21:17 Re: Want to learn VHDL myself.

couldn't find a solution. Is there any other software to run VHDL simulation. Free of charge?

Eugen_E

Joined: 29 Nov 2004
Posts: 358
Helped: 31

12 Jun 2008 23:48 Re: Want to learn VHDL myself.

Could you please recommend a low-medium cost Xilinx FPGA kit that has high speed A/D and D/A converters. Other peripherals are usefull, but I'm especially interested in fast A/D.

Thanks

cwjcwjcwj - maybe you need to install a license manager or something similar