How to convert a design into a real product?

I am a newbie , sorry if this question sounds stupid. I want to know the way to convert a FPGA design into a form that's close to final product form. Or put it this way, how to build it into a more compact form? For example, If I design a up down counter in Spartan-3 starter board, I want to use this design to make a up down counter, sure I don't want to stick the Spartan-3 starter board in a box and make it a counter, it's huge!
How to build a more compact form using FPGA?

To make a practical system, you need to synthesize the FPGA design. If the design is successfully sinthesized, then we call it as an implementable system. Only implementable systems are synthesizable. If you are using Xilinx ISE tool, you can place and route, floorplan, and download the design file into the into the hardware.

The final *.bit or *.svf file is what you are looking for.


Regards,
Vishwa

finalmatrix said:

I am a newbie , sorry if this question sounds stupid.

Click to expand...

hey dont be that way.... every one started as a newbie...

u must have crossed lots of stages in doing ur VHDL implementaion...

>if ur design is simple u can go with simpler and smaller PLDs with 32 or 64 macrocells which will be more than enough for small designs

>first u ll be writing ur HDL code

>u have to synthesise for the device u r using... in this process u have to create pinouts, floor plan etc...for example if u r using a Xilinx PLD then u must use Xiliinx ISE to synthesise ur code...so that the tool will convert ur HDL into the architecture specific "*.jed"

>then u have to program ur chip with ur jed file... if u use a eeprom of flash based device u can go for implementaion as such... if u use SRAM based device then u hav to look for PROM interface for booting the FPGA

i have a question similar to the above too:

how will i program an FPGA that is not on a kit ??? what if i don't need the peripherals on the kit and i wanna employ the FPGA as a chip by its own in a bigger design

thanks,
Salma

Once you have the FPGA programmed you can take it and put it in any PCB.
So what you need?...Power, clock, inputs and outputs....You do not need all
that the spartan board has, because that is a generic board. Maybe you will need
some signal conditioning but for now I do not think you should worry about that.
If in your example, a counter, you just need to know where the input is mapped
(you already must know since it wont compile if you do not say which are the inputs)
and the outputs. The example of a counter is a bad example because is ineffective,
i nother words, the fpga is big compared with the same circuit made using gates.
But is just an example.

jallem said:

Once you have the FPGA programmed you can take it and put it in any PCB.
So what you need?...Power, clock, inputs and outputs....You do not need all
that the spartan board has, because that is a generic board. Maybe you will need
some signal conditioning but for now I do not think you should worry about that.
If in your example, a counter, you just need to know where the input is mapped
(you already must know since it wont compile if you do not say which are the inputs)
and the outputs. The example of a counter is a bad example because is ineffective,
i nother words, the fpga is big compared with the same circuit made using gates.
But is just an example.

Click to expand...

You're talking about non-volatile FPGA Chip right? MOst FPGA chips programs are gone once the power is off, so do we use something like PROM to store the code for volatile chip, and run program the FPGA everytime the system boot-up?

Another thing, the FPGA chip on Spartan-3 starter board has tiny pin which is impossible to solder by hand. Is there a same model with bigger pins?

I think you are confused.....Once you have a FPGA compiled is just
like hardware all wired up and ready to fire....
You do not store VHDL code in the memory, otherwise what is the
point?
If you need a memory to change programs, tables, or something
then you add that. Just like when you have a processor.
FPGA is just like a bunch of gates all wired together.

salma ali bakr said:

i have a question similar to the above too:

how will i program an FPGA that is not on a kit ??? what if i don't need the peripherals on the kit and i wanna employ the FPGA as a chip by its own in a bigger design

thanks,
Salma

Click to expand...

ok... u mean u hav FPGA chip... not the dev. board...

so u need to create ur own PCB for ur FPGAchip... then u might need a configuration controller to configure ur fpga everytime u power-up, along with a flash memory to store the configuration bit..

currently.. FPGA are SRAM base, which lose its contents when power is removed...

regards,
sp

salma ali bakr said:

i have a question similar to the above too:

how will i program an FPGA that is not on a kit ??? what if i don't need the peripherals on the kit and i wanna employ the FPGA as a chip by its own in a bigger design

thanks,
Salma

Click to expand...

hi
u have to design ur pcb for ur fpga...fpga can be programmed in the system itself... the jtag port of ur fpga is used to program it when u hav ur compiled vhd ready... most fpga are sram based so u have to a place a prom memory to load the file in to the fpga when the card is powered up... in case of pld its non volatile so u can even program it in ur kit and solder it in to ur board...

are there FPGAs that are already PROM based so i won't have to configure them everytime i power up, that is of course after i test the design and make sure that it is working okay on the development kit

thanks,
Salma

Actel has FPGAs with nonvolatile configuration storage.

See www.actel.com

salma ali bakr said:

are there FPGAs that are already PROM based so i won't have to configure them everytime i power up, that is of course after i test the design and make sure that it is working okay on the development kit
Salma

Click to expand...

some FPGAs by altera have internal flash from which the device will boot on power up...