FPGA Kit : Xilinx Starter vs Altium LiveDesign

[checkmate]

I'm relatively new to FPGAs and I'm contemplating on getting a board. I'm deciding between Xilinx's Starter Kit, as well as Altium's LiveDesign Evaluation Kit. Anyone can comment on the pros and cons of both boards? Another important point is if Altium's board could be used with ISE or Quartus, since it was originally intended to evaluate their own software which expires after 30 days.

 

[arunragavan]

hey dude.. @ltium is good..our univ got the full version of the eda tool.. its good.. with all tools integrated.. and more over their nanoboard is also comprahensive..

I guess their eval board is compatable with ISE.

you cud try the evaluation kit.. it is surely advantages compared to the latter..but the only disadvantage is their documentation. if u cud mail them thru their univ u can surely get students trainer kit..

i got an evaluation cd from them.. its good.. and prompt service..

give it a shot.!

with regards,

 

[Ace-X]

Re: FPGA Kit : Xilinx Starter vs @ltium LiveDesign

I'm relatively new to FPGAs and I'm contemplating on getting a board. I'm deciding between Xilinx's Starter Kit, as well as @ltium's LiveDesign Evaluation Kit. Anyone can comment on the pros and cons of both boards? Another important point is if @ltium's board could be used with ISE or qu@rtus, since it was originally intended to evaluate their own software which expires after 30 days.

I would definitely select Altium board. And of course, it will work with ISE, because it has JTAG connector. Also, look for examples for this board on Altium side - they constantly add something new and interesting there.

 

[Eumel]

Also my opinion:

Posted: 20 Jan 2005 9:51 Post subject: Re: Were to start FPGA PLD etc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi

you could also have a look at @ltium. They have a complete design-tool for @ltera or Xilinx FPGAs/CPLDs. I have actually bought the live design kit (Xilinx version €99)

hxxp://www.@ltium.com/livedesign/

Contains a high performance FPGA (XC3S400-4FG456) many peripheral components and several example projects. The thing seems to be well documented as seen so far.

greetings from Germany

 

[GeneralMadDog]

Hi!

I also got the Altium Evalution Board (Xilinx). It's fully compatible to Xilinx ISE. Altium delivers good examples for DXP.
Unfortunately not all free FPGA pins are connected with the expansion connectors. I think they have reduced the capabilities of the board because it's very cheap.
I also bought the Spartan 3 Board from NuHorizons. Same FPGA type with fewer pins (PQ208), but Flash, FPGA configuration eprom, SDRAM and LCD on board.
Both boards are very useful.

Best regards,
MadDog

 

[checkmate]

I compared the features of both boards. While the LiveDesign kit features a more powerful FPGA, the Xilinx one provides tons of IO. It seems quite a great pity that not all pins on the LiveDesign board was utilised.

 

[GeneralMadDog]

But if you remove the 7 segment displays (and the series resistors) of the LiveDesign board, you'll get 48 additional I/Os!

 

[checkmate]

Re: FPGA Kit : Xilinx Starter vs @ltium LiveDesign

But if you remove the 7 segment displays (and the series resistors) of the LiveDesign board, you'll get 48 additional I/Os!

What an idea! Are the displays soldered on or mounted on a socket? If it's soldered on, I guess it's always possible to desolder on and replace with a socket.

 

[GeneralMadDog]

Unfortunately they are soldered. But it should not be a problem to remove them. You can cut the pins and remove them one by one. Each pin of these displays is connected to an individual FPGA pin! You can also keep some of the series resistors for 5V input compatibility.

 

[ylscqu]

FPGA Kit : Xilinx Starter vs @ltium LiveDesign

I think starter kit has a little functoin.The best method is develop a board onself

 

[Bingo600]

FPGA Kit : Xilinx Starter vs @ltium LiveDesign

Has anyone bought the kit in EU ??

Is the 99 Euro price including VAT (ie. shipped from EU)

If yes , where did you order it , so that it will be shipped from EU ??

/Bingo

 

[GeneralMadDog]

Hi Bingo!

I have ordered via @altium homepage. But it was shipped by the local @altium
office. I have payed 128EUR (incl. shipping+VAT).

Regards,
MadDog

 

[superhet]

okay first of all, im sorry for posting in an old thread. but i was about to ask the very same question that checkmate asked. then i thought that i should search first.

okay now my question is that GeneralMadDog said that the starter kit has Flash. doesnt the altium kit have Flash. and what difference does it make.

and then he said that not all the pins are available for the user. but even then if you compare the two boards then i think there will be more IO available in altium's kit because it has more pins. am i right.

can someone tell me the exact number of IO pins available on both the boards.

have a nice day

 

[GeneralMadDog]

Hi superhet,

the NuHorizons board provides 19 I/Os on the expansion connector and additional
12 I/Os on the LCD connector (if you don't need one).
The @ltium board has 36 I/Os

Regards,
MadDog

 

[superhet]

okay, so even though not all the pins are usable on the altium kit, the IO capabilities of the altium kit is more than the nu horizons/digilent kit. and if you remove those 7-segs you get more IO pins.

my second question was that where is the bit file downloaded on the altium kit. doesnt it have a flash memory?

 

[GeneralMadDog]

The NuHorizon board has a FPGA configuration flash and a user flash,
the @ltium board has no flash.

 

[superhet]

what difference does that make?

the altium kit has Dual 256Kx16-bit FPGA configurable high-speed static RAM is that as good as the flash memory in the Nu horizons kit?

can somebody please explain in a little detail

 

[GeneralMadDog]

Hi superhet,

why do you ask about the board details if you already know them?
I think it's a big difference between having a permanently programmable configuration and user flash
in comparision to only having volatile SRAM.
The NuHorizons board is fully working after power up, the @ltium board has to be programmed!

 

[superhet]

Re: FPGA Kit : Xilinx Starter vs @ltium LiveDesign

why do you ask about the board details if you already know them?

thats because i dont know what they mean

 

[superhet]

okay i have decided to buy the altium live design evaluation kit. but when i contacted the local altium sales dealer he told me that there will be $50 for the freight. $50 is half the price of the kit itself!!!!

are the freight expenditures same in other parts of the world. how much is it in north america?