searching FPGA for a new project.

[taquionbcn]

Hi there,

As the title says, I'm looking for an FPGA for my new project. I have been working with cyclon IV on the terasic DE2-115 development board, so I have some experience with altera quartus, IP cores,...

Now I want to do a Prototyping board for use in future projects, the main project for what I want it is a robotic one with video capture, machine-learning, tracking, objects classification , communication,....

I don't want to pay more than 1000$, I have been searching comparison between stratix III , stratix IV , virtex 5 , virtex 6. But now I have a mess of data in my head.
I would like hi frequency clock, more than 400 I/O pins, more than 100K LE , DDR 2 or 3 ,...

Whats your experience using the different models? what would your recommend me?

Thank you very much.
Guillermo

 

[TrickyDicky]

What you want to do is a big project, and I doubt you could do it all for <$1000. You will probably need processor running alongside the FPGA to do most of the control, so a virtex with a powerPC core might be suitable.

What you're wanting to do is already done by these guys: **broken link removed**

but they'll charge $10-20k per board.

 

[taquionbcn]

I have seen tracking with cyclon IV so that expensive board is not necessary, otherwise I want to do all the soft/Hard by myself , not to buy already made modules.

I have been looking the datasheet of the FPGA I said before,
what family of xilinx is the equivalent of stratix III?
In altera's web I found the comparation of stratix III with virtex 5, is virtex 6 better than stratix III in general terms?
What are the remarkable point of each company?

Thanks,
Guillermo

 

[TrickyDicky]

The stratix and virtex chips are the top end and easily cost $1000+ for a single chip.
for the price you want to keep you will need to stick to cyclone or spartan families.

 

[taquionbcn]

I know they are the top end, but I'm not looking for the virtex 7 or stratix V.
I have found devices from families stratix III, IV or virtex 5,7 that are in the price more or less I'm looking

This is why I'm asking for people recommendations because I don't know wich has better performance for similar price.

 

[guitarguy12387]

I'd be looking in the spartan 6 range (or possibly artix/kintex if you can wait. Or Zynq for something REALLY cool). Spartan 6 is on the cheap end and has dsp slices, hard memory controller, hard transceivers, hard pcie. You can put microblaze on it if you want.

I think you will find that it's more than capable. But again, you're project description is quite vague, so its hard to be sure.

If you find it's not enough for you, the kintex is going to be targeting the 'in between spartan and virtex' series' in terms of price per performance.

 

[keerthipriyan_s]

use opencores website man you have everything right over there

 

[poorchava]

otherwise I want to do all the soft/Hard by myself , not to buy already made modules.

Then you might have a problem. Most of the larger programmable logic chips are in wtf-BGA packages. You can't solder that at home, because you need at least bga rework station (or reflow+stencils equipment). Board also has to be professionally made. Most of the smaller PCB manufacturers offer only single and double sided PCB. You need at least 8 layers for large device.

 

[mrflibble]

I'd be looking in the spartan 6 range (or possibly artix/kintex if you can wait. Or Zynq for something REALLY cool). Spartan 6 is on the cheap end and has dsp slices, hard memory controller, hard transceivers, hard pcie. You can put microblaze on it if you want.

+1 on the spartan-6. You get quite a few of the nice feature from the virtex series, but for something that i actually affordable. As for series 7, I'd loooove to get my hand on a kintex to see how good I can get the TDC resolution on these new parts. Given the jitter figures I bet I can get better than 10 ps rms single shot, but that'll just have to wait until next year. *sulk*

Now I want to do a Prototyping board for use in future projects, the main project for what I want it is a robotic one with video capture, machine-learning, tracking, objects classification , communication,....

Out of idle curiosity, what kind of machine learning were you planning to use? RBM's? If so, then from your list of things THAT will in all probability dictate what device to use. Especially if you are going to do a big network that doesnt fit in a single fpga. I looked into that, and got a problem partition induced headache.

---------- Post added at 12:27 ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 ----------

Mmmh, how about ...



+



That is something you can actually buy, and it will work. You know, without spending several months on the pcb design + assembly.