What I do need for FPGA-based design???

[fpganoob]

Dear Forum Members, I hope to find some help here.

Several years ago, I studied VHDL programming on my own and did some coding of exercises in Xilinx ISE 7 environment and QuestaSim because it might be needed for my job.

Now after several years passed, I need this because I would be involved in IP-crypto device design based on Xilinx FPGA working at the channel throughput of 50-100 Mb/s.

Due to the total lack of hands-on experience of hardware implementation, I need to know what I need to have from software and hardware (FPGA, something for control circuits maybe as well???) related to be able to design a fully-functional prototype of the aforementioned device and be able to debug it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[preet]

Well the fastest way to learn this is to follow good book like Pong Chu--RTL hardware design using VHDL
and purchase a FPGA starter kit of any vendor like xilinx or altera that will be available within $150.

Regards
Preet

 

[hafeez]

well well!

Choose one HDL, start reading, try to have some development kit! and then see out video lectures from Vendors on software!

After all, u seems to be in big trouble

 

[vipinlal]

If you dont know what to do about your project try these steps:

1)Download Xilinx ISE webpack version from Xilinx website.
2)If you dont know VHDL then read some VHDL tutorials and try to code some basic circuits like counters,shift registers etc. Do it until you get to know the flow of VHDL programming-simulation.
3)Once the above steps are over you can go forward for functional implementation for your IP-crypto device implementation. Coding and debugging at the simulation level will take some time based on the complexity of the project. In the mean time you can think about which FPGA board( from Xilinx vendor) to buy as per your exact requirements.

 

[permute]

I really suggest also looking at the XST manual (or the quartus manual for altera). Both offer examples of how to infer different features of the FGPA. The libraries guide also shows what pre-existing components exist in the FPGA. Coregen provides some extra, user configurable components (some at no charge). Personally, I like Xilinx's current documentation better than Altera's. The recent quartus manual came off as rambling, and there was a generally poor use of graphics.

In general, I'd choose the vendor's documentation over online tutorials.