XESS: Do you use a XESS board ?

[dingo]

Do you use an XESS FPGA board ?

I use an XESS XSA-100:

**broken link removed**

and I am just wondering how many people are using boards from XESS.
Is there enough of us to put together a forum here? There is, of course
the official forum:

https://groups.yahoo.com/group/xsboard-users

but I think that here we will get a a larger number of readers and replies.

 

[xfpgas]

Hi, I am using a Xess Board as well.

I am using a XSV300 ... yeah I would definately like to start a FORUM here . Please let me know if you are interested.

Kode

 

[geconom]

Count me in too!

 

[siraj]

i am also interested

siraj

 

[humbleson]

Count me in.

 

[mami_hacky]

I have worked with a board from XESS, for getting familiar with XC4000 FPGAs.
But I want to know, if the XESS boards are such a wide scientific topic that you want to create a separate forum for it.

 

[psi]

I own an XSA-50 board..

Im in!!

 

[xfpgas]

I really would like to know what others are doing with their Xess Boards. I havent done much yet, but I will post as my projects move along. I have heard horror stories about these boards ( well the XSVs ).. they need to be handled carefully, or they just fry.

One of the guys in my class forgot to assign one of the pins in Xilinx, and the tool happily assigned an input pin to P139 ( or something like that ) and it happens to be the Virtex pin connected to the Bar Led which is an output...well ofcourse he didnt verify the pinout information before he downloaded the design..

I may be wrong, but that shouldnt really cause any damage to the pin or to the board ?? EE experts, please comments here. Virtex IOs are tri stated during configuration, so I am thinking it shouldnt be a problem..I dont have a good EE background, but I would like your comments..

Well, we havent been able to program the FPGA since. I have erased the CPLD, and programmed it to use parallel port , and also the XChecker interface. It fails in both cases.

When I use the Multilinx cable to program the XCV300 on the board, it fails saying DONE pin does not go high.

I would like any ideas on how to trouble shoot.

TIA,
Kode

 

[Jayson]

what is special about XC4000 FPGAs? I some of those are more expensive than Spartan's but have less gates.

- Jayson

 

[EcraZ]

XC4000 is obsolete use Spartan instead

 

[wahabmalik]

XSA Board

HI, I also own an XSA board.
Regards

 

[al_extreme]

I use Xess board at university

I use Xess board at university, but I have buy Digilent Digilab 2e it's provide more gate for the price, but not on board memories.

 

[Sobakava]

I've XSA-50 board and I am working with SDRAM on it.

 

[kingkang]

XCV800 is good but its price is so high!

 

[k4iNz0w]

Burched also has a nice Spartan board, h**p://www.burched.biz...

 

[eltonjohn]

I have used their TRISCEND boards But now discontinued !

 

[cikyen]

I have access to a XCV800...

 

[delay]

Xess screws up their cards by attaching something silly to the main FPGA bus such as a CPLD or a micro which gives you problems.

 

[aasif]

I have used XS40 board. I am now using XSV300 board.
It will be good to open a new forum here.

 

[Bingo600]

I have been looking at the Xess boards , they look nice and are not that expensive.

But i have also seen people complain about the poor design of the boards , and some even said thet they are faulty by design. (comp.arch.embedded on usenet).

I would like to hear an honest opinion about the Xess boards (especially Startan 3 ones) , not one biased by your ownership.

Please an objective opinion.

I would be in big trouble as a total FPGA/CPLD newbie , if i had to fight both the hardware (a bad design) , and learn VHDL/Verilog.

TIA

/Bingo