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FPGA based embedded debugging tool, Programmable Logic Analysis and Stimulus Engine, "PLASE"

Chazley8871

This endeavor began back in 2003 as an embedded FPGA debugging tool and has grown incrementally over the years. After I retired almost 6 years ago, I continued to expand its capability... partially to fulfill a desired purpose and secondly because it was so much fun. My purpose in this thread is to generate an interest in this design so it does not die with me. During the years leading up to my retirement it had increased usage to a high level of importance for me at work. An earlier version is still at work in a CCA test set. I am not a competitive individual, I just enjoy following my imagination. I promise this is not a self aggrandizing ploy... I just want share what I found incredibly useful. I hope some of you can find a useful tool in this creation. All questions are welcome and I will advance more information as well as the complete design if interest materializes.

docs.google.com/.../edit

  •  , heads-up: accessing your link requires a google account.

  • Attached is an automated conversion to HTML, there may be formatting errors. Also, it's a single file, whereas separate files per chapter would have been better, but I didn't want to spend time splitting it. Converting to markdown was messy because of all the formatting, so I gave up on that.

    Anyway, even this single HTML file is an option if you wish to go the GitHub route, because then people can simply click a link, not have to share any credentials, and have access to the content.

    If desired you could simply place the PDF on GitHub too, but then it's difficult for people to edit it if they wish to submit change proposals.

    I'm trying to help, but if you don't want your content modified like this, just say the word, and I will delete the file.

    PLASE User Reference Manual HTML version.zip

  • in reply to shabaz

    I have two favorite sayings...

    "Nothing is ever easy"

    "One Truth... many realities"

    I suppose I'll make an abbreviated version in a plain text file. Certainly some things can be discerned from the HTML and I thank you, although it gets so disjointed I can barely make sense of it.

  • in reply to Chazley8871

    I'm of the opinion an example demo app would go a long way, because then people can inspect demo HDL to see how things work. It makes it a smaller initial hurdle for people, and then they can explore the documentation once they have a rough idea from the demo what it does.

    The demo could be any simplified real-world example (i.e. can be slightly contrived, as long as it still provides some context to people), using any input/output device that is commonly available, so that the overhead is low for people to assemble a testbed to run it. 

    Example ideas:

    Alarm clock using LED matrix module or HD44780 compatible display

     VGA test card with some text displayed perhaps

    Audio tone generator using an I2S sound card module