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  • Author Author: genebren
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Some tutorials from an earlier time...

genebren

A little more than 10 years ago, I did some blogging on another site on various embedded topics.  I hope to redo some of these posts or further expand on some of the topics.  Given some of the recent conversations about FPGAs I thought I might link to some of these older post until I am setup to start re-writing them.

 

On the topic of VHDL, I generated so tutorials based on some examples of some of the work that I was doing on a couple of different projects/products:

 

https://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/24.php - VHDL tutorial

https://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/31.php- VHDL tutorial - part 2 - testbench

https://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/43.php  - VHDL tutorial - combining clocked and sequential logic

https://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/54.php  - VHDL tutorial - Creating a hierarchical design

https://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/85.php - VHDL tutorial - A practical example - part 1 - Hardware

https://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/87.php - VHDL tutorial - A practical example - part 2 - VHDL coding

https://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/89.php  - VHDL tutorial - A practical example - part 3 - VHDL testbench

 

This article was about using a tiny microcontroller to replace some simple logic in a earlier design:

https://www.embeddedrelated.com/showarticle/94.php - Deeply embedded design example - Logic replacement

 

Enjoy!

Gene

  • and ,

     

    Thank you for your kind words.

     

    I wrote these tutorials when I was self-employed and looking for ways to earn a little side income (note: very little income).  It also occurred after a frustrating period of trying to teach electronics at a small technical school to students that did not really want to learn (or who were not adequately prepared to learn at a college level), but who wanted the good paying jobs that had been promised to them.  I found that creating technical blogs was a creative process that allowed be to teach (remotely) to an audience that really wanted to learn and which was truly appreciative to be taught.

     

    Thanks again,

    Gene

  • in reply to eagleenthusiast

      wrote:

     

    I am curious to know your thoughts on a dividing line between what you would do via FPGA versus CPLD. I am asking for this in the sense of the overall. Not just the cost.

     

    Obviously, function has to work. But, is it the size of the circuit? One-offs versus a mass build?

     

    A lot of the feedback I get when I ask is often admitted to be the one they are familiar with. I am hoping that your vast experience will explain to my simpler mind what you think is a good rule of thumb to choose one over the other.

     

    Please, share your thoughts.

     

    Thanks,

    Stephen

    That is a really interesting question.  For me, I would use a CPLD when I am designing a 'co-processor like' function to be used with a microcontroller, or in a very simple design where a 'state machine' would be useful to control another circuit. I would use a FPGA when I am faced with a very large, or very complex design that would benefit from parallel processing.  Also, another distinction that sometimes influences that decision is the necessity of pin-count.  CPLDs can have upwards to 300+ I/O pins, where FPGAs might have well over a 1000+ I/O pins.  Similarly, in a size constrained design (or if you are trying to keep it simple and avoid ball grid array packages) CPLDs might be a better choice than FPGAs.

     

    I hope that helps.

    Gene

  • Hi Gene,

    Thanks for posting the links to these great tutorials.

    John

  • Hi Gene,

     

    They really are great tutorials. I think I may have come across them in the past, I used the CoolRunner-II chips a few times, and frankly it is hard finding decent VHDL tutorials online. Yours are easy to follow, and have good detail.

  • in reply to genebren

    I am curious to know your thoughts on a dividing line between what you would do via FPGA versus CPLD. I am asking for this in the sense of the overall. Not just the cost.

     

    Obviously, function has to work. But, is it the size of the circuit? One-offs versus a mass build?

     

    A lot of the feedback I get when I ask is often admitted to be the one they are familiar with. I am hoping that your vast experience will explain to my simpler mind what you think is a good rule of thumb to choose one over the other.

     

    Please, share your thoughts.

     

    Thanks,

    Stephen