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FPGA or Microcontroller ?

Former Member

Hi everybody, I'm a new fan of embedded, fpga and microcontroller devices.

 

I want to learn to program devices with Ethernet communication, SD memory, EEPROM, and RS-232RS-232. I have two options but I don't know what is the best option for to do better things in a near future.

 

The first is ALTERA Cyclone III FPGA Development Evaluation Board + 18 Accessory Modules Kits.

(http://www.aliexpress.com/item/OpenEP3C16-Package-B-EP3C16Q240C8N-EP3C16-ALTERA-Cyclone-III-FPGA-Development-Evaluation-Board-18-Accessory-Modules-Kits/567832707.html)

 

And the second is ARM Cortex-M4 Development Board STM32F407ZGT6 STM32F407+ 16pcs Expansion Modules.

(http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Open407Z-Package-B-STM32F407ZGT6-STM32F407-STM32-ARM-Cortex-M4-Development-Board-15pcs-Expansion-Modules-Freeshipping/594407043.html)

 

Can you explain me the difference between both options and which one will be more educational for digital signal processing and to get a better and more interesting job related to robotic or something like automatic control or stuff like that?.

 

I appreciate a lot your help beforehand because I really want to learn to work with this devices but in my university I only read about them.

 

I only can to buy one of them for a long time, so I would like the best and long time option.

  

Thanks beforehand,

 

 

Akuthor.

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  • 0

    It all depends on whether you want to learn embedded programming or logic design, i.e., do you want to become a software engineer, a hardware engineer, or both.  For embedded programming, you need a processor evaluation board, for example the ARM Cortex-M4 board you have listed.  You might also see if you can get an STM32F4-Discovery board.  It's inexpensive (US$20 at Newark in USA), but does not have any plug-in modules like the one you listed.  Discovery does have headers with 0.1" pin pitch.

     

    If you want to learn logic design and design digital hardware, an FPGA module is a great platform.  Lattice Semiconductor is currently selling eval boards for their ICE40 series for US$20 plus shipping in USA.  It doesn't have any plug-in modules either, but does have 0.1" pitch headers.

     

    Both boards are designed to be used with PCs: you edit your source code and compile on the PC and download binaries to the board over USB.

  • 0 in reply to johnbeetem

    Thanks John and sorry for late but I was very busy.

     

    I would like become a hardware - software enginner. But I think I not have the enough knowledgement about hardware. It's the reason why I want to learn by myself to program FPGA and embedded devices. I had been programming in C, C++, Python, MATLAB a lot of years. But I want to go beyond.

    I am sure that I need to read a lot, I have 2 books of VHDL and Digital Systems. And now I need some emulator or development board to do some interesting experiments.

    But I don't know how to begin in the practice. I was searching some Development Kit board for FPGA and ARM to program the same in both devices (VHDL and C respectively). But I don't have an oscilloscope so I really need a complete development board with buttons, LCD displays, LEDs, VGA port, and any other port to see what I am developing.

     

    Can you help me?, some cheap online course or something that can help me?. I really, really want to learn to program hardware but I don't know any place that can teach me what I want.

     

    You don't know how useful are your comments for me.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Akuthor.

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  • 0 in reply to johnbeetem

    Thanks John and sorry for late but I was very busy.

     

    I would like become a hardware - software enginner. But I think I not have the enough knowledgement about hardware. It's the reason why I want to learn by myself to program FPGA and embedded devices. I had been programming in C, C++, Python, MATLAB a lot of years. But I want to go beyond.

    I am sure that I need to read a lot, I have 2 books of VHDL and Digital Systems. And now I need some emulator or development board to do some interesting experiments.

    But I don't know how to begin in the practice. I was searching some Development Kit board for FPGA and ARM to program the same in both devices (VHDL and C respectively). But I don't have an oscilloscope so I really need a complete development board with buttons, LCD displays, LEDs, VGA port, and any other port to see what I am developing.

     

    Can you help me?, some cheap online course or something that can help me?. I really, really want to learn to program hardware but I don't know any place that can teach me what I want.

     

    You don't know how useful are your comments for me.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Akuthor.

Children
  • 0 in reply to Former Member

    A K wrote:

     

    Can you help me?, some cheap online course or something that can help me?. I really, really want to learn to program hardware but I don't know any place that can teach me what I want.

    It's been decades since I taught this stuff at a university and even more since I first learned it myself, initially from physical books from the public library and then with university degrees.  So I can't recommend any recent courses or books.  Wikipedia is a terrific resource for reference and sometimes for tutorials, but you have to know what you're looking for.

     

    There has been a lot of discussion on this sort of thing at the Raspberry Pi forum over the last year.  I recommend going to the "Education" section and looking at the topics.  Someone may have posted a link to exactly what you need.  Ironically, the Education section has the second fewest number of topics.  While this is embarrassing for a project intended for education, it does mean that the Education section is easier to scan.

     

    FWIW, I greatly prefer Verilog to VHDL.  Verilog is terse like C, VHDL is wordy like Ada.