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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 in reply to yibbidy

    Shaun James wrote:

     

    Why do you only have those two options?

    Welcome, Shaun.

     

    I think this is pretty accurate: VHDL and Verilog are usually the only options offered by FPGA logic synthesis tools.  If you want to skip logic synthesis, you can often use EDIF to provide netlist input to the FPGA placement and routing software provided by the FPGA vendor.  EDIF could be produced by a non-VHDL/Verilog synthesizer from a different HDL, or generated from schematics.

  • 0 in reply to johnbeetem

    @john, Thanks for the welcome.  I was using the element14 app on iOS for the first time and didn't see all of the posts, only the original, so my question appeared out of context of my intent.  My question about "why only the choice of two" was meant to be regarding the choice between a complex FPGA and a complex microcontroller for a "new fan" of embedded.

     

    I'm thinking something like an Arduino or Propeller Stamp might be more appropriate to get started.  I wish they had those when I first started out :). In any case there are hundreds of options, not just the two that the original poster mentioned.

  • 0 in reply to yibbidy

    Oh, great posts by the way!  Very interesting.

     

    Ive only done FPGA design work twice.  The first time was over a decade ago using schematic capture onto a Xilinx XC4003 I think, yep, just a few thousand gates.  The last time was about four years ago, modifying an existing VHDL design.  It was a struggle.  I've bought a development board and Verilog books, I thought I'd give Verilog a go as I program in "C" and I believe that it's easier to master for people with a C background.

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  • 0 in reply to yibbidy

    Oh, great posts by the way!  Very interesting.

     

    Ive only done FPGA design work twice.  The first time was over a decade ago using schematic capture onto a Xilinx XC4003 I think, yep, just a few thousand gates.  The last time was about four years ago, modifying an existing VHDL design.  It was a struggle.  I've bought a development board and Verilog books, I thought I'd give Verilog a go as I program in "C" and I believe that it's easier to master for people with a C background.

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  • 0 in reply to yibbidy

    Shaun James wrote:

     

    ... I've bought a development board and Verilog books, I thought I'd give Verilog a go as I program in "C" and I believe that it's easier to master for people with a C background.

    Yes, Verilog syntax is very close to C and you'll find it comfy.  A lot of people use Verilog (or VHDL) to describe functionality behaviorally, but I personally find such code hard to follow and I think it takes way too many lines.  I prefer to think in Boolean expressions, and whenever possible I write the Boolean expression in a wire statement so I don't have to declare the wire one place and assign a value to it elsewhere.

     

    I also like to use Xilinx distributed RAM cells, both single- and dual-port.  To get these, you have to write your Verilog very carefully so that the synthesizer recognizes the pattern and synthesized the special FPGA features.  The Xilinx software has a menu option that shows synthesis templates for registers, latches, RAMs, and other useful functions.  You can also find this in the XST (Xilinx Synthesis Technology) document.