Getting started with CPLDs – Index

17 Apr 2015

Maybe you are interested, but do not know the terminology. Please first check out a great slide show at http://www.elektor.com/Uploads/Files/CPLDFPGAprog_1.pdf

Here you will find links to all the articles that make up our CPLD for beginners guide.

We’d love to hear your feedback about this guide. If we’ve got something wrong or if there’s anything specific you’d like us to cover, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Part 1 – Installing the Altera Quartus II software
Part 2 – Entering your first design
Part 3 – Lighting an LED
Part 4 – Adding a button
Part 5 – Making a half-adder
Part 6 – Making a full-adder
Part 7 – Making a 4-bit binary adder

Part 8 – Making a 4-bit binary subtractor

Source: http://www.hackshed.co.uk/getting-started-with-cplds-index/

For a more in depth discussion, look at Programmable Logic II – CPL | Hackaday.

Oh! do you need one, see Altera: DK-DEV-5M570ZN MAX V CPLD Development Kit

Enjoy learning new things,

Clem

Top Comments

michaelkellett over 10 years ago +1

The CPLDFPGAprog document is VERY dated and contains many unsupported (and in my opinion) unsupportable assertions. It doesn't mention the two interesting players in CPLDs (Lattice and Silego) who are…

johnbeetem over 10 years ago in reply to michaelkellett

Michael Kellett wrote:

About the only reason for using ancient Xilinx or Altera CPLD style chips now is the one mentioned by John, they fit into low cost through hole sockets...

Also, some of the Lattice iCE chips are so cheap that it's silly to use a slow, power-hungry CPLD when you can get a far more capable FPGA for about the same price.
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michaelkellett over 10 years ago

The CPLDFPGAprog document is VERY dated and contains many unsupported (and in my opinion) unsupportable assertions. It doesn't mention the two interesting players in CPLDs (Lattice and Silego) who are the only companies that I know of who are still developing new CPLD type chips.

About the only reason for using ancient Xilinx or Altera CPLD style chips now is the one mentioned by John, they fit into low cost through hole sockets. (Although it's quite easy to get very cheap break out boards: eg ALTERA FPGA Cyslonell EP2C5T144 Minimum System Learning Board Development Board-in Other Electronic Components from Elec… £10.73 for one,, free shipping).

MK
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johnbeetem over 10 years ago

If you like Xilinx, check out Guzunty Pi: https://github.com/Guzunty/Pi/wiki
The kit with all through-hole parts is GBP10 plus shipping in the UK, or from e-bay in the USA for US$17 (one left). You can also get bare boards if you'd rather buy your own parts. Guzunty uses the Xilinx XC9536XL or XC9572XL CPLD, which is a very nice 3.3V part with 5V-tolerant I/Os. The chip is still available as a PLCC44 so you can plug it into a socket with 0.1" pinout for easy through-hole soldering.

I haven't used Guzunty Pi personally, but I've used the XC9536/72XL for many designs and it's a great part.
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clem57 over 10 years ago

Here is a good first timer's view of using CPUD:
My 1st CPLD project using the Xilinx XC9536
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