<p>Hi Charles, please add my name to the Linux capable fpga board list. Thanks Richard Jones </p>
<p>Sent by my Android!</p>
<p>On 23/07/2011 7:20 PM, "Paul Davey" <<a href="mailto:plmdvy@gmail.com">plmdvy@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution">> On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 4:02 PM, Charles Manning <<a href="mailto:cdhmanning@gmail.com">cdhmanning@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>> On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 9:40 PM, Volker Kuhlmann<br>>> <<a href="mailto:list0570@paradise.net.nz">list0570@paradise.net.nz</a>> wrote:<br>>>> On Fri 22 Jul 2011 15:37:01 NZST +1200, Charles Manning wrote:<br>
>>><br>>>>> I believe the last discussion on FPGAs was silenced by the Feb earthquakes.<br>>>><br>>>> :-(<br>>>><br>>>>> The choice is really between:<br>>>>> * Cheapest: $49<br>
>>>> * Pay a bit more but get much more toys (DE0-nano): $39.<br>>>><br>>>> So the choice is between cheapest and really cheapest... :-))<br>>><br>>> Sorry, my typo. $79, not $39.<br>
>><br>>>><br>>>> I would be interested. The potential to run Linux sounds good.<br>>>> But I don't remember the story about development tools. Do they run *on*<br>>>> Linux too? There appears to be nothing mentioning Linux on terasic's<br>
>>> site, although Altera seems to have at least heard of it and has<br>>>> software for it, but I am unsure as to the extent of this and what all<br>>>> those names on te Altera site mean.<br>>>><br>
>>> Did anyone have a look at Linux as development platform, and what was<br>>>> the result?<br>>><br>>><br>>> The De0-nano development is done with the Altera tools. There are<br>>> Linux versions of the FPGA and NIOS IDE. I therefore assume it is<br>
>> possible to do everything under Linux.<br>>> <a href="https://www.altera.com/download/software/quartus-ii-we">https://www.altera.com/download/software/quartus-ii-we</a><br>>> <a href="https://www.altera.com/download/software/nios-ii">https://www.altera.com/download/software/nios-ii</a><br>
>><br>>><br>>> The Terassic tutorial is Winpoo based, but I expect the workflow is<br>>> pretty much the same. The Terassic media includes a Windows program<br>>> that communicates with the demo images. That might not work, but<br>
>> that's not really part of the learning.<br>>><br>>> Other stuff I have found out:<br>>> * The DE0-nano board has the equivalent of an Altera BitBlaster (or<br>>> whatever it is called) USB cable built in. This downloads the images<br>
>> as well as providing a debugging link (think JTAG cable) for software<br>>> debugging etc. It can also be used as a target<-->host link for comms.<br>>><br>>> * There are over 70 FPGA pins that come out on the headers. These are 3V3.<br>
>><br>>> There are various projects that provide Linux running on NIOS2. At the<br>>> low end there's a uclinux that runs on nios configured without an MMU<br>>> or full-fat Linux running on nios with an MMU.<br>
>><br>>> There are also various RTOS ports to nios too.<br>>><br>>> Since the FPGA has 22K logic elements and the nios can be configured<br>>> as low as 700 logic elements, there's a whole pile of space to do<br>
>> interesting logic or multi-core dabbling.<br>>><br>>> Shipping for the Terassic board is approx USD40 based on 3 boards, so<br>>> budget USD10 each. ie a total of USD89.<br>>><br>>> Personally I think that's a bargain for what you get.<br>
>><br>>> I would like to place an order at the end of next week, so please let<br>>> me know if you're in.<br>> <br>> <br>> I'm in.<br>> <br>> I guess its a difference in the design and also they are different<br>
> parts, but the actel Smartfusion board I have has 200k system gates<br>> and 4608 tiles (D-flip-flops)<br>> So assuming what logic elements are is one of these two this is either<br>> much bigger than the smartfusion or much smaller.<br>
> <br>> Anyway having two things will be interesting for trying different things.<br>> <br>> Paul<br>> <br>> _______________________________________________<br>> Chchrobotics mailing list <a href="mailto:Chchrobotics@lists.linuxnut.co.nz">Chchrobotics@lists.linuxnut.co.nz</a><br>
> <a href="http://lists.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/chchrobotics">http://lists.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/chchrobotics</a><br>> Mail Archives: <a href="http://lists.ourshack.com/pipermail/chchrobotics/">http://lists.ourshack.com/pipermail/chchrobotics/</a><br>
> Web site: <a href="http://kiwibots.org">http://kiwibots.org</a><br>> Meeting Time and Location uncertain while Science Alive is out of action.<br>> <br>> When replying, please edit your Subject line to reflect new content.<br>
</p>