sorry to double post, I noticed Alexandre Rusev mentioned using Orcad Express to do the synthesis. Is that true? Orcad can take an electric Schematic and make it into a Xilinx Coolrunner II implementation? It sounds farfetched, but I just want to make sure
On Nov 17, 1:47 pm, John <[email protected]> wrote: > I was talking about the second scenario, unfortunately. I suppose the > best I can do with Electric is draw it in that program to make sure my > circuit works, then copy the design into Xilinx ISE so I know that > it's Xilinx's fault if it doesn't work, and not my design. > > Are all the vendor programs really equally bad? Is there any one of > them that is even remotely reliable? > > I considered switching to Altera, but I would have to buy a new board > for it, and I don't want to make that investment unless I can be sure > it will work better. > > On Nov 17, 12:53 pm, John Porche <[email protected]> wrote: > > > This is a big question - but basically you _can_. > > What you are talking about is fpga (or cpld) prototyping of ASIC > > designs - I think. > > > Not withstanding device capacity - most digital designs can be > > implemented in programmable logic as well as on an ASIC. > > Some design flows encourage prototyping the ASIC design in > > programmable logic first, then moving to the ASIC when > > performance/production/cost dictates. > > > But I suspect what you are really asking is: > > Can Electric be used as an FPGA CAD environment. > > simple answer: no > > To make the files needed for CPLD's and FPGA's you need a synthesis tool. > > This tool can take structural and/or behavioral HDL (verilog and VHDL > > for instance), and translate the code into the required configuration > > files of the programmamble logic. > > > this is no small task. and not something electric can do. > > > Logic minimization, tech mapping, place and route, must be figured out > > by the synthesis tool - not to mention timing and other constraints. > > > Synopsys makes an FPGA synthesis tool, as well as just about all the > > programmable logic chip vendors (theirs are usually free for students > > - non-comercial). > > > The vendor-supplied tools tend to be crap, however. > > > While I WISH someone would start an open-source synthesis tool that > > could do programmable logic, ASIC std cell, and maybe even regular > > circuits, I haven't heard of one started yet. > > > If you want the nitty gritty: you could download from xilinx all of > > the data sheets , and use the MVSIS tool from UCBerkely to map HDL-> > > FPGA, but I suspect it is much easier to just use the vendor supplied > > crappy/buggy tools. > > > cheers > > john > > > On Wed, Nov 17, 2010 at 10:02 AM, John <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Thanks for your help! > > > > A few questions: > > > > I have a Coolrunner II CPLD board, are you saying that there is some > > > way I can translate a circuit built in Electric into a Coolrunner > > > 2 .jed file? The coolrunner II board is quite old, so that might have > > > been one of the types they released the details on. > > > > Or, are you saying I should make the circuit in electric, and somehow > > > translate it to something Xilinx can understand, and have it make > > > the .jed file? > > > > You might have answered it already, I'm having trouble following you. > > > I don't know much about how this device works, I just started in > > > digital logic. > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > > "Electric VLSI Editor" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]. > > > For more options, visit this group > > > athttp://groups.google.com/group/electricvlsi?hl=en. > > > -- > > --------------- > > John Porche -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Electric VLSI Editor" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/electricvlsi?hl=en.
