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anyone tried the Actel ProASIC3 Starter Kit?

Has anyone tried the Actel ProASIC3 Starter Kit? What is the cost of this unit?

From the documentation, the chip claims to be able to run from an external

350MHz clock (and it appears the internal PLLs can generate a 350MHz clock from an external source) but the system says it can only do about 150MHz internal? Is this correct?

Are there other companies making flash-based FPGAs? Is there a better Starter Kit value available somewhere that anyone knows about?

Thanks.

Dave

Reply to
starfire
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"starfire" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com...

are you sure PA3 kit is already available !!?? to my knowledge all PA3 shipments are delayed unitl august september? I do have the PA+ kit but havent done much with it.

check out Lattice XP series, they have many advantages over PA3 XP10 starterkits are available silicon also

Antti

Reply to
Antti Lukats

Hi Dave,

As mentioned before on this newsgroup, the only way to find out what kind of performance you can achieve is to do a synth and place&route run. In addition to that you need to look at the architecture and if required adjust your design accordingly. I have a simple AES core on my website which I synthesised for an A3PE600 to just get an fmax value, however, I didn't appreciate that the ProASIC3 doesn't support any internal ROMs (i.e. preloaded memory cells) and thus ended up was a long chain of C-cells (see

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After changing the design to use synchronous embedded SRAMs the fmax increased to a respectable value :-)

One thing I really like about Actel is that they give excellent support (at least here in the UK). If I were you I would invite one of the FAE to visit you to discuss your requirements,

Hans.

Reply to
Hans

I've submitted a request to our local sales rep asking for pricing and availability but have not heard back yet.

I will check into the Lattice parts. Thnaks for the heads-up.

I have used the Actel Axcelerator parts in previous designs and like the way the PLLs work. The parts are fairly fast, also. The idea of a flash-based part is very nice, though. It sure beats throwing those expensive anti-fuse units away after every change.

Dave

Reply to
starfire

Hi Antti

What are the advantages of XP over PA3

I have to pick one of them for "system pld" in my board.

I know XP has single power supply, initialized BRAM, very fast poweru

load from internal flash.

From the other hand PA3 has more flexible packaging, that allow to g

down in price. Also I heard that PLL is better.

Don't know about development software, seems to be kind of the same

"starfire" schrieb im Newsbeitra

of thi

externa

cloc

150MH

bette

are you sure PA3 kit is already available !!? to my knowledge all PA3 shipments are delayed unitl august september I do have the PA+ kit but havent done much with it

check out Lattice XP series, they have many advantages over PA

XP10 starterkits are available silicon als

Antti[/quote:9f6ebfd223

Reply to
leevv

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