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FPGA machine-level specification?

I am quite new to FPGAs and I would like to play with Altera EPK10TC100-3. My main computer is an Alpha CPU Linux machine.

I learnt how to transfer compiled RBF files to the chip. What I would like to know is how one goes about to write, for instance, a Verilog compiler for a specific chip.

I have experience with microprocessors only, and it is quote stratightforward to write assemblers as processor makers release the specification of the machine code.

I am interested in what each bit represents in the Raw Binary Format, so that I can play with the device at the lowest level, making the wiring myself first and possibly use this know-how to write some compiler later.

Is there such low-level specification available for FPGAs?

Thanks Gaspar

Reply to
Gaspar Sinai
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The companies won't publish a lot of information on the bitstream data format. A lot of universities request that for their research in the past.

What they got is the XC62000 series from Xilinx which was quickly discontinued.

What you can get for Xilinx is the jbits package. That's an API that will not tell you what the individual bits mean, but it allows you to manipulate the bitstream in a meaningful way. You can for example set the content of LUT x and connect it ot LUT y.

Altera has a university program that allows you to manipulate the data structures of their backend tools. So you still need the full set of Altera tools running, but you can experiment with your own algorithms.

Kolja Sulimma

Reply to
Kolja Sulimma

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