FPGA motherboard for 80386 CPU (2024 Update)

How would I get a project like this working in simulation first? I'm going to be reading real input from another piece of hardware. I'll be giving it a clock signal, and responding to events based on whatever it's doing.

About the only real ability I have to control the CPU is in the clock signal, which I should be able to step as needed on the Am386 part, which is static.

Would I build a state machine and give it sample inputs and make sure it's all working? What if the state machine I build does not match what I find in the real-world Am386 hardware protocols?

I'm expecting to find a lot of things it does that are non-standard. I am expecting to be able to capture and code for each of them one- by-one, with the bulk of the design being as predicted.

I came across this toolset from ARM recently.

This is almost exactly what I envisioned Logician's interface looking like at 2:15:

Specifically here at 2:36:

The drag-and-drop / "connect noodles" approach is what I envisioned from Blender. So, this tool has almost exactly what I'm looking for.

Except ... I do not like seeing outputs like these at 1:32:

The idea is: I work in direct models of hardware units, and the tool generates the required source code for me.

The Tool in the video is NOT from ARM, but is the Xilinx FPGA tool, and since some of their FPGAs include a hard core embedded ARM (actually 2), and others can create cores within the fabric, the tool provides a good environment for building systems around ARM cores, so you cal learn the protocols in the cores. There are also a number of peripheral cores provided to interface with the processor core provided.

Most of the major FPGA manufactures (at least those with FPGAs big enough to have a processor core) have similar pieces in their tools.

How else do you want to present the state of signals changing over time?

This sort of interface has been around for what, maybe 30 years or more (I used a similar graphical interface in the mid 80's for designing parts of FPGAs).

These tools generally allow you to mix representations over layers, a block in the graphical form can underneath be another graphical sheet, or a textual module. And textual module can reference other textual modules or graphical modules (actually, under the hood, the system parses the graphical design and creates a textual module that get passed to the synthesis program).

I saw it on the ARM video linked below. My apologies for mis-ascribing it. It's part of their ARM Education Media program. I have never used Xilinx FPGAs. Only Lattice and .

As in the 6502 simulation, with the ability to then graph the outputs in the standard form, but I want to see things by value, by logical port, by time, by change.

I have seen a couple in the Quartus tool and Lattice has something that is GUI-based, but they are not quite on the same level of use as the one show in the ARM video.

I may be reading more into the ARM video presentation than actually exists as I have had a vision in my mind of what I want Logician to look like, and may be projecting that vision onto the Xilinx tools.

What is a reliable provider for me to download design tools and make this board? And are there providers that can do the soldering for me as part of the price?

Does anybody have any advice? If not here, where should I go to get information about custom boards designed to use with my Altera FPGA?

I am sure there are numerous 'maker' sites that could help you get tools, designed, fabricate, and assemble such a board. I can't recommend any in particular, as that isn't the sort of service I use, as I tend to use higher level boards and larger volumes, so my providers aren't as cost effective as they could be for your make one project.

I will try this company:

I've had very good experiences using Oshpark:

Also, the newest Kicad is very good with push&shove rout> > > > > > >> What is a reliable provider for me to download design tools and make

Thank you, Emilian. I'll go with them.

le i 80386 a été le meilleur ^processeur CISC ou l'on pouvait absolument tout faire puis est apparu les processeurs RISC comme les microcontrôleurs type PIC, ARM comme les processeurs d'ailleurs; Jai travaillé énormément a l'époque sur le 80386 avec TOUTE les documentations en Français comme en Anglais; Sur la conception des cartes sachant que plus la fréquence est élevé et plus la possibilité d'auto-inductions et de capacités entre pistes est élevé. ( voir les ouvrages sur les hyperfréquence sur bakélite ou époxy ainsi que l'ouvrage sur les calculs des dipôles et quadripôles de deux piste sur un PCB suivant la fréquence et la puissance) mais aussi le plus dur est la programmation en Assembleur; j'avais mes propres programmes de compilation propre aux jeux d'instructions de ce processeur comme les IDE, grafcet ,etc. . Le but étant de gagner du temps puisque au bout du compte c étais d'avoir mes programme mathématique dans le traitement du signal entre autre. actuellement on a des processeurs RISC assez médiocre, même si la fréquence DU processeur ou DU microcontrôleur est élevé; On ne fait que compiler des programmes et c est catastrophique. Reste les processeurs digitales ou les fabricants déposent que de très peu d'informations même si cela sont payants; la morale de tout cela , et bien un supercalculateur est doté soit de processeurs HCMOS digitales soit de Processeurs du type CISC a usage restreint et non divulgable pour des raisons évidentes.