FPGA Recommendation

I've used Altera parts - Max II or Cyclone II, depending on the resources required.

Altera's free Quartus Web Edition development software is quite easy to use, and allows you to use any combination of schematic diagrams or HDL to define your design. (you can even use 7400-like symbols on a schematic.)

IMHO all FPGAs have gotchas and quirks epecially if you push pin placement and operating frequencies to the max. I'd choose the older Spartan3 series from Xilinx. Pretty fast and every pin can used as an in/out.

So far, I've found the Altera MAX-II CPLDs to be pretty good. They're a little different than a true FPGA but the user really doesn't notice the difference so much. One of the advantages of the MAX-II series is that the config flash is built in. Max-IIs only need a 3.3V supply, too (internal LDO). Cheap too.

Yup. I like the Max2 CPLD's too. I especially like their embedded memory, which has plenty of space to store your data. When you need to program RF PLL synthesizer chips and such using the CPLD sequencer, you want to store the programming words in the memory instead of declaring them as hard-coded constants in your Verilog/VHDL code. That saves a lot of main logic gates.

One thing, though, I am concerned about the MAX2 CPLD products is the limited programming cycles. They only guarantee 100 times of erase/programming cycles. I think I have done more than that or very close to that number to one of my devices. So far I don't see any problems.

I'm simply curious about why they had to specify this 100 times limitation for this device family. Usually, devices like Nor flashes, NAND flashes, CPLD's, FPGA's with internal config memories, and CPU with internal flash memories allow 10,000 times or so of erasure/programming cycles.

Altera must have employed especially hottie electron girls on thier MAX2 silicon so they blow quicker.

Atsunori

There usually is a relation between the number of programming cycles and the data retention time. You can program a flash many times, but the retention time will get shorter (no longer guaranteed).