Hello all.
I am interested in learning about FPGAs but don't know much about where to start. Should I get Xilinx FPGA starter kit? Would that be helpful for taking me by the hand and going through the basics?
Are there any other things a beginner should be aware of?
Please advise.
Thanks
One of the things you should consider is what type of systems or devices you want to design. Develop a list of requirements and identify what devices meet them.
Altera and Xilinx offer limited editions of their software that you can download for free from their web sites. See which one you have a preference for.
As for languages it is either Verilog or VHDL. Again it is a matter of personal preference or project requirements. You might search Amazon to see what books are available and reviews people have left.
I bought an Altera Stratix II Kit because of features. But to get started XESS
Derek
Do you have a project in mind or do you just want to get started? I agree with Derek that if you have a project in mind, then you should develop a list of requirements and identify what devices meet them. If you just want to get started, then you can buy an FPGA starter kit such as Spartan3 Starter Kit from Xilinx. Start SIMPLE, by building for example a 2 input AND gates. See if you can get the output right with 2 input switches and 1 LED output. Then build something slightly more complicated, such as an adder. You can learn by progressively increasing the complexity of your design. You don't need to know FPGA architecture in order to use it. You just need to know how to identify and use the I/O pins. And you don't need to know HDLs either. You can use Schematics if you want.
Hendra
We have -I think- a very nice and complete Kit to start with, and we have designed also a set of practical and progressive exercises. I don't think other Kits do this today. We start easy (BCD counter), and end up with a nice design including the design of an UART and a RS232 D.E.S. crypting engine. Initially, I thought the teaching material would be reserved to schools and our Educational Kits, but we may make it availaible to individuals.
When you'll have exhausted all Tornado features, you'll be likely very familiar with HDL design :-) See :
The design software is free and we deliver ready-to-use scripts and examples so you can design & downnload your first application in just a few minutes after unpacking the Kit, without launching any tool other than a text editor (there is even one in the kit). You can then focus on learning VHDL (or Verilog) first and learn tools and detailed methodology after, progressively.
HDLs are not like "ordinary" programming languages at all, the concepts behind them are not intuitive, and they are difficult to learn by try and guess.
You can also find some simple and free HDL code at
If you look for even cheaper board with some interesting features, you may consider the LiveDesign Evaluation boards, but indeed many others are available.
But my suggestion is to find a _good_ learning source for VHDL or Verilog and start coding and testing on a bord all along the way. And make sure you always simulate your HDL code ! There are things and concepts which can only be explained or verified by simulation.
HDL coding is a incredible source of enjoyment and creativity, and the learning curve _can_ be smooth and easy.
Good luck,
Bert Cuzeau
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