Using LogicCORE on development board with Web ISE

"G.H. Hardy" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

the ip core is an ngc netlist you get lots of (also verilog) wrappers for it to help instantiating it.

Antti you can also use some free PCI ip core that comes with source code, there are several available.

Hi,

If you are considering purchasing a Xilinx FPGA-based PCI development board, and is planning to use it for personal use, I recommend purchasing a personal version of BDS XPCI PCI IP core. BDS XPCI PCI IP core is a Xilinx (TM) LogiCORE (TM) PCI compatible (replacement) PCI IP core developed by Brace Design Solutions. BDS XPCI32 PCI IP core is available for as little as $100 for non-commercial, non-profit, personal use, and the same 64-bit version BDS XPCI64 PCI IP core (Includes BDS XPCI32 PCI IP core) goes for $200. Since the pricing starts at only $100, it is ideal for HDL learners, FPGA beginners, FPGA hobbyists, computer hardware enthusiasts, or student graduation projects. BDS XPCI PCI IP core comes with a PCI testbench for Verilog HDL which allows the user to simulate the design extensively on an HDL simulator like ModelSim before firing up the FPGA. VHDL support is currently poor, but VHDL porting of reference designs and PCI testbench should be available in a month. BDS XPCI PCI IP core officially supports the following PCI boards.

- Insight Electronics Spartan-II 150 PCI (Already discontinued)

- Insight Electronics Spartan-II 200 PCI Development Kit

BDS XPCI PCI IP core "unofficially" supports the following PCI boards.

- Avnet Xilinx Spartan-3 Evaluation Kit

- Enterpoint Broaddown2 Development Board

So with BDS XPCI PCI IP core, almost anyone can make their own PCI device for about $400 to $500. ($300 to $400 for the board + $100 for BDS XPCI32 PCI IP core) For commercial users who want to modify a Xilinx LogiCORE PCI or want to convert a design that uses Xilinx LogiCORE PCI to an ASIC (FPGA to ASIC conversion), BDS XPCI PCI IP core is also available in Verilog HDL RTL. For more information, visit Brace Design Solutions website at

Kevin Brace

G.H. Hardy wrote:

Is this an ngc netlist with verilog wrappers as was described by Antti? Also, the most important issue to me is whether this is something that I can use with the free version of Web ISE or whether I have to purchase a full ISE to use it?

That's excellent. Will it run within the evaluation version of ModelSim bundled with Web ISE or even better, will it run in Xilinx's free simulator?

Thanks, GHH

The personal version of BDS XPCI PCI IP core will be supplied as NGO (.ngo) netlist, similar to NGC netlist in a sense that they are both not easily recognizable by humans. Like Xilinx LogiCORE PCI, the NGO netlist gets instantiated by the Verilog HDL or VHDL wrapper file. Yes, BDS XPCI PCI IP core fully supports ISE WebPACK, so assuming that ISE WebPACK is adequate, there is no need to purchase the paid version.

Yes, you can use ModelSim XE-Starter that comes with ISE WebPACK as a simulator. The PCI testbench comes with compilation scripts for ModelSim. That will make your cost of developing a basic PCI device to the cost of a Xilinx FPGA-based PCI prototype board + BDS XPCI PCI IP core + download cable + shipping + sales tax. I am not sure what you mean by "Xilinx's free simulator," but if you mean the ISE 7.1i's embedded HDL simulator (ISE Simulator), it is not supported because I have not had the chance to evaluate it. If Xilinx ever makes it free by including it with ISE WebPACK (Perhaps, they might at some point.), we can probably support it. That being said, in theory the PCI testbench contained in BDS XPCI PCI IP core should work on almost any Verilog simulator, so although we don't officially support the ISE Simulator, if the user can compile all the relevant files without errors, it should work.

Kevin Brace