http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545 A place to share, learn, and grow... en-US Fri, 22 Jan 2016 00:09:01 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://forums.leaflabs.com/search.php http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545&page=2#post-3044 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:17:37 +0000 gbulmer 3044@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <blockquote><p>If you want a good theoretical understanding, one of my professors would suggest reading the Bachus-Naur format (BNF)</p></blockquote> <p>I assume that professor had a whicked sense of humour, and was joking with you guys :-)<br /> IMHO, the BNF/EBNF of a programming language is very close the the least interesting part. </p> <p>I want to understand the rationale, semantics, how to test and debug it, where the edges are, the favoured idioms, what not to use it for. That sort of stuff.</p> <p>Maybe the easiest way to explain what I would like is to ask for the VHDL equivalent of "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs"<br /> <a href="http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/" rel="nofollow">http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/</a><br /> But a 'Kernighan &amp; Ritchie' equivalent be fabulous.</p> <p>Seems like a good section for the web site when Oak arrives.</p> <p>Kindle in the 'lavoratory' D'oh! (Hmmm, not such a bad idea :-) </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545&page=2#post-3042 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:23:41 +0000 larryang 3042@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>IIRC, the webpack has a fairly decent tutorial.</p> <p>If you want a good theoretical understanding, one of my professors would suggest reading the Bachus-Naur format (BNF) for VHDL (IEEE Standar 1076 Appendix A). Very dry though... </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545&page=2#post-3010 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:02:35 +0000 edpell 3010@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>Freescale has cortex-m4 now. NXP folks say Q1 2011 for samples. I would expect that by the end of 2011 all cortex manufacturers will have cortex-m4s. At the embedded conference in Boston in September NXP made it sound like m4 was right around the corner. But two weeks ago I asked NXP sales and they said samples Q1 2011. </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545&page=2#post-3009 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:07:29 +0000 crenn 3009@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>I wish I could share the material I learnt from.</p> <p>Ever thought about taking a kindle with you to the lavoratory? (lame joke there) </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545&page=2#post-3006 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:47:52 +0000 gbulmer 3006@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>I sometimes find it hard to get to sleep at night ... :-)</p> <p>I am an old guy, and I LIKE reading books.<br /> Also I am a 'bouncer'. I understand something at a high level, then want to do the detail to se if it works, then I want to integrate that into my high-level understanding, then extend.<br /> I find I am more effective at learning when I have the materials to support all the ways I learn. Good books fulfil a role for me.</p> <p>I will install and 'fool around with' webpack, but a really good book would support me learning faster.</p> <p>Also, I am happy to take a book to 'the can' (no, not the bus:-), but it feels downright weird taking a laptop ;-) </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2995 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 22:25:01 +0000 crenn 2995@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>Every time I've done VHDL, I've never touched the recommended text. Once you get used to the syntax, it's a fairly easy language to use. My first experience with using VHDL is by using webPack, it works, and it works well. </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2988 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 01:28:54 +0000 larryang 2988@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>Yeah, the webpack has a simulator (lite version of <a href="http://www.xilinx.com/tools/isim.htm)" rel="nofollow">http://www.xilinx.com/tools/isim.htm)</a>. A few years ago I used it to implement a FFT and verified it in simulation.</p> <p>The book was okay. I wouldn't say enjoy though. Haven't been exposed to other texts, so can't help much there. </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2982 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 20:59:18 +0000 gbulmer 2982@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>larryang - does <a href="http://www.xilinx.com/tools/webpack.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.xilinx.com/tools/webpack.htm</a> provide the simulator too?<br /> My friends current board uses Xilinx, so I can usefully spend time with "webpack".</p> <p>Did you enjoy using VHDL PROGRAMMING BY EXAMPLE by Perry?<br /> I am looking for a very accessable, hands-on, VHDL or Verilog book. </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2980 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 20:12:19 +0000 larryang 2980@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>My two cents on VHDL vs. Verilog: it's an institutional choice. However, I'm only seen VHDL in my undergraduate and graduate education. At work (ex-Lucent), our department uses VHDL for FPGA and ASIC development.</p> <p>For the hobbyist and student, Xilinx offers a free IDE that works with either: <a href="http://www.xilinx.com/tools/webpack.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.xilinx.com/tools/webpack.htm</a>. With it, I did a few examples from the text VHDL PROGRAMMING BY EXAMPLE by Perry. </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2970 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 07:03:16 +0000 gbulmer 2970@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>mlindeblom - Is the STM32F107, which exists now, not good enough? </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2966 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:23:18 +0000 mlindeblom 2966@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>What interests me about this device is the Ethernet interface coupled with a PHY such as LAN8720a</p> <p>Price?? -- will it compete with lpc1768? </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2923 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:51:45 +0000 gbulmer 2923@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>I am currently assuming I'll likely have to learn both.</p> <p>I just did a quick straw poll at amazon for verilog and VHDL books.<br /> There seemed to be a similar number before the example quotes had become references to other books. Though quite a lot of VHDL was in German, and a block of Verilog were unavailable.<br /> Summary: quite a lot of books, very few looked fun :-)</p> <p>A guy I know who teaches this stuff seems to insist people learn to use the simulator, so I guess that needs to be free (at least gratis, but preferably libre) too. </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2920 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:47:53 +0000 poslathian 2920@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>Here a little related info:</p> <p>Originally there were two languages related to ASIC development and circuit design, verilog and vhdl. Verilog was the SIMULATION language and VHDL was the SYNTHESIS language. Eventually, someone verilog became synthesizable as well, thus making VHDL somewhat obsolete. However, the large institutionalized developers stuck with it for...inertial reasons (or so Ive been told). VHDL is super common in aerospace and military related work. Verilog is more common in consumer work - at Analog Devices we used verilog. </p> <p>Later on variants and extensions on verilog became available, system verilog and bluespec (system verilog+haskell+other stuff), and these have expensive compilers. However the sugar-free verilog compilers are still free (as in gratis, not as in libre) from the major FPGA manufacturers. There are some libre packages for simulating verilog, such as icarus. </p> <p>Personally, I use verilog. Jess uses VHDL. It has been my intention to make Oak verilog-centric, but that debate hasnt really come to a head yet. </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2910 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 06:56:19 +0000 gbulmer 2910@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>The people I know, who can help up up the learning curve faster, use VHDL.</p> <p>One friend says Verilog was <strong>much</strong> better, but AFAIK Verilog is expensive (out of my price range, and hence maybe beyond the folks I work with) and VHDL is free of charge.</p> <p>I'll happily try either if there is good documentation and some help. </p> http://forums.leaflabs.com/topic.php?id=545#post-2909 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:53:30 +0000 crenn 2909@http://forums.leaflabs.com/ <p>I've learnt VHDL but from what I hear it's similar to Verilog. </p>