FPGA Xilinx VHDL Video Tutorial

[stebefc1989]

really nice tutorial, just starting a university project. thanks!

[eladin123]

cheers man, you helped a lot of people take their first steps in making a working project, including me :)

[fatossylaj]

best VHDL i found on the net. It helped me a lot starting in VHDL programming. I have a request, could you please do a simple fast tutorial in blinking leds, either buildin leds or leds conected to breadbord. keep the good work going, thank you!

[adzomZOR86]

If you move the RESET into the clock process, would you not need to include RESET in the sensitivity list anymore? Just have the process sensitive to CLK, as it is only checking the RESET on a clock rising edge..

[mindthomas]

@adzomZOR86 Correct, but you would then only be able to reset the device on every rising edge of the clock. With the other method you can reset the device no matter of the current state.

[adzomZOR86]

@mindthomas True.. I just thought that since its a 50MHz clk.. it wouldn't really matter. The button press would always be detected with a clk that fast since the prescaler wasn't used yet..

Also, i know that this probably isn't required for this simple example.. but could you also debounce the reset switch? Probably just used for more complicated applications to remove the chance of an unwanted button press.

[mindthomas]

@adzomZOR86 True. For our example with the button it doesn't matter.

[adzomZOR86]

@mindthomas oh yeah.. the switch is part of the board. i was thinkin of an external pushbutton.

[alienkishorekumar]

Thank you for the tutorial i'm currently studying Verilog but will also study VHDL and i'm not working with any FPGA but programming in Xilinx tool! :)

[juansiahaan]

Hi, this video is by far the most informative for me....

You're using Basys 2 in your video and you can easily see the pin names for the LEDs, clock, and reset button.

I'm actually using the Spartan 6 FPGA on the SP601 Evaluation Kit...I'm having difficulties to assign the pin names for the LEDs etc. I can't see the letter such as B8 or A1 etc.

Do you know how can I know them? Could you help me, Please?

[mindthomas]

@juansiahaan Your board contains a the following Spartan 6 FPGA, XC6LX16-CS324. This has a different pin-layout than the Spartan 3E I am using, so you would have to change the pin definition file.

Have a look at the following datasheet at page 65: xilinx.com/support/documentati­on/user_guides/ug385.pdf

Have a look at your board and see which letter and numbers you can see below the LEDs you have on the board.

[madhan15791]

hey man... yout fpga tutorial for basys 2 was awesome... learnt a great deal from it... Can you recomend me any good books to jumpstart into vhdl in xilinx... thanks for the tutorial maan....

[mindthomas]

@madhan15791 Have a look at the Digital Design series of books.

digilentinc. com/Products/Catalog.cfm?NavPa­th=2,729&Cat=14

I recommend you to get the "Digital Design, VHDL edition" or if that is too much (large) you could get the "Introduction to Digital Design, VHDL edition" instead.

[survitanimes]

Vive l'ES 102 !

[xkorn]

Great tutorial, helps me out a lot to get into ISE and fpga programming. Are there any advanced topics planned?

[mindthomas]

@xkorn Yes, actually there is. One of the topics is how to generate VGA signals. Another one is how to interface an FPGA with a microprocessor. And the last one, as a follower to the microprocessor one, is how to get the Gameduino core (for the Arduino) to run on our FPGA development board, with a Spartan 3E

[survitanimes]

@xkorn Vive l'ES 102

[zizutg]

tnx dude a lot

[Sharpless512]

nvm I get it! Great tut by the way ! Many thx!

[mindthomas]

@Sharpless512 Thank you - I hope you understood it :-)

[Sharpless512]

I don't understand the part of the prescalor, please help!

[sumanhit]

Thanks Thomas, this video is really helpful for beginners. Can u upload a video how to design based on Area, Power requirements and give description of the design summary page .

[mindthomas]

@sumanhit I will try to. Unfortunately I have a lot of videos coming up soon (I have to record them) of different product reviews, so this FPGA video will be on my list for later videos :-)

Thank you for your comment.

[HebaFromEgypt]

Please how can I find the program tool used there?

[mindthomas]

@HebaFromEgypt The software tool used in this video is called "Xilinx ISE WebPACK" and can be found and downloaded on their webpage xilinx.com/support/download

Please notice that the file is very big, ~5GB

[HebaFromEgypt]

@mindthomas Thanks :)

[MuelXDD]

is this ok if ill use spartan 3e board?

[mindthomas]

@MuelXDD Yes sure, you will just have to make the appropriate changes to the User Constraints File to match the board

[dms2013cadetmom]

Thank you - this was very helpful!

[Aris87br]

THANK YOU FOR THIS TUTORIAL

IT WAS VERY HELPFUL AND VERY WELL ORGANIZED

[blackwolfsquadron]

excellent video. I needed some kind of introduction. I followed the steps and it worked. :)

[perizepa]

Hello thomas,

this tutorial was really really helpful to me and thanks a lot about it :)

I followed all the steps and programmed the board finally :) now i need to program it with the hex counter you have on your site. I have downloaded the zip file and i've just made a new project and added the 3 files you have (pins, control, hex) as "Add Source" to my new project. my 1st problem is that i need to change some names in the code. 2nd is that in the pins file i get 18 errors :) help me please :D

[mindthomas]

@perizepa Great that you liked the video. To use the files from my website you should create a blank project (just New Project), and add the files just as you did (using Add Source). When the files has been added you should see the Control file in the top of the hierarchy. I've just tried doing it again, and I can synthesize it without any problems.

The errors must have something to do with your name changes - so please tell me what you have changed, so I can help you better.

[perizepa]

@mindthomas Hello again there,

I just tried to add the 3 files as you said on a blank new project and im getting a series of 13 errors, but this time most of these are about "Size mismatch". I've copied all of the errors on a txt file. If there is any way to send this file to you and check it please say so.

Thanks for the help,

Peri

[mindthomas]

@perizepa You can contact me at the following mail: thomasj(at)tkjelectronics.dk

[ravicosmos]

hi thomas, great vid buddy. learnt a lot from this video of yours. i was searching for such videos for a llong time and luckily i found yours. can you please upload some more videos on vhdl programming and on xiilnx synthesis tools like routing, placement ,floorplaning etc and how to make designs for your code efficient both on vhdl and fpga- from the basics. i would really appreciate if you do.

again thanks buddy

[mindthomas]

@ravicosmos Yeah I will. Do you have any specific tutorials you would like me to make - I mean, please elaborate on which specific tutorial about Xilinx and FPGA you would like me to make?

[mortaldrumming]

I copied the exact code to the project navigator, and assigned the pins just as you did. but then I program the board and the leds are still off. any suggestions?

[mindthomas]

@mortaldrumming Hmm... If you have followed the exact steps as I do in the video, it should work. Do you have the Basys2 with the Spartan 3E 100K? If you have the Basys (Basys 1) it might be why it doesn't work.

[mindthomas]

It's a matter of taste. Somebody says that the Altera Quartus software is much better and more reliable than the Xilinx ISE.

I have used Altera FPGAs though, which is a mistake. I have got a couple of their development boards, but I haven't tried them yet.

[Elamin008]

which one is better to start Xilinx or alterra ?? 

thank you