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Messages from 16725

Article: 16725
Subject: Memec 8250 core with Xilinx Spartan device
From: "Kyle Geske" <geske@norscan.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 20:08:48 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Does anyone have any experience developping Spartan solutions using the
Memec Design 8250 core?  I am currently experiencing difficulty with the
core and the Memec tech support people have not replied to my requests for
help.  The problem am I having is that the 8250 refuses to communicate after
a random amount of time.  Communication usually last for 5 to 15 minutes and
then then dies.

Could anyone with experience with this core please contact me at
geske@norscan.com.

Thank you.

Kyle Geske
Hardware Design
Norscan Instruments
Winnipeg, MB
Canada


Article: 16726
Subject: Re: Altera EPC1 PROM + Data IO ChipWriter
From: "Carlhermann Schlehaus" <carlhermann.schlehaus@t-online.de>
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 22:37:28 +0200
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Hi,

just kidding, we have switched to the EPF6K and so we had the need to
programm an EPC1. We decided to buy an Optima Light, manufactured by SMS
(now a part of the Data I/O universe).
First of all, I had some telephone call with SMS support to ensure the
programmer could be used with a notebook running with WIN NT. Okay, this
should work, so we bought the programmer.

When the device arrived, the documentation told me, that the NT software
would be in 'BETA' and that either the programmer driver or the printer
driver could be installed (ridiculous, every time you'd like to programm an
EPC1, you have to deinstall your printer)...

Okay, called the support, got a link to the SMS ftp-Server to download a
newer version. This version could co-exist with the printer drivers. But the
programming times are incredible.
We need about 5 min to programm a EPC1. The *.pof is very quick read, but
then the blank check lasts just as long as the programming cycle and then
the verification, it's a horror. Series production is not possible with 10
devices / hour :-(

On the other hand I tried to program a normal 256KB (PLCC32 device). The
result is that every time I start the programming I could reset my PC as the
software causes NT (!) to crash completely ...

Cu,CS


Article: 16727
Subject: Actel Desktop installation of Synplify won't work
From: jonathan@oxfordbromley.u-net.com (Jonathan Bromley)
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 21:15:21 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Hi experts,

I just installed Actel Desktop and it all works nicely except that 
I can't get Synplify to run - it complains that "the date on 
your machine appears to have been set back", which is not true!
There are no other Synplicity installations on the machine,
I followed all the rules for setting up the FlexLM
environment strings on my Win95 machine, in fact I've generally
been quite a good boy about it all.

Actel say it's a Synplicity problem, Synplicity say it's an 
Actel license so it's not their problem, and I guess that's
the sort of grief you get when you use freebie software.

Anyone got any bright ideas?  Pleeeeeeze?

Jonathan Bromley

Article: 16728
Subject: Re: The Chickenshit War in Kosovo!
From: Jeffrey L. Jensen <jljensen@teal.csn.net>
Date: 4 Jun 1999 21:56:10 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>


-- 
Jeffrey L. Jensen
Jensen Development
Office: 303-443-3351
Fax:    303-443-3259
Article: 16729
Subject: Re: XILINX/ALTERA compatibility
From: "Wenwei Qiao" <WWQiao@SIGNTECH.COM>
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 22:10:52 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
What and where is Leonardo?

David Hawke <dhawke@globalnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:7j703e$aga$1@gxsn.com...
> You could always use Leonardo to read in the Altera EDIF and then retarget
> towards Xilinx.
> I use this quite a lot when I need a quick (but slightly dirty conversion)
>
> Regards,
>
> David Hawke.
> Xilinx.
>
> Bill Gates wrote in message <7j69in$9nf$1@tourist.gnt.net>...
> >Unfortunately the EDIF that Max+plus gave you uses parts available for
the
> >particular
> >chip family that was selected by the Max tools and the Xilinx part you
want
> >to use
> >does not have the same parts (i.e. AND1 for instance).  If you get this
to
> >actually work
> >I would be amazed.
> >
> >If you have the original VHDL code (that is if you didnt use Max's AHDL
or
> >some
> >schematic entry) then I would use that instead by either compiling it in
> >Xilinx or some
> >"better" tool like leonardo or synplicity.
> >
> >Good luck... maybe someone else has a suggestion as to how to edit the
edif
> >file
> >or something to that nature.
> >
> >
> >Vitolo <setel@mx3.redestb.es> wrote in message
> >news:7j0s18$h9b29@SGI3651ef0...
> >> Hi, all:
> >>
> >> I need convert a ALTERA design(MAX+PLUSII) into a XILINX design
> >(Foundation
> >> F1.3). I try export a Edif 200 file from MAX+PLUS and import netlist
into
> >> Schematic Editor of  Foundation. I complet the design with the new
> >component
> >> (IBUF, OBUF, pads) and save. When i try export the netlist in a XNF
file,
> >> ihave a error message ("Missing AND1 model or library error") then i
> >export
> >> in a VHD file and have ("Cannot read pin descriptors for AND1") error.
> >>
> >> I want to generate a VHDL file (XILINX Foundation compatible) from a
EDIF
> >> ,or other, ALTERA file. How i can to do?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>


Article: 16730
Subject: Re: Memec 8250 core with Xilinx Spartan device
From: "David Tang" <dtang@springtidenet.comNOSPAM>
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 18:26:41 -0400
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Did you pay for the core?  If you not then there is an 'LFSR' counter
embedded
in the netlist that would caused it to stop functioning after the 'LFSR'
counter
reaches it saturated point.

David -

Kyle Geske wrote in message ...
>Does anyone have any experience developping Spartan solutions using the
>Memec Design 8250 core?  I am currently experiencing difficulty with the
>core and the Memec tech support people have not replied to my requests for
>help.  The problem am I having is that the 8250 refuses to communicate
after
>a random amount of time.  Communication usually last for 5 to 15 minutes
and
>then then dies.
>
>Could anyone with experience with this core please contact me at
>geske@norscan.com.
>
>Thank you.
>
>Kyle Geske
>Hardware Design
>Norscan Instruments
>Winnipeg, MB
>Canada
>
>


Article: 16731
Subject: Re: Actel Desktop installation of Synplify won't work
From: "Richard B. Katz" <rich.katz@gsfc.nasa.gov.NOSPAM>
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 18:28:14 -0400
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
hi,

i've installed this on a bunch of machines and got them all working ...
although some of them didn't go so smoothly, depending on the machine,
what is on it, what was on it, bleah, bleah, bleah.  i think i have 4
systems running now with no more than moderately loud 'cussin.

a few things to consider:

1. perhaps there's some residual junk laying around from a demo
synplicity installation that you may have had.  some of these programs
(general statement) leave things hidden to make it tamper resistant.  if
you had some previous synplicity installations make sure you get rid of
all the junk it put in, files, registry entries, any junk in
autoexec.bat.  i don't remember all the details but it sounds like it
may be accessing an older license file and it thinks there's been some
tampering.  if i remember correctly (it's been a few months since i've
done an install) it might have to read in the file with a form that pops
up.  the synplicity part has been the hardest of the desktop packages to
install.

2. my systems (except 1) have viewlogic running on it.  i think i just
appended the synplicity license info to the end of the viewlogic license
file which made things go better.  perhaps the viewlogic experts can
chime in, but iirc they changed the license file concatenation character
for multiple licenses in one of the recent versions.  i think just
putting it all in one file helped me out on 1 or 2 of the installations.

3. which version of designer are you using?  i have the full designer
licenses but synplicity won't run unless you have the less capable
designer lite (which got me you-know-where today).  please don't ask me
why, i don't know.  but i did have to boot of r3-1998 (w/ the patches
installed) and then install r3-1998 lite.

4. call or email their technical hotline (tech@actel.com).

if you get stuck and need more info, i'll copy the config information
from one of my machines and send it over for you to compare with yours.
or if you send over exactly what you've done, i can repeat it over here
on a machine and see if i can replicate the failure.

good luck,

rk

p.s. i have 3 installations on win '95 and one on win nt.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------



Jonathan Bromley wrote:

> Hi experts,
>
> I just installed Actel Desktop and it all works nicely except that
> I can't get Synplify to run - it complains that "the date on
> your machine appears to have been set back", which is not true!
> There are no other Synplicity installations on the machine,
> I followed all the rules for setting up the FlexLM
> environment strings on my Win95 machine, in fact I've generally
> been quite a good boy about it all.
>
> Actel say it's a Synplicity problem, Synplicity say it's an
> Actel license so it's not their problem, and I guess that's
> the sort of grief you get when you use freebie software.
>
> Anyone got any bright ideas?  Pleeeeeeze?
>
> Jonathan Bromley



Article: 16732
Subject: Re: Memec 8250 core with Xilinx Spartan device
From: jonathan@oxfordbromley.u-net.com (Jonathan Bromley)
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 22:32:15 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
On Fri, 4 Jun 1999 18:26:41 -0400, "David Tang"
<dtang@springtidenet.comNOSPAM> wrote:

>Kyle Geske wrote in message ...
>>Does anyone have any experience developping Spartan solutions using the
>>Memec Design 8250 core?  I am currently experiencing difficulty with the
>>core and the Memec tech support people have not replied to my requests for
>>help.  The problem am I having is that the 8250 refuses to communicate
>after
>>a random amount of time.  Communication usually last for 5 to 15 minutes
>and
>>then then dies.

>Did you pay for the core?  If you not then there is an 'LFSR' 
>counter embedded in the netlist that would caused it to 
>stop functioning after the 'LFSR' counter reaches it saturated point.

Which presumably counts received bytes, or something like that.
Very nice income protection plan that I must remember for 
future designs - please, Mr Client, don't put that design
into production until you paid my invoice and I tell you
how to disable the time bomb  :-)

Jonathan Bromley

Article: 16733
Subject: Re: Actel Desktop installation of Synplify won't work
From: jonathan@oxfordbromley.u-net.com (Jonathan Bromley)
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 22:44:39 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
On Fri, 04 Jun 1999 18:28:14 -0400, "Richard B. Katz"
<rich.katz@gsfc.nasa.gov.NOSPAM> wrote:

>hi,
>
>i've installed this on a bunch of machines and got them all working ...
>although some of them didn't go so smoothly, depending on the machine,
>what is on it, what was on it, bleah, bleah, bleah.  i think i have 4
>systems running now with no more than moderately loud 'cussin.
>
>a few things to consider:

<snip many good advices>

Rich, many thanks for your ultra-prompt response.  I have on 
the machine an ancient version of Synplify that came along with some
old QuickLogic tools (that I paid for!) so maybe that's causing
the trouble.  No Viewlogic here at home - serious lack of $$$$$ !
I have the free Designer from Actel Desktop CD-ROM.

I emailed tech@actel.com and was referred to Synplicity tech
support in a prompt and courteous response.  I emailed
support@synplicity.com and was referred to Actel tech
support in a prompt and courteous response.  =(:-o)

As usual when faced with this kind of infinite regress 
I fell back on comp.arch.fpga which - not for the first 
time - has come up with the goods.  Thanks again.

Jonathan Bromley

Article: 16734
Subject: Re: Xilinx symbols, Viewlogic
From: Philip Freidin <fliptron>
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 16:04:06 -0700 (PDT)
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Thankyou,  Thankyou,  Thankyou,  Thankyou, 

:-)   :-)   :-)   :-)

Since I have complained in the past about some people who seem to 
continually spam the news group at the slightest opportunity to promote 
their products (APS/Richard Schwarz , VCC/Steve Casselman), I felt
it would be inappropriate for me to do it :-)

Of course, I am planning a bit of a e-news blitz once it is all 
officially released, in a week or two.

I wasted about 4 hours a few days ago, adding the CD-R plus a new hard
drive unsuccessfully to one of my machines. Why does this stuff never just
go together correctly?  Anyway a less ambitious upgrade did result in the
creation of a test write and test read of a random CD that was lying
around next to my computers. I mailed that CD with a label to you
yesterday. You should get it Monday/Tuesday. Please have fun with my
offsite backup. I did an install with it, and there was no www related
install activity.

Any news on U-2000 battery pack? Do you want me to pay for the KBD now, 
or wait for the battery pack and pay for both?

Roberta from Xilinx wanted to send my email to her with your email/phone 
number to John Cooley. I told her to contact you for permission. This was 
for closure on the XXX web site that apparently you run, that she wrote 
about in Cooley's ESNUG newsletter.

All the best and have a great week end.

Philip

Article: 16735
Subject: Re: Initial Values, Xilinx Virtex
From: Hobson Frater <hobson@xilinx.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 16:29:47 -0700
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Tom and Ray,

The EDIF file coming out of Coregen just contains the design itself (no initial
values or the initial values are set to zero).  That's why the COE file exists.
When you run through NGDBUILD (Translate), all of your EDIF files get merged
together.  NGDBUILD also pulls in other files like the COE file.  There is no need
to specify this file in a UCF or NCF file.  It gets pulled in if it's present in
the design directory.  After NGDBUILD, you have an NGD file, so run NGD2EDIF,
NGD2VHDL, or NGD2VER to get the appropriate structural netlist that you need for
functional simulation.  This netlist should have all of the initial values for
your memories b/c all of your input design files have been merged.  Hope this
helps...

Regards,
Hobson Frater
Xilinx Applications

Tom McLaughlin wrote:

> Ray,
> Thanks for the help.  I did find the INIT property in the edif file, but they
> were all set to zero!  I have a .coe file with initial values and Coregen
> generated the .mif file for simulation with the correct initial values, but
> they are not in the edif file generated at the same time.  Any suggestions???
> By the way, I am generating a single port RAM for Virtex using Coregen v1.5.2.
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Regards,
> Tom
>
> Ray Andraka wrote:
>
> > The initial values do indeed get passed through the edif file using the INIT
> > property.  If the initial values are all zero for a particular LUT, then the
> > INIT property is not placed on that LUT.  If it is missing, then the default
> > of all zeros is used.  You can see the initial values if you generate a RAM
> > component using a COE initial values file.  After generating it, go into the
> > edif file with a text editor and do a search on the string "INIT".  You will
> > find lines similar to      " (property INIT (string "0f03c0f0"))" which
> > correspond to the initial values in the COE file.
> >

Article: 16736
(removed)


Article: 16737
Subject: Re: Actel Desktop installation of Synplify won't work
From: rk <stellare@NOSPAM.erols.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 22:52:45 -0400
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Jonathan Bromley wrote:

> On Fri, 04 Jun 1999 18:28:14 -0400, "Richard B. Katz"
> <EngineerR> wrote:
>
> >hi,
> >
> >i've installed this on a bunch of machines and got them all working ...
> >although some of them didn't go so smoothly, depending on the machine,
> >what is on it, what was on it, bleah, bleah, bleah.  i think i have 4
> >systems running now with no more than moderately loud 'cussin.
> >
> >a few things to consider:
>
> <snip many good advices>
>
> Rich, many thanks for your ultra-prompt response.  I have on
> the machine an ancient version of Synplify that came along with some
> old QuickLogic tools (that I paid for!) so maybe that's causing
> the trouble.  No Viewlogic here at home - serious lack of $$$$$ !
> I have the free Designer from Actel Desktop CD-ROM.

no problem ... installing cae software is never easy (why is that?  and are
we supposed to trust the output when it can't install itself cleanly?) so
hopefully some of the pain i went through will help. please post your
solution whatever it turns out to be as i'm sure i or someone else will hit
the problem in the future.  yeah, the viewlogic isn't quite free ... and
unfortunately it isn't compatible with the full license viewlogic i have at
day job, which makes it painful when i bring home schematics.

one problem i'll be facing in the near term is when i get the synplicity for
xilinx and mix it on the same system as the one from actel.  anybody have
any ideas on how not to get into a great deal of trouble?  with the prices
of machines dropping, it almost makes sense to solve a s/w problem with more
h/w - 1/2 :-)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> I emailed tech@actel.com and was referred to Synplicity tech
> support in a prompt and courteous response.  I emailed
> support@synplicity.com and was referred to Actel tech
> support in a prompt and courteous response.  =(:-o)

quick, patent it, i think you've got a perpetual motion machine!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> As usual when faced with this kind of infinite regress
> I fell back on comp.arch.fpga which - not for the first
> time - has come up with the goods.  Thanks again.

no problem and good luck,

rk

Article: 16738
Subject: Re: Altera EPC1 PROM + Data IO ChipWriter
From: Leonid Shvarzberg <shvarzberg@metro.net>
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 20:48:17 -0700
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
As a little piece of advice I recommend to double - check your .pof file.
Make sure you set up  Mux Plus to compile specifically for EPC1. There is
an option in "Global Device  Attributes" to do this. By default this option
is set to "AUTO", and the software may have other than EPC1 device in mind
when it compiles .pof file. I had very similar problem with data I/O
programmer which has dissapeared when I recompiled the design for EPC1
part.
Hope this helps
Leo.

Nicolas Matringe wrote:

> We have two lots of EPC1 PROMs, one we can program and one we cannot.
> Would it be because of a change in the programmation algorithm made by
> Altera without notice (I know the PROM makers often do that) ? Or maybe
> the lot is defective?
>
> Maybe an older version of the ChipWriter would do with the old EPC1 ?
>
> Any help is welcome (we don't want to throw 30 EPC1 away like that)
>
> Nicolas MATRINGE           DotCom S.A.
> Conception electronique    16 rue du Moulin des Bruyeres
> Tel 00 33 1 46 67 51 11    92400 COURBEVOIE
> Fax 00 33 1 46 67 51 01    FRANCE
> Mail reply : remove one dot from my address

Article: 16739
Subject: FREE HARDCORE TEEN PICS 1683
From: rrhyxv@ffff.com
Date: 5 Jun 1999 04:17:24 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
FOR THE BEST FREE TEEN SEX PICTURES VISIT:

http://freespace.virgin.net/eric.johnston/freepics.htm
yqsgsogybqfqicijfppcqtwkqfjrwoolqhmujvxlwgdphttkytzmvyvtyzvp

Article: 16740
Subject: Red-Solomon enc/decoder
From: Also-Antal Csaba <antalcs@mail.matav.hu>
Date: Sat, 05 Jun 1999 08:12:20 +0200
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>

I am looking for RS enc/decoder in  ABL or sch format, which is free if
it is possible because I need it only for a hobby project. 

udv
Csaba

Article: 16741
Subject: Modems ... & stuff
From: "Brother David, FFCS" <dvaridel@optusnet.com.au>
Date: Sun, 6 Jun 1999 11:32:48 +1000
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Terry Walters wrote in message

>I picked up a used 14.4 modem for $5 at Goodwill Computer
>Outlet, so I'm doing newsgroups AND email now.


We had a 14.4 as our only modem.  Bought a cheap 'no-mother-no-father' 33.6
at Hardly Normal superstore.  No software, so I used the MS generic set-up.
Hooked up to our ISP's 56k number.  No speed improvement compared to the
14.4 on the same line.

Miss Wonderful figured out it as a 'Maestro', so went to their web site.
Downloaded the free software and set it up proper like.  Now it runs like
the clappers!  Go figure.

But I digress, welcome back Terry, we missed you.  I made sure no-one said
anything nasty about you before me.  I mean, in front of me.  I meant, if
something rude was said about you, I was there.  No, no, what I mean is ....


Regards,


David W. Varidel
dvaridel@optusnet.com.au
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~dvaridel
<><   <><   <><   <><   <><   <><   <><   <><   <><

Be wary as you meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with a side salad.


Article: 16742
Subject: Re: [Q] low cost asic
From: "Alvin E. Toda" <aet@lava.net>
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 1999 15:37:35 -1000
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
On Fri, 4 Jun 1999, Ha Young Youl wrote:

> Hello.
> 
> I prepare a communication chip design project.
> the communication chip functions SDLC, Bus interfacing, queuing.
> I anticipate it will need about 40,000 ~ 50,000 gate.
> FPGA design will be preceded.
> 
> but final product should be low cost.
> I am thinking Custum IC is one of them
> 
> What can I do in order to convert FPGA design to Custum IC design
> What do I need ..
> or is there another method to be low cost
> 
> help me!
> 
> email to hayy@naracontrols.co.kr

This is an interesting question because you seem to be expecting
to sell the chip itself rather than a system. Do you have
some system house to do beta testing for the part? But if you
do systems, then it would make more sense to try to work with
a parts manufacturer on a part that you can use. You would beta
test the part. But maybe, my concept of "custom IC" is wrong
here. BTW, for the part that you want, it seems that there
may be some old, 2 micron fab lines that could be used.
It's hard to estimate costs unless you can be fairly certain
of your sales volume. Some comments follow. It's just my $.02 .

Perhaps it might make more sense to do a gate array for the first
part so that the chip package and pinout would not change
even if you go to a custom chip. You could provide your
beta site with gate array parts until the custom chip line
would come to production. It seems that FPGA parts might
be usefull for special boards for design validation and
for your beta site to do some preliminary designs. However,
if this is a second source to some standard part, then
you would have an array of boards to tryout the part. But 
your FPGA package would need to conform to the standard
unless you could fabricate an adaptor socket to the
board.

best regards,
al toda


###########################################################
Alvin E. Toda              aet@lava.net
sr. engineer               Phone: 1-808-455-1331
2-Sigma          WEB: http://www.lava.net/~aet/2-sigma.html
1363-A Hoowali St.
Pearl City, Hawaii, USA

Article: 16743
Subject: Re: Memec 8250 core with Xilinx Spartan device
From: rob_weinstein@memecdesign.nospam.com (Rob Weinstein)
Date: Sun, 06 Jun 1999 07:31:33 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Hello Kyle,

I am an engineer with Memec Design Services in Phoenix and I did the
bulk of the development on the XF8250 core.  Our Design Coordinator
forwarded your email to me last week on Wednesday or Thursday (I'm at
home now, so I don't have the exact details in front of me) and I
responded immediately.  It seems you haven't received my response yet,
so I will try again.

First off, like all of our cores, the XF8250 does NOT have any sort of
"time bomb" embedded within it.  There is nothing in the core that
stops its functioning after some sort of evaluation period.

In my original email to you, I said that I had seen something similar
to this with a 3.3V device (4005XL) used on a 2 layer ISA bus board
(no ground plane).  After a few seconds of operation, the Xilinx's
internal global reset, GSR, apparently was activated and the internal
logic went back to its reset state.  After many experiments with the
reset logic, we came to the conclusion that this was not a logic
problem, but rather a signal integrity issue.  By soldering a hefty
ground wire from a couple of GND pins near the Xilinx to some of the
ISA bus GND pins, the problem went away.  It seems that using a 3.3V
Xilinx in a poorly grounded ISA bus environment takes a little care.

As I remember, your email didn't have a lot of detail as to the exact
nature of the failure, so I asked you a lot of questions.  I can't
remember my original questions, so here's a new list:

What Spartan device are you using?  Speed? Package?

Can you provide me a timing report (.TWR)?

What tools are you using?

Are you operating interrupt driven or polled?

What baud rate are you using?  With what number of data bits, stop
bits, parity, etc. are you operating?

When the core stops working...

  how do you get it started again?

  what is the serial data output pin, SOUT, doing?

  what is the baud rate generator output pin, BAUDOUT, doing?

  what is the software doing?  Is it stuck in a polling loop or
interrupt service routine?

  can you provide me a register dump?  Especially the LSR, MSR, and
IIR registers.

  can you still access the internal registers through the
microprocessor interface?


If you can email me answers to some of these questions, I will be glad
to work with you to resolve this problem.  

-Rob
--------------------------
Rob Weinstein
Memec Design Services - Phoenix
rob_weinstein@memecdesign.com
--------------------------


On Fri, 04 Jun 1999 22:32:15 GMT, jonathan@oxfordbromley.u-net.com
(Jonathan Bromley) wrote:

>On Fri, 4 Jun 1999 18:26:41 -0400, "David Tang"
><dtang@springtidenet.comNOSPAM> wrote:
>
>>Kyle Geske wrote in message ...
>>>Does anyone have any experience developping Spartan solutions using the
>>>Memec Design 8250 core?  I am currently experiencing difficulty with the
>>>core and the Memec tech support people have not replied to my requests for
>>>help.  The problem am I having is that the 8250 refuses to communicate
>>after
>>>a random amount of time.  Communication usually last for 5 to 15 minutes
>>and
>>>then then dies.
>
>>Did you pay for the core?  If you not then there is an 'LFSR' 
>>counter embedded in the netlist that would caused it to 
>>stop functioning after the 'LFSR' counter reaches it saturated point.
>
>Which presumably counts received bytes, or something like that.
>Very nice income protection plan that I must remember for 
>future designs - please, Mr Client, don't put that design
>into production until you paid my invoice and I tell you
>how to disable the time bomb  :-)
>
>Jonathan Bromley
>

Article: 16744
Subject: Digital Filter Design Software
From: jcpsoft@my-deja.com
Date: Sun, 06 Jun 1999 07:41:38 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Visit http://www.jcpsoftware.com to check out a new digital filter
design softare package.  Download of demo software availabe from this
WEB site.


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Article: 16745
Subject: Re: Memec 8250 core with Xilinx Spartan device
From: jonathan@oxfordbromley.u-net.com (Jonathan Bromley)
Date: Sun, 06 Jun 1999 13:25:03 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
On Sun, 06 Jun 1999 07:31:33 GMT, rob_weinstein@memecdesign.nospam.com
(Rob Weinstein) wrote:
<snip>
> I had seen something similar to this 
[random failure after a few minutes]
> with a 3.3V device (4005XL) used on a 2 layer ISA bus board
>(no ground plane).  After a few seconds of operation, the Xilinx's
>internal global reset, GSR, apparently was activated and the internal
>logic went back to its reset state.  After many experiments with the
>reset logic, we came to the conclusion that this was not a logic
>problem, but rather a signal integrity issue.

This is interesting.   A few years ago I had a similar problem with
an ISAbus video capture card I was developing: it worked fine in
some PCs, but in others it would stop working from time to time,
Eventually the problem was traced to spurious assertion of internal
resets in some of the FPGAs I was using (QuickLogic).  It appeared
that the ISAbus reset line was glitching with such narrow
spikes that the rather fast FPGAs I was using were the only
devices in the system to see it.  I fixed it with a digital 
deglitcher, but never succeeded in tracing the real cause 
of the problem.  I suspected dodgy logic in the motherboard
chipset, but this was never proven.

Mine was a 6-layer PCB with real genuine ground planes :-)
but all the logic was good old 5V, mostly FTTL apart from
the FPGAs.


Article: 16746
(removed)


Article: 16747
Subject: Re: FPGA/ VHDL books: any stores in central London
From: Chris Eilbeck <chris@yordas.demon.co.uk>
Date: 06 Jun 1999 15:32:55 +0100
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Rich Walker <rw@shadow.org.uk> writes:

> In message <7j2sld$f77$1@nnrp1.deja.com>
>           micheal_thompson@my-deja.com wrote:
> 
> > Hi
> > Does anyone know of bookstores in central London that are likely to
> > have a decent selection of this 'light' reading.
> 
> Dillons on Gower Street have some interesting stuff,ISTR...

Foyles?  Bound to have something worthwhile.

Chris
-- 
Chris Eilbeck                         mailto:chris@yordas.demon.co.uk
Article: 16748
Subject: Re: FPGA/ VHDL books: any stores in central London
From: "Leon Heller" <lfheller@freeuk.com>
Date: Sun, 06 Jun 1999 18:26:11 GMT
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>

<micheal_thompson@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:7j2sld$f77$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
> Hi
> Does anyone know of bookstores in central London that are likely to
> have a decent selection of this 'light' reading.

The Modern Book Co. in Praed St., Paddington, used to have a good selection
of VHDL books. I'd give them a ring first.

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
+44 (0) 181 428 7509
leon_heller@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Code/1835


Article: 16749
Subject: Re: Memec 8250 core with Xilinx Spartan device
From: Thierry Garrel <tga@magic.fr>
Date: Sun, 06 Jun 1999 20:49:57 +0200
Links: << >>  << T >>  << A >>
Hi all

Why buy a Memec 8250 core ?

Look at ftp://ftp.xilinx.com/pub/applications/misc, you'll find a file
named rs-232.zip.
This is an old app note from Xilinx which describes a 8250 core designed
in schematics. 
The schematics are included in Viewlogic format. The app note in
postcript format is also 
included in the zip file. We have implemented it in a lot of design with
success,
at speed up to 155k bauds. 

rs-232.zip :
------------

Longeur  M‚thode Taille %comp   Date    Heure  Nom
 ------  ------   ----- -----   ----    ----   ----
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:09  8250/
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:09  8250/sch/
   7371  D‚flatN   2042  73%  29-01-93  10:00  8250/sch/8250.1
  13168  D‚flatN   3511  74%  29-01-93  10:12  8250/sch/baud.1
   6302  D‚flatN   1790  72%  29-01-93  10:15  8250/sch/busbox.1
   2337  D‚flatN    757  68%  30-01-93  09:35  8250/sch/bustri3.1
   2508  D‚flatN    799  69%  30-01-93  09:39  8250/sch/bustri7.1
   2427  D‚flatN    756  69%  29-01-93  10:04  8250/sch/bustri8.1
   5442  D‚flatN   1674  70%  29-01-93  10:13  8250/sch/c16bdp.1
   5007  D‚flatN   1584  69%  29-01-93  10:13  8250/sch/c16bdpf.1
   3230  D‚flatN    951  71%  29-01-93  10:01  8250/sch/control.1
   7436  D‚flatN   2145  72%  02-02-93  15:11  8250/sch/errordet.1
   8215  D‚flatN   2382  72%  30-01-93  13:23  8250/sch/interrup.1
   8519  D‚flatN   2366  73%  01-02-93  14:47  8250/sch/lcr.1
  15067  D‚flatN   3987  74%  29-01-93  10:14  8250/sch/modem.1
   4173  D‚flatN   1237  71%  04-03-93  15:40  8250/sch/parity.1
   2120  D‚flatN    665  69%  04-03-93  15:34  8250/sch/parityc.1
  18762  D‚flatN   5125  73%  18-12-93  13:58  8250/sch/receiver.1
   4982  D‚flatN   1295  75%  29-01-93  10:01  8250/sch/rsel.1
   3890  D‚flatN   1206  69%  29-01-93  10:14  8250/sch/scratch.1
   6622  D‚flatN   1967  71%  29-01-93  10:02  8250/sch/shifter.1
   8014  D‚flatN   2377  71%  29-01-93  10:01  8250/sch/uart.1
  14798  D‚flatN   4017  73%  29-01-93  10:04  8250/sch/xmit.1
  14000  D‚flatN   3866  73%  02-02-93  12:17  8250/sch/xmit_sm.1
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:10  8250/sym/
    620  D‚flatN    247  61%  19-01-93  14:38  8250/sym/baud.1
    348  D‚flatN    168  52%  28-01-93  10:33  8250/sym/busbox.1
    353  D‚flatN    176  51%  30-01-93  09:36  8250/sym/bustri3.1
    353  D‚flatN    172  52%  30-01-93  09:38  8250/sym/bustri7.1
    353  D‚flatN    175  51%  27-01-93  18:51  8250/sym/bustri8.1
    707  D‚flatN    259  64%  20-01-93  13:05  8250/sym/c16bdp.1
    709  D‚flatN    259  64%  20-01-93  13:05  8250/sym/c16bdpf.1
   1640  D‚flatN    424  75%  27-01-93  18:48  8250/sym/control.1
   2391  D‚flatN    598  75%  15-01-93  17:34  8250/sym/errordet.1
   1205  D‚flatN    358  71%  28-01-93  20:25  8250/sym/interrup.1
   2068  D‚flatN    544  74%  28-01-93  20:49  8250/sym/lcr.1
   1475  D‚flatN    407  73%  27-01-93  18:54  8250/sym/modem.1
   1464  D‚flatN    400  73%  14-01-93  18:59  8250/sym/parity.1
    941  D‚flatN    282  71%  14-01-93  16:36  8250/sym/parityc.1
   1869  D‚flatN    481  75%  28-01-93  20:42  8250/sym/receiver.1
   1391  D‚flatN    387  73%  28-01-93  20:23  8250/sym/rsel.1
    436  D‚flatN    188  57%  21-01-93  15:46  8250/sym/scratch.1
   1480  D‚flatN    412  73%  28-01-93  20:24  8250/sym/shifter.1
   3091  D‚flatN    784  75%  28-01-93  10:33  8250/sym/uart.1
   1454  D‚flatN    415  72%  28-01-93  20:40  8250/sym/xmit.1
   1220  D‚flatN    378  70%  02-02-93  16:24  8250/sym/xmit_sm.1
  18289  D‚flatN   6162  67%  17-03-93  13:09  8250/tree.ps
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:10  addition/
   2912  D‚flatN    697  77%  27-01-93  12:43  addition/txsm.abl
   1038  D‚flatN    516  51%  17-03-93  12:25  addition/txsm.cmd
  31088  D‚flatN   8748  72%  17-03-93  11:44  addition/txsm.ps
  24010  D‚flatN   5148  79%  30-01-93  11:23  addition/txsm_r.ps
  31598  D‚flatN   7794  76%  04-03-93  15:43  addition/txsm_sc.ps
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:12  modules/
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:13  modules/sch/
   5908  D‚flatN   1721  71%  04-03-93  15:37  modules/sch/ed_app.1
   4173  D‚flatN   1237  71%  04-03-93  15:40  modules/sch/parity.1
   2120  D‚flatN    665  69%  04-03-93  15:34  modules/sch/parityc.1
  17997  D‚flatN   4946  73%  18-05-93  10:52  modules/sch/receive.1
  13528  D‚flatN   3660  73%  18-05-93  10:51  modules/sch/transmit.1
  12242  D‚flatN   3476  72%  04-03-93  15:43  modules/sch/tx_sm_ap.1
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:13  modules/sym/
   2060  D‚flatN    545  74%  03-03-93  12:50  modules/sym/ed_app.1
   1464  D‚flatN    400  73%  14-01-93  18:59  modules/sym/parity.1
    941  D‚flatN    282  71%  14-01-93  16:36  modules/sym/parityc.1
   1539  D‚flatN    417  73%  18-05-93  10:57  modules/sym/receive.1
   1370  D‚flatN    391  72%  18-05-93  10:55  modules/sym/transmit.1
   1140  D‚flatN    359  69%  03-03-93  12:27  modules/sym/tx_sm_ap.1
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:13  print_ps/
 106695  D‚flatN  31972  71%  21-08-95  20:24  print_ps/app_note.ps
  39885  D‚flatN   9651  76%  18-05-93  11:02  print_ps/figure3.ps
  15974  D‚flatN   4114  75%  04-03-93  15:41  print_ps/figure3a.ps
  31598  D‚flatN   7794  76%  04-03-93  15:43  print_ps/figure3b.ps
  51688  D‚flatN  12734  76%  18-05-93  11:01  print_ps/figure4.ps
  19448  D‚flatN   4954  75%  04-03-93  15:37  print_ps/figure4a.ps
   9578  D‚flatN   2594  73%  04-03-93  15:35  print_ps/figure4b.ps
  26383  D‚flatN   6494  76%  04-03-93  12:11  print_ps/figure5.ps
  18290  D‚flatN   6162  67%  21-08-95  20:25  print_ps/tree.ps
   3456  D‚flatN   1056  70%  19-02-98  12:36  readme.txt
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:14  table3_1/
   1094  D‚flatN    353  68%  18-05-93  13:54  table3_1/ap_rx_op.bid
  14929  D‚flatN   3427  78%  18-05-93  13:54  table3_1/ap_rx_op.lca
  15578  D‚flatN   4019  75%  18-05-93  13:54  table3_1/ap_rx_op.rpt
  18572  D‚flatN   2266  88%  18-05-93  12:48  table3_1/ap_rx_op.xnf
   1753  D‚flatN    516  71%  18-05-93  13:48  table3_1/ap_rx_un.bid
  23568  D‚flatN   5337  78%  18-05-93  13:48  table3_1/ap_rx_un.lca
  14727  D‚flatN   3881  74%  18-05-93  13:48  table3_1/ap_rx_un.rpt
  19246  D‚flatN   2438  88%  18-05-93  12:48  table3_1/ap_rx_un.xnf
   1097  D‚flatN    343  69%  18-05-93  13:32  table3_1/ap_tx_op.bid
  15042  D‚flatN   3368  78%  18-05-93  13:32  table3_1/ap_tx_op.lca
  14038  D‚flatN   3752  74%  18-05-93  13:32  table3_1/ap_tx_op.rpt
  17559  D‚flatN   2169  88%  18-05-93  13:29  table3_1/ap_tx_op.xnf
   1444  D‚flatN    436  70%  18-05-93  13:43  table3_1/ap_tx_un.bid
  20699  D‚flatN   4538  79%  18-05-93  13:43  table3_1/ap_tx_un.lca
  14317  D‚flatN   3737  74%  18-05-93  13:43  table3_1/ap_tx_un.rpt
  18209  D‚flatN   2317  88%  18-05-93  12:47  table3_1/ap_tx_un.xnf
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:15  table3_2/
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:15  table3_2/sch/
   4648  D‚flatN   1311  72%  18-05-93  12:18  table3_2/sch/ap_rx_op.1
   7075  D‚flatN   1811  75%  18-05-93  12:08  table3_2/sch/ap_rx_un.1
   4331  D‚flatN   1269  71%  18-05-93  12:25  table3_2/sch/ap_tx_op.1
   6394  D‚flatN   1698  74%  18-05-93  12:22  table3_2/sch/ap_tx_un.1
      0  Archiv‚      0   0%  19-02-98  12:15  table3_2/sym/
   1539  D‚flatN    417  73%  18-05-93  10:57  table3_2/sym/receive.1
   1370  D‚flatN    391  72%  18-05-93  10:55  table3_2/sym/transmit.1
 ------          ------  ---                   -------
 923599          238496  75%                       105

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thierry GARREL - tga@magic.fr 

+----------------------------------------------+
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