Suggestions needed for a FPGA board

• Jul 28, 2008

• #1

vbc

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nexys2 de1

Hello everybody
I would like to buy a FPGA board, a friend recommended me ones from Digilen (NEXYS) but I would like to know your opinions.
Which is the best I can get for less than $150?
Thanks for your help.

 

• Jul 28, 2008

• #2

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linkfox

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< $150??

three years our group bought a DN6000 board with 6 virtex-2p from it, the price is $40K.

 

• Jul 28, 2008

• #3

vbc

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Thanks for your post

That is why I ask for suggestions, I do not want a very basic board, but not an industrial one, I would like one whic suits for educational and prototypes.

For example, something better than this:

http://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?Prod=NEXYS2&Nav1=Products&Nav2=Programmable

Thanks again

 

• Jul 29, 2008

• #4

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"something better" isn't very specific.

Xilinx sells a variety of development kits from about $150 up to a few thousand dollars. Try browsing for the specific features you need:
https://www.xilinx.com/products/devboards/index.htm
For low cost, try Spartan-3 family. For high performance, try Virtex-5 family.
Some Xilinx development boards are actually made by Digilent.

Also check out this list:
https://www.fpga-faq.org/FPGA_Boards.shtml

 

• Jul 29, 2008

• #5

vbc

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echo47 said:

"something better" isn't very specific.

Click to expand...

You are right echo47, I do not have specific requierements but I would like the best cost-performance relationship. That is why I have the NEXYS board as reference, because a friend recommended me that one.
Do you think it is a good one? Do you know other one with similar capabilities and lower price?

I saw that list you mentioned, that was why I wanted to know your opinions about some boards.

Thanks for you support.

 

• Jul 31, 2008

• #6

hrhgroup

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Dear

I have bought a nexys2 a week ago, but still I do not begin working on it.
Before I bought it, I have search alot and I think this is one of the best board.

Good luck

 

• Jul 31, 2008

• #7

vbc

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Thanks for your post hrhgroup

I am running out of time to buy one, yeah I think it is a very good board too, just wanted to know if someody had problems with it and/or recommend another one.
How many days did it took to get the board in your house?

Greetings

 

• Aug 1, 2008

• #8

hrhgroup

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vbc said:

Thanks for your post hrhgroup

I am running out of time to buy one, yeah I think it is a very good board too, just wanted to know if someody had problems with it and/or recommend another one.
How many days did it took to get the board in your house?

Greetings

Click to expand...

Umm...
My situation was diffrent, and I buy it indirectly.
But it took about one or atmost two week.
BTW in the book of FPGA Prototyping by VHDL Examples one of the board the author recommanded is Nexys2.

Good Luck

 

• Aug 1, 2008

• #9

BlackOps

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well find 150$ more somewhere, and buy XUPV2P
and you will have a lot of things which u can do with it! plus... PowerPC processors!

 

• Aug 2, 2008

• #10

vbc

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Unfortunately I do not think I should spend more money now, as I am not an expert in FPGA's, besides you do not get money from trees , so I will go for the NEXYS2 board.

Thanks a lot for your help.

 

• Aug 3, 2008

• #11

s_cihan_tek

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You could buy the DE1 or DE2 from altera.
Take a look at here

 

• Aug 9, 2008

• #12

ds18s20

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Hmm still its around 150 and no LEDs and 7-segments:

Altera DE1 Board P0528 1,200 $150

I too love Altera - IMHO their IDE is much better than the ICE collection of what appears as separate programs. Just my opinion of course

If $99 is still in your budget I will suggesti this Cyclone board. I got it direct from HK for $99 which included parcel shipping

http://www.tj-qidong.com/dispTable.asp?id=29&tab=CPshop&word=TQD-CY

**broken link removed**

 

• May 7, 2009

• #13

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Hello all,

sometimes in choosing the dev board, there is always a lo of choices that we can choose from the available market,but sometimes it makes things harder.For exp,we can choose the board from the last comment but does the board provide us with the support that we need,especially when you are a beginner in FPGA (which is same like me).

So any advice in choosing the board?

 

• May 7, 2009

• #14

ds18s20

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but does the board provide us with the support that we need,especially when you are a beginner in FPGA (which is same like me). So any advice in choosing the board?

Click to expand...

Yep, you are right, support is down to bare minimum, such as swap if it dies but that's abou it.

I was looking for rock bottom price on Cyclone2 and found that company for about half what an "official" Altera kit would go for...