You cant give inputs as integers directly.You have to convert them into binary values and input them into the FPGA using switches avalilable in the board.
Suppose you have a value 17 (10001 in binary) to be input into the code running on the kit.Then keep the 5th and 1st switch ON and all others OFF.And press a pushbutton to inform the processor that input is ready to be captured.Your code has to be modified for this.It needs an additional signal "pushbutton_pressed" or something like that.
But I have only 4 switches on the spartan3e kit and i need more than these if i converted them to binary, so if you know any other solution kindly reply me.
Also i have 3 crystals on the kit and i don't know how to configure any of them to use it as a clock! can any one help in this?
say you have 8 bits input to your entity.But you have only 4 switches.so 4 values can be input at a time.This can be done with the help of push buttons.
Code:
if (pb0 = '1') then
input(3 downto 0) <= switches(3 downto 0);
elsif (pb1 = '1') then
input(7 downto 4) <= switches(3 downto 0);
end if;
Here pb0 is the first push button, and pb1 is the second push button. First set the switch values so that LSB 4 bits are entered.Then press push button 0.
Now change the switch values for MSB 4 bits.This time press push button 1.
This can be extended for any amount of bits.The main idea is that use push buttons and switches together.