How to write VHDL on Spartan 3E

Hi everybody!

I have a task to write something on Spartan 3E using VGA interface. In google I find many different programs for this interface, but they all in VHDL.

In university we have the board. For core configuration and buiding we use Xilinx Platform Studio. For writing programs on C we use Xilinx Platform SDK.

Can you explain me please, how to put VHDL project in the board? I must insert VHDL file in the core? Or you can advice me some another software than Xilinx Platform Studio?

XPS is part of Xilinx's embedded toolkit (EDK). The purpose is to put a microprocessor into the FPGA, using the resources that exist in the FPGA. Because the FPGA can be configured, there are many possible microprocessor systems that could be designed.

There are two main ways to have custom expansions, either adding custom cores to the EDK project, or adding the EDK project to an ISE project and then instantiating the cpu.

The first is intended to connect peripherals to the CPU using the standard OPB/PLB/FSL/LMB/LL buses as appropriate. In this type of design, you may want to make an HDL file, then add a wrapper that converts the interface to one of these. This allows the logic to be re-used in non-EDK projects. peripherals can also be connected to other peripherals in the "ports" tab.

If the design has large portions of HDL that don't need to interact with the EDK project, you can make an ISE project, then instantiate the CPU. At this point, you might have a single interface from the non-EDK portion to the EDK portion.

VGA interface on SPARTAN3E kit in VHDL: Michael Kohn - fpga vga

You need to learn howto use HDL environment and using ucf files.... you could also tryout the SIGASI VHDL environment for learning general VHDL programming :Sigasi | Sigasi HDT: the future of VHDL design

I've done a couple of projects with VGA on a Spartan 3, 3A and 3E.
I can recommend you to take a look on this page: VGA Signal Timing - It describes the VGA timing very well!
You can check the video here of some of the projects I made when I started learning FPGAs: TKJ Electronics » First projects with FPGA
I've sent you a PM about more information.

Thomas