Assembled Minimig v1.1, larger FPGA (BGA-package)

[ThomasML]

freqmax wrote:
While doing BGA, a switch to DRAM would also make ram cheaper and larger.
With DRAM use + HDL cpu an ordinary pre-assembled 200 USD board can be used..

What kind of pre-assembled board are you talking about now?  You mean we could use any of the starter kits instead of doing a custom board?  Or, are you thinking that one could use the starter kits if one doesn't want to buy a custom board?

I also found flaws in my fpga pinout, I was missing some pins, so I've floorplanned it inside ISE now.  Will publish the new suggested floorplan tomorrow.

--
Thomas

[ThomasML]

freqmax wrote:
Yes, one could use pre-assembled ready to use developer boards. The only major obstacles is the physical CPU & Static-RAM.

They're larger and contain stuff you probably don't need tho, but it would serve a purpose of course.  In the end I think one would want custom boards tho, to be able to make the device smaller or just have all the cool stuff developed along the way, on one board.

But right now, we don't have anything besides a few schematics and nothing for mainstream to play with.  And the boards you're talking about is a bit more pricey than most people would like, I think.  (I'm not most people, I've already got digilents V2Pro-board  :-D  ).

So, what do you suggest we do?   I don't need to continue this work if it's not needed (don't take this the wrong way).   What one could do, is to make the board like it's now, with the extra user io-pins and everything, and continue developing the soft 68k and adding dram as an expansion.  Some day down the line one would maybe end up with a working solution, but right now we only have the proven minimig-design that works.  And we all know there's other work to be done to it, besides just the cpu and ram.

Any thoughts? :-)

--
Thomas

[ThomasML]

Ok, new layout, this time I've used ISEs floorplanning tool, and I've also done synthesis and bitfile generation.