Portable Amiga anyone??

[mumule]

What's wrong with this? (apart from the lack of case and core
http://www.fpgaarcade.com/common/replay_july_lcd_large.jpg

Actually, it is a very nice system. What I don't like is the additional processor for boot & disk.
Prefer the version on the Altera de2 boards, where a processor build into the FPGA does the additional load. I think it is a much cleaner design.

[mumule]

I agree, but there are some downsides. You need to configure the FPGA from something initially. You can do this from a serial flash device and then use a processor core in the FPGA to bootstrap the system. The problem with this is that the firmware the core is using is also burned into the flash so it is not easy to bug fix it - not practical in a mass produced design.
/MikeJ

Did you know about the multi-boot from spi on the spartans ?

First boot would be a "maintenance-mc68k" which checks the system, verifies the spi contents vs. the sd-flash boot file, and boots the second stage.
No need at all for an ARM ;-)
And, I know of people who use it in real production quantities.

But, I really agree, it is a matter of taste ;-)

Cheers

[mumule]

Mumule,
yes you are right, the SPI boot would be an option - but I want(ed) the option of moving to a spartan6/altera device in the future so didn't want to tie myself in to much.

Spartan6 supports it too.
But why would anybody move to altera !?!?
;-)

Just put in the spartan6 already on your board, saves you a lot of trouble changing it later anyway.

There is a quite a bit of software in the ARM to boot up and run the OSD etc, and for things like hard disk support you want that running at the same time as the host processor.
I like the fact I can run this independently of whatever processor is running in the FPGA.

As I said, it is a matter of taste ;-)

Cheers

[mumule]

"Just put in the spartan6 already on your board, saves you a lot of trouble changing it later anyway."
ha, tempting. I already changed from spartan3 to 3e, and if I start the change to spartan6 they will have brought out spartan7 before I finish the damn thing
/Mike

I know ;-)
Just redone a board which had a xc3s1400a on it, and put a xc3sd1800a on.
After I got the boards, the spartan6 were there ;-)

But you're right, if you wait, you never will be done...

However, the memory controller on the spartan 6 is tempting ...

Cheers