FPGA Tutorials

This page contains links to the data sheets and reference manuals for the parts and software we will be using. Please don't print them out; this will waste paper.

Hardware

We will be using the Digilent BASYS Board which uses a Xilinx Spartan 3E FPGA.

• BASYS Board Reference Manual
• BASYS Board Schematic

Software

We will be using the Xilinx ISE WebPack 9.2i(free). The most current version is ISE WebPack 10.1i, so make sure you download 9.2i rather 10.1i!!!

This software is already installed on the machines in BE104. For home use, you can download this software for free from the Xilinx ISE Webpack page using the following instructions:

1. Register for a Xilinx account (painless).
2. Fill out the survey.
3. Click on Download Center near the top right.
4. Select ISE WebPACK as the DownLoad Type.
5. Select 9.2i as the ISE Version.
6. Select your operating system.
7. Then click on Search.
8. Use WebInstall. To speed up the installation don't install the Cable Drivers, and only install the set of parts including the Spartan II.
9. You then need to go back and get the ISE Service Pack 4 for ISE 9.2i.

Please note that you may not use Xilinx's Customer Support if you encounter a problem (this is a condition of the use of this software). Please contact the instructor or TAs if you have a problem.

These are industrial strength tools. We will guide you through their use, keeping things simple. You are welcome to explore other features of the tools, but make sure to save your work first.

Instructions

Instructions for:

• Downloading a bit stream to the board
• Creating a new project.
• Archiving and storing your ISE project.
• Entering a schematic.
• Creating a schematic symbol.
• Simulating your design with ModelSim.
• Using buses in a schematic.
• Using Verilog to describe Combinational Logic.
• Implementing State Machines using Verilog for the logic.

Other links:

• Resistor color code
• Is my board working?
• Common problems

The CMPE100 Web: Copyright 2011; Department of Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz.