Verilog modelsim fpga

Question

Sorry for the Newbish question.

I am trying to learn about FPGA programming.

Before spending $ 1K on an FPGA board:

If I just want to learn Verilog, can I run it fully in Modelsim? (I understand that there are some time problems that appear only in real chips, but to study the syntax / coding style / ...) _

Thanks!

Answer 1

You can of course!

However, there are a few things that the simulator will allow you away with the fact that the FPGA compiler will not. You have $ FAVOURITE_SEARCH_ENGINE for keywords such as verilog coding styles synthesis .

See Verilog Learning Resources for some information on the differences between HDL programming and computer programming.

Answer 2

You certainly do not need a splashout on the development board if you are happy just learning the language and simulating the results.

You can get the free Xilinx ISE Webpack , which includes the base version of ModelSim.

As you already mentioned, simulation and testing is one aspect of FPGA design. In fact, getting the design to work on real hardware is usually the more complex part. However, simply using the software, you can learn the language, deal with the simulation, and even synthesize your design to make sure that it meets the deadlines and fits on the target device.

I would also suggest that $ 1K for your first developer tip is high enough. I would start with something like an inexpensive Xilinx Spartan-6 board , which is a little under $ 300. To do this, you get a device with a decent amount of logic, memory and DSP fragments.

Answer 3

If you are trying to learn Verilog, there is no need to actually get an FPGA board (although you can get an FPGA development board for less than $ 1,000, you can get a Xilinx kit for $ 100). You can and should learn Verilog first with a simulator, although if you don't want to spend anything, I suggest Icarus Verilog , which is free (Open Source).

Answer 4

We had a hardware systems course in which some FPGA programs were run using VHDL. I downloaded ModelSim-Altera Software (

Answer 5

As others have noted, the simulator will take you a long way. There is nothing like the flashing of some real LEDs, although the wavy waves on the screen simply do not match :)

Many of the starter kits have VGA outputs, so you can display your own pictures, which is always nice (I found it anyway!) $ 1,000 is a lot to spend, try the $ 189 Xilinx starter kit (which has VGA), or this kit to run Altera (which doesn’t work "t).

Answer 6

Everyone above is right. However, there is a synthesized subset of Verilog and VDHL that can be used for real equipment. For example, $ display cannot be used. Recursion may be supported in some tools, as indicated in @Chiggs below. Keep this in mind when writing code if it will ever be used on a chip. However, the full language can be used in test benches.