TheBackShed.com

Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Perfect marriage?

Page 2 of 2

Author

Message

Mixtel90

Guru

Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8297

Posted: 08:58am 15 Oct 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

True of so much industrial control stuff.
Send a signal for a motor to run - there's a lot that can prevent that from actually happening. Assume nothing unless it's unimportant (or unless there's something else like a hardware interlock that will fix a potential problem).

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs

JohnS
Guru

Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4147

Posted: 09:33am 15 Oct 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Tinine said Unless a commanded position move can be verified, it cannot be considered under "control".

+1

John

Mixtel90

Guru

Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8297

Posted: 10:09am 15 Oct 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

I'll start an FPGA thread eventually - I've not got one yet. :)
I have downloaded the software though and am now getting totally confused. I've discovered though that one of the programming options is to use logic symbols. It's like having a big bucket of 74 series chips to play with. :)
And remember, FPGAs don't run a program like a microcontroler does. The binary file is a list of instructions that controls how hardware gates are connected, so they run at hardware speed unless you deliberately make them clocked.
Edited 2021-10-15 20:11 by Mixtel90

Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs

CaptainBoing

Guru

Joined: 07/09/2016
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2171

Posted: 10:16am 15 Oct 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

I've got a Spartan here for years ... never really got my head round that... I'll pick it up again one day... so many new concepts etc and the IDE is huge
Edited 2021-10-15 20:18 by CaptainBoing

epsilon

Senior Member

Joined: 30/07/2020
Location: Belgium
Posts: 255

Posted: 12:58pm 15 Oct 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

https://www.nandland.com/ is a great resource.

I got an Arty A7 and started learning FPGA programming using SystemVerilog over the summer.

I'm currently working through this book: FPGA PROTOTYPING BY SYSTEMVERILOG EXAMPLES by Pong P. Chu

The Hardware Description Language portion of SystemVerilog (or Verilog or VHDL for that matter) is actually pretty easy to pick up. There are not that many language constructs: you learn how to instantiate modules, hook things up, describe combinatorial circuits, and describe sequential circuits using registers. That's pretty much it.
But then you have to use those few constructs to do digital design, and digital design is hard. Very rewarding though.

I guess it's the same as with software. You can learn about variables, functions, loops and conditionals in a day or so, but learning to use those effectively to write a non-trivial program takes years of practice.

Epsilon CMM2 projects

Tinine
Guru

Joined: 30/03/2016
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1646

Posted: 05:16pm 16 Oct 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Mixtel90 said So you gave up on valves then? ;)

16 Pico-transputers might be even more powerful. True distributed parallel processing too, in theory anyway. :) I always thought the transputer idea was brilliant. Want more power? just plug another one in and tell the OS where it's links go. The OS will figure out how to use it.

(P.S. - looks like The Gables is having a major makeover!)

I somehow missed this.

Transputer:

I believe that the key Inmos personnel went on to form Xmos(?)

I looked at their processors but they are more for real programmers. Way above my pay scale.

Gables:
Never really liked the place.
Prior to the first lockdown, the landlady and landlord were just....weird.

My GF is 25 years younger and I think that the landlord fancied his chances because he would just stand there and lear at her when we were sat at a table.
His wife eventually got wise to it and the whole thing became uncomfortable.

I heard a rumour that they moved to Spain with someone else's money.

The pub opened with new management, after lock-down but I still didn't bother and now I just heard that they are closed again.

The heck with pubs...I have to finish wiring my buddy's back-yard Tiki bar tomorrow and that will be the new party central. He's the "Mojito Master" and same goes for his Long Islands.

Xmos Wiki
Edited 2021-10-17 03:34 by Tinine

Page 2 of 2

Print this page

To reply to this topic, you need to log in.