By on April 11, 2014

We will be creating a push button project from scratch. The idea is that pressing a button connected to the FPGA will turn on a series of LEDs. We will then make the design synchronous by creating a slow clock out of a counter. We will also be creating a test bench file for the combinatorial logic (push button, light immediately comes on).

It is not too late to join the class! Please E-Mail fpga@unallocatedspace.org if you would like to join.

The slides for the upcoming and previous classes can be found here. The slides are generally made the weekend before class.

Agenda:
1. Overview of last class
2. Creating a new VHDL project
3. Creating a new VHDL module
4. Make a push button demo
5. Create a test bench for the push button demo
6. Simulate the test bench
7. Create UCF for push button demo
8. Change demo code to use two buttons
9. Create delay logic using a counter
10. Synchronize push button demo
11. Questions/Comments/Concerns

IMPORTANT You MUST have ISE (not Vivado!) installed prior to the start of class!!! ISE can take upwards of 30 minutes to an hour to install. We will not have time to wait for ISE to be installed. Please go here and download the ISE Design Suite package for your operating system. If you have licensing or installation issues, please contact fpga@unallocatedspace.org

Required Items:
1. FPGA development board with Spartan 3 or Spartan 6
2. USB cable for programming
3. JTAG programmer if your board does not have USB
4. Laptop with ISE installed and either wired or wireless network connectivity
5. Breadboard and jumpers (please E-Mail fpga@unallocatedspace.org if you don’t have one or both of these so the instructor can make sure to bring enough extras)

Provided Items:
1. Push buttons
2. Resistors (2K Ohm)

We have been given ‘academic’ status from Digilent Inc (http://www.digilentinc.com). This means that the instructor can (sometimes) purchase boards from Digilent at the academic price. This discount will only apply to people who are attending the class regularly and is on a case-by-case basis from Digilent.

Since Unallocated Space runs off of donations, we would like to mention that the recommended donation for this class is $5. It is by no means a requirement! Attendance to the space, and this class, is 100% free to all!


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