Calling All FPGA Experts

[DerStrom8]

Thanks for the links.

Regarding the Mercury schematic, any idea if any special programming is required for the FT245RL in order for it to work in this sort of design? Or would I be able to buy one, plop it in the circuit with an FPGA, and immediately be able to program the FPGA as usual?

 

[dknguyen]

This, I do not know. But I can tell you that the DLP Designs FPGA modules use an FTDI FIFO chip too and I have NEVER been able to get my computer to program their FPGA modules. Not sure whether this was an issue with the FTDI chip configuration (because they have some rather complicated notes about settings and imply you have to set them yourself but it never worked fo rme) or their loading software.

You could probably email and just ask them...but maybe phrase your question a bit differently.

 

[DerStrom8]

Just a quick update, I was able to get in contact with the creator of the MicroNova Mercury board. He was VERY pleasant and accommodating, and answered my questions about programming the Spartan FPGA. He told me that Xilinx/Digilent are very protective of their source code and hardware, so I won't be able to program this thing (or the Mercury board) using the Adept software like I'd hoped. That being said, MicroNova wrote their own utility to program the FPGA using the circuitry provided in their schematic. The utility can be downloaded from this page:

https://www.micro-nova.com/mercury-programmer

From what I understand this is effectively a replacement for Adept that allows me to load my bit file and will program it straight to the flash on the Mercury board. We'll see how that goes!

 

[dknguyen]

Just a quick update, I was able to get in contact with the creator of the MicroNova Mercury board. He was VERY pleasant and accommodating, and answered my questions about programming the Spartan FPGA. He told me that Xilinx/Digilent are very protective of their source code and hardware, so I won't be able to program this thing (or the Mercury board) using the Adept software like I'd hoped. That being said, MicroNova wrote their own utility to program the FPGA using the circuitry provided in their schematic. The utility can be downloaded from this page:

https://www.micro-nova.com/mercury-programmer

From what I understand this is effectively a replacement for Adept that allows me to load my bit file and will program it straight to the flash on the Mercury board. We'll see how that goes!

Yeah, the Mercury doesn't run out programming pins but they have their own little loader and onboard USB.

What is "this thing" you are referring to?

It sounds like you got a Mercury?

 

[DerStrom8]

Yeah, the Mercury doesn't run out programming pins but they have their own little loader and onboard USB.

What is "this thing" you are referring to?

It sounds like you got a Mercury?

See Post #16. I'm currently working on the overall design for my project.

 

[dknguyen]

See Post #16. I'm currently working on the overall design for my project.

Why can't you use Adept? All you need to use Adept is the appropriate hardware like the Digilent HS2 or HS3 or one of their onboard modules like the SMT2

 

[DerStrom8]

Why can't you use Adept? All you need to use Adept is the appropriate hardware like the Digilent HS2 or HS3 or one of their onboard modules like the SMT2

I'm trying to keep the FPGA part of my board as closely matched to the Mercury for now as possible, for simplicity sake. Additionally I'm not interested in shelling out $30-$200 just for a programmer that would work with Adept when I just as easily could build my own and use a different utility for just a couple of dollars. This is not a professional product, and price is an object. Only the bare necessities on this board for now.