new retro computing

From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
Date: Sun Jul 21 12:55:01 2002

>> Just store your RIM loader in the serial PROM after the FPGA
>> configuration. After the FPGA is configured, it can read the serial
>> PROM into memory.
> If the FPGA design used a micro-controler and Flash memory I would have
> no problems with that idea. The design uses a One-Time-Programable
> serial prom Altera EPC1441 in a 20 pin PLCC package. A rather hard
> part for me to find and get programmed localy. Thanks for the idea
> however.

Why not use the Atmel or Xilinx reprogrammable parts? They will work
fine with Altera FPGAs. They don't have special programming requirements,
so you can burn them yourself, over and over without spending more money.

Also, I don't see any reason why you'd need a microcontroller to be
involved. Some of my FPGA designs read extra data from their own config
PROM, with no microcontroller involved. I just hooked up the config pins
to some I/O pins. During config, all the I/O pins are high-Z, so they
don't interfere with the configuration.
Received on Sun Jul 21 2002 - 12:55:01 BST