DLP-FPGA Prototyping and Training Module, DLP Design.
$189.95. www.dlpdesign.com

If you have not used a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) in a circuit, but want to learn more about this type of device, you can’t beat the DLP FPGA Module as a way to get a solid start. The package includes a 206-page training manual, an FPGA module and a Xilinx 9.1i Design Tools Evaluation DVD. The FPGA module provides a Xilinx Spartan-3E XC3S250 device on a PCB with a USB interface, memory and two 25-pin headers for I/O signals. Kit buyers can download a DLP Design utility program that erases, verifies and loads bit stream into the FPGA module.

Set-up of the Xilinx tools — the Integrated Software Environment or ISE — went well. Although the ISE has a WebUpdate capability, several lengthy attempts to update to Service Pack 3 failed. So, I simply downloaded the SP3 files and installed them locally without incident. You MUST install the SP3 updates.

The five lab exercises in the printed manual take you from the design of an AND-gate to a final USB loopback experiment. The simple AND-gate lab introduces the ISE tools and moves you through the design steps one at a time. Well-written lab experiments explain exactly what to do and what to look for on the ISE screens. You do not load the AND-gate into the FPGA, but the next lab provides a complete example that you “design,” load into the FPGA and test.

This second lab sets up the FPGA to act like a counter that flashes an LED at a slow rate. I found this experiment interesting and informative. It certainly shows the capabilities of the ISE, and instructions go through individual steps with care. Although flashing an LED sounds like a simple task, it takes time to set up the VHDL code and download the bit stream to the FPGA. This exercise took me several hours to complete, but I enjoyed the experience. Newcomers to FPGAs will learn much about the tools used to create and test a design. I recommend that people unfamiliar with FPGA designs and tools go through this lab several times to become familiar with the FPGA-design and simulation steps.

The module and labs do not attempt to teach VHDL programming. But as you use other materials and books to learn about VHDL, you can come back to the DLP Design module to easily test your designs. After you experiment with the module, you can use it in a prototype. Stand-alone FPGA modules cost $119.95.