[Coco] New thread, cga-rgb->vga convertor GBS-8220

[Mark Marlette]

John,

SuperIDE uses a MAX7000S CPLD. It was created as I recall on the Quartus 8.x platform. The CPLD does IDE, FLASH and RTC support. FLASH management controls the 4 - 16K blocks of FLASH so that you can autoboot to whatever and have four different options, hardware or software switchable banks. Supports CoCo1-3 maps. Takes about 15 seconds to FLASH a bank.

I don't know or care to know the internal workings of Quartus. I do know that it likes to convert it's database files from version to version. All of our designs are in SVN so when I pull the design up with a new version of Quartus, the local repository is modified but I do not commit the converted database. I retain the build that built the device and the code. So with Quartus 11, the conversion / structure of the database is foreign to it. Go from 8.x to 10.x spX, then to 11. is ok. No big deal, what the exact cause, don't know.

The current work is in a MAX II device. This design uses .v code that was was on Altera's web site as an app, made VHDL code as a symbol, then wrapped with customized logic to adapt to a CoCo. This was done in a hierarchical schematic design, currently three levels deep. I am just starting to learn .vhdl. Big difference in editing and creating. :) Crawl, walk, run approach and this some serious stuff. I have spent my life in hardware, testing with software. Hardware looks a bit strange in .v format. :) 

My current design is compiled and looks good. Going to go add some more devices. As I am only at 43% of the LEs and 78% of the pin usage.

I also revised and made my blocks all portable now. The logic is proven. So creating new device is a breeze now. Utilized the UFM area last night to create a 5.5MHZ internal osc and for basically free. :) Can't say what I am using it for but...for a CoCo, you can bet it will produce a FAST result.

I haven't tried it yet but it appears that I can make .v code from my schematic design and transfer that file to the new designs. Basically, Quartus can do it all! 

Regards,

Mark
Cloud-9

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Kent" <jekent at optusnet.com.au>
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2011 8:57:00 AM
Subject: Re: [Coco] New thread, cga-rgb->vga convertor GBS-8220



On 28/07/2011 9:57 PM, Mark Marlette wrote:
> John,
>
> I am currently on Intel cores, all machines are XP Pro. The bigger, the way better! :)
>
> I did find that Quartus 11 will not load / convert the SuperIDE design. Quartus 10.1 spX, no problem. No big deal. Plenty of work around I found.
>
> Regards,
>
> Mark
> Cloud-9
I was wondering what you were using it for. I download Quartus 11 
tonight and it installed OK but It took an hour or so to install.
I haven't tried opening any old designs with it yet.
I'm wondering what's in the Super IDE that requires the Quartus software.
Did you use a CPLD in the design ?
Rebuilding the project file for VHDL or Verilog is not too hard, but if 
you are having difficulty I suspect it's a bit more than that.
Did you use schematic entry ?

John.

-- 
http://www.johnkent.com.au
http://members.optusnet.com.au/jekent



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