I got my first FPGA this week!!

I had never played with programmable hardware before, so it was quite the experience. After a few days, I'm basically brainfried haha.

Short version of the story:

• Day 1: FPGA arrives. Software is huge and doesn't install properly. Disappointed.
• Day 2: Redownload all software and install in a different order. Stuff works. Make PWM on an LED. Make PWM on 4 LED's. Offset phase. Wave. NICE.
• Day 3: Lots of reading.
• Day 4: Decide to get the thing to print "Hello, everyweeks!" over UART to my computer. Get frustrated with super slow iteration time with official tooling. Find good open-source compilation/simulation software. Practice writing testbenches for very basic hardware units. Finally get emacs up and running on my Windows box. NICE.
• Day 5: Try to install USB -> VCP drivers on OS X. Spend hours failing to get them to work. Tried on the PC. Works. NICE. Super brainfried and frustrated with apparent lack of progress, but I continue anyways. Look up diagram on UART (below). Find resource on how to divide clocks, get the right speed. NICE. Send a single byte. Refactor. Send a different byte. NICE. Spend hours of trial-and-error fighting silly verilog bugs. Send multiple characters. FUCKING NICE. Refactor. Still sends. Rewrite message to the correct one. Works. YESSSSS SO NICCCEEEEE. Take loads of pictures. Make a collage. D.O.N.E.

As usual, the source to all of this is available on my Github:

• PWM LED's
• Hello, everyweeks!

Too tired to really write any more, but man, hardware is cool hahaha.

Last Edited on Mon Nov 02 2015 02:07:14 GMT-0500 (EST)