Just a Quick "Periscopes Up" for anyone looking for a Free Logic Simulator - Quick bash up above as taster.
GitHub https://github.com/reds-heig/logisim-evolution/releases
- chronogram -- to see the evolution of signals in your circuit
- electronic board integration -- schematics can now be simulated on real hardware!
- board editor -- to add new electronic boards
- VHDL component -- a new component type whose behavior is specified in VHDL
- TCL/TK console -- interfaces between the circuit and the user
- DIP switches
- RGB LEDs
- GUI improvements
- code refactoring
Next step is to experiment with the Verilog code that it is claimed to output... and port it to my Deo-Nano FPGA board.
Holy-Moly :- That was a fall off the back of a chair moment...
Altera Deo-Nano Cyclone iV FPGA Development board ToolChain
Install :- Quartus II Software inc. the Deo-Nano USB driver
Point the Logisim Altera/Intel Quartus toolpath under the Preferences tab to the install directory (in my case C:\altera\13.0\quartus\bin\) so the compiler can be shanghaied.
Fire up Logisim and make your Circuit.....
Set up the Deo-Nano environment via its neat FPGA Editor :-
It will then pop up a board overlay... presenting your I/O pins .
Where you can fine tune the configuration (I made no changes).
Then Synthesize :-
Any unmapped I/o's need to be mapped simply by selecting and pressing the neat board overlay on the LED/IO your require..
Execute and Download direct to the Board .....
Virtual Logic becomes Actual Logic ....
Very cool
Have you seen these yet?
https://www.seeedstudio.com/Spartan-Edge-Accelerator-Board-p-4261.html
uses the Xilinx Spartan-7 XC7S15 FPGA and plugs on to an Arduino Uno.
I found the FOGA tio be much bigger that comparably priced Altera FPGA's.
FPGA's are cool, once you get your head around your designing not programming, For loops don't execute sequntially but all at the same time :-)
Ray